Virginie Pascal

Premature replacement of μ with α immunoglobulin chains impairs lymphopoiesis and mucosal homing but promotes plasma cell maturation

Sequentially along B cell differentiation, the different classes of membrane Ig heavy chains associate with the Igα/Igβ heterodimer within the B cell receptor (BCR). Whether each Ig class conveys specific signals adapted to the corresponding differentiation stage remains debated. We investigated the impact of the forced expression of an IgA-class receptor throughout murine B cell differentiation by knocking in the human Cα Ig gene in place of the Sμ region. Despite expression of a functional BCR, homozygous mutant mice showed a partial developmental blockade at the pro-B/pre-BI and large pre-BII cell stages, with decreased numbers of small pre-BII cells. Beyond this stage, peripheral B cell compartments of reduced size developed and allowed specific antibody responses, whereas mature cells showed constitutive activation and a strong commitment to plasma cell differentiation. Secreted IgA correctly assembled into polymers, associated with the murine J chain, and was transported into secretions. In heterozygous mutants, cells expressing the IgA allele competed poorly with those expressing IgM from the wild-type allele and were almost undetectable among peripheral B lymphocytes, notably in gut-associated lymphoid tissues. Our data indicate that the IgM BCR is more efficient in driving early B cell education and in mucosal site targeting, whereas the IgA BCR appears particularly suited to promoting activation and differentiation of effector plasma cells.

Polymeric IgA1 controls erythroblast proliferation and accelerates erythropoiesis recovery in anemia

Anemia because of insufficient production of and/or response to erythropoietin (Epo) is a major complication of chronic kidney disease and cancer. The mechanisms modulating the sensitivity of erythroblasts to Epo remain poorly understood. We show that, when cultured with Epo at suboptimal concentrations, the growth and clonogenic potential of erythroblasts was rescued by transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1)-bound polymeric IgA1 (pIgA1). Under homeostatic conditions, erythroblast numbers were increased in mice expressing human IgA1 compared to control mice. Hypoxic stress of these mice led to increased amounts of pIgA1 and erythroblast expansion. Expression of human IgA1 or treatment of wild-type mice with the TfR1 ligands pIgA1 or iron-loaded transferrin (Fe-Tf) accelerated recovery from acute anemia. TfR1 engagement by either pIgA1 or Fe-Tf increased cell sensitivity to Epo by inducing activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathways. These cellular responses were mediated through the TfR1-internalization motif, YXXΦ. Our results show that pIgA1 and TfR1 are positive regulators of erythropoiesis in both physiological and pathological situations. Targeting this pathway may provide alternate approaches to the treatment of ineffective erythropoiesis and anemia.

Anti-CD20 IgA can protect mice against lymphoma development: evaluation of the direct impact of IgA and cytotoxic effector recruitment on CD20 target cells

Background While most antibody-based therapies use IgG because of their well-known biological properties, some functional limitations of these antibodies call for the development of derivatives with other therapeutic functions. Although less abundant than IgG in serum, IgA is the most abundantly produced Ig class in humans. Besides the specific targeting of its dimeric form to mucosal areas, IgA was shown to recruit polymorphonuclear neutrophils against certain targets more efficiently than does IgG1. Design and Methods In this study, we investigated the various pathways by which anti-tumor effects can be mediated by anti-CD20 IgA against lymphoma cells. Results We found that polymeric human IgA was significantly more effective than human IgG1 in mediating direct killing or growth inhibition of target cells in the absence of complement. We also demonstrated that this direct killing was able to indirectly induce the classical pathway of the complement cascade although to a lesser extent than direct recruitment of complement by IgG. Recruitment of the alternative complement pathway by specific IgA was also observed. In addition to activating complement for lysis of lymphoma cell lines or primary cells from patients with lymphoma, we showed that monomeric anti-CD20 IgA can effectively protect mice against tumor development in a passive immunization strategy and we demonstrated that this protective effect may be enhanced in mice expressing the human FcαRI receptor on their neutrophils. Conclusions We show that anti-CD20 IgA antibodies have original therapeutic properties against lymphoma cells, with strong direct effects, ability to recruit neutrophils for cell cytotoxicity and even recruitment of complement, although largely through an indirect way.

Glycotranscriptome study reveals an enzymatic switch modulating glycosaminoglycan synthesis during B-cell development and activation.

B‐cell fate and responses are modulated by soluble mediators and direct cellular interactions. Migration properties also vary during differentiation, commitment and activation. In many cells, modulation of responses to stimuli involves cell surface glycans, whose architecture depends on the simultaneous expression of multiple enzymes. By looking at the glycosylation‐related gene expression patterns among B‐cell populations, we determined in this study that the strongest variations were observed for CSGalNAcT‐1 and EXTL1. These are enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of alternative forms of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), namely chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate, respectively. These two enzymes showed inverse fluctuations in progenitors, resting B cells and activated B cells, suggesting a developmentally regulated switch between chondroitin and heparan sulfate synthesis. To explore whether these variations contributed to optimal B‐cell differentiation, we overexpressed EXTL1 in the B‐cell lineage of transgenic mice, yielding a partial differentiation blockade at the pro‐B to pre‐B transition. In the periphery, this defect was almost fully compensated for in vivo, with normal‐size B‐cell compartments and normal serum immunoglobulin levels in the transgenic EXTL1 mice. The peripheral B cells from EXTL1 transgenics were only affected with regard to their in vitro responses to polyclonal activation, showing reduced proliferation. Together the data suggest that despite their low amounts in lymphocytes, the heparan sulfate chains decorating the endogenous GAGs appear to be regulators of B‐cell physiology.

Production of Human or Humanized Antibodies in Mice

Mice are widely available laboratory animals that can easily be used for the production of antibodies against a broad range of antigens, using well-defined immunization protocols. Such an approach allows optimal in vivo affinity maturation of the humoral response. In addition, high-affinity antibodies arising in this context can readily be further characterized and produced as monoclonals after immortalizing and selecting specific antibody-producing cells through hybridoma derivation. Using such conventional strategies combined with mice that are either genetically engineered to carry humanized immunoglobulin (Ig) genes or engrafted with a human immune system, it is thus easy to obtain and immortalize clones that produce either fully human Ig or antibodies associating variable (V) domains with selected antigen specificities to customized human-like constant regions, with defined effector functions. In some instances, where there is a need for in vivo functional assays of a single antibody with a known specificity, it might be of interest to transiently express that gene in mice by in vivo gene transfer. This approach allows a rapid functional assay. More commonly, mice are used to obtain a diversified repertoire of antibody specificities after immunization by producing antibody molecules in the mouse B cell lineage from mouse strains with transgene Ig genes which are of human, humanized, or chimeric origin. After in vivo maturation of the immune response, this will lead to the secretion of antibodies with optimized antigen binding sites, associated to the desired human constant domains. This chapter focuses on two simple methods: (1) to obtain such humanized Ig mice and (2) to transiently express a human Ig gene in mice using hydrodynamics-based transfection.

IgA Structure Variations Associate with Immune Stimulations and IgA Mesangial Deposition

IgA1 mesangial deposition is the hallmark of IgA nephropathy and Henoch-Schönlein purpura, the onset of which often follows infections. Deposited IgA has been reported as polymeric, J chain associated, and often, hypogalactosylated but with no information concerning the influence of the IgA repertoire or the link between immune stimuli and IgA structure. We explored these issues in the α1KI mouse model, which produces polyclonal human IgA1 prone to mesangial deposition. Compared with mice challenged by a conventional environment, mice in a specific pathogen-free environment had less IgA deposition. However, serum IgA of specific pathogen-free mice showed more galactosylation and much lower polymerization. Notably, wild-type, α1KI, and even J chain-deficient mice showed increased polymeric serum IgA on exposure to pathogens. Strict germfree conditions delayed but did not completely prevent deposition; mice housed in these conditions had very low serum IgA levels and produced essentially monomeric IgA. Finally, comparing monoclonal IgA1 that had different variable regions and mesangial deposition patterns indicated that, independently of glycosylation and polymerization, deposition might also depend on IgA carrying specific variable domains. Together with IgA quantities and constant region post-translational modifications, repertoire changes during immune responses might, thus, modulate IgA propensity to deposition. These IgA features are not associated with circulating immune complexes and C3 deposition and are more pertinent to an initial IgA deposition step preceding overt clinical symptoms in patients.

Transgenèse animale et humanisation des anticorps : Des souris pour des hommes

The properties of monoclonal antibodies explain why they are such a successful class of therapeutic molecules. However, pionneered initial antibodies were of murine origin and triggered an immune response which limited the therapeutic potential of the antibody and generated deleterious effects. Consequently, tremendous efforts have been developped to engineer these murine Ig by introducing human sequences in vitro, or in vivo by humanization of murine antibodies, leading to chimeric immunoglobulins, and more recently generation of fully human antibodies in transgenic mice with a more or less diversified V repertoire. These approaches have led to the development of an increasing number of these chimeric or humanized monoclonal antibodies entering pharmaceutical pipelines.

Class-Specific Effector Functions of Therapeutic Antibodies

Physiology usually combines polyclonal antibodies of multiple classes in a single humoral response. Beyond their common ability to bind antigens, these various classes of human immunoglobulins carry specific functions which can each serve specific goals. In many cases, the function of a monoclonal therapeutic antibody may thus be modulated according to the class of its constant domains. Depending on the immunoglobulin class, different functional assays will be used in order to evaluate the functional activity of a monoclonal antibody.