The use of cytokines has shown promise as an approach for amplifying vaccine-elicited immune responses, but the application of these immunomodulatory molecules in this setting has not been systematically explored. In this report we investigate the use of protein- and plasmid-based cytokines to augment immune responses elicited by an HIV-1 gp120 plasmid DNA vaccine (pV1J-gp120) in mice. We demon...

Somatic hypermutation (SH) generates point mutations within rearranged immunoglobulin (Ig) genes of activated B cells, providing genetic diversity for the affinity maturation of antibodies. SH requires the activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) protein and transcription of the mutation target sequence, but how the Ig gene specificity of mutations is achieved has remained elusive. We show h...

Let G be a finite graph on the vertex set [d] = {1, . . . , d} with the edges e1, . . . , en and K[t] = K[t1, . . . , td] the polynomial ring in d variables over a field K. The edge ring of G is the semigroup ringK[G] which is generated by those monomials t = titj such that e = {i, j} is an edge of G. Let K[x] = K[x1, . . . , xn] be the polynomial ring in n variables over K and define the surje...

T cell receptor (TCR) antagonism is being considered for inactivation of aggressive T cells and reversal of T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. TCR antagonist peptides silence aggressive T cells and reverse experimental allergic encephalomyelitis induced with free peptides. However, it is not clear whether free antagonist peptides could reverse natural disease where the antigen is presumably a...

Since Dray's original description of allotype suppression in the rabbit (1), suppression of immunoglobulin (Ig) 1 allotypes in mice (2, 3), of Ig classes in chickens (4) and mice (5), and of Ig idiotypes in mice (6) has been documented. Nonetheless, the mechanism by which exposure to appropriate anti-Ig antisera suppresses production of a specific allotype, class, or idiotype is not known. In t...

The hypervariable region 3 (V3) within the disulfide-bridged loop of the envelope protein of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) contains an amino acid sequence that was defined as a principal neutralizing determinant (PND). A 19-amino acid residue consensus sequence (designated V3C) predicted from the PND sequences of 245 isolates as well as a sequence from the PND of the WMJ2 HIV-...

C.B-20 mice were immunized with splenocytes or B leukemia cells (BCL1) from Ig H chain allotype congenic strains. Spleen cells from these immunized mice were rechallenged in vitro to generate H-2-restricted cytotoxic T cells that were specific for target antigens controlled by genes linked to the Ig H chain locus. The anti-Ig H cytotoxic T cells detected an antigen(s) expressed only on surface ...

In a proportion of atopic asthmatics, exposure to a relevant antigen is followed by chronic inflammation in the airways leading to altered airway responsiveness (AR). However, the mechanisms underlying the development of airway hyperresponsiveness still remain unclear. To elucidate the relationship between IgE-mediated reactions and airway hyperresponsiveness, a murine model of passive sensitiz...

Abstract Dysregulated humoral immune mechanisms result in immunoglobulin production that is pathogenic and contributes to a wide range of autoimmune diseases transplant rejection. Proteases derived from human pathogens can specifically cleave these immunoglobulins (Ig) potentially eliminate circulating, cell-surface immune-complex Ig classes modulate Ig-mediated autoimmunity inflammation, provi...