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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune/inflammatory disease characterized by autoantibody production and abnormal T cells that infiltrate tissues through not well-known mechanisms. We report that SLE T lymphocytes display increased levels of CD44,ezrin,radixin,and moesin (ERM) phosphorylation,stronger actin polymerization,higher polar cap formation,and enhanced adhesion and chemotactic migration compared with T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and normal individuals. Silencing of CD44 by CD44 small interfering RNA in SLE T cells inhibited significantly their ability to adhere and migrate as did treatment with Rho kinase and actin polymerization inhibitors. Forced expression of T567D-ezrin,a phosphorylation-mimic form,enhanced remarkably the adhesion and migration rate of normal T cells. Anti-CD3/TCR autoantibodies present in SLE sera caused increased ERM phosphorylation,adhesion,and migration in normal T cells. pERM and CD44 are highly expressed in T cells infiltrating in the kidneys of patients with lupus nephritis. These data prove that increased ERM phosphorylation represents a key molecular abnormality that guides T cell adhesion and migration in SLE patients. View Publication

Costimulation by the chemokine,stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)/CXCL12,has been shown to increase the amount of IL-10 secreted by TCR-stimulated human T cells; however,the molecular mechanisms of this response are unknown. Knowledge of this signaling pathway may be useful because extensive evidence indicates that deficient IL-10 secretion promotes autoimmunity. The human IL-10 locus is highly polymorphic. We report in this study that SDF-1 costimulates IL-10 secretion from T cells containing all three of the most common human IL-10 promoter haplotypes that are identified by single-nucleotide polymorphisms at -1082,-819,and -592 bp (numbering is relative to the transcription start site). We further show that SDF-1 primarily costimulates IL-10 secretion by a diverse population of CD45RA(-) (memory") phenotype T cells that includes cells expressing the presumed regulatory T cell marker� View Publication

NK cells are important for innate resistance to tumors and viruses. Engagement of activating Ly-49 receptors expressed by NK cells leads to rapid NK cell activation resulting in target cell lysis and cytokine production. The ITAM-containing DAP12 adapter protein stably associates with activating Ly-49 receptors,and couples receptor recognition with generation of NK responses. Activating Ly-49s are potent stimulators of murine NK cell functions,yet how they mediate such activities is not well understood. We demonstrate that these receptors trigger LFA-1-dependent tight conjugation between NK cells and target cells. Furthermore,we show that activating Ly-49 receptor engagement leads to rapid DAP12-dependent up-regulation of NK cell LFA-1 adhesiveness to ICAM-1 that is also dependent on tyrosine kinases of the Syk and Src families. These results indicate for the first time that activating Ly-49s control adhesive properties of LFA-1,and by DAP12-dependent inside-out signaling. Ly-49-driven mobilization of LFA-1 adhesive function may represent a fundamental proximal event during NK cell interactions with target cells involving activating Ly-49 receptors,leading to target cell death. View Publication

Mutations in the RUNX1 gene are found at high frequencies in minimally differentiated acute myelogenous leukemia. In addition to null mutations,many of the mutations generate Runx1 DNA-binding (RDB) mutants. To determine if these mutants antagonize wild-type protein activity,cDNAs were transduced into murine bone marrow or human cord blood cells using retroviral vectors. Significantly,the RDB mutants did not act in a transdominant fashion in vivo to disrupt Runx1 activity in either T-cell or platelet development,which are highly sensitive to Runx1 dosage. However,RDB mutant expression impaired expansion and differentiation of the erythroid compartment in which Runx1 expression is normally down-regulated,showing that a RDB-independent function is incompatible with erythroid differentiation. Significantly,both bone marrow progenitors expressing RDB mutants or deficient for Runx1 showed increased replating efficiencies in vitro,accompanied by the accumulation of myeloblasts and dysplastic progenitors,but the effect was more pronounced in RDB cultures. Disruption of the interface that binds CBFbeta,an important cofactor of Runx1,did not impair RDB mutant replating activity,arguing against inactivation of Runx1 function by CBFbeta sequestration. We propose that RDB mutants antagonize Runx1 function in early progenitors by disrupting a critical balance between DNA-binding-independent and DNA-binding-dependent signaling. View Publication

Current evidence supports a model in which the low-affinity state of the platelet integrin alphaIIbbeta3 results from alphaIIbbeta3 adopting a bent conformation. To assess alphaIIbbeta3 biogenesis and how alphaIIbbeta3 initially adopts the bent conformation,we mapped the conformational states occupied by alphaIIb and beta3 during biogenesis using conformation-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). We found that alphaIIbbeta3 complex formation was not limited by the availability of either free pro-alphaIIb or free beta3,suggesting that other molecules,perhaps chaperones,control complex formation. Five beta3-specific,ligand-induced binding site (LIBS) mAbs reacted with much or all free beta3 but not with beta3 when in complex with mature alphaIIb,suggesting that beta3 adopts its mature conformation only after complex formation. Conversely,2 alphaIIb-specific LIBS mAbs directed against the alphaIIb Calf-2 region adjacent to the membrane reacted with only minor fractions of free pro-alphaIIb,raising the possibility that pro-alphaIIb adopts a bent conformation early in biogenesis. Our data suggest a working model in which pro-alphaIIb adopts a bent conformation soon after synthesis,and then beta3 assumes its bent conformation by virtue of its interaction with the bent pro-alphaIIb. View Publication

An urgent need exists to devise strategies to augment antiviral immune responses in patients with HIV who are virologically well controlled and immunologically stable on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The objective of this study was to compare the immunomodulatory effects of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-21 with IL-15 on CD8 T cells in patients with HIV RNA of less than 50 copies/mL and CD4 counts greater than 200 cells/mm.(3) Patient CD8 T cells displayed skewed maturation and decreased perforin expression compared with healthy controls. Culture of freshly isolated patient peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for 5 hours to 5 days with IL-21 resulted in up-regulation of perforin in CD8 T cells,including memory and effector subsets and virus-specific T cells. IL-21 did not induce T-cell activation or proliferation,nor did it augment T-cell receptor (TCR)-induced degranulation. Treatment of patient PBMCs with IL-15 resulted in induction of perforin in association with lymphocyte proliferation and augmentation of TCR-induced degranulation. Patient CD8 T cells were more responsive to cytokine effects than the cells of healthy volunteers. We conclude that CD8 T cells of patients with HIV can be modulated by IL-21 to increase perforin expression without undergoing overt cellular activation. IL-21 could potentially be useful for its perforin-enhancing properties in anti-HIV immunotherapy. View Publication

Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) is an important transcription factor that mediates interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-induced cell-signaling events. In this study,we examined whether 17beta-estradiol alters IRF-1 in splenic lymphocytes,in view of the immunomodulatory effects of this natural female sex hormone including its ability to alter IFN-gamma levels. We find that IRF-1 expression is markedly downregulated in splenocytes or purified T-cells from estrogen-treated mice at all time points studied when compared with their placebo counterparts. This decrease in IRF-1 in splenocytes from estrogen-treated mice is neither due to upregulation of IRF-1-interfering proteins (nucleophosmin or signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-5) nor due to alternatively spliced IRF-1 mRNA. Given that IFN-gamma is a potent inducer of IRF-1,direct addition of recombinant IFN-gamma to splenocytes from either wild-type or IFN-gamma-knockout mice,or the addition of recombinant IFN-gamma to purified T-cells,was expected to stimulate IRF-1 expression. However,robust expression of IRF-1 in cells from estrogen-treated mice was not seen,unlike what was observed in cells from placebo-treated mice. Diminished IFN-gamma induction of IRF-1 in cells from estrogen-treated mice was noticed despite comparable phosphorylated STAT-1 activation. These studies are the first to show that estrogen regulates IFN-gamma-inducible IRF-1 in lymphoid cells,a finding that may have implications to IFN-gamma-regulated immune and vascular diseases. View Publication

Lymphocyte traffic is required to maintain homeostasis and perform appropriate immunological reactions. To migrate into inflamed tissues,lymphocytes must acquire spatial and functional asymmetries. Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that distribute in the cytoplasm to meet specific cellular needs,but whether this is essential to lymphocyte functions is unknown. We show that mitochondria specifically concentrate at the uropod during lymphocyte migration by a process involving rearrangements of their shape. Mitochondrial fission facilitates relocation of the organelles and promotes lymphocyte chemotaxis,whereas mitochondrial fusion inhibits both processes. Our data substantiate a new role for mitochondrial dynamics and suggest that mitochondria redistribution is required to regulate the motor of migrating cells. View Publication

We have established several HLA-A2.1-transgenic rabbit lines to provide a host to study CD8(+) T cell responses during virus infections. HLA-A2.1 protein expression was detected on cell surfaces within various organ tissues. Continuous cultured cells from these transgenic rabbits were capable of presenting both endogenous and exogenous HLA-A2.1-restricted epitopes to an HLA-A2.1-restricted epitope-specific CTL clone. A DNA vaccine containing an HLA-A2.1-restricted human papillomavirus type 16 E7 epitope (amino acid residues 82-90) stimulated epitope-specific CTLs in both PBLs and spleen cells of transgenic rabbits. In addition,vaccinated transgenic rabbits were protected against infection with a mutant cottontail rabbit papillomavirus DNA containing an embedded human papillomavirus type 16 E7/82-90 epitope. Complete protection was achieved using a multivalent epitope DNA vaccine based on epitope selection from cottontail rabbit papillomavirus E1 using MHC class I epitope prediction software. HLA-A2.1-transgenic rabbits will be an important preclinical animal model system to study virus-host interactions and to assess specific targets for immunotherapy. View Publication

Chaetocin,a thiodioxopiperazine natural product previously unreported to have anticancer effects,was found to have potent antimyeloma activity in IL-6-dependent and -independent myeloma cell lines in freshly collected sorted and unsorted patient CD138(+) myeloma cells and in vivo. Chaetocin largely spares matched normal CD138(-) patient bone marrow leukocytes,normal B cells,and neoplastic B-CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) cells,indicating a high degree of selectivity even in closely lineage-related B cells. Furthermore,chaetocin displays superior ex vivo antimyeloma activity and selectivity than doxorubicin and dexamethasone,and dexamethasone- or doxorubicin-resistant myeloma cell lines are largely non-cross-resistant to chaetocin. Mechanistically,chaetocin is dramatically accumulated in cancer cells via a process inhibited by glutathione and requiring intact/unreduced disulfides for uptake. Once inside the cell,its anticancer activity appears mediated primarily through the imposition of oxidative stress and consequent apoptosis induction. Moreover,the selective antimyeloma effects of chaetocin appear not to reflect differential intracellular accumulation of chaetocin but,instead,heightened sensitivity of myeloma cells to the cytotoxic effects of imposed oxidative stress. Considered collectively,chaetocin appears to represent a promising agent for further study as a potential antimyeloma therapeutic. View Publication

Autoreactive memory T lymphocytes are implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Here we demonstrate that disease-associated autoreactive T cells from patients with type-1 diabetes mellitus or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are mainly CD4+ CCR7- CD45RA- effector memory T cells (T(EM) cells) with elevated Kv1.3 potassium channel expression. In contrast,T cells with other antigen specificities from these patients,or autoreactive T cells from healthy individuals and disease controls,express low levels of Kv1.3 and are predominantly naïve or central-memory (T(CM)) cells. In T(EM) cells,Kv1.3 traffics to the immunological synapse during antigen presentation where it colocalizes with Kvbeta2,SAP97,ZIP,p56(lck),and CD4. Although Kv1.3 inhibitors [ShK(L5)-amide (SL5) and PAP1] do not prevent immunological synapse formation,they suppress Ca2+-signaling,cytokine production,and proliferation of autoantigen-specific T(EM) cells at pharmacologically relevant concentrations while sparing other classes of T cells. Kv1.3 inhibitors ameliorate pristane-induced arthritis in rats and reduce the incidence of experimental autoimmune diabetes in diabetes-prone (DP-BB/W) rats. Repeated dosing with Kv1.3 inhibitors in rats has not revealed systemic toxicity. Further development of Kv1.3 blockers for autoimmune disease therapy is warranted. View Publication

The chemokine RANTES (regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted) is expressed late" (3 to 5 days) after activation in T lymphocytes. In order to understand the molecular events that accompany changes in gene expression� View Publication