Chromatin, the physiological template of all eukaryotic genetic information, is subject to a diverse array of posttranslational modifications that largely impinge on histone amino termini, thereby regulating access to the underlying DNA. Distinct histone amino-terminal modifications can generate synergistic or antagonistic interaction affinities for chromatin-associated proteins, which in turn dictate dynamic transitions between transcriptionally active or transcriptionally silent chromatin states. The combinatorial nature of histone amino-terminal modifications thus reveals a “histone code” that considerably extends the information potential of the genetic code. We propose that this epigenetic marking system represents a fundamental regulatory mechanism that has an impact on most, if not all, chromatin-templated processes, with far-reaching consequences for cell fate decisions and both normal and pathological development.

/pdf/translating-the-histone-code-l291mddcr9.pdf

Translating the Histone Code

Chromatin is not an inert structure, but rather an instructive DNA scaffold that can respond to external cues to regulate the many uses of DNA. A principle component of chromatin that plays a key role in this regulation is the modification of histones. There is an ever-growing list of these modifications and the complexity of their action is only just beginning to be understood. However, it is clear that histone modifications play fundamental roles in most biological processes that are involved in the manipulation and expression of DNA. Here, we describe the known histone modifications, define where they are found genomically and discuss some of their functional consequences, concentrating mostly on transcription where the majority of characterisation has taken place.

/pdf/regulation-of-chromatin-by-histone-modifications-35b8poynlc.pdf

Regulation of chromatin by histone modifications

https://www.chem.uwec.edu/Chem412_S05/Pages/presentations/giesemc/Shi_et_al_2004.pdf

Histone demethylation mediated by the nuclear amine oxidase homolog lsd1

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7295, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Division of Nucleic Acids Enzymology, Department of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA

/pdf/transcription-regulation-by-histone-methylation-interplay-1b5rdxk0jc.pdf

Transcription regulation by histone methylation: interplay between different covalent modifications of the core histone tails

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the histopathologic, serologic, lymphocytic, virological, hormonal, and genetic characteristics of murine models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying murine SLE are highly complex, apparently well-programmed genetically, but still diverse and their bases not as yet well defined. Significant serologic and cellular experimental data support the statement that the final immunopathologic perturbation in murine (and human) SLE is a B lymphocyte hyperactivity with corresponding enhancement of serum antibodies and autoantibodies, particularly IgG, and consequent formation of pathogenic antigen–antibody ICs. On the basis of the available data, it appears that this B cell hyperactivity is polyclonal but not necessarily panclonal in nature, because not only antibodies against a wide array of autoantigens but also antibodies against incidental antigens, such as haptens, can be detected. The presence of autoantibodies and of their idiotypes in some recombinant lupus x normal murine lines expressing the normal partner's V genes, normal mice in which an exogenous or endogenous (Ipr gene) immunostimulator has been introduced, and unmanipulated normal mice indicate that lupus mice are not unique in their structural genetic Ig elements, whose presence determines the development of their autoimmune disease. The cause of B cell hyperactivity in lupus has not yet been fully elucidated. Autonomous B cell maturation does not appear likely, because B cell proliferation and differentiation in lupus mice was found to be dependent on the same number of accessory signals as in normal mice.

Murine models of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Tumor cells expressing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene are sensitive to the drug ganciclovir (GCV). We demonstrate here that HSV-TK-positive cells exposed to GCV were lethal to HSV-TK-negative cells as a result of a "bystander effect." HSV-TK-negative cells were killed in vitro when the population of cultured cells contained only 10% HSV-TK-positive cells. The mechanism of this "bystander effect" on HSV-TK-negative cells appeared to be related to the process of apoptotic cell death when HSV-TK-positive cells were exposed to GCV. Flow cytometric and electron microscopic analyses suggested that apoptotic vesicles generated from the dying gene-modified cells were phagocytized by nearby, unmodified tumor cells. Prevention of apoptotic vesicle transfer prevented the bystander effect. The toxic effect of HSV-TK-positive cells on HSV-TK-negative cells was reproduced in an in vivo model. A mixed population of tumor cells consisting of HSV-TK-positive and HSV-TK-negative cells was inoculated s.c. into mice. Regression of the tumor mass occurred when the inoculum consisted of as few as 10% HSV-TK-expressing tumor cells. The bystander effect was also demonstrated in i.p. tumor studies. Initial experiments demonstrated that prolonged survival (> 70 days) occurred when a mixture containing 50% HSV-TK-positive and 50% HSV-TK-negative cells was injected i.p. followed by GCV treatment. Further, survival was prolonged for mice with a preexisting HSV-TK-negative i.p. tumor burden by injecting HSV-TK-positive cells and GCV. These results suggest that genetic modification of tumor cells may be useful for developing cancer therapies.

http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/53/21/5274.full.pdf

The "bystander effect": tumor regression when a fraction of the tumor mass is genetically modified.

Several convergent lines of evidence have led us to propose that human monocytes and the related cell line U937 possess a second class of IgG Fc receptor (FcR) in addition to the 72-Kd high affinity FcR previously described. IgG affinity purification from detergent lysates of surface radiolabeled U937 cells has yielded both a 40-Kd IgG-binding membrane protein (p40) and the 72-Kd FcR protein. By the same procedure, only the p40 was isolated from the erythroblast cell line K562 and from the B cell lines, Daudi and Raji. Serologic cross-reactivity between the 40-Kd FcR on U937 and Daudi cells was demonstrated using a goat anti-FcR antiserum. A murine (m) monoclonal antibody, raised against the FcR of K562 cells, precipitated the 40-Kd FcR from lysates of U937 and K562 cells but not from Daudi or Raji cells. This antibody, referred to as anti-p40 (IV.3), selectively inhibited the binding of murine IgG1-coated erythrocytes to U937 cells, whereas monomeric human IgG selectively inhibited binding of human anti-Rh(D)-coated erythrocytes to U937 cells. Both Daudi and U937 cells mediated mIgG1 anti-T3 (Leu-4)-induced stimulation of T lymphocytes. In contrast, mIgG2a anti-T3 (OKT3)-induced stimulation was supported effectively by U937 cells but only modestly by Daudi cells. Intact IgG or Fab fragments of anti-p40 (IV.3) blocked mIgG1 anti-T3 (Leu-4) stimulation but not mIgG2a anti-T3 (OKT3) stimulation of T cells; monomeric human IgG blocked only OKT3-induced stimulation. The simplest interpretation of these results is that human monocytes and U937 cells bear two classes of IgG FcR, one of 72 Kd and the other, as described above, of 40 Kd. We propose that the 72-Kd FcR mediates rosette formation with red cells coated by human anti-Rh IgG as well as T cell stimulation by mIgG2a anti-T3 (OKT3) and that the 40-Kd FcR mediates rosette formation with erythrocytes bearing mIgG1 as well as T cell stimulation by mIgG1 anti-T3 (Leu-4). Furthermore, we suggest that these two FcR are the human homologues of the murine macrophage FcRI (binding mIgG2a) and FcRII (binding mIgG2b/1).

Human monocytes and U937 cells bear two distinct Fc receptors for IgG.

Role of cytomegalovirus in the T cell changes seen in elderly individuals.

We have recently shown that human monocytes and U937 cells possess two molecular classes of Fc gamma receptor. One, a 72,000-mol-wt sialoglycoprotein, has high affinity for certain subclasses of human and murine monomeric IgG. The other is a 40,000-mol-wt protein (p40) with low affinity for monomeric IgG but with the capacity to bind IgG aggregates or IgG-coated particles. In the present study, a 40,000-mol-wt single chain protein, apparently identical to p40 from U937 cells, was isolated from surface-radioiodinated human platelets by affinity purification using a murine IgG2b monoclonal antibody to p40. This 40,000-mol-wt protein was not seen when control IgG2b or unrelated murine monoclonal antibodies were employed in place of anti-p40. The same 40,000-mol-wt protein was also recovered from an IgG-Sepharose affinity adsorbent, but not from ovalbumin-or myoglobin-Sepharose. The 72,000-mol-wt Fc gamma receptor of monocytes was not identified on platelets. Monoclonal anti-p40 and Fab fragments derived from this antibody blocked platelet aggregation by heat-aggregated human IgG, whereas a control murine IgG2b protein had little or no inhibitory effect at 500-1,000-fold higher concentrations. A murine IgG1 monoclonal antibody, reactive with an unrelated platelet-specific membrane antigen, did not inhibit platelet responses to aggregated IgG. Anti-p40 did not affect platelet aggregation by thrombin, collagen, or fibrinogen plus ADP. Although anti-p40 did not directly aggregate platelets in the concentrations employed, cross-linking with F(ab')2 goat anti-murine Ig induced apyrase-sensitive aggregation of anti-p40-treated platelets. This indicates that p40 possesses transmembrane linkage for platelet activation and secretion. These observations strongly suggest that this newly recognized 40,000-mol-wt platelet membrane protein serves as an Fc gamma receptor.

/pdf/human-platelet-fc-receptor-for-immunoglobulin-g-3uvikmuzjo.pdf

George N. Abraham

Papers

The "bystander effect": tumor regression when a fraction of the tumor mass is genetically modified.

Human monocytes and U937 cells bear two distinct Fc receptors for IgG.

Role of cytomegalovirus in the T cell changes seen in elderly individuals.

Human platelet Fc receptor for immunoglobulin G. Identification as a 40,000-molecular-weight membrane protein shared by monocytes.

A technique for the removal of pyroglutamic acid from the amino terminus of proteins using calf liver pyroglutamate amino peptidase