We have used mRNA differential display PCR to search for genes induced in activated T cells and have found the LGALS1 (lectin, galactoside-binding, soluble) gene to be strongly up-regulated in effector T cells. The protein coded by the LGALS1 gene is a g-galactoside-binding protein (g GBP), which is released by cells as a monomeric negative growth factor but which can also associate into homodimers (galectin-1) with lectin properties. Northern blot analysis revealed that ex vivo isolated CD8 + effector T cells induced by a viral infection expressed high amounts of LGALS1 mRNA, whereas LGALS1 expression was almost absent in resting CD8 + T cells. LGALS1 expression could be induced in CD4 + and CD8 + T cells upon activation with the cognate peptide antigen and high levels of LGALS1 expression were found in concanavalin A-activated T cells but not in lipopolysaccharide-activated B cells. Gel filtration and Western blot analysis revealed that only monomeric g GBP was released by activated CD8 + T cells and in vitro experiments further showed that recombinant g GBP was able to inhibit antigen-induced proliferation of naive and antigen-experienced CD8 + T cells. Thus, these data indicate a role of g GBP as an autocrine negative growth factor for CD8 + T cells.

Two cDNA clones encoding NeuAc␣2,3Gal␤1,3GalNAc GalNAc␣2,6-sialyltransferase have been isolated from mouse brain cDNA libraries. One of the cDNA clones is a homologue of previously reported rat ST6GalNAc III according to the amino acid sequence identity (94.4%) and the substrate specificity of the expressed recombinant enzyme, while the other cDNA clone includes an open reading frame coding for 302 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence is not identical to those of other cloned mouse sialyltransferases, although it shows the highest sequence similarity with mouse ST6GalNAc III (43.0%). The expressed soluble recombinant enzyme exhibited activity toward NeuAc␣2, 3Gal␤1,3GalNAc, fetuin, and GM1b, while no significant activity was detected toward Gal␤1,3GalNAc or asialofetuin, or the other glycoprotein substrates tested. The sialidase sensitivity of the 14 C-sialylated residue of fetuin, which was sialylated by this enzyme with CMP-[ 14 C]NeuAc, was the same as that of ST6GalNAc III. These results indicate that the expressed enzyme is a new type of GalNAc␣2,6-sialyltransferase, which requires sialic acid residues linked to Gal␤1,3GalNAc residues for its activity; therefore, we designated it mouse ST6GalNAc IV. Although the substrate specificity of this enzyme is similar to that of ST6GalNAc III, ST6GalNAc IV prefers O-glycans to glycolipids. Glycolipids, however, are better substrates for ST6GalNAc III.Sialic acids are key determinants of carbohydrate structures that play important roles in a variety of biological functions, like cell-cell communication, cell-substrate interaction, adhesion, and protein targeting. The transfer of sialic acids from CMP-Sia 1 to the terminal positions of the carbohydrate groups of glycoproteins and glycolipids is catalyzed by a sialyltransferase. Although roles of sialic acids have been proposed in the regulation of many biological phenomena, the purpose of this structural diversity remains largely obscure. To determine the meaning of the diversity of and the regulatory mechanism for the sialylation of glycoconjugates, it is necessary to obtain information on the enzymes themselves and the gene structure of sialyltransferases. Each sialyltransferase exhibits strict specificity for acceptor substrates and linkages (3-6). Although three linkages, Sia␣2,6Gal, Sia␣2,3Gal, and Sia␣2,6GalNAc, are commonly found in glycoproteins (7), and two, Sia␣2,3Gal and Sia␣2,8Sia, occur frequently in gangliosides (8), each of these linkages has been found in both gangliosides and glycoproteins (8 -10).So far, the cloning of three members of the ␣2,6-sialyltransferase family (ST6GalNAc I, II and III) has been reported (11-14). The cDNAs of ST6GalNAc I and II were cloned from both chick (11, 12) and mouse (13,62).2 The overall amino acid sequence identity of chick ST6GalNAc I is 30.5% to chick ST6GalNAc II, 43.2% to mouse ST6GalNAc I, and 33.6% to mouse ST6GalNAc II, and that of mouse ST6GalNAc I is 29.6% to mouse ST6GalNAc II and 28.3% to chick ST6GalNAc II, and that of chick ST6GalNAc II is 57.3% ...

The role of Fas in the homeostatic regulation of CD8+ T cells after antigen challenge was analyzed in the murine model of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection. Mice homozygous for the lpr mutation and carrying T cell receptor (TCR) alphabeta transgenes specific for the LCMV glycoprotein peptide aa 33-41 in the context of H-2Db were used. Five main results emerged: first, development of lymphadenopathy and of CD4- CD8- double-negative B220+ T cells in lpr mice was not inhibited by the alphabeta TCR transgenes; second, tolerance induction and peripheral deletion of CD8+ T cells induced by LCMV glycoprotein peptide injection was independent of Fas expression; third, clonal down-regulation of Fas-deficient TCR-transgenic CD8+ T cells after acute LCM virus infection was identical to the decline of transgenic T cells expressing Fas; fourth, in vivo activated CD8+ effector T cells from TCR transgenic and TCR-lpr/lpr mice were equally susceptible to activation-induced cell death in vitro; and fifth, transgenic effector T cells from lpr/lpr mice were cleared in the declining phase of the immune response in vivo without giving rise to CD4- CD8- double-negative T cells. Taken together, these data suggest that the homeostatic regulation of CD8+ T cells after antigen challenge in vivo is regulated by mechanisms that do not require Fas.

Background: Activation of somatostatin receptors (sstr1–5) by somatostatin and its analogues exerts an inhibitory effect on hormone secretion and provides the basis for the treatment of a range of endocrine diseases such as acromegaly, Cushing’s disease and neuroendocrine tumors (NET). The lack of well-characterized commercially available sstr subtype-specific antibodies prevents routine identification of the sstr expression profile in patients. Methods: We generated and characterized new mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the five human sstr subtypes using ELISA and immunohistochemistry, and tested their suitability in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) human tissues and archival samples of normal pancreatic tissue and NET. Results: All mAbs were highly specific with no cross-reactivity. The sstr1–5 immunoreactivity in gastrointestinal NET (n = 67) was correlated with clinicopathologic data. With the exception of sstr3, NET were highly positive for all receptor subtypes (42, 63, 6, 32 and 65% of tumors were positive for sstr1, sstr2a, sstr3, sstr4 and sstr5, respectively). sstr1, sstr2a and sstr5 were present at the plasma membrane and in the cytoplasm of tumor cells, whereas sstr3 and sstr4 were almost exclusively cytoplasmic. Immunoreactivity of sstr1, sstr2a and sstr4 tended to decrease as tumor aggressiveness increased. sstr5 showed an opposite pattern, with higher staining in well-differentiated carcinomas compared with well-differentiated tumors. sstr5 immunoreactivity was correlated with the presence of metastases and angioinvasion, suggesting a possible association with more aggressive behavior. Conclusion: Determination of the sstr1–5 by immunohistochemistry using subtype-specific mAbs is feasible in FFPE tissue and may provide a tool for routine clinical practice.

Recent research provides evidence that implicit attitude formation is guided by a summation principle (Betsch, Plessner, Schwieren, & Gütig, 2001). This finding contradicts models claiming that attitudes form from the average value of stimulus information (e.g., Anderson, 1981). In this paper, we show that the application of an integration rule depends on the mode of processing (implicit vs. explicit). In three experiments, participants encode sequences of return values produced by shares on the stock market. Results jointly indicate that evaluative judgments follow an averaging principle when attitudes were formed explicitly, either on memory content (Exp. 1) or the relevant sample of information (Exp. 2). In Experiment 3, we varied the processing mode within participants. An attitude reversal effect was found by varying the mode of processing for the same set of stimuli. After implicit attitude formation, participants evaluated the share with a higher sum of return values more positively than the share with a higher average value. This pattern reversed when participants explicitly evaluated the same shares.

Total DNA was extracted from 41 species (20 genera) of the subfamily Nepetoideae (fam ily Labiatae). Using rbcL-specific primers, the rbcL gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced directly. RbcL sequences were evaluated with character state (maximum parsimony; PAUP) and distance methods (neighbour-joining; MEGA). In agree ment with classical systematics all taxa studied cluster within the Nepetoideae and are clearly distinguished from members of the subfamily Lamioideae. A number of distinctive clades are apparent within the Nepetoideae: I -Collinsonia, II -Lavandula, III -Agastache, Glechoma, IV -Satureja, Hyssopus, Dracocephalum, V -Nepeta, VI -Hormium, VII -Prunella, VIII -Melissa, Ocimum, IX -Monarda, Mentha, X -Origanum, Thymus, XI -Salvia, XII -Rosmarinus, and XIII -Perovskia. At least five main branches rep resenting the clades I, II, III to VII, VIII, and IX to XIII respectively, can be distinguished within the Nepetoideae studied. They might be considered representing the tribes (according to Cantino, 1992) Elsholtzieae (I), Lavanduleae (II), and Mentheae (III -XIII). The tribe Mentheae needs to be subdivided into at least three main groups (clades III-V II, VIII and IX -X II I). Major ana hortensis which is often classified as Origanum hortensis does not cluster with Origanum and deserves a generic status of its own. Reprint requests to Prof. Dr. M. Wink. Telefax: (06221) 564884.

Somatostatin receptors (sstrs) are G-protein-coupled receptors that mediate various physiological effects when activated by the neuropeptide somatostatin or its synthetic analogs. In addition to the well-documented antisecretory effects of sstr(2)-preferential somatostatin analogs octreotide and lanreotide, ligand binding to sstr initiates an inhibitory action on tumor growth. This effect may result from both indirect actions (suppression of growth factors and growth-promoting hormones [e.g., GH/IGF-1 axis] and inhibition of angiogenesis) and direct actions (activation of antigrowth activities [e.g., apoptosis]). As solid tumor cells express multiple sstrs, there is a rationale to evaluate the potential antitumor effects of pasireotide (SOM230), a multireceptor-targeted somatostatin analog with high binding affinity for sstr(1-3) and sstr(5). Pasireotide reduces systemic IGF-1 levels more potently than currently available somatostatin analogs and has been well tolerated in clinical trials.

The mouse killer cell lectin-like receptor G1 (KLRG1), the mouse homologue of the mast cell function-associated antigen (MAFA), is an inhibitory C-type lectin expressed on natural killer (NK) cells and activated CD8 T cells. Here we report the complete nucleotide sequence, alternatively spliced variants, and the physical mapping of the KLRG1 gene in the mouse. The gene spans about 13 kb and consists of five exons. Short interspersed repeats of the B1 and B2 family, a LINE-1-like element, and a (CTT)170 triplet repeat were found in intron sequences. In contrast to human KLRG1 and to the murine KLR family members, mouse KLRG1 locates outside the NK complex on Chromosome 6 between the genes encoding CD9 and CD4.