No abstract

Primary immunodeficiencies are heritable disorders of immune function. CD19 is a B cell co-receptor important for B cell development, and CD19 deficiency is a known genetic risk factor for a rare form of primary immunodeficiency known as “common variable immunodeficiency” (CVID); an antibody deficiency resulting in low levels of serum IgG and IgA. Enteropathies are commonly observed in CVID patients but the underlying reason for this is undefined. Here, we utilize CD19−/− mice as a model of CVID to test the hypothesis that antibody deficiency negatively impacts gut physiology under steady-state conditions. As anticipated, immune phenotyping experiments demonstrate that CD19−/− mice develop a severe B cell deficiency in gut-associated lymphoid tissues that result in significant reductions to antibody concentrations in the gut lumen. Antibody deficiency was associated with defective anti-commensal IgA responses and the outgrowth of anaerobic bacteria in the gut. Expansion of anaerobic bacteria coincides with the development of a chronic inflammatory condition in the gut of CD19−/− mice that results in an intestinal malabsorption characterized by defects in lipid metabolism and transport. Administration of the antibiotic metronidazole to target anaerobic members of the microbiota rescues mice from disease indicating that intestinal malabsorption is a microbiota-dependent phenomenon. Finally, intestinal malabsorption in CD19−/− mice is a gluten-sensitive enteropathy as exposure to a gluten-free diet also significantly reduces disease severity in CD19−/− mice. Collectively, these results support an effect of antibody deficiency on steady-state gut physiology that compliment emerging data from human studies linking IgA deficiency with non-infectious complications associated with CVID. They also demonstrate that CD19−/− mice are a useful model for studying the role of B cell deficiency and gut dysbiosis on gluten-sensitive enteropathies; a rapidly emerging group of diseases in humans with an unknown etiology.

Polynucleotide phosphorylase is a highly conserved protein found in bacteria and fungi that can regulate the transcription of related enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism, organic acid metabolism, and cell biosynthesis. We studied the effect of polynucleotide phosphorylase on Saccharopolyspora pogona (S. pogona) growth and the synthesis of secondary metabolites. First, we generated the overexpression vector pOJ260-P-pnp via overlap extension PCR. The vector pOJ260-P-pnp was then introduced into S. pogona by conjugal transfer, thereby generating the recombination strain S. pogona-Pnp. Results showed that engineering strains possessed higher biomass than those of the wild-type strains. Moreover, the ability of these strains to produce spores on solid medium was stronger than that of the wild-type strains. HPLC results revealed that the butenyl-spinosyn yield in S. pogona-Pnp increased by 1.92-fold compared with that of S. pogona alone. These findings revealed that overexpression of polynucleotide phosphorylase effectively promoted butenyl-spinosyn biosynthesis in S. pogona. This result may be extended to other Streptomyces for strain improvement.

Interleukin (IL)-4 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of leishmaniasis in a murine model. Experiments were done to examine the effect of IL-4 on cytokine activation of macrophages. Interferon (IFN)-gamma, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), and IL-3 activate macrophages to inhibit replication of leishmaniae. IL-4 abrogated in a dose- and time-dependent manner the induction of antileishmanial activity by these cytokines. The depression of oxidative burst capacity is one mechanism by which IL-4 inhibits macrophage activation. IL-4 diminished in a dose- and time-dependent manner the TNF alpha enhancement of oxidative capacity. Pretreatment with IL-4 for 48, 24, or 0 h, respectively, inhibited the generation of superoxide induced by TNF alpha by 90%, 60%, and 40%. Furthermore, IL-4 abrogated the enhancement of oxidative capacity by IFN-gamma, GM-CSF, and IL-3. These data suggest that IL-4 is a potent deactivator of macrophage antimicrobial functions and may contribute to the pathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis.