Rapid mixed lymphocyte culture testing by analysis of the insulin receptor on alloactivated T lymphocyte. Implications for human tissue typing.J. Clin. Invest

culture (MLC) are traditionally evaluated by measurement of DNA synthesis or blast transformation. However, these events occur too late in the MLC to permit prospective matching for cadaveric renal transplantation. Presentation of allogeneic cells to the T lymphocyte within the MLC results in the emergence of an insulin receptor pharmacokinetically similar to that on other tissues such as fat, liver, and muscle. Intrafamilial MLC were studied by simultaneous assessment of DNA synthesis and insulin receptor binding. In 68 studies from seven families that provide examples of two haplotype identical matches, haplo-identical matches and total haplo mismatches, the presence of an insulin receptor correlated in every case with a positive MLC as estimated by [3H]thymidine incorporation. A quiantitative relationship existed between the strength of the MLC and the amount of receptor binding. Based on analysis of cells from several families in which crossover events were known to have occurred, the appearance of an insulin receptor always corresponded with a mismatch at the portion of histocompatibility letukocyte antigen (HLA) chromosome bearing the D region. Finally, it was demonstrated in each of 30 cultures that insulin receptor emergence occurred significantly before detectable DNA synthesis, as early as 24 h after the initiation of the MLC, well within the timeconstraint limitations for renal preservation. Appearance of the insulin receptor on activated lymphocytes may be a more rapid measure of mixed lymphocyte Address reprint requests to Dr. H. Helderman, Departmen

Sequence-independent inhibition of RNA transcription by DNA dumbbells and other decoys.

DNA dumbbells are stable, short segments of double-stranded DNA with closed nucleotide loops on each end, conferring resistance to exonucleases. Dumbbells may be designed to interact with transcription factors in a sequence-specific manner. The internal based paired sequence of DNA dumbbells in this study contains the X-box, a positive regulatory motif found in all MHC class II DRA promoters. In electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs), dumbbells and other oligonucleotides ('decoys') with the core X-box sequence were found to compete with the native strand for binding to X-box binding proteins (including RFX1). However, only the X-box dumbbell was capable of forming detectable complexes with such proteins using EMSA. In a model cell system, dumbbells were tested for their ability to block RFX1VP16 activation of a plasmid containing multiple repeats of the X-box linked to the CAT gene. While it appeared that dumbbells could block this activation, the effect was non-specific. This and further evidence suggests an inhibition of transcription, most likely via an interaction with the general transcriptional machinery