Acquisition of desiccation tolerance by isolated maize embryos exposed to different conditions: the questionable role of endogenous abscisic acid

The effect of exogenous ABA on acquisition of desiccation tolerance has been well documented for the embryos of several species. including maize ( Zea mays L.). It has also been suggested that endogenous ABA plays a role in regulating the same phenomena. To test this hypothesis, endogenous ABA was quantified by radioimmunoassay. Our results show that: (1) during embryogenesis in maize, endogenous ABA increase-concomitantly with the acquisition of desiccation tolerance: (2) ABA deficient embryos of the vp 5 mutant are desiccation intolerant, but tolerance can he induced by exogenous ABA: and (3) desiccation tolerance is acquired if desiccation sensitive embryos undergo a slow drying treatment, during which ABA increases. However, when embryos were preincubated in fluridone to prevent ABA accumulation during slow drying, desiccation tolerance was induced in spite of the low level of endogenous ABA in the embryo. Our results cast doubts on an exclusive role of ABA in the acquisition of desiccation tolerance in maize embryo.     

Characterization and potential antitumor effect of a heteropolysaccharide produced by the red alga Porphyridium sordidum

Taking into account the rising trend of the incidence of cancers of various organs, effective therapies are urgently needed to control human malignancies. However, almost all chemotherapy drugs currently on the market cause serious side effects. Fortunately, several studies have shown that some non‐toxic biological macromolecules, including algal polysaccharides, possess anti‐cancer activities or can increase the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy drugs. Polysaccharides are characteristic secondary metabolites of many algae. The efficacy of polysaccharides on the normal and cancer cells is not well investigated, but our investigations proved a cell specific effect of a newly isolated extracellular polysaccharide from the red microalga Porphyridium sordidum. The investigated substance was composed of xylose:glucose and galactose:manose:rhamnose in a molar ratio of 1:0.52:0.44:0.31. Reversible electroporation has been exploited to increase the transport through the plasma membrane into the tested breast cancer tumor cells MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB231. Application of 75 µg/mL polysaccharide in combination with 200 V/cm electroporation induced 40% decrease in viability of MDA‐MB231 cells and changes in cell morphology while control cells (MCF10A) remained with normal morphology and kept vitality.     

Protective efficacy of IgA monoclonal antibodies to O and H antigens in a mouse model of intranasal challenge with Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis

Protective properties of immunoglobulin A (IgA) monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against O and H antigens of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis (S. enteritidis) were evaluated in a model of generalized infection after intranasal (i.n.) inoculation of BALB/c mice. Passive i.n. instillation of antibodies 1 h before i.n. challenge did not prevent infection, and mice developed rapid inflammatory response in the lower respiratory tract. The passive systemic immunization was partially protective and a single intravenous (i.v.) injection of both O and H antigen specific IgA antibodies prolonged survival period of the infected animals. Permanent secretion of O:9 specific IgA MAb 177E6 into the respiratory tract in a "backpack" tumor model protected 50% of animals infected i.n. with a high dose of virulent S. enteritidis strain. Thus, secretory IgA (S-IgA) directed against O:9 antigen alone can prevent bacterial invasion in the respiratory epithelium.     

Production and characterization of monoclonal immunoglobulin A antibodies directed against Salmonella H:g,m flagellar antigen

Hybridomas were generated after intragastral immunization of BALB/c mice with live Salmonella suberu and subsequent fusion between isolated spleen lymphoblasts and myeloma cells. Three monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) of immunoglobulin A (IgA) isotype were selected and characterized. All of them were found to recognize the H:g epitope in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting but did not react with all H:g-expressing strains in slide agglutination test. All MAbs strongly agglutinated Salmonella enteritidis type strain and a large number of S. enteritidis clinical isolates. They were not bactericidal in the presence of complement. All hybridoma clones produced secretory IgA forms, which were found in the gastrointestinal tract of mice bearing hybridoma as a subcutaneous 'backpack' tumor or after intravenous application of purified MAbs. The IgA MAbs stability demonstrated in different tests together with their antigen specificity and strong agglutination ability make them a useful diagnostic tool for serotyping of Salmonella strains.     

Monoclonal antibody of IgG isotype against a cross-reactive lipopolysaccharide epitope of Chlamydia and Salmonella Re chemotype enhances infectivity in L-929 fibroblast cells

A murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) 202D7 of IgG3 isotype recognizes a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) epitope of Chlamydia spp. and cross-reacts with the Re chemotype LPS of Salmonella and Escherichia coli. The antibody exhibits strong complement activating properties and stimulates phagocytosis of Salmonella enterica serovar Minnesota Re mutant by murine macrophages. Salmonella Re mutants are non-invasive for cell monolayers but still can enter and replicate in L-929 murine fibroblast cells. The entry of bacteria within the cells increases five-fold in the presence of MAb 202D7. The antibody mediates attachment and enhances five-fold the infectivity of Chlamydia pneumoniae into L-929 cells, which suggests a possible IgG-mediated mechanism of entry and survival of the pathogen in fibroblast cells.     

Characterisation of 20-kDa lectin-spermagglutinin from Arum maculatum that prevents Chlamydia pneumoniae infection of L-929 fibroblast cells

A novel lectin from the root of Arum maculatum was isolated by saline extraction and purified by cold ethanol precipitation and subsequent fractionation on Superose 6 column. The lectin named A. maculatum agglutinin is a non-glycosylated protein with 20-kDa molecular mass agglutinating human ejaculated spermatozoa, but not human erythrocytes. The agglutination was blocked in the presence of N-acetylneuraminic acid indicating that the lectin is sialoglycoprotein specific. Chlamydia pneumoniae strain AR-39 showed considerable potential to grow in murine L-929 fibroblast cells. Pretreatment of the cell monolayers with purified lectin reduced the entry and intracellular replication of C. pneumoniae. These results suggest that the isolated lectin prevents attachment by binding to a C. pneumoniae specific sialoglycoprotein receptor expressed on the surface of L-929 fibroblast cells.     

The Impact of Immunosenescence on Humoral Immune Response Variation after Influenza A/H1N1 Vaccination in Older Subjects

Background

Although influenza causes significant morbidity and mortality in the elderly, the factors underlying the reduced vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy in this age group are not completely understood. Age and immunosenescence factors, and their impact on humoral immunity after influenza vaccination, are of growing interest for the development of better vaccines for the elderly.

Methods

We assessed associations between age and immunosenescence markers (T cell receptor rearrangement excision circles – TREC content, peripheral white blood cell telomerase – TERT expression and CD28 expression on T cells) and influenza A/H1N1 vaccine-induced measures of humoral immunity in 106 older subjects at baseline and three timepoints post-vaccination.

Results

TERT activity (TERT mRNA expression) was significantly positively correlated with the observed increase in the influenza-specific memory B cell ELISPOT response at Day 28 compared to baseline (p-value=0.025). TREC levels were positively correlated with the baseline and early (Day 3) influenza A/H1N1-specific memory B cell ELISPOT response (p-value=0.042 and p-value=0.035, respectively). The expression and/or expression change of CD28 on CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells at baseline and Day 3 was positively correlated with the influenza A/H1N1-specific memory B cell ELISPOT response at baseline, Day 28 and Day 75 post-vaccination. In a multivariable analysis, the peak antibody response (HAI and/or VNA at Day 28) was negatively associated with age, the percentage of CD8+CD28low T cells, IgD+CD27- naïve B cells, and percentage overall CD20- B cells and plasmablasts, measured at Day 3 post-vaccination. The early change in influenza-specific memory B cell ELISPOT response was positively correlated with the observed increase in influenza A/H1N1-specific HAI antibodies at Day 28 and Day 75 relative to baseline (p-value=0.007 and p-value=0.005, respectively).

Conclusion

Our data suggest that influenza-specific humoral immunity is significantly influenced by age, and that specific markers of immunosenescence (e.g., the baseline/early expression of CD28 on CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells and T cell immune abnormalities) are correlated with different humoral immune response outcomes observed after vaccination in older individuals, and thus can be potentially used to predict vaccine immunogenicity.     

Spontaneous cytotoxic activity of eosinophilic granule cells separated from the normal peritoneal cavity of Dicentrarchus labrax

In this study the spontaneous in vitro cytotoxic activity to tumour cell lines, (K562), by unstimulated sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) leukocytes was examined by trypan blue exclusion test and lactate dehydrogenase release assay. A high anti-tumour cell line activity of resident peritoneal leukocytes was found at an effector to target ratio (E:T) of 25:1 after incubation for 2 h at 18 degrees C. Rabbit and sheep erythrocytes were not lysed. A low activity was displayed by head kidney and spleen cell populations whereas blood leukocytes revealed no significant activity. The effect of E:T ratio on cytotoxicity as well as microscopy observations suggested that the cytotoxic reaction required effector-target cell contact. Eosinophilic granule cells, isolated on a Percoll density gradient from a peritoneal wash, appeared to be responsible for the in vitro cytotoxic activity.     

Genome-wide genetic associations with IFNγ response to smallpox vaccine

Smallpox is a deadly and debilitating disease that killed hundreds of millions of people in the past century alone. The use of Vaccinia virus-based smallpox vaccines led to the eradication of smallpox. These vaccines are remarkably effective, inducing the characteristic pustule or "take" at the vaccine site in >97?% of recipients, and inducing a wide spectrum of long-lasting humoral and cellular immune responses. The mechanisms behind inter-individual vaccine-response variability are likely to involve host genetic variation, but have not been fully characterized. We report here the first smallpox vaccine response genome-wide association study of over 1,000 recent recipients of Dryvax(?). The data presented here focus on cellular immune responses as measured by both production of secreted IFNγ and quantitation of IFNγ secreting cells by ELISPOT assay. We identified multiple significant SNP associations in genes (RASA1, ADRA1D, TCF7L1, FAS) that are critical components of signaling pathways that directly control lymphocyte IFNγ production or cytotoxic T cell function. Similarly, we found many associations with SNPs located in genes integral to nerve cell function; findings that, given the complex interplay between the nervous and immune systems, deserve closer examination in follow-up studies.     

Impact of cytokine and cytokine receptor gene polymorphisms on cellular immunity after smallpox vaccination

We explored associations between SNPs in cytokine/cytokine receptor genes and cellular immunity in subjects following primary smallpox vaccination. We also analyzed the genotype–phenotype associations discovered in the Caucasian subjects among a cohort of African-Americans. In Caucasians we found 277 associations (p < 0.05) between gene SNPs and inter-individual variations in IFN-α, IL-12p40, IL-1β, IL-2, and TNF-α secretion levels. A collection of SNPs in the IL1RN, IL2RB, IL4R, IL6, IL10RB, IL12A, and IL12RB2 genes had consistent associations among both Caucasians and African-Americans. A regulatory SNP (rs452204) in the IL1RN gene was significantly associated with higher levels of IL-2 secretion in an allele dose-dependent manner in both race groups (p = 0.05 for Caucasians and p = 0.002 for African-Americans). IL12RB2 polymorphism rs3790567 was associated with a dose-related decrease in IL-1β secretion (p = 0.009 for Caucasians and p = 0.01 for African-Americans). Our results demonstrate that variations in smallpox vaccine-induced cytokine responses are modulated by genetic polymorphisms in cytokine and cytokine receptor genes.