Production of granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor by human natural killer cells. Modulation by the p75 subunit of the interleukin 2 receptor and by the CD2 receptor.

Resting natural killer (NK) cells express the p75 chain of the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R beta) and most NK cells express the CD2 (erythrocyte rosette) receptor. The cell adhesion molecule, LFA-3, is a natural co-ligand for CD2. Tac antigen (IL-2R alpha), a p55 IL-2R subunit, can be expressed after NK activation and may play a role in IL-2-induced NK proliferation. Little is known of the molecular mechanisms underlying cytokine production in NK cells. We investigated the roles of IL-2R alpha, IL-2R beta, and CD2/LFA-3 in the molecular regulation of NK cell granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production. Enriched populations of peripheral blood NK cells were separated into CD16-positive and CD16-negative fractions by flow cytometry; positively selected cells were greater than 97% positive for CD16 (the FcIII receptor for IgG which is present on almost all NK cells), less than 1% positive for the T cell antigen CD3, and did not demonstrate rearrangement of the T cell receptor beta chain gene by Southern blot. NK cell supernatants were harvested after 3-4 d of incubation with 0-100 U/ml IL-2, or after incubation with anti-CD2 (T11(3] MAb and sheep red blood cells (SRBC are a homologue for LFA-3). Parallel cell aliquots were harvested at 3-16 h for transcriptional run-on assays, S1 nuclease assays, and actinomycin D mRNA t1/2 determinations. IL-2-activated NK supernatants contained large amounts of GM-CSF (178 +/- 35 pg/ml) by ELISA as did supernatants from CD2-activated NK cells (T11(3) MAb + SRBC: 212 +/- 42) vs. less than 20 pg/ml for NK cells incubated alone or with either SRBC or T11(3) MAb alone. Sepharose-linked anti-CD3 MAb did not induce GM-CSF release from NK cells. By S1 analysis, both IL-2 and CD2 stimulation markedly augmented GM-CSF mRNA expression but with very different latencies of onset. IL-2R beta MAb inhibited greater than 85% of GM-CSF release from IL-2-activated NK cells and markedly suppressed IL-2-induced GM-CSF mRNA expression, whereas IL-2R alpha MAb even at 2,000-fold molar excess of IL-2 had little effect (less than 10%) on either GM-CSF release or mRNA expression. Run-on assays showed that GM-CSF is constitutively transcribed in NK cells and that IL-2 and CD2-activated cells had a three- to fourfold increased rate of GM-CSF transcription compared to nonstimulated cells. The t1/2 of GM-CSF mRNA in IL-2-activated NK cells was identical to that of unstimulated NK cells (15 min), whereas GM-CSF mRNA t1/2 in CD2-activated NK cells was increased 2.5-fold. We conclude that GM-CSF production in NK cells is regulated by both the IL-2Rbeta and the CD2 receptor but not by IL-2Ralpha, that both transcriptional and posttranscriptional signals act together to modulate the level of GM-CSF mRNA in NK cells, and that the molecular mechanisms underlying NK cell GM-CSF production are dependent in part on differential surface receptor activation.

Differential regulation of lymphokine production by distinct subunits of the T cell interleukin 2 receptor.

Most biologic responses to IL-2 have been attributed to interaction of IL-2 with a high affinity receptor which consists of a heterodimer composed of two distinct IL-2-binding proteins (IL-2R alpha/IL-2R beta). However, both low affinity IL-2R alpha (55 kD) and intermediate affinity IL-2R beta (70-75 kD) also appear to be expressed independently on the cell surface. We investigated the receptor-specific regulatory effects of IL-2 on cytokine production in unstimulated and activated T cells. T cells were activated by stimulation of the antigen receptor complex with anti-CD3 mAb. IL-2 (10(2) U/ml, 1 nM) stimulation of resting cells resulted in a fivefold increase in GM-CSF release but in only minimal IFN-gamma release. IL-2 markedly augmented mRNA expression of GM-CSF but not IFN-gamma in unstimulated T cells. IL-2R beta mAb but not IL-2R alpha mAb decreased IL-2-induced GM-CSF release and mRNA expression from unstimulated T cells. IL-2 concentrations required for GM-CSF release from resting cells suggested ligand binding to an intermediate affinity receptor. GM-CSF and IFN-gamma release from activated T cells increased four- to fivefold in response to 1 nM IL-2 and IL-2 augmented both GM-CSF and IFN-gamma mRNA. IL-2R beta mAb but not IL-2R alpha mAb reduced GM-CSF release and mRNA expression in activated T cells stimulated with 1 nM IL-2. IL-2R alpha blockade markedly decreased IL-2-induced IFN-gamma release and mRNA expression from activated cells, while IL-2R beta blockade had little effect on IFN-gamma production in activated cells. IL-2R alpha blockade altered the affinity of the receptor mediating activated cell GM-CSF release from a high affinity to an intermediate affinity state. These studies indicate an independent role for IL-2R beta in mediating GM-CSF production from T cells. They also suggest that unstimulated and activated T cells, which express distinct IL-2 receptor moieties, mediate release of separate lymphokines and that different subunits of the IL-2 receptor may play an important role in the regulation of cytokine production.

Monoclonal antibody and enzymatic profiles of human malignant T-lymphoid cells and derived cell lines.

Recently, four distinct cell lines were established from patients whose malignancies had been defined by immunological and biochemical markers. Each patient had a distinct subtype of a T-cell cancer, and each possessed elevated adenosine deaminase and reduced nucleoside phosphorylase activity. Cell lines cultured in vitro possessed the same basic immunophenotype and biochemical enzyme activity as the patients' original malignant cells. In a direct comparison of the immunophenotype of the cell lines and the patients' malignant cells, full concordance existed for 48 of 52 paired antibody tests performed. However, when compared to the corresponding patient's sample, each cell line showed some minor changes in antigen expression or enzyme level. Antigen loss, de novo antigen expression, or elevated adenosine deaminase levels occurred in the cell lines, and these changes were stable on repeated analysis. While there was good general concordance between the patient's cancer and the established cell line, minor biological differences in the cell lines may reflect cellular maturation or subpopulation selection in vitro.

The T-cell CD2 determinant mediates inhibition of erythropoiesis by the lymphokine cascade.

We examined the role of the T-cell antigen CD2 in the regulation of erythropoiesis by the lymphokine cascade. T-cell interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptors (p55) were induced via triggering of the antigen receptor-associated CD3 epitope. Before CD3 triggering T cells were preincubated with a CD2-blocking (Leu-5b) or isotype control antibody. T-cell pellets were employed during incubation to facilitate interaction between T-cell LFA-3 and CD2. CD2 blockade caused a 66% to 79% inhibition of p55 expression after three to six days of culture with IL-2. Next we assessed the effect of CD2 blockade on IL-2. Next we assessed the effect of CD2 blockade on IL-2-induced inhibition of BFU-E in autologous cocultures containing CD3-triggered T cells. IL-2 caused a dose-dependent inhibition (52% to 92%) of BFU-E in the presence but not in the absence of CD3-triggered T cells. T-cell CD2 blockade prior to CD3 triggering caused a 65% to 87% abrogation of IL-2-induced inhibition of BFU-E at 10 to 10(2) U/mL IL-2. Preincubation of CD3-triggered T cells with isotype control antibody had no effect on IL-2-induced erythroid inhibition. Day 3 supernatants from CD3-triggered T cells or CD2-blocked, CD3-triggered T cells established in the presence of IL-2 were next assessed for modulation of BFU-E. CD3-triggered T-cell supernatants caused a 77% +/- 9% inhibition of BFU-E. Blockade of CD2 caused a 95% abrogation of T-cell-mediated BFU-E inhibition. In addition, CD2 blockade reduced interferon-gamma (IF gamma) release (84 to 128 U/mL) from CD3-triggered T cells by 81% at day 3 of culture. In control experiments, the addition of IF gamma-neutralizing monoclonal antibody to CD3-triggered T-cell supernatant established in the presence of IL-2 caused 75% abrogation of IL-2 inhibition of BFU-E. We conclude that blockade of the CD2 T-cell determinant induces down modulation of (a) T-cell p55 IL-2 receptor expression, (b) IL-2-induced inhibition of BFU-E, and (c) IL-2-induced marrow T-cell IF gamma release. These data suggest that the T-cell CD2 determinant can exert a regulatory effect on the control of erythropoiesis by the lymphokine cascade.

Receptor-specific modulation of myelopoiesis by recombinant DNA-derived interleukin 2.

T cells and T cell-derived lymphokines have been implicated in the regulation of myelopoiesis. This study examines the regulatory effects of recombinant DNA-derived human IL 2 on the phagocyte progenitor cell (CFU-GM), utilizing a receptor-specific model for T cell regulation of myelopoiesis. IL 2 receptors were induced on immunopurified marrow T cells by triggering the T cell antigen receptor complex with CD3 monoclonal antibody. IL 2 receptor expression was assessed by cytofluorography with IL 2 receptor monoclonal antibody. IL 2 receptor-positive and IL 2 receptor-negative marrow T cells were cocultured with autologous adherent and T cell-depleted marrow mononuclear cells in the absence and presence of various concentrations of IL 2. In the presence of IL 2 receptor-positive T cells, IL 2 caused a dose-dependent inhibition of CFU-GM (86% at 10(2) U/ml). IL 2 did not inhibit CFU-GM in the absence of T cells or in the presence of IL 2 receptor-negative T cells. The addition of IL 2 receptor blocking monoclonal antibody completely abrogated IL 2-induced inhibition of CFU-GM. Conditioned media prepared from IL 2 receptor-positive marrow T cells in the presence of IL 2 also inhibited CFU-GM expression from marrow NAB-T cells (50% +/- 16). In contrast, conditioned media from IL 2 receptor-positive T cells prepared in the absence of IL 2 or from IL 2 receptor-negative T cells prepared in the presence or absence of IL 2 did not significantly affect CFU-GM growth. IL 2 receptor-positive, but not IL 2 receptor-negative, T cells released large amounts (190 +/- 60 U/10(6) cells X ml-1) of IFN-gamma but only low amounts of tumor necrosis factor beta (less than 10 U/ml) in response to IL 2. In control experiments, recombinant DNA-derived IFN-gamma caused a 37% +/- 19 inhibition of CFU-GM in the presence of resting T cells and adherent cells. However, IFN-gamma failed to inhibit CFU-GM in the presence of activated (IL 2 receptor-positive) T cells, indicating that release of IFN-gamma cannot solely explain IL 2-induced inhibition of CFU-GM. The addition of neutralizing IFN-gamma monoclonal antibody partially abrogated IL 2-induced inhibition of CFU-GM (41 to 60%) in the presence of CD3-triggered T cells, suggesting that although IFN-gamma participates in IL 2-induced inhibition of myelopoiesis, it is not the sole mediator of that inhibition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Histidine-rich glycoprotein blocks T cell rosette formation and modulates both T cell activation and immunoregulation.

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRGP) is a plasma and platelet protein with undefined function in vivo. It has been reported to inhibit rosette formation between murine T cells and erythrocytes. We have shown that HRGP binds specifically to human T lymphocytes but not sheep erythrocytes and have demonstrated a 56-kDa HRGP-binding protein on the T cell surface which is distinct from the CD2 sheep erythrocyte receptor. We have now investigated whether HRGP can inhibit human T cell-sheep erythrocyte rosette formation and whether HRGP can modulate T cell activation. HRGP at physiologic concentrations specifically inhibited rosette formation between human T lymphocytes and sheep erythrocytes. HRGP suppressed proliferation of antigen receptor (CD3)-triggered T cells induced by interleukin 2; this suppression was specifically reversed by prior incubation of HRGP with affinity-purified anti-HRGP IgG. Addition of HRGP 12-24 h after CD3 triggering no longer suppressed T cell proliferation, suggesting HRGP suppressed T cell division by interfering with one or more early events in the process of T cell activation. Human serum (containing 100-150 micrograms/ml HRGP) was also capable of suppressing T cell proliferation; serum which had been immunodepleted of HRGP no longer inhibited T cell proliferation. Furthermore, HRGP inhibited interleukin 2 receptor expression on activated T cells, causing decreased T cell interferon-gamma release and altered T cell-dependent inhibition of erythropoiesis. HRGP is thus capable of modulating T cell activation and T cell immunoregulation; HRGP may function as a natural suppressive regulator of human T lymphocyte activation.

Interaction of histidine-rich glycoprotein with human T lymphocytes.

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRGP), a human plasma and platelet protein, interacts with multiple ligands in vitro, including heparin, plasminogen, thrombospondin, and fibrinogen/fibrin. In this study, the binding of HRGP to human T lymphocytes was characterized. The binding was specific, concentration-dependent, saturable, and reversible. Scatchard plot analysis revealed two classes of binding sites: the high affinity class had an apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of 1.92 X 10(-8) M, with 0.92 X 10(4) sites/cell, and the low affinity class had a Kd of 4.97 X 10(-7) M, with 3.7 X 10(4) sites/cell. HRGP binding to T cells in the presence of HRGP-depleted serum was comparable to that observed in buffer. Dot-blot analysis showed that HRGP bound to specific T cell proteins. Using both HRGP affinity chromatography and immunoprecipitation with affinity-purified anti-HRGP IgG, a major 56-kDa HRGP-binding protein in surface labeled T cell lysates was demonstrated. The 56-kDa protein was shown not to be related to the CD2 molecule on T cells. The binding characteristics of HRGP to T lymphocytes indicate a specific ligand-receptor interaction. This is the first demonstration of HRGP binding to a cell surface, and its binding to human T cells may play an important role in T lymphocyte biology.

Alignment of flexible protein structures.

We present two algorithms which align flexible protein structures. Both apply efficient structural pattern detection and graph theoretic techniques. The FlexProt algorithm simultaneously detects the hinge regions and aligns the rigid subparts of the molecules. It does it by efficiently detecting maximal congruent rigid fragments in both molecules and calculating their optimal arrangement which does not violate the protein sequence order. The FlexMol algorithm is sequence order independent, yet requires as input the hypothesized hinge positions. Due its sequence order independence it can also be applied to protein-protein interface matching and drug molecule alignment. It aligns the rigid parts of the molecule using the Geometric Hashing method and calculates optimal connectivity among these parts by graph-theoretic techniques. Both algorithms are highly efficient even compared with rigid structure alignment algorithms. Typical running times on a standard desktop PC (400 MHz) are about 7 seconds for FlexProt and about 1 minute for FlexMol.

The cell adhesion molecule CD31 is phosphorylated after cell activation. Down-regulation of CD31 in activated T lymphocytes.

We report the independent cloning of the cDNA for CD31, a recently described cell adhesion molecule of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily present on platelets, granulocytes, monocytes, lymphocytes, and endothelial cells. Northern analysis revealed three major mRNA transcripts in Jurkat (a human T cell line) and K562 and HEL (leukemia cell lines) cells with an additional 5.3-kilobase transcript seen in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Following T cell activation, CD31 mRNA was down-regulated by Northern analysis, and decreased CD31 protein expression was confirmed by immunoblots. The down-regulation of CD31 was partially mediated by decreased transcription as demonstrated by nuclear run-on studies. CD31 became rapidly phosphorylated in platelets, Jurkat cells, and endothelial cells after cell activation. We were unable to demonstrate the presence of a phosphotyrosine in CD31 using monoclonal and polyclonal phosphotyrosine antibodies. In addition, CD31 phosphorylation in platelets was induced by phorbol ester and was blocked by staurosporin, a protein kinase C inhibitor, suggesting that CD31 phosphorylation is mediated by protein kinase C and involves serine and/or threonine residues. The phosphorylation of CD31 following cell activation may modulate its cellular adhesiveness, and the down-regulation of its expression may serve to impart target specificity and to localize effector lymphocytes to areas of inflammation.

Involvement of CD31 in lymphocyte-mediated immune responses: importance of the membrane-proximal immunoglobulin domain and identification of an inhibiting CD31 peptide.

CD31 (PECAM-1) is an immunoglobulin gene superfamily cell adhesion molecule found on vascular endothelium, platelets, and leukocytes. Lymphocyte expression of CD31 is most closely associated with the CD45RA+CD8+ naive T phenotype. CD31 has recently been shown to play a role in leukocyte egress to inflammatory sites. The mechanism of CD31 adhesion remains under investigation. Several investigators have reported evidence for a heterotypic ligand. We have previously shown that CD31 is phosphorylated with cell activation, which suggests a possible role for CD31 in cell activation events. We therefore studied the effects of CD31 antibodies on in vitro assays of lymphocyte activation. One CD31 antibody, LYP21, inhibited the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) in a specific and dose-dependent fashion. An LYP21 epitope was localized to the sixth Ig domain of CD31. This peptide and a scrambled control peptide were synthesized and used to study effects of this epitope on lymphocyte activation. The CD31 peptide strongly inhibited the MLR. Because CD31 is expressed on both stimulator and responder populations, stimulator peripheral blood leukocytes and responder lymphocyte populations were separately incubated with CD31 peptide or control peptide and then washed before mixing. The CD31 peptide inhibited the MLR equally when either stimulator or responder cells were preincubated with the CD31 peptide. We further sorted responder cells into CD31-high and CD31-low populations and separately incubated these subsets with peptides. The CD31 peptide strongly inhibited MLRs, regardless of level of responder-cell CD31 expression. Examination of MLR reactions involving the CD31 peptide showed dispersed small aggregates of cells, rather than the single large aggregate observed in control MLRs. The CD31 peptide did not affect activation of lymphocytes by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and ionomycin. These results suggest that a surface CD31-ligand interaction may have a functional role in alloimmune lymphocyte activation and identify a functionally important domain of CD31.

Chronic infectious mononucleosis syndrome, pancytopenia, and polyclonal B-lymphoproliferation terminating in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

A 17-year-old previously healthy girl is reported who developed acute infectious mononucleosis followed by progressive ill health over 20 months, associated with pancytopenia and a polyclonal B-lymphoproliferation, terminating in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was recovered from the patient's nasopharyngeal secretions; serologic titers of antibodies to EBV-associated antigens were compatible with a chronic persistent EBV infection. Plasma interferon levels were markedly elevated. EBV-specific cell-mediated immunity, as well as Natural killer (NK) cell activity were markedly deficient. Other studies of cell-mediated immunity revealed notable abnormalities, including abnormalities in T-cell subset ratios, and a serum blocker of autologous mitogen-induced lymphoproliferation. Humoral (plasma)-mediated, but not cell-mediated, suppression of hemopoiesis was demonstrated using in vitro erythroid and myeloid colony culture techniques. Immunophenotyping of the patient's bone marrow cells preterminally was consistent with ALL. Autopsy revealed pathologic changes of ALL in marrow and multiple organs. We conclude that our patient developed an EBV-driven lymphoproliferative disorder, with associated defective cell-mediated immunity and hemopoiesis. Ultimately, the patient's documented polyclonal lymphoproliferative state was superimposed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia.