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Thymus leukemia (TL) antigens belong to the family of MHC class Ib antigens. We have shown in our previous studies that they serve as transplantation antigens, and can be recognized by both TCR alpha beta and TCR gamma delta cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) with TL but not H-2 restriction. Although TL are known to be expressed TAP independently, it is unclear whether peptide loading on TL molecules is necessary for the formation of CTL epitopes. In the present study, we first showed that TL expression is beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m)-dependent but TAP1 independent by flow cytometric analysis of thymocytes from beta(2)m- or TAP1-deficient mice crossed with TL transgenic mice expressing Tla(a)-3-TL on their thymocytes. Subsequently, we investigated the epitope recognized by CTL derived from C3H mice immunized with skin from a transgenic mouse expressing T3(b)-TL ubiquitously. Bulk CTL lines against TL from primary mixed lymphocyte cultures showed comparable cytotoxicity against T3(b)-TL transfectants of TAP2-deficient murine RMA-S grown at 37 degrees C to that against those grown at 25 degrees C. Furthermore, TCR alpha beta and TCR gamma delta CTL clones against TL recognized TL expressed on T3(b)-TL transfectants of RMA-S and Drosophila melanogaster cells having broad defects in peptide loading of MHC, and lysed these target cells. These results together indicate that TL-specific CTL populations primarily recognize epitopes expressed TAP independently.

Expression mechanism of CD15s (sialyl-Le^x, sLe^x) antigen has been investigated using human B lymphoid cell lines. sLe^x structures were not expressed in mature B lymphoids but highly expressed in pre-B leukemia and pre-B lymphoma cell lines. The expression site was mainly on the O-linked oligosaccharide chains and E-selectin mediated-cell adhesion capability of sLe^x-positive cells were significantly suppressed by benzyl-α-GalNAc treatment. Subsequently, the bases of the sLe^x expression control mechanism were examined at the levels of enzymatic activities and transcripts of glycosyltransferases. (1) The activities of α1→3fucosyltransferase, α2→3sialyltransferase, β1→4Gal-transferase, and elongation β1→3GlcNAc-transferase, did not correlate with sLe^x expression levels. (2) The transcripts of Fuc-TVII were not parallel with sLe^x expression, and those of ST3Gal IV and β1→4Gal-transferase were constitutively detected in all cell lines tested. (3) There was no detectable enzyme activity for core 3 and 4 backbone structure synthesis in human B cell lines. (4) By contrast, the enzyme activities and transcripts of UDP-GlcNAc:Galβ1→3GalNAc (GlcNAc to GalNAc) β1→6N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (Core2GnT) had significant correlation with the cell surface expression of sLe^x antigen. (5) Moreover, Western blot analysis revealed the presence of a major ∼150 kDa glycoprotein that carries O-linked oligosaccharides recognized by anti-sLe^x monoclonal antibody in sLe^x-positive pre-B leukemia cell lines. This correlation of Core2GnT with CD15s expression suggests that Core2GnT is a regulator of the cell surface expression of sLe^x in human pre-B lymphoid cells.

Expression mechanism of CD15s (sialyl-Lex, sLex) antigen has been investigated using human B lymphoid cell lines. sLexstructures were not expressed in mature B lymphoids but highly expressed in pre-B leukemia and pre-B lymphoma cell lines. The expression site was mainly on the O -linked oligosaccharide chains and E-selectin mediated-cell adhesion capability of sLex-positive cells were significantly suppressed by benzyl-alpha-GalNAc treatment. Subsequently, the bases of the sLexexpression control mechanism were examined at the levels of enzymatic activities and transcripts of glycosyltransferases. (1) The activities of alpha1-->3fucosyltransferase, alpha2-->3sialyltransferase, beta1-->4Gal-transferase, and elongation beta1-->3GlcNAc-transferase, did not correlate with sLexexpression levels. (2) The transcripts of Fuc-TVII were not parallel with sLexexpression, and those of ST3Gal IV and beta1-->4Gal-transferase were constitutively detected in all cell lines tested. (3) There was no detectable enzyme activity for core 3 and 4 backbone structure synthesis in human B cell lines. (4) By contrast, the enzyme activities and transcripts of UDP-GlcNAc:Galbeta1-->3GalNAc (GlcNAc to GalNAc) beta1-->6 N -acetylglucosaminyltransferase (Core2GnT) had significant correlation with the cell surface expression of sLexantigen. (5) Moreover, Western blot analysis revealed the presence of a major approximately 150 kDa glycoprotein that carries O -linked oligosaccharides recognized by anti-sLexmonoclonal antibody in sLex-positive pre-B leukemia cell lines. This correlation of Core2GnT with CD15s expression suggests that Core2GnT is a regulator of the cell surface expression of sLexin human pre-B lymphoid cells.

Sialyl-Lex (sLex) antigen expression recognized by KM93 monoclonal antibody was significantly down-regulated during differentiation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in human pre-B lymphocytic leukemia cell line KM3. The sLex determinants were almost exclusively expressed on O-linked oligosaccharide chains of an O-glycosylated 150-kDa glycoprotein (gp150). A low shear force cell adhesion assay showed that TPA treatment significantly inhibited E-selectin-mediated cell adhesion. Transcript and/or enzyme activity levels of alpha1-->3-fucosyltransferase, alpha2-->3-sialyltransferase, beta1-->4-galactosyltransferase, and elongation beta1-->3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase did not correlate with sLex expression levels. However, transcript and enzyme activity levels of core 2 GlcNAc-transferase (C2GnT) were significantly down-regulated during TPA treatment. Following transfection and constitutive expression of full-length exogenous C2GnT transcript, C2GnT enzyme activities were maintained at high levels even after TPA treatment and down-regulation of cell surface sLex antigen expression by TPA was completely abolished. Furthermore, in the transfected cells, the KM93 reactivity of gp150 was not reduced by TPA treatment, and the inhibition of cell adhesion by TPA was also blocked. These results suggest that sLex expression is critically regulated by a single glycosyltransferase, C2GnT, during differentiation of KM3 cells.

E2F is a heterodimeric transcription factor that controls transcription of several growth-regulatory genes including cdc2. To investigate the mechanism of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha)-mediated growth suppression of hematopoietic cells, we examined the effect of IFN-alpha on the expression and function of E2F using IFN-sensitive Daudi cells. Down-regulation of E2F-1, a subunit of E2F, was observed after 8 h of culture with IFN-alpha; expression of E2F-4, another subunit of E2F, and DP-1, a heterodimeric partner of E2F, was unaffected. Gel shift assays revealed that the DNA binding activity of free E2F, which is composed of E2F-1 and E2F-4, was inhibited by IFN-alpha. In contrast, IFN-alpha did not affect the DNA binding ability of E2F-1 and E2F-4 in a complex with retinoblastoma (RB) susceptibility gene family proteins including pRB, p107, and p130. IFN-alpha could induce dephosphorylation of pRB, thereby turning active E2F-pRB complexes into transcriptional repressors. Transient chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays revealed that the activity of the E2F-dependent cdc2 promoter was suppressed by IFN-alpha. These results suggest that the antiproliferative action of IFN-alpha is mediated through the modulation of E2F activity in two different ways: down-regulation of transcriptionally active free E2F and conversion of E2F-pRB complexes into transcriptional repressors.

We observed changes in postganglionic efferent discharges of muscle sympathetic nerve (muscle sympathetic activity, MSA) microneurographically before and after the oral administration of L-threo-3,4-dihydrozyphenylserine (L-threo-DOPS), a precursor of norepinephrine, in a patient with Shy-Drager syndrome and irregular fluctuations of blood pressure. Before drug administration, MSA was only rarely observed with the patient in the supine position. There was a slight increase in MSA during head-up tilting to 40°, and orthostatic hypotension (OH) occurred just after the body was tilted head upward to 40°. MSA became prominent 30 minutes after the oral administration of 200 mg of L-threo-DOPS while the patient was in a 40° head-up position, and the OH was improved. The MSA discharge rate decreased and OH reappeared 3 hours after oral administration, when the plasma concentration of norepinephrine was at its highest level. We suggest that the OH improved mainly because of the increase in MSA due to L-threo-DOPS, and that the drug may activate sympathetic outflow at a site proximal to the sympathetic ganglion.

Apoptosis has recently been hypothesized to be the result of aberrant cell cycle control. In this study, we have investigated the role of cell cycle-regulatory elements in Fas-induced apoptosis of hematopoietic cells. When HL-60 cells were treated with anti-Fas antibody, rapid activation of growth-associated histone H1 kinase was observed without any change in cell cycle distribution. This was accompanied by the increase in cdc2 mRNA expression and Cdc2 kinase activity. Up-regulation of cdc2 mRNA was similarly induced in BCL-2-overexpressing HL-60 subline by anti-Fas treatment independently of the appearance of apoptotic phenotypes. Fas-induced apoptosis was completely inhibited by butyrolactone I, a specific inhibitor of Cdc2 kinase. Moreover, the same phenomenon was observed during Fas-induced but not spontaneous apoptosis of postmitotic granulocytes. Finally, we have found that "Fas-responsive element" was located between nucleotides -730 and -552 of the cdc2 promoter and was responsive for transcriptional activation of the cdc2 gene during Fas-induced apoptosis. These results indicate that aberrant activation of Cdc2 is associated with Fas-induced apoptosis of hematopoietic cells, and that the mechanism of cdc2 transcription during Fas-induced apoptosis is different from that in normal cell cycle control.