Allergen-specific responses of CD19(+)CD5(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory B cells (Bregs) and CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cell (Tregs) in immune tolerance of cow milk allergy of late eczematous reactions

Foxp3-expressing cells among CD19(+)CD5(+) B cells were identified as regulatory B cells. Food allergy manifesting as late eczematous reactions is regarded as a non-IgE-mediated food allergy. The diagnosis for milk allergy manifesting as late eczematous reactions was made on the basis of the findings obtained from a double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge in patients with atopic dermatitis. Twelve patients with milk allergy and 12 patients who could tolerate milk were selected. On casein stimulation, the CD19(+)CD5(+)Foxp3(+) B cell (Breg) fraction in CD5(+) B cells decreased from 4.4±1.1% to 3.1±0.7% (P=0.047, n=12) in the milk allergy group and increased from 4.4±1.3% to 5.2±1.4% (P=0.001, n=10) in the milk-tolerant group. On the other hand, on allergen stimulation, the number of CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the milk allergy group and milk-tolerant group increased from 2.6±0.7% to 3.4±0.6% (P=0.014, n=9) and from 2.7±1.0% to 3.5±1.0% (P=0.038, n=10), respectively. In conclusion, allergen-specific responses of Bregs, rather than those of Tregs, seem to influence the immune responses (i.e., allergy or tolerance) to a food allergen.     

Anti-citrullinated fibronectin antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis are associated with human leukocyte antigen-DRB1 shared epitope alleles

Introduction

Fibronectin is one of the most abundant proteins present in the inflamed joint. Here, we characterized the citrullination of fibronectin in the joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and studied the prevalence, epitope specificity and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association of autoantibodies against citrullinated fibronectin in RA.

Methods

Citrullinated residues in fibronectin isolated from RA patient synovial fluid were identified by mass spectrometry. The corresponding citrullinated and non-citrullinated peptides were synthesized and used to analyze the presence of autoantibodies to these peptides in RA sera and sera from other diseases and healthy controls by ELISA. The data were compared with risk factors like shared epitope HLA alleles and smoking, and with clinical features.

Results

Five citrullinated residues were identified in fibronectin from RA synovial fluid. RA sera reacted in a citrulline-dependent manner with two out of four citrullinated fibronectin peptides, one of which contains two adjacent citrulline residues, in contrast to non-RA sera, which were not reactive. The most frequently recognized peptide (FN-Cit_1035,1036, LTVGLTXXGQPRQY, in which × represents citrulline) was primarily targeted by anti-CCP (cyclic citrullinated peptide) 2-positive RA patients. Anti-FN-Cit_1035,1036 autoantibodies were detected in 50% of established anti-CCP2-positive RA patients and in 45% of such patients from a early arthritis clinic. These antibodies appeared to be predominantly of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) isotype and to be associated with HLA shared epitope alleles (odds ratio = 2.11).

Conclusions

Fibronectin in the inflamed synovia of RA patients can be citrullinated at least at five positions. Together with the flanking amino acids, three of these citrullinated residues comprise two epitopes recognized by RA autoantibodies. Anti-citrullinated fibronectin peptide antibodies are associated with HLA shared epitope alleles.     

Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from immature embryos of five families of Quercus acutissima

Immature embryos of sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima Carruth.) were obtained from five seed families and cultured on modified Murashige and Skoog nutrient medium containing 1 g/l l-glutamine and 5 mM proline and supplemented with 1.0 mg/l indole-3-butyric acid and 1.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine. The frequency of somatic embryogenesis from immature embryos was a function of the collection date and seed family. The highest frequency of explants forming somatic embryos was obtained with seeds of family Chungnam 11, i.e. 7 weeks post-fertilization (90.9%) and 9 weeks post-fertilization (91.2%). No response was shown by families Chungnam 14, 15 and Jeonbook 29 (0%), at 10 weeks post fertilization. During germination, the highest frequency of epicotyl formation was obtained with Chungnam 11 (44.0%) or Chungnam 15 (43.5%), and the highest rate of radicle formation was shown by Chungnam 11 (26.1%). The most responsive seed family with respect to the formation of both epicotyl (43.5%) and radicle (26.1%) was Chungnam 11. Twenty plantlets were transplanted to a perlite:peatmoss:vermiculite (1:1:1) soil mixture, and 8 plants survived in the field. Received: 6 December 1996 / Revised version received: 18 April 1997 / Accepted: 10 May 1997     

Antibodies to citrullinated proteins and differences in clinical progression of rheumatoid arthritis

Antibodies to citrullinated proteins (anti-cyclic-citrullinated peptide [anti-CCP] antibodies) are highly specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and precede the onset of disease symptoms, indicating a pathogenetic role for these antibodies in RA. We recently showed that distinct genetic risk factors are associated with either anti-CCP-positive disease or anti-CCP-negative disease. These data are important as they indicate that distinct pathogenic mechanisms are underlying anti-CCP-positive disease or anti-CCP-negative disease. Likewise, these observations raise the question of whether anti-CCP-positive RA and anti-CCP-negative RA are clinically different disease entities. We therefore investigated whether RA patients with anti-CCP antibodies have a different clinical presentation and disease course compared with patients without these autoantibodies. In a cohort of 454 incident patients with RA, 228 patients were anti-CCP-positive and 226 patients were anti-CCP-negative. The early symptoms, tender and swollen joint count, and C-reactive protein level at inclusion, as well as the swollen joint count and radiological destruction during 4 years of follow-up, were compared for the two groups. There were no differences in morning stiffness, type, location and distribution of early symptoms, patients' rated disease activity and C-reactive protein at inclusion between RA patients with and without anti-CCP antibodies. The mean tender and swollen joint count for the different joints at inclusion was similar. At follow-up, patients with anti-CCP antibodies had more swollen joints and more severe radiological destruction. Nevertheless, the distribution of affected joints, for swelling, bone erosions and joint space narrowing, was similar. In conclusion, the phenotype of RA patients with or without anti-CCP antibodies is similar with respect to clinical presentation but differs with respect to disease course.     

Melatonin suppresses senescence‐derived mitochondrial dysfunction in mesenchymal stem cells via the HSPA1L–mitophagy pathway

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a popular cell source for stem cell‐based therapy. However, continuous ex vivo expansion to acquire large amounts of MSCs for clinical study induces replicative senescence, causing decreased therapeutic efficacy in MSCs. To address this issue, we investigated the effect of melatonin on replicative senescence in MSCs. In senescent MSCs (late passage), replicative senescence decreased mitophagy by inhibiting mitofission, resulting in the augmentation of mitochondrial dysfunction. Treatment with melatonin rescued replicative senescence by enhancing mitophagy and mitochondrial function through upregulation of heat shock 70 kDa protein 1L (HSPA1L). More specifically, we found that melatonin‐induced HSPA1L binds to cellular prion protein (PrP^C), resulting in the recruitment of PrP^C into the mitochondria. The HSPA1L‐PrP^C complex then binds to COX4IA, which is a mitochondrial complex IV protein, leading to an increase in mitochondrial membrane potential and anti‐oxidant enzyme activity. These protective effects were blocked by knockdown of HSPA1L. In a murine hindlimb ischemia model, melatonin‐treated senescent MSCs enhanced functional recovery by increasing blood flow perfusion, limb salvage, and neovascularization. This study, for the first time, suggests that melatonin protects MSCs against replicative senescence during ex vivo expansion for clinical application via mitochondrial quality control.     

The proliferative and multipotent epidermal progenitor cells for human skin reconstruction in vitro and in vivo

ObjectivesThe skin exhibits tremendous regenerative potential, as different types of progenitor and stem cells regulate skin homeostasis and damage. However, in vitro primary keratinocytes present with several drawbacks, such as high donor variability, short lifespan, and limited donor tissue availability. Therefore, more stable primary keratinocytes are needed to generate multiple uniform in vitro and in vivo skin models.ResultsWe identified epidermal progenitor cells from primary keratinocytes using Integrin beta 1 (ITGB1) an epidermal stem cell marker markedly decreased after senescence in vitro. Epidermal progenitor cells exhibited unlimited proliferation and the potential for multipotent differentiation capacity. Moreover, they could completely differentiate to form an organotypic skin model including conversed mesenchymal cells in the dermis and could mimic the morphologic and biochemical processes of human epidermis. We also discovered that proliferation and the multipotent differentiation capacity of these cells relied on ITGB1 expression. Eventually, we examined the in vitro and in vivo wound healing capacity of these epidermal progenitor cells.ConclusionsOverall, the findings suggest that these stable and reproducible cells can differentiate into multiple lineages, including human skin models. They are a potentially powerful tool for studying skin regeneration, skin diseases, and are an alternative for in vivo experiments.

Our stable and reproducible epidermal progenitor cells from human epidermis have proliferation and multipotent differentiation potentials, regeneration capacity and could generate in vivo mimic 3D skin model not only for regeneration therapy but also for alternative animal experiments.     

Ce3+/Tb3+ non‐/single‐/co‐doped K‐Lu‐F materials: synthesis,optical properties,and energy transfer

Using a hydrothermal method, Ce³⁺/Tb³⁺ non‐/single‐/co‐doped K‐Lu‐F materials have been synthesized. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) results suggest that the Ce³⁺ and/or Tb³⁺ doping had great effects on the crystalline phases of the final samples. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) images indicated that the samples were in hexagonal disk or polyhedron morphologies in addition to some nanoparticles, which also indicated that the doping also had great effects on the sizes and the morphologies of the samples. The energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) patterns illustrated the constituents of different samples. The enhanced emissions of Tb³⁺ were observed in the Ce³⁺/Tb³⁺ co‐doped K‐Lu‐F materials. The energy transfer (ET) efficiency η_T were calculated based on the fluorescence yield. The ET mechanism from Ce³⁺ to Tb³⁺ was confirmed to be the dipole–quadrupole interaction inferred from the theoretical analysis and the experimental data. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Senescence-associated vacuoles with intense proteolytic activity develop in leaves of Arabidopsis and soybean

Vacuolar compartments associated with leaf senescence and the subcellular localization of the senescence-specific cysteine-protease SAG12 (senescence-associated gene 12) were studied using specific fluorescent markers, the expression of reporter genes, and the analysis of high-pressure frozen/freeze-substituted samples. Senescence-associated vacuoles (SAVs) with intense proteolytic activity develop in the peripheral cytoplasm of mesophyll and guard cells in Arabidopsis and soybean. The vacuolar identity of these compartments was confirmed by immunolabeling with specific antibody markers. SAVs and the central vacuole differ in their acidity and tonoplast composition: SAVs are more acidic than the central vacuole and, whereas the tonoplast of central vacuoles is highly enriched in gamma-TIP (tonoplast intrinsic protein), the tonoplast of SAVs lacks this aquaporin. The expression of a SAG12-GFP fusion protein in transgenic Arabidopsis plants shows that SAG12 localizes to SAVs. The analysis of Pro(SAG12):GUS transgenic plants indicates that SAG12 expression in senescing leaves is restricted to SAV-containing cells, for example, mesophyll and guard cells. A homozygous sag12 Arabidopsis mutant develops SAVs and does not show any visually detectable phenotypical alteration during senescence, indicating that SAG12 is not required either for SAV formation or for progression of visual symptoms of senescence. The presence of two types of vacuoles in senescing leaves could provide different lytic compartments for the dismantling of specific cellular components. The possible origin and functions of SAVs during leaf senescence are discussed.