Adenovirus-Mediated PD-L1 Over-Expression Has Differential Effects on Allograft Survival in Murine Islet and Heart Transplant Models.

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 4960-4960
Author(s):  
Wenda Gao ◽  
Kenichiro Yamashita ◽  
Jennifer Sullivan ◽  
Abraham Scaria ◽  
Terry B. Strom ◽  
...  

Abstract Program death-1 (PD-1) is a negative regulator of the immune system. Blocking PD-1-mediated negative signaling accelerates autoimmune diseases, while engaging PD-1 with recombinant PD-L1Ig fusion protein potentiates the efficacy of co-stimulation blockade in prolonging allograft survival. However, soluble PD-L1Ig itself showed no graft-protecting effect, in contrast to its strong inhibition of T and B cell activation in vitro when applied in a plate-bound form. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that membrane-bound PD-L1 should prolong allograft survival due to its increased ability to crosslink PD-1 receptor. An adenovirus (Ad.PD-L1) was constructed to encode the full-length mPD-L1, followed by green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene linked by an IRES sequence. A control adenovirus (Ad.Ctrl) was similarly constructed that carries only the GFP gene. In islet transplant model, B6AF1 (H-2b/a) islets were infected with the adenoviruses, and then transplanted into C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice induced diabetic by streptozotocin. In heart transplant model, DBA/2 (H-2d) hearts were perfused with adenoviruses, and then transplanted into C57BL/6 mice. PD-L1 over-expression in islet did not prolong graft survival, but accelerated islet rejection (Ad.PD-L1: 9.0+/−3.5 days; Ad.Ctrl: 13.3+/−2.2 days). In contrast, infection with Ad.PD-L1 prolonged heart allograft survival (15.4+/−5.7 days) in C57BL/6 mice, which promptly rejected DBA/2 hearts (7.0+/−2.3 days, p<0.02). Thus, over-expression of membrane-bound PD-L1 has beneficial effect in an organ/tissue specific manner. Strategies other than direct expression of PD-L1 in the islet b cells need to be devised in order to utilize this negative pathway to prevent rejection.

2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (6) ◽  
pp. C1242-C1254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lixin Zhu ◽  
Yuechueng Liu ◽  
John G. Forte

Ezrin is a member of ezrin, radixin, moesin (ERM) protein family that links F-actin to membranes. The NH2- and COOH-terminal association domains of ERM proteins, known respectively as N-ERMAD and C-ERMAD, participate in interactions with membrane proteins and F-actin, and intramolecular and intermolecular interactions within and among ERM proteins. In gastric parietal cells, ezrin is heavily represented on the apical membrane and is associated with cell activation. Ezrin-ezrin interactions are presumably involved in functional regulation of ezrin and thus became a subject of our study. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was examined with cyan fluorescent protein (CFP)- and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-tagged ezrin incorporated into HeLa cells and primary cultures of parietal cells. Constructs included YFP at the NH2 terminus of ezrin (YFP-Ez), CFP at the COOH terminus of ezrin (Ez-CFP), and double-labeled ezrin (N-YFP-ezrin-CFP-C). FRET was probed using fluorescence microscopy and spectrofluorometry. Evidence of ezrin oligomer formation was found using FRET in cells coexpressing Ez-CFP and YFP-Ez and by performing coimmunoprecipitation of endogenous ezrin with fluorescent protein-tagged ezrin. Thus intermolecular NH2- and COOH-terminal association domain (N-C) binding in vivo is consistent with the findings of earlier in vitro studies. After the ezrin oligomers were separated from monomers, FRET was observed in both forms, indicating intramolecular and intermolecular N-C binding. When the distribution of native ezrin as oligomers vs. monomers was examined in resting and maximally stimulated parietal cells, a shift of ezrin oligomers to the monomeric form was correlated with stimulation, suggesting that ezrin oligomers are the membrane-bound dormant form in gastric parietal cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Lu ◽  
Weiwei Wang ◽  
Peiyuan Li ◽  
Xiaodong Wang ◽  
Chao Gao ◽  
...  

AbstractRegulatory T cells (Tregs), which characteristically express forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3), are essential for the induction of immune tolerance. Here, we investigated microRNA-146a (miR-146a), a miRNA that is widely expressed in Tregs and closely related to their homeostasis and function, with the aim of enhancing the function of Tregs by regulating miR-146a and then suppressing transplant rejection. The effect of the absence of miR-146a on Treg function in the presence or absence of rapamycin was detected in both a mouse heart transplantation model and cell co-cultures in vitro. The absence of miR-146a exerted a mild tissue-protective effect by transiently prolonging allograft survival and reducing the infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells into the allografts. Meanwhile, the absence of miR-146a increased Treg expansion but impaired the ability of Tregs to restrict T helper cell type 1 (Th1) responses. A miR-146a deficiency combined with interferon (IFN)-γ blockade repaired the impaired Treg function, further prolonged allograft survival, and alleviated rejection. Importantly, miR-146a regulated Tregs mainly through the IFN-γ/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 pathway, which is implicated in Treg function to inhibit Th1 responses. Our data suggest miR-146a controls a specific aspect of Treg function, and modulation of miR-146a may enhance Treg efficacy in alleviating heart transplant rejection in mice.


2008 ◽  
Vol 412 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Ekerot ◽  
Marios P. Stavridis ◽  
Laurent Delavaine ◽  
Michael P. Mitchell ◽  
Christopher Staples ◽  
...  

DUSP6 (dual-specificity phosphatase 6), also known as MKP-3 [MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) phosphatase-3] specifically inactivates ERK1/2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2) in vitro and in vivo. DUSP6/MKP-3 is inducible by FGF (fibroblast growth factor) signalling and acts as a negative regulator of ERK activity in key and discrete signalling centres that direct outgrowth and patterning in early vertebrate embryos. However, the molecular mechanism by which FGFs induce DUSP6/MKP-3 expression and hence help to set ERK1/2 signalling levels is unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate, using pharmacological inhibitors and analysis of the murine DUSP6/MKP-3 gene promoter, that the ERK pathway is critical for FGF-induced DUSP6/MKP-3 transcription. Furthermore, we show that this response is mediated by a conserved binding site for the Ets (E twenty-six) family of transcriptional regulators and that the Ets2 protein, a known target of ERK signalling, binds to the endogenous DUSP6/MKP-3 promoter. Finally, the murine DUSP6/MKP-3 promoter coupled to EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) recapitulates the specific pattern of endogenous DUSP6/MKP-3 mRNA expression in the chicken neural plate, where its activity depends on FGFR (FGF receptor) and MAPK signalling and an intact Ets-binding site. These findings identify a conserved Ets-factor-dependent mechanism by which ERK signalling activates DUSP6/MKP-3 transcription to deliver ERK1/2-specific negative-feedback control of FGF signalling.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiming Zhao ◽  
Xiang Li ◽  
Dingding Yu ◽  
Yonghao Hu ◽  
Wang Jin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Endometrial regenerative cells (ERCs), a novel type of mesenchymal-like stem cells, were identified as an attractive candidate for immunoregulation and induction of cardiac allograft tolerance. However, the underlying mechanisms of ERCs in immune regulation still remain largely unclear. The present study is designed to determine whether the expression of Galectin-9 (Gal-9), a soluble tandem-repeat member of the galectin family, is crucial for ERC-based immunomodulation. Methods In this study, we measured Gal-9 expression on ERCs and then co-cultured Gal-9-ERCs, ERCs, and ERCs+lactose (Gal-9 blocker) with activated C57BL/6-derived splenocytes. Furthermore, we performed mouse heart transplantation between BALB/c (H-2d) donor and C57BL/6 (H-2b) recipient. ERCs were administrated 24 h after the surgery, either alone or in combination with rapamycin. Results Our data demonstrate that ERCs express Gal-9, and this expression is increased by IFN-γ stimulation in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo results show that Gal-9-ERC-mediated therapy significantly suppressed Th1 and Th17 cell response, inhibited CD8+ T cell proliferation, abrogated B cell activation, decreased donor-specific antibody production, and enhanced the Treg population. The therapeutic effect of ERCs was further verified by their roles in prolonging cardiac allograft survival and alleviating graft pathological changes. Conclusions Taken together, these data indicate that Gal-9 is required for ERC-mediated immunomodulation and prevention of allograft rejection.


Genes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 434
Author(s):  
Alison Mbekeani ◽  
Will Stanley ◽  
Vishal Kalel ◽  
Noa Dahan ◽  
Einat Zalckvar ◽  
...  

Peroxisomes are central to eukaryotic metabolism, including the oxidation of fatty acids—which subsequently provide an important source of metabolic energy—and in the biosynthesis of cholesterol and plasmalogens. However, the presence and nature of peroxisomes in the parasitic apicomplexan protozoa remains controversial. A survey of the available genomes revealed that genes encoding peroxisome biogenesis factors, so-called peroxins (Pex), are only present in a subset of these parasites, the coccidia. The basic principle of peroxisomal protein import is evolutionarily conserved, proteins harbouring a peroxisomal-targeting signal 1 (PTS1) interact in the cytosol with the shuttling receptor Pex5 and are then imported into the peroxisome via the membrane-bound protein complex formed by Pex13 and Pex14. Surprisingly, whilst Pex5 is clearly identifiable, Pex13 and, perhaps, Pex14 are apparently absent from the coccidian genomes. To investigate the functionality of the PTS1 import mechanism in these parasites, expression of Pex5 from the model coccidian Toxoplasma gondii was shown to rescue the import defect of Pex5-deleted Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In support of these data, green fluorescent protein (GFP) bearing the enhanced (e)PTS1 known to efficiently localise to peroxisomes in yeast, localised to peroxisome-like bodies when expressed in Toxoplasma. Furthermore, the PTS1-binding domain of Pex5 and a PTS1 ligand from the putatively peroxisome-localised Toxoplasma sterol carrier protein (SCP2) were shown to interact in vitro. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the Pex5–PTS1 interaction is functional in the coccidia and indicate that a nonconventional peroxisomal import mechanism may operate in the absence of Pex13 and Pex14.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (22) ◽  
pp. 10778-10784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isao Hamaguchi ◽  
Niels-Bjarne Woods ◽  
Ioannis Panagopoulos ◽  
Elisabet Andersson ◽  
Hanna Mikkola ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The murine embryonal stem (ES) cell virus (MESV) can express transgenes from the long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter/enhancer in undifferentiated ES cells, but expression is turned off upon differentiation to embryoid bodies (EBs) and hematopoietic cells in vitro. We examined whether a human immunodeficiency virus type 1-based lentivirus vector pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus G protein (VSV-G) could transduce ES cells efficiently and express the green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgene from an internal phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) promoter throughout development to hematopoietic cells in vitro. An oncoretrovirus vector containing the MESV LTR and the GFP gene was used for comparison. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis of transduced CCE ES cells showed 99.8 and 86.7% GPF-expressing ES cells in the VSV-G-pseudotyped lentivirus (multiplicity of infection [MOI] = 59)- and oncoretrovirus (MOI = 590)-transduced cells, respectively. Therefore, VSV-G pseudotyping of lentiviral and oncoretrovirus vectors leads to efficient transduction of ES cells. Lentivirus vector integration was verified in the ES cell colonies by Southern blot analysis. When the transduced ES cells were differentiated in vitro, expression from the oncoretrovirus LTR was severely reduced or extinct in day 6 EBs and ES cell-derived hematopoietic colonies. In contrast, many lentivirus-transduced colonies, expressing the GFP gene in the undifferentiated state, continued to express the transgene throughout in vitro development to EBs at day 6, and many continued to express in cells derived from hematopoietic colonies. This experimental system can be used to analyze lentivirus vector design for optimal expression in hematopoietic cells and for gain-of-function experiments during ES cell development in vitro.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A587-A587
Author(s):  
Diego Alvarado ◽  
Laura Vitale ◽  
Mike Murphy ◽  
Thomas O’Neill ◽  
Edward Natoli ◽  
...  

BackgroundAxl is a member of the TAM (Tyro3/Axl/MerTK) family of receptor tyrosine kinases and a negative regulator of innate immunity. Activation of Axl through its ligand Gas6 leads to suppression of myeloid cell activity, while its activation in tumor cells drives tumor growth, metastasis, and is associated with acquired resistance to targeted therapies, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.MethodsPurified monoclonal antibodies and variants thereof were tested in human cancer lines and primary human myeloid cells for effects on Axl signaling and immune activation, respectively.ResultsWe describe a humanized IgG1 Axl-targeting monoclonal antibody (mAb), CDX-0168, that binds to the ligand-binding domain of Axl with sub-nanomolar affinity and potently inhibits Gas6 binding. In tumor cells, CDX-0168 inhibits Gas6-dependent Axl phosphorylation and signaling and elicits tumor cell killing via ADCC in vitro and in vivo. In primary human immune cells, CDX-0168 treatment induces potent release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines from dendritic cells, monocytes and macrophages through an Fc receptor-dependent mechanism and enhanced T cell activation in mixed lymphocyte reactions. Axl inhibition may further enhance antitumor activity associated with PD-(L)1 blockade. To this end, we generated a tetravalent bispecific Axl x PD-L1 antibody combining CDX-0168 with a potent anti-PD-L1 mAb (9H9) using an IgG-scFv format. The bispecific antibody elicits greater cytokine release and T cell activation in vitro than the combination of the parental antibodies, while maintaining robust Axl and PD-L1 blockade.ConclusionsAdditional studies investigating simultaneous blockade of the Axl and PD-L1 pathways with other agents may further exploit the potential for this novel anti-cancer therapeutic approach.


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