Glycoprotein IIb-IIIa Is Expressed on Avian Multilineage Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells

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Leukotriene B-4-Neutrophil Elastase Axis Drives Neutrophil Reverse Transendothelial Cell Migration In Vivo

This work was supported by generous funds from the Wellcome Trust (098291/Z/12/Z to S.N.). T.C. was supported by the ERC (ENDHORET). The work was also supported in part by funds from the William Harvey Research Foundation

Quantification of T-cell progenitors during ontogeny: thymus colonization depends on blood delivery of progenitors

An in vivo thymus reconstitution assay based on intrathymic injection of hematopoietic progenitors into irradiated chicks was used to determine the number of T-cell progenitors in peripheral blood, paraaortic foci, bone marrow (BM), and spleen during ontogeny. This study allowed us to analyze the regulation of thymus colonization occurring in three waves during embryogenesis. It confirmed that progenitors of the first wave of thymus colonization originate from the paraaortic foci, whereas progenitors of the second and the third waves originate from the BM. The analysis of the number of T-cell progenitors indicates that each wave of thymus colonization is correlated with a peak number of T-cell progenitors in peripheral blood, whereas they are almost absent during the periods defined as refractory for colonization. Moreover, injection of T-cell progenitors into the blood circulation showed that they homed into the thymus without delay during the refractory periods. Thus, thymus colonization kinetics depend mainly on the blood delivery of T-cell progenitors during embryogenesis

MHC class II and c-kit expression allows rapid enrichment of T-cell progenitors from total bone marrow cells

T-cell progenitors in the embryonic bone marrow express the tyrosine kinase receptor c-kit. RR5, an anti-MHC class II beta chain monoclonal antibody, subdivides this c-kit positive population. Intrathymic transfer experiments showed that most of the T-cell progenitors belong to the MHC class II(+)/c-kit(+) bone marrow population in the embryo and young adult. On transplantation, these bone marrow progenitors lose this expression and differentiate into CD4 CD8 T lymphocytes. In contrast, erythroid progenitors are restricted to the MHC class II(-)/c-kit(+) population. The MHC class II(+)/c-kit(+) pro-T cells are metabolically active, because they stain brightly with rhodamin 123. Their cyclin A and B expression level suggests that they are in the mitotic phase of the cell cycle. Thus, we define an easy sorting protocol, which allows enrichment of T-cell progenitors from total bone marrow hemopoietic cells. (Blood. 2000;96:3988-3990

Renewal of thymocyte progenitors and emigration of thymocytes during avian development

The avian thymus is colonized by three waves of hemopoietic progenitors during embryogenesis. An in vivo thymus reconstitution assay based on intrathymic injection of irradiated chicks showed that cells of para-aortic foci were able to differentiate into T lymphocytes, confirming their putative role in the first wave of thymus colonization. This assay was also used to detect and to characterize T cell progenitors from the bone marrow which are involved in the second and third wave of thymus colonization. In the bone marrow, progenitors that differentiated into T cells were found in a subpopulation that expressed the molecules HEMCAM, c-kit and c128. Engraftment of thymus lobes into thymectomized young chick recipients showed that T cell progenitors are replaced in the thymus by subsequent waves of progenitors after hatching. Finally, analysis of thymocyte differentiation suggested that gamma delta and alpha beta T cells migrate from the thymus to the periphery in alternating waves

Recombinant murine IL-3 fails to stimulate T or B lymphopoiesis in vivo, but enhances immune responses to T cell-dependent antigens

We have explored the in vivo effect of IL-3 on the lymphopoiesis and humoral responses of mice bearing osmotic minipumps loaded with murine rIL-3 for 1 to 4 wk. A marked splenomegaly due to the accumulation of hemopoietic precursors was seen, but no increase was found in the lymphoid organs in the total number of cells belonging to the T or B lymphocyte lineage, i.e., of L3T4+ or Lyt-2+, or of allospecific cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursor for the T lineage, or of sIg+ or B220+ cells, or of B colony-forming cells for the B lineage; total activity of natural killer and lymphokine-activated killer cells was decreased. In contrast to the splenomegaly, a marked diminution in the number of thymocytes was observed, suggesting that rIL-3 in large amounts does suppress the T lymphopoiesis, perhaps as the result of the selective stimulation of early progenitor cells toward the hemopoietic pathway. rIL-3 perfusion during immunization increased the IgM and IgG responses to a T cell-dependent antigen, human IgG, and prevented tolerance induction by the deaggregated human IgG, although in the same conditions it did not modify the response to a T cell-independent antigen. Our results suggest that in vivo IL-3 does not act directly on lymphocytes or their precursors, but may potentiate the humoral immune response to T cell-dependent antigens, presumably by acting on accessory cells

Bcl-2 protects against hyperoxia-induced apoptosis through inhibition of the mitochondria-dependent pathway

Bcl-2 is an antiapoptotic molecule that prevents oxidative stress damage and cell death. We investigated the possible protective mechanisms mediated by Bcl-2 during hyperoxia-induced cell death in L929 cells. In these cells, hyperoxia promoted apoptosis without DNA fragmentation. Overexpression of Bcl-2 significantly protected cells from oxygen-induced apoptosis, as shown by measurement of lactate dehydrogenase release, quantification of apoptotic nuclei, and detection of Annexin-V-positive cells. Bcl-2 partially prevented mitochondrial damage and interfered with the mitochondrial proapoptotic signaling pathway: it reduced Bax translocation to mitochondria, decreased the release of cytochrome c, and inhibited caspase 3 activation. However, treatment with the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD.fmk failed to rescue the cells from death, indicating that protection provided by Bcl-2 was due not only to caspase inhibition. Bcl-2 also prevented the release of mitochondrial apoptotic inducing factor, a mediator of caspase-independent apoptosis, correlating with the absence of oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation. In addition, Bcl-2-overexpressing cells showed significantly higher intracellular amounts of glutathione after 72 h of oxygen exposure. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the overexpression of Bcl-2 is able to prevent hyperoxia-induced cell death, by affecting mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathways and increasing intracellular antioxidant compounds

Junctional adhesion molecule C (JAM-C) distinguishes CD27+ germinal center B lymphocytes from non-germinal center cells and constitutes a new diagnostic tool for B-cell malignancies

Differentiation of naive B cells into plasma cells or memory cells occurs in the germinal centers (GCs) of lymph follicles or alternatively via a GC- and T-cell-independent pathway. It is currently assumed that B-cell lymphomas correlate to normal B-cell differentiation stages, but the precise correlation of several B-cell lymphomas to these two pathways remains controversial. In the present report, we describe the junctional adhesion molecule C (JAM-C), currently identified at the cell-cell border of endothelial cells, as a new B-cell marker with a tightly regulated expression during B-cell differentiation. Expression of JAM-C in tonsils allows distinction between two CD27+ B-cell subpopulations: JAM-C- GC B cells and JAM-C+ non-germinal B cells. The expression of JAM-C in different B-cell lymphomas reveals a disease-specific pattern and allows a clear distinction between JAM-C- lymphoproliferative syndromes (chronic lymphocytic leukemia, mantle cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma) and JAM-C+ ones (hairy cell leukemia, marginal zone B-cell lymphoma). Therefore, we propose JAM-C as a new identification tool in B-cell lymphoma diagnosis

Homing of human B cells to lymphoid organs and B-cell lymphoma engraftment are controlled by cell adhesion molecule JAM-C.

Junctional adhesion molecule C (JAM-C) is expressed by vascular endothelium and human but not mouse B lymphocytes. The level of JAM-C expression defines B-cell differentiation stages and allows the classification of marginal zone-derived (JAM-C-positive) and germinal center-derived (JAM-C-negative) B-cell lymphomas. In the present study, we investigated the role of JAM-C in homing of human B cells, using a xenogeneic nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mouse model. Treatment with anti-JAM-C antibodies in short-term experiments reduced migration of normal and malignant JAM-C-expressing B cells to bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen. Blocking homing to the spleen is remarkable, as most other antiadhesion antibodies reduce homing of B cells only to bone marrow and lymph nodes. Long-term administration of anti-JAM-C antibodies prevented engraftment of JAM-Cpos lymphoma cells in bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes of mice. Plasmon resonance studies identified JAM-B as the major ligand for JAM-C, whereas homotypic JAM-C interactions remained at background levels. Accordingly, anti-JAM-C antibodies blocked adhesion of JAM-C-expressing B cells to their ligand JAM-B, and immunofluorescence analysis showed the expression of JAM-B on murine and human lymphatic endothelial cells. Targeting JAM-C could thus constitute a new therapeutic strategy to prevent lymphoma cells from reaching supportive microenvironments not only in the bone marrow and lymph nodes but also in the spleen