Genome Complexity; making immune complexes (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, January 19, 2016, 14:56 (3013 days ago) @ David Turell

The regulator of gene control of making antibodies, many of which last a lifetime, has been found:-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160118184950.htm-"Plasma cells are white blood cells that develop from B-cells. They are the effector cells of the humoral immune response. Their main function is to produce antibodies that patrol the body in large numbers to neutralize harmful invaders. A functional plasma cell produces up to 10,000 antibodies per second to release them into the blood stream. This outstanding achievement can be visualized with a powerful microscope, as active plasma cells are packed with antibody-producing vesicles, constituting the so-called endoplasmic reticulum that is essential for antibody assembly and secretion.-"B-cells need to be activated by antigens (foreign substances) in order to develop into plasma cells. They first form plasmablasts that migrate to the bone marrow where they survive for many years or even decades. The long-lasting protection provided by active vaccines is based on this immunological memory of plasma cells.-***-"In a five-year project, the team succeeded in deciphering the role of the protein Blimp1 as a central regulator of plasma cell development and function. In its current issue, the science journal Nature Immunology publishes the results of the team in Vienna as well as the work of Australian colleagues that complements the Viennese results.-"In detailed studies, scientists at the IMP identified all genes that are involved in the development of plasma cells in mice. First author Martina Minnich, whose PhD-thesis provided the groundwork for the publication, explains the results: "We found that more than 50 percent of these genes are regulated by Blimp1. Therefore, this factor must be of vital importance for plasma cells. Furthermore, we were able to show for the first time that Blimp1 not only switches genes off but can also switch other genes on. This is an important discovery for the understanding of plasma cell development."-"'Most of the essential functions of plasma cells are controlled by the factor Blimp1," Meinrad Busslinger summarizes the results. "It regulates their mobility and migration to the bone marrow. Blimp1 is also responsible for the enormous increase in size of the endoplasmic reticulum and the strong up-regulation of antibody production in plasma cells. Humoral immunity would not be possible without Blimp1."-"Even though Blimp1 is necessary for the development of plasma cells, mature plasma cells can survive without this factor. However, when Blimp1 is switched off, they become non-functional as they no longer produce antibodies. This unexpected finding is the result of work carried out at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) in Melbourne, Australia. The study, which is published back-to-back with the Austrian paper, was led by Stephen Nutt, Head of the Division of Molecular Immunology at WEHI. The picture that emerges from the Australian study perfectly complements the results obtained at the IMP."-Comment: How did chance evolution find just the right protein? Structure:-https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.imcb.a-star.edu.sg/newsimages/290609ainside4.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.imcb.a-star.edu.sg/newsarchive/290609a.php&h=1002&w=604&tbnid=uLrkyX1fsPiQ1M:&docid=x_rRiN8PP2T3GM&ei=UE6eVriNMsfRjAPGsL3YAw&tbm=isch&ved=0ahUKEwi49YL0kLbKAhXHKGMKHUZYDzsQMwgdKAAwAA