Analysis of cattle major histocompatibility complex (MHC) (BoLA) class I gene expression using serological and biochemical methods has demonstrated a high level of polymorphism. However, analysis of class I cDNA sequences has failed to produce conclusive evidence concerning the number and nature of expressed genes. Such information is essential for detailed studies of cattle immune responses, and to increase our understanding of the mechanisms of MHC evolution. In this study a selective breeding programme has been used to generate a number of MHC homozygous cattle expressing common serologically defined class I specificities. Detailed analysis of five class I haplotypes was carried out, with transcribed class I genes identified and characterized by cDNA cloning, sequence analysis, and transfection/expression studies. Surface expression of the gene products (on lymphocytes) was confirmed using monoclonal antibodies of defined BoLA specificity. Phylogenetic analysis of available transcribed cattle MHC class I sequences revealed complex evolutionary relationships including possible evidence for recombination. The study of individual haplotypes suggests that certain groupings of related sequences may correlate with loci, but overall it was not possible to define the origin of individual alleles using this approach. The most striking finding of this study is that none of the cattle class I genes is consistently expressed, and that in contrast to human, haplotypes differ from one another in both the number and composition of expressed classical class I genes.
Stem cell factor (SCF) is a recently described factor active in the early stages of hematopoiesis. It can exist in membrane-bound form and in proteolytically released soluble form. The levels and nature of SCF in human serum are described. As determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay performed for 257 samples, SCF level in serum averaged 3.3 +/- 1.1 ng/mL. The serum SCF was partially purified by immunoaffinity chromatography and analyzed by glycosidase treatments in conjunction with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. The results show that the SCF has N- linked and O-linked carbohydrate and corresponds to the soluble form, at or about 165 amino acids in length. The findings suggest functional importance for soluble SCF in humans.
Splenectomized mice treated for 7 days with pegylated recombinant rat stem cell factor (rrSCF-PEG) showed a dose-dependent increase in peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) that have enhanced in vivo repopulating potential. A dose of rrSCF-PEG at 25 micrograms/kg/d for 7 days produced no significant increase in PBPC. However, when this dose of rrSCF-PEG was combined with an optimal dose of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF; 200 micrograms/kg/d), a synergistic increase in PBPC was observed. Compared with treatment with rhG-CSF alone, the combination of rrSCF-PEG plus rhG-CSF resulted in a synergistic increase in peripheral white blood cells, in the incidence and absolute numbers of PBPC, and in the incidence and absolute numbers of circulating cells with in vivo repopulating potential. These data suggest that low doses of SCF, which would have minimal, if any, effects in vivo, can synergize with optimal doses of rhG-CSF to enhance the mobilization of PBPC stimulated by rhG-CSF alone.
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