Lack of Shiga-like toxin binding sites in germinal centres of mouse lymphoid tissues.
B cells in germinal centres are known to express carbohydrate antigen CD77 in human lymphoid tissues. The CD77 antigen is specifically recognized by Shiga-like toxins (SLTs) that are produced by enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. To determine whether the binding subunits of Shiga-like toxin-1 (SLT-1B) could have adverse effects on the murine immune system when used as an immunogen, we investigated whether SLT-1B could bind to germinal centres of mouse lymphoid tissues. Frozen sections of peripheral lymph nodes and Peyer's patches from immunized mice were tested for the presence of SLT-1B-binding sites by immunohistological methods. Germinal centres were not stained with SLT-1B, while they were intensely stained with peanut agglutinin (PNA), another marker of germinal centres. On the other hand, SLT-1B specifically bound to renal tubules and collecting ducts in frozen sections of mouse kidney. This is consistent with results from human tissues. We also demonstrated that B220/PNA double-positive populations in lymph nodes from immunized mice exhibited only marginal staining with SLT-1B. The present results suggest that SLTs would not impede germinal centre functions of the murine immune system.
Imai
Yasuyuki
Y
Department of Microbiology, University of Shizuoka School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 52-1 Yada, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan. imai@u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp
Fukui
Takashi
T
Ikegaya
Asano
A
Ishikawa
Tomoyuki
T
Ono
Yousuke
Y
Kurohane
Kohta
K
D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D019453:Escherichia coli O157; D005260:Female; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000276:immunology; D011485:Protein Binding; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1 / Q000378:metabolism*
D022622:Shiga Toxin 1