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ABSTRACT: The CC-chemokine receptor CCR5 has been shown to be the major coreceptor for HIV-1 entry into cells, and humans with homozygous mutation in the ccr5 gene are highly resistant to HIV-1 infection, despite the existence of many other HIV-1 coreceptors. To investigate the physiologic function of CCR5 and to understand the cellular mechanisms of these clinical observations, we generated a CCR5-deficient mouse model (ccr5[-/-]) by targeted deletion of the ccr5 gene. We found that although developed normally in a pathogen-free environment, CCR5-deficient mice showed reduced efficiency in clearance of Listeria infection and exert a protective effect against LPS-induced endotoxemia, reflecting a partial defect in macrophage function. In addition, CCR5-deficient mice had an enhanced delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction and increased humoral responses to T cell-dependent antigenic challenge, indicating a novel role of CCR5 in down-modulating T cell-dependent immune response.
The Journal of Immunology 05/1998; 160(8):4018-25. · 5.79 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The polypeptide (p)50 molecule, a subunit of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB, is produced after proteolytic processing of the p105 precursor (NF-kappaB1). Although the p105 precursor has been postulated to play a role in the regulation of the Rel/NF-kappaB activity, its physiological relevance remains unclear. To investigate that, we generated mutant mice lacking the COOH terminal half of the p105 precursor, but expressing the p50 product (p105-/-). These mutant mice displayed an inflammatory phenotype composed of lymphocytic infiltration in lungs and liver, and an increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections. Enlargement of multiple lymph nodes, splenomegaly due to erythrocytic extramedullary hematopoiesis, and lymphoid hyperplasia were also observed in p105-/- mice. Cytokine production in p105-/- macrophages was severely impaired, whereas proliferative responses of p105-/- B cells were increased. T cell functions were only moderately impaired in mutant mice. Loss of p105 also led to enhanced constitutive p50 homodimer and inducible NF-kappaB activities in unstimulated and stimulated cells, respectively. As several genes regulated by Rel/NF-kappaB were upregulated in p105-/- thymus but downregulated in p105-/- macrophages, the enhanced p50 homodimers appear to function as transcriptional activators or repressors, depending on the cell type. Thus, the p105 precursor is indispensable in the control of p50 activity, and lack of the precursor has distinct effects on different cells.
Journal of Experimental Medicine 04/1998; 187(7):985-96. · 13.85 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Externally regulated phosphatase (ERP or MKP-1) is a dual specificity phosphatase that has been implicated in the dephosphorylation of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAP kinases). MAP kinase is activated in response to external signals and in turn phosphorylates proteins essential to the regulation of cell growth. To study the role of ERP/MKP-1 protein in mammalian development and its function in signal transduction we have generated mice, embryonic stem (ES), cells and mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) that are deficient in the ERP/MKP-1 protein. ERP/MKP-1-deficient mice are born at normal frequency, are fertile and present no phenotypic or histologic abnormalities. MAP kinase activity and the induction of c-fos mRNA is unaltered in MEFs lacking the ERP/MKP-1 protein, indicating no alteration of the MAP kinase pathway. In addition, ERP/MKP-1 deficient MEFs grow and enter DNA synthesis at the same rate as control cells. Our results demonstrate that the activity of ERP/MKP-1 is not essential for embryo development and indicate that the lack of ERP/MKP-1 activity can be compensated by other phosphatases in vivo.
Oncogene 10/1996; 13(5):925-31. · 6.37 Impact Factor
