SLPI and elafin: one glove, many fingers

2005 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven E. Williams ◽  
Thomas I. Brown ◽  
Ali Roghanian ◽  
Jean-Michel Sallenave

Elafin and SLPI (secretory leucocyte protease inhibitor) have multiple important roles both in normal homoeostasis and at sites of inflammation. These include antiprotease and antimicrobial activity as well as modulation of the response to LPS (lipopolysaccharide) stimulation. Elafin and SLPI are members of larger families of proteins secreted predominantly at mucosal sites, and have been shown to be modulated in multiple pathological conditions. We believe that elafin and SLPI are important molecules in the controlled functioning of the innate immune system, and may have further importance in the integration of this system with the adaptive immune response. Recent interest has focused on the influence of inflamed tissues on the recruitment and phenotypic modulation of cells of the adaptive immune system and, indeed, the local production of elafin and SLPI indicate that they are ideally placed in this regard. Functionally related proteins, such as the defensins and cathelicidins, have been shown to have direct effects upon dendritic cells with potential alteration of their phenotype towards type I or II immune responses. This review addresses the multiple functions of elafin and SLPI in the inflammatory response and discusses further their roles in the development of the adaptive immune response.

2006 ◽  
Vol 291 (6) ◽  
pp. R1644-R1650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul C. Dimayuga ◽  
Xiaoning Zhao ◽  
Juliana Yano ◽  
Kuang-Yuh Chyu

Atherosclerosis is a disease associated with aging and is subject to modulation by both the innate and adaptive immune system. The time course of age-dependent changes in immune regulation in the context of atherosclerosis has not been characterized. This study aims to describe alteration of the immune responses to oxidized LDL (oxLDL) during aging that is associated with changes in plaque size and phenotype in apoE(−/−) mice. Mice fed a Western diet were euthanized at 15–17, 36, or >52 wk of age. The descending aortas were stained for assessment of extent of atherosclerosis. Plaque lipid, macrophage, and collagen content were evaluated in aortic sinus lesions. The adaptive immune response to oxLDL was assessed using anti-malondialdehyde-oxidized LDL (MDA-LDL) and copper-oxidized LDL (Cu-oxLDL) IgG, and the innate immune response was assessed using anti-Cu-oxLDL and phosphorylcholine (PC) IgM. Aging was associated with a significant increase in plaque area and collagen content and a decrease in plaque macrophage and lipid content. MDA-LDL IgG significantly increased at 36 wk but was reduced in mice >52 wk. Cu-oxLDL IgG increased with age and IgG-apoB immune complexes were increased in the >52 wk group. Cu-oxLDL and PC IgM significantly increased with age. The expression of splenic cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10 increased with age. Our study shows a generalized increase in innate immune responses associated with progression of atherosclerosis and a less inflammatory and less lipid-containing plaque phenotype during aging. The adaptive immune response appeared to be less generalized, with a specific reduction in MDA-LDL IgG.


Author(s):  
Helen F. Galley ◽  
Heather M. Wilson

The immune system provides protection against invading pathogens, foreign cells including tumour cells, and macromolecules. It comprises an early, non-specific, innate immune response and a later, specific, adaptive immune response that helps prevent disease or recurrence of disease. Innate and adaptive immune systems work together with mutual interactivity distinguishing ‘self’ from ‘non-self components’ to provide effective immune responses and prevent infection. This chapter describes the basic processes involved in immune responses and illustrates the particular relevance for some disease processes as well as highlighting stresses associated with anaesthesia and surgery that can modulate responses.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip Wibisono ◽  
Shawndra Wibisono ◽  
Jan Watteyne ◽  
Chia-Hui Chen ◽  
Durai Sellegounder ◽  
...  

A key question in current immunology is how the innate immune system generates high levels of specificity. Like most invertebrates, Caenorhabditis elegans does not have an adaptive immune system and relies solely on innate immunity to defend itself against pathogen attacks, yet it can still differentiate different pathogens and launch distinct innate immune responses. Here, we have found that functional loss of NMUR-1, a neuronal GPCR homologous to mammalian receptors for the neuropeptide neuromedin U, has diverse effects on C. elegans survival against various bacterial pathogens. Transcriptomic analyses and functional assays revealed that NMUR-1 modulates C. elegans transcription activity by regulating the expression of transcription factors, which, in turn, controls the expression of distinct immune genes in response to different pathogens. Our study has uncovered a molecular basis for the specificity of C. elegans innate immunity that could provide mechanistic insights into understanding the specificity of vertebrate innate immunity.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 775-775
Author(s):  
Kasper Hoebe ◽  
Edith Janssen ◽  
Bruce Beutler

Abstract Molecules of microbial origin, and synthetic derivatives of these molecules, have long been used for their immuno-adjuvant effect, and as the key sensors of microbial infection, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are thought to be essential for adjuvanticity. To the contrary, we now demonstrate the existence of a robust, TLR-independent pathway for adjuvant effect: one that is actually far stronger than the TLR-dependent pathway. Activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the subsequent production of cytokines such as type I interferon leads to the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) with upregulation of MHC molecules and costimulatory molecules such as CD40, CD80 and CD86, allowing for optimal interaction between DCs and T-cells. We have determined that TLR signal transduction is minimally dependent upon two adapter proteins, MyD88 and TRIF. In compound homozygous mutant (DKO) mice that lack functional MyD88 and TRIF, there is complete abrogation of all TLR signaling. Such animals therefore comprise a unique model with which to study TLR-independent immune responses. We have now used DKO mice to determine whether an adaptive immune response can be obtained in the absence of TLR signaling. As expected, adjuvanticity obtained via “classical” microbial adjuvants such as complete Freund’s adjuvant or LPS was completely absent in DKO mice. However, subcutaneous administration of syngeneic murine cells expressing ovalbumin and rendered apoptotic by exposure to ultraviolet light resulted in a strong T-cell response in vivo, with impressive production of interferon-g by CD8+ cells and efficient killing of EL-4 cells that expressed CD8-specific OVA peptides, both in wildtype and DKO mice. Adjuvanticity was observed only in the context of apoptosis, in that living cells, not exposed to ultraviolet light before injection, induced little or no response. Moreover, the mixture of the protein antigen with apoptotic cells was insufficient to induce an adaptive immune response; rather, only cells that expressed the protein prior to induction of apoptosis were stimulatory. These results indicate the existence of a specific, cell death-dependent mechanism for adjuvanticity that is TLR-independent and induced by endogenous molecules. We propose that this new adjuvant pathway is of fundamental importance to immune responses at large. We believe that it is required for initiation of the adaptive immune response witnessed in the context of allograft rejection, graft-versus-host disease, and autoimmune diseases as well.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenfa Ng

Snippets of virus that infect humans have been shown to be incorporated into the human genome. Could such virus snippets provide a form of adaptive immunity similar to that offered by CRISPR to bacterial cells? To answer the question, RNA-seq could be used to provide a broad view of the RNA transcribed from DNA in the genome. Using known genome sequence of viruses that infect humans as template, reads obtained from RNA-seq would be profiled for virus snippets integrated into human genome and subsequently transcribed as part of an adaptive immune system. Subsequently, viruses corresponding to the virus snippets in human genome would be used to infect human cell lines to obtain direct evidence of how virus snippets mediate an adaptive immune response at the cellular level. Specifically, successful defence of the cell by virus snippets triggering an adaptive immune response would manifest as viable cells compared to lysed cells unable to mount an immune response. Following demonstration of cell viability under viral challenge, in vitro biochemical assays using cell lysate would interrogate the specific proteins and enzymes that mediate possible cutting of the foreign DNA or RNA. To this end, beads immobilized with virus snippets would serve as bait for binding to complementary viral DNA or RNA as well as potential endogenous endonuclease protein. Following precipitation and recovery of beads, possible endonuclease that bind to both viral DNA or RNA and virus snippets immobilized on beads would be isolated through gel electrophoresis and subsequently purified. Purified endonuclease would be assayed for activity against a variety of nucleic acids (both DNA and RNA) from various sources with and without added virus snippets. This provides important information on substrate range and specificity of the potential endonuclease. Amino acid sequencing of the purified endonuclease would help downstream bioinformatic search for candidate protein in the human genome. Finally, cryo-electron microscopy could help determine the structure of the endonuclease in complex with viral nucleic acids and virus snippets. Such structural information would provide more insights into mechanistic details describing the binding and cleavage of viral DNA or RNA in a CRISPR-like adaptive immune response in human cells. Overall, tantalizing clues have emerged that a CRISPR-like adaptive immune response may exist in human cells for defending against viral attack. Combination of cell biological, biochemical and structural tools could lend insights into the potential endonuclease that mediate double strand break of foreign DNA or RNA using virus snippets transcribed from the human genome as guide RNA. If demonstrated to be true for a variety of human viruses across different cell lines, the newly discovered viral defence mechanism in human cells hold important implications for understanding the adoption and evolution of CRISPR in eukaryotic cells.


Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie J. Knapek ◽  
Hanah M. Georges ◽  
Hana Van Campen ◽  
Jeanette V. Bishop ◽  
Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann ◽  
...  

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) fetal infections occur in two forms; persistent infection (PI) or transient infection (TI), depending on what stage of gestation the fetus is infected. Examination of lymphoid organs from both PI and TI fetuses reveals drastically different fetal responses, dependent upon the developmental stage of the fetal immune system. Total RNA was extracted from the thymuses and spleens of uninfected control, PI, and TI fetuses collected on day 190 of gestation to test the hypothesis that BVDV infection impairs the innate and adaptive immune response in the fetal thymus and spleen of both infection types. Transcripts of genes representing the innate immune response and adaptive immune response genes were assayed by Reverse Transcription quatitative PCR (RT-qPCR) (2−ΔΔCq; fold change). Genes of the innate immune response, interferon (IFN) inducible genes, antigen presentation to lymphocytes, and activation of B cells were downregulated in day 190 fetal PI thymuses compared to controls. In contrast, innate immune response genes were upregulated in TI fetal thymuses compared to controls and tended to be upregulated in TI fetal spleens. Genes associated with the innate immune system were not different in PI fetal spleens; however, adaptive immune system genes were downregulated, indicating that PI fetal BVDV infection has profound inhibitory effects on the expression of genes involved in the innate and adaptive immune response. The downregulation of these genes in lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells in the developing thymus and spleen may explain the incomplete clearance of BVDV and the persistence of the virus in PI animals while the upregulation of the TI innate immune response indicates a more mature immune system, able to clear the virus.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty Diamond ◽  
Bruce T. Volpe ◽  
Sonya VanPatten ◽  
Yousef Al Abed

Abstract The response to viral infection generally includes an activation of the adaptive immune response to produce cytotoxic T cells and neutralizing antibodies. We propose that SARS-CoV-2 activates the innate immune system through the renin-angiotensin and kallikrein-bradykinin pathways, blocks interferon production and reduces an effective adaptive immune response. This model has therapeutic implications.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Minns ◽  
Katie Jane Smith ◽  
Emily Gwyer Findlay

Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in peripheral blood and respond rapidly to danger, infiltrating tissues within minutes of infectious or sterile injury. Neutrophils were long thought of as simple killers, but now we recognise them as responsive cells able to adapt to inflammation and orchestrate subsequent events with some sophistication. Here, we discuss how these rapid responders release mediators which influence later adaptive T cell immunity through influences on DC priming and directly on the T cells themselves. We consider how the release of granule contents by neutrophils—through NETosis or degranulation—is one way in which the innate immune system directs the phenotype of the adaptive immune response.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (15) ◽  
pp. 1236-1243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hernández-Ramos Reyna-Margarita ◽  
Castillo-Maldonado Irais ◽  
Rivera-Guillén Mario-Alberto ◽  
Ramírez-Moreno Agustina ◽  
Serrano-Gallardo Luis-Benjamín ◽  
...  

Background: The immune system is responsible for providing protection to the body against foreign substances. The immune system divides into two types of immune responses to study its mechanisms of protection: 1) Innate and 2) Adaptive. The innate immune response represents the first protective barrier of the organism that also works as a regulator of the adaptive immune response, if evaded the mechanisms of the innate immune response by the foreign substance the adaptive immune response takes action with the consequent antigen neutralization or elimination. The adaptive immune response objective is developing a specific humoral response that consists in the production of soluble proteins known as antibodies capable of specifically recognizing the foreign agent; such protective mechanism is induced artificially through an immunization or vaccination. Unfortunately, the immunogenicity of the antigens is an intrinsic characteristic of the same antigen dependent on several factors. Conclusion: Vaccine adjuvants are chemical substances of very varied structure that seek to improve the immunogenicity of antigens. The main four types of adjuvants under investigation are the following: 1) Oil emulsions with an antigen in solution, 2) Pattern recognition receptors activating molecules, 3) Inflammatory stimulatory molecules or activators of the inflammasome complex, and 4) Cytokines. However, this paper addresses the biological plausibility of two phytochemical compounds as vaccine adjuvants: 5) Lectins, and 6) Plant phenolics whose characteristics, mechanisms of action and disadvantages are addressed. Finally, the immunological usefulness of these molecules is discussed through immunological data to estimate effects of plant phenolics and lectins as vaccine adjuvants, and current studies that have implanted these molecules as vaccine adjuvants, demonstrating the results of this immunization.


2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 1223-1248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei Xiong Liew ◽  
Paul Kubes

Neutrophils have always been considered as uncomplicated front-line troopers of the innate immune system equipped with limited proinflammatory duties. Yet recently, the role of the neutrophil has been undergoing a rejuvenation of sorts. Neutrophils are now considered complex cells capable of a significant array of specialized functions, and as an effector of the innate immune response, they are able to regulate many processes such as acute injury and repair, cancer, autoimmunity, and chronic inflammatory processes. Furthermore, evidence exists to indicate that neutrophils also contribute to adaptive immunity by aiding the development of specific adaptive immune responses or guiding the subsequent adaptive immune response. With this revived interest in neutrophils and their many novel functions, it is prudent to review what is currently known about neutrophils and, even more importantly, understand what information is lacking. We discuss the essential features of the neutrophil, from its origins, lifespan, subsets, margination and sequestration of the neutrophil to the death of the neutrophil. We highlight neutrophil recruitment to both infected and injured tissues and outline differences in recruitment of neutrophils between different tissues. Finally, we examine how neutrophils use different mechanisms to either bolster protective immune responses or negatively cause pathological outcomes at different locations.


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