技术资料

Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited bone marrow (BM) failure syndrome associated with mutations in telomerase genes and the acquisition of shortened telomeres in blood cells. To investigate the basis of the compromised hematopoiesis seen in DC,we analyzed cells from granulocyte colony-stimulating factor mobilized peripheral blood (mPB) collections from 5 members of a family with autosomal dominant DC with a hTERC mutation. Premobilization BM samples were hypocellular,and percentages of CD34(+) cells in marrow and mPB collections were significantly below values for age-matched controls in 4 DC subjects. Directly clonogenic cells,although present at normal frequencies within the CD34(+) subset,were therefore absolutely decreased. In contrast,even the frequency of long-term culture-initiating cells within the CD34(+) DC mPB cells was decreased,and the telomere lengths of these cells were also markedly reduced. Nevertheless,the different lineages of mature cells were produced in normal numbers in vitro. These results suggest that marrow failure in DC is caused by a reduction in the ability of hematopoietic stem cells to sustain their numbers due to telomere impairment rather than a qualitative defect in their commitment to specific lineages or in the ability of their lineage-restricted progeny to execute normal differentiation programs. View Publication

Transcripts expressed in cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) have mechanistic and diagnostic importance in transplantation. We used microarrays to select CTL-associated transcripts (CATs) expressed in human CD4(+) CTL,CD8(+) CTL and NK cells,excluding transcripts expressed in B cells,monocytes and kidney. This generated three transcript sets: CD4(+)-associated,CD8(+)-associated and NK-associated. Surprisingly,many CATs were expressed in effector memory cells e.g. granzyme B/GZMB,interferon-gamma/IFNG. Transcript expression was very similar between CD4(+) and CD8(+) CTL. There were no transcripts highly selective for CD4(+) CTL or CD8(+) CTL: for example,cytotoxic molecule transcripts (perforin,granzymes,granulysin) were shared between CD8(+) CTL and CD4(+) CTL although expression remained higher in CD8(+) CTL. Transcripts that differentiated between CD8(+) CTL and CD4(+) CTL were primarily those shared between CD8(+) CTL and NK cells (e.g. NK receptors KLRC1,KLRC3,KLRD1,KLRK1). No transcripts could differentiate CD4(+) CTL from CD8(+) CTL but NK cell-associated transcripts could differentiate NK cells from CTL. This study serves as a foundation for the interpretation of CATs in rejecting allografts and highlights the extensive sharing of CATs among CD4(+) CTL,CD8(+) CTL and effector memory T cells. View Publication

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) results in the dissemination of virus to gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Subsequently,HIV-1 mediates massive depletion of gut CD4+ T cells,which contributes to HIV-1-induced immune dysfunction. The migration of lymphocytes to gut-associated lymphoid tissue is mediated by integrin alpha4beta7. We demonstrate here that the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120 bound to an activated form of alpha4beta7. This interaction was mediated by a tripeptide in the V2 loop of gp120,a peptide motif that mimics structures presented by the natural ligands of alpha4beta7. On CD4+ T cells,engagement of alpha4beta7 by gp120 resulted in rapid activation of LFA-1,the central integrin involved in the establishment of virological synapses,which facilitate efficient cell-to-cell spreading of HIV-1. View Publication

Germinal center (GC) responses to T-dependent Ags require effective collaboration between Th cells,activated B cells,and follicular dendritic cells within a highly organized microenvironment. Studies using gene-targeted mice have highlighted nonredundant molecules that are key for initiating and maintaining the GC niche,including the molecules of the ICOS,CD40,and lymphotoxin (LT) pathways. Signaling through ICOS has multiple consequences,including cytokine production,expression of CD40L on Th cells,and differentiation into CXCR5(+) follicular Th cells,all of which are important in the GC reaction. We have therefore taken advantage of ICOS(-/-) mice to dissect which downstream elements are required to initiate the formation of GC. In the context of a T-dependent immune response,we found that GC B cells from ICOS(-/-) mice express lower levels of LTalphabeta compared with wild-type GC B cells in vivo,and stimulation of ICOS on T cells induces LTalphabeta on B cells in vitro. Administration of agonistic anti-LTbeta receptor Ab was unable to restore the GC response in ICOS(-/-) mice,suggesting that additional input from another pathway is required for optimal GC generation. In contrast,treatment with agonistic anti-CD40 Ab in vivo recovered GC networks and restored LTalphabeta expression on GC B cells in ICOS(-/-) mice,and this effect was dependent on LTbeta receptor signaling. Collectively,these data demonstrate that ICOS activation is a prerequisite for the up-regulation of LTalphabeta on GC B cells in vivo and provide a model for cooperation between ICOS,CD40,and LT pathways in the context of the GC response. View Publication

Expansion of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) ex vivo remains an important focus in fundamental and clinical research. The aim of this study was to determine whether the implementation of such expansion phase in a two-phase culture strategy prior to the induction of megakaryocyte (Mk) differentiation would increase the yield of Mks produced in cultures. Toward this end,we first characterized the functional properties of five cytokine cocktails to be tested in the expansion phase on the growth and differentiation kinetics of CD34+-enriched cells,and on their capacity to expand clonogenic progenitors in cultures. Three of these cocktails were chosen based on their reported ability to induce HPC expansion ex vivo,while the other two represented new cytokine combinations. These analyses revealed that none of the cocktails tested could prevent the differentiation of CD34+ cells and the rapid expansion of lineage-positive cells. Hence,we sought to determine the optimum length of time for the expansion phase that would lead to the best final Mk yields. Despite greater expansion of CD34+ cells and overall cell growth with a longer expansion phase,the optimal length for the expansion phase that provided greater Mk yield at near maximal purity was found to be 5 days. Under such settings,two functionally divergent cocktails were found to significantly increase the final yield of Mks. Surprisingly,these cocktails were either deprived of thrombopoietin or of stem cell factor,two cytokines known to favor megakaryopoiesis and HPC expansion,respectively. Based on these results,a short resource-efficient two-phase culture protocol for the production of Mks near purity (textgreater95%) from human CD34+ CB cells has been established. View Publication

Platelets are an abundant source of CD40 ligand (CD154),an immunomodulatory and proinflammatory molecule implicated in the onset and progression of several inflammatory diseases,including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE),diabetes,and cardiovascular disease. Heretofore considered largely restricted to activated T cells,we initiated studies to investigate the source and regulation of platelet-associated CD154. We found that CD154 is abundantly expressed in platelet precursor cells,megakaryocytes. We show that CD154 is expressed in primary human CD34+ and murine hematopoietic precursor cells only after cytokine-driven megakaryocyte differentiation. Furthermore,using several established megakaryocyte-like cells lines,we performed promoter analysis of the CD154 gene and found that NFAT,a calcium-dependent transcriptional regulator associated with activated T cells,mediated both differentiation-dependent and inducible megakaryocyte-specific CD154 expression. Overall,these data represent the first investigation of the regulation of a novel source of CD154 and suggests that platelet-associated CD154 can be biochemically modulated. View Publication

TRAIL induces apoptosis in a variety of tumor cells. Our laboratory found that human neutrophils contain an intracellular reservoir of prefabricated TRAIL that is released after stimulation with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin. In this study,we examined the subcellular distribution of TRAIL in freshly isolated neutrophils. Neutrophil granules,secretory vesicles (SV),and plasma membrane vesicles were isolated by subcellular fractionation,followed by free-flow electrophoresis,and examined by ELISA and immunoblot. TRAIL was found in all membrane-bound fractions with the highest amounts in the fractions enriched in azurophilic granule (AG) and SV. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy showed that TRAIL colocalized independently with myeloperoxidase (MPO),lactoferrin (LF),and albumin,respective markers of AG,specific granules,and SV. Furthermore,immunotransmission electron microscopy demonstrated that TRAIL colocalized intracellularly with MPO and albumin. We examined TRAIL expression in PLB-985 cells induced with dimethylformamide and in CD34-positive stem cells treated with G-CSF. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that TRAIL was expressed in each stage of development,whereas MPO and LF were only expressed at distinct times during differentiation. Collectively,these findings suggest that TRAIL is expressed throughout neutrophil development,resulting in a broad distribution among different granule subtypes. View Publication

Recently,a number of clinical trials used either mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or natural killer (NK) cells in an attempt to improve the effectiveness of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In view of the relevant role of both MSCs and NK cells in HSCT,we have recently explored the result of possible interactions between the 2 cell types. We found that activated NK cells could kill MSCs,whereas MSCs strongly inhibited interleukin-2 (IL-2)-induced NK-cell proliferation. In this study,we further analyzed the inhibitory effect exerted by MSCs on NK cells. We show that MSCs not only inhibit the cytokine-induced proliferation of freshly isolated NK cells but also prevent the induction of effector functions,such as cytotoxic activity and cytokine production. Moreover,we show that this inhibitory effect is related to a sharp down-regulation of the surface expression of the activating NK receptors NKp30,NKp44,and NKG2D. Finally,we demonstrate that indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and prostaglandin E2 represent key mediators of the MSC-induced inhibition of NK cells. View Publication

NK cells express different TLRs,such as TLR3,TLR7,and TLR9,but little is known about their role in NK cell stimulation. In this study,we used specific agonists (poly(I:C),loxoribine,and synthetic oligonucleotides containing unmethylated CpG sequences to stimulate human NK cells without or with suboptimal doses of IL-12,IL-15,or IFN-alpha,and investigated the secretion of IFN-gamma,cytotoxicity,and expression of the activating receptor NKG2D. Poly(I:C) and loxoribine,in conjunction with IL-12,but not IL-15,triggered secretion of IFN-gamma. Inhibition of IFN-gamma secretion by chloroquine suggested that internalization of the TLR agonists was necessary. Also,secretion of IFN-gamma was dependent on MEK1/ERK,p38 MAPK,p70(S6) kinase,and NF-kappaB,but not on calcineurin. IFN-alpha induced a similar effect,but promoted lesser IFN-gamma secretion. However,cytotoxicity (51Cr release assays) against MHC class I-chain related A (MICA)- and MICA+ tumor targets remained unchanged,as well as the expression of the NKG2D receptor. Excitingly,IFN-gamma secretion was significantly increased when NK cells were stimulated with poly(I:C) or loxoribine and IL-12,and NKG2D engagement was induced by coculture with MICA+ tumor cells in a PI3K-dependent manner. We conclude that resting NK cells secrete high levels of IFN-gamma in response to agonists of TLR3 or TLR7 and IL-12,and this effect can be further enhanced by costimulation through NKG2D. Hence,integration of the signaling cascades that involve TLR3,TLR7,IL-12,and NKG2D emerges as a critical step to promote IFN-gamma-dependent NK cell-mediated effector functions,which could be a strategy to promote Th1-biased immune responses in pathological situations such as cancer. View Publication

Unconjugated mAbs have emerged as useful cancer therapeutics. Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) is believed to be a major antitumor mechanism of some anticancer Abs. However,the factors that regulate the magnitude of ADCC are incompletely understood. In this study,we described the relationship between Ab affinity and ADCC. A series of human IgG1 isotype Abs was created from the anti-HER2/neu (also named c-erbB2) C6.5 single-chain Fv (scFv) and its affinity mutants. The scFv affinities range from 10(-7) to 10(-11) M,and the IgG Abs retain the affinities of the scFv from which they were derived. The apparent affinity of the Abs ranged from nearly 10(-10) M (the lowest affinity variant) to almost 10(-11) M (the other variants). The IgG molecules were tested for their ability to elicit ADCC in vitro against three tumor cell lines with differing levels of HER2/neu expression using unactivated human PBMC from healthy donors as the effector cells. The results demonstrated that both the apparent affinity and intrinsic affinity of the Abs studied regulate ADCC. High-affinity tumor Ag binding by the IgGs led to the most efficient and powerful ADCC. Tumor cells expressing high levels of HER2/neu are more susceptible to the ADCC triggered by Abs than the cells expressing lower amounts of HER2/neu. These findings justify the examination of high affinity Abs for ADCC promotion. Because high affinity may impair in vivo tumor targeting,a careful examination of Ab structure to function relationships is required to develop optimized therapeutic unconjugated Abs. View Publication

Regulated adhesion of T cells by the integrins LFA-1 (lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1) and VLA-4 (very late antigen-4) is essential for T-cell trafficking. The small GTPase Rap1 is a critical activator of both integrins in murine lymphocytes and T-cell lines. Here we examined the contribution of the Rap1 regulatory pathway in integrin activation in primary CD3(+) human T cells. We demonstrate that inactivation of Rap1 GTPase in human T cells by expression of SPA1 or Rap1GAP blocked stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha (SDF-1alpha)-stimulated LFA-1-ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1) interactions and LFA-1 affinity modulation but unexpectedly did not significantly affect binding of VLA-4 to its ligand VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule 1). Importantly,silencing of the Rap1 guanine exchange factor CalDAG-GEFI inhibited SDF-1alpha- and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced adhesion to ICAM-1 while having no effect on adhesion to VCAM-1. Pharmacologic inhibition of Phospholipase C (PLC) blocked Rap1 activation and inhibited cell adhesion and polarization on ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibition led to enhanced levels of active Rap1 concomitantly with increased T-cell binding to ICAM-1,whereas adhesion to VCAM-1 was reduced. Thus,PLC/CalDAG-GEFI regulation of Rap1 is selectively required for chemokine- and PMA-induced LFA-1 activation in human T cells,whereas alternate PLC- and PKC-dependent mechanisms are involved in the regulation of VLA-4. View Publication

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) can modulate immune responses,but whether it directly affects B cell function is unknown. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus,especially those with antinuclear Abs and increased disease activity,had decreased 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) levels,suggesting that vitamin D might play a role in regulating autoantibody production. To address this,we examined the effects of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) on B cell responses and found that it inhibited the ongoing proliferation of activated B cells and induced their apoptosis,whereas initial cell division was unimpeded. The generation of plasma cells and postswitch memory B cells was significantly inhibited by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3),although the up-regulation of genetic programs involved in B cell differentiation was only modestly affected. B cells expressed mRNAs for proteins involved in vitamin D activity,including 1 alpha-hydroxylase,24-hydroxylase,and the vitamin D receptor,each of which was regulated by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) and/or activation. Importantly,1,25(OH)(2)D(3) up-regulated the expression of p27,but not of p18 and p21,which may be important in regulating the proliferation of activated B cells and their subsequent differentiation. These results indicate that 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) may play an important role in the maintenance of B cell homeostasis and that the correction of vitamin D deficiency may be useful in the treatment of B cell-mediated autoimmune disorders. View Publication