DUSP11-mediated control of 5'-triphosphate RNA regulates RIG-I sensitivity.

Deciphering the mechanisms that regulate the sensitivity of pathogen recognition receptors is imperative to understanding infection and inflammation. Here we demonstrate that the RNA triphosphatase dual-specificity phosphatase 11 (DUSP11) acts on both host and virus-derived 5'-triphosphate RNAs rendering them less active in inducing a RIG-I-mediated immune response. Reducing DUSP11 levels alters host triphosphate RNA packaged in extracellular vesicles and induces enhanced RIG-I activation in cells exposed to extracellular vesicles. Virus infection of cells lacking DUSP11 results in a higher proportion of triphosphorylated viral transcripts and attenuated virus replication, which is rescued by reducing RIG-I expression. Consistent with the activity of DUSP11 in the cellular RIG-I response, mice lacking DUSP11 display lower viral loads, greater sensitivity to triphosphorylated RNA, and a signature of enhanced interferon activity in select tissues. Our results reveal the importance of controlling 5'-triphosphate RNA levels to prevent aberrant RIG-I signaling and demonstrate DUSP11 as a key effector of this mechanism.

Transcriptional analysis of THP-1 cells infected with Leishmania infantum indicates no activation of the inflammasome platform.

Leishmaniasis is caused by intracellular parasites transmitted to vertebrates by sandfly bites. Clinical manifestations include cutaneous, mucosal or visceral involvement depending upon the host immune response and the parasite species. To assure their survival inside macrophages, these parasites developed a plethora of highly successful strategies to manipulate various immune system pathways. Considering that inflammasome activation is critical for the establishment of a protective immune response in many parasite infections, in this study we determined the transcriptome of THP-1 cells after infection with L. infantum, with a particular focus on the inflammasome components. To this end, the human cell line THP-1, previously differentiated into macrophages by PMA treatment, was infected with L. infantum promastigotes. Differentiated THP-1 cells were also stimulated with LPS to be used as a comparative parameter. The gene expression signature was determined 8 hours after by RNA-seq technique. Infected or uninfected THP-1 cells were stimulated with nigericin (NIG) to measure active caspase-1 and TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß levels in culture supernatants after 8, 24 and 48 hours. L. infantum triggered a gene expression pattern more similar to non-infected THP-1 cells and very distinct from LPS-stimulated cells. Some of the most up-regulated genes in L. infantum-infected cells were CDC20, CSF1, RPS6KA1, CD36, DUSP2, DUSP5, DUSP7 and TNFAIP3. Some up-regulated GO terms in infected cells included cell coagulation, regulation of MAPK cascade, response to peptide hormone stimulus, negative regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter and nerve growth factor receptor signaling pathway. Infection was not able to induce the expression of genes associated with the inflammasome signaling pathway. This finding was confirmed by the absence of caspase-1 activation and IL-1ß production after 8, 24 and 48 hours of infection. Our results indicate that L. infantum was unable to activate the inflammasomes during the initial interaction with THP-1 cells.

Dual-Specificity Phosphatases in Immunity and Infection: An Update.

Kinase activation and phosphorylation cascades are key to initiate immune cell activation in response to recognition of antigen and sensing of microbial danger. However, for balanced and controlled immune responses, the intensity and duration of phospho-signaling has to be regulated. The dual-specificity phosphatase (DUSP) gene family has many members that are differentially expressed in resting and activated immune cells. Here, we review the progress made in the field of DUSP gene function in regulation of the immune system during the last decade. Studies in knockout mice have confirmed the essential functions of several DUSP-MAPK phosphatases (DUSP-MKP) in controlling inflammatory and anti-microbial immune responses and support the concept that individual DUSP-MKP shape and determine the outcome of innate immune responses due to context-dependent expression and selective inhibition of different mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). In addition to the canonical DUSP-MKP, several small-size atypical DUSP proteins regulate immune cells and are therefore also reviewed here. Unexpected and complex findings in DUSP knockout mice pose new questions regarding cell type-specific and redundant functions. Another emerging question concerns the interaction of DUSP-MKP with non-MAPK binding partners and substrate proteins. Finally, the pharmacological targeting of DUSPs is desirable to modulate immune and inflammatory responses.

Emerging Regulatory Roles of Dual-Specificity Phosphatases in Inflammatory Airway Disease.

Inflammatory airway disease, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a major health burden worldwide. These diseases cause large numbers of deaths each year due to airway obstruction, which is exacerbated by respiratory viral infection. The inflammatory response in the airway is mediated in part through the MAPK pathways: p38, JNK and ERK. These pathways also have roles in interferon production, viral replication, mucus production, and T cell responses, all of which are important processes in inflammatory airway disease. Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) are known to regulate the MAPKs, and roles for this family of proteins in the pathogenesis of airway disease are emerging. This review summarizes the function of DUSPs in regulation of cytokine expression, mucin production, and viral replication in the airway. The central role of DUSPs in T cell responses, including T cell activation, differentiation, and proliferation, will also be highlighted. In addition, the importance of this protein family in the lung, and the necessity of further investigation into their roles in airway disease, will be discussed.

Genetic and structural insights into broad neutralization of hepatitis C virus by human VH1-69 antibodies.

An effective vaccine to the antigenically diverse hepatitis C virus (HCV) must target conserved immune epitopes. Here, we investigate cross-neutralization of HCV genotypes by broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) encoded by the relatively abundant human gene family V H 1-69. We have deciphered the molecular requirements for cross-neutralization by this unique class of human antibodies from crystal structures of HCV E2 in complex with bNAbs. An unusually high binding affinity is found for germ line-reverted versions of VH1-69 precursor antibodies, and neutralization breadth is acquired during affinity maturation. Deep sequencing analysis of an HCV-immune B cell repertoire further demonstrates the importance of the V H 1-69 gene family in the generation of HCV bNAbs. This study therefore provides critical insights into immune recognition of HCV with important implications for rational vaccine design.

DUSP14 rescues cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury by reducing inflammation and apoptosis via the activation of Nrf-2.

Ischemic stroke is the second most common cause of death, a major cause of acquired disability in adults. However, the pathogenesis that contributes to ischemic stroke has not been fully understood. Dual-specificity phosphatase 14 (DUSP14, also known as MKP6) is a MAP kinase phosphatase, playing important role in regulating various cellular processes, including oxidative stress and inflammation. However, its effects on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (IR) are unclear. In the study, we found that DUSP14 expression was decreased responding to IR surgery. Over-expressing DUSP14 reduced the infarction volume of cerebral IR mice. Cognitive dysfunction was also improved in mice with DUSP14 over-expression. Promoting DUSP14 expression markedly reduced the activation of glial cells, as evidenced by the decreases in GFAP and Iba-1 expressions in mice with cerebral IR injury. In addition, inflammatory response induced by cerebral IR injury was inhibited in DUSP14 over-expressed mice, as proved by the reduced expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß). Furthermore, oxidative stress was markedly reduced by DUSP14 over-expression through elevating nuclear factor-erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf-2) signaling pathway. Importantly, we found that DUSP14 could interact with Nrf-1, which thereby protected mice against cerebral IR injury. In vitro, we also found that repressing Nrf-2 expression abrogated DUSP14 over-expression-reduced inflammation and ROS generation. Consistent with the anti-inflammatory effect of DUSP14, reducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) also down-regulated TNF-α and IL-1ß expressions. Collectively, elevated DUSP14 alleviated brain damage from cerebral IR injury through Nrf-2-regulated anti-oxidant signaling pathway, and the restraining of inflammatory response. These results suggested that DUSP14 might be a potential therapeutic target to prevent ischemic stroke.

RIG-I like receptor sensing of host RNAs facilitates the cell-intrinsic immune response to KSHV infection.

The RIG-I like receptors (RLRs) RIG-I and MDA5 are cytosolic RNA helicases best characterized as restriction factors for RNA viruses. However, evidence suggests RLRs participate in innate immune recognition of other pathogens, including DNA viruses. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human gammaherpesvirus and the etiological agent of Kaposi's sarcoma and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). Here, we demonstrate that RLRs restrict KSHV lytic reactivation and we demonstrate that restriction is facilitated by the recognition of host-derived RNAs. Misprocessed noncoding RNAs represent an abundant class of RIG-I substrates, and biochemical characterizations reveal that an infection-dependent reduction in the cellular triphosphatase DUSP11 results in an accumulation of select triphosphorylated noncoding RNAs, enabling their recognition by RIG-I. These findings reveal an intricate relationship between RNA processing and innate immunity, and demonstrate that an antiviral innate immune response can be elicited by the sensing of misprocessed cellular RNAs.

Molecular profiling reveals immunogenic cues in anaplastic large cell lymphomas with DUSP22 rearrangements.

Anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCLs) are CD30-positive T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas broadly segregated into ALK-positive and ALK-negative types. Although ALK-positive ALCLs consistently bear rearrangements of the ALK tyrosine kinase gene, ALK-negative ALCLs are clinically and genetically heterogeneous. About 30% of ALK-negative ALCLs have rearrangements of DUSP22 and have excellent long-term outcomes with standard therapy. To better understand this group of tumors, we evaluated their molecular signature using gene expression profiling. DUSP22-rearranged ALCLs belonged to a distinct subset of ALCLs that lacked expression of genes associated with JAK-STAT3 signaling, a pathway contributing to growth in the majority of ALCLs. Reverse-phase protein array and immunohistochemical studies confirmed the lack of activated STAT3 in DUSP22-rearranged ALCLs. DUSP22-rearranged ALCLs also overexpressed immunogenic cancer-testis antigen (CTA) genes and showed marked DNA hypomethylation by reduced representation bisulfate sequencing and DNA methylation arrays. Pharmacologic DNA demethylation in ALCL cells recapitulated the overexpression of CTAs and other DUSP22 signature genes. In addition, DUSP22-rearranged ALCLs minimally expressed PD-L1 compared with other ALCLs, but showed high expression of the costimulatory gene CD58 and HLA class II. Taken together, these findings indicate that DUSP22 rearrangements define a molecularly distinct subgroup of ALCLs, and that immunogenic cues related to antigenicity, costimulatory molecule expression, and inactivity of the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint likely contribute to their favorable prognosis. More aggressive ALCLs might be pharmacologically reprogrammed to a DUSP22-like immunogenic molecular signature through the use of demethylating agents and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Expression analyses of Dusp22 (Dual-specificity phosphatase 22) in mouse tissues.

Dusp22 (dual-specificity phosphatase 22) is considered to regulate various cellular processes through the regulation of protein dephosphorylation. In this study, we prepared a specific antibody against Dusp22, anti-Dusp22, and carried out expression analyses with mouse tissues and cultured cell lines. Western blotting analyses demonstrated a tissue-dependent expression profile of Dusp22 in the adult mouse, and strongly suggested the presence of isoforms with larger molecular masses. In fibroblast NIH3T3 cells, while both endogenous and Myc-tagged Dusp22 was diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm, Myc-Dusp22 was partially colocalized with actin cytoskeleton. From the obtained results, anti-Dusp22 was found to be a useful tool for biochemical and cell biological analyses of Dusp22.

Comparative analysis of dual specificity protein phosphatase genes 1, 2 and 5 in response to immune challenges in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus.

Dual-specificity MAP kinase (MAPK) phosphatases (DUSPs) are well-established negative modulators in regulating MAPK signaling in mammalian cells and tissues. Our previous studies have shown the involvement of DUSP6 in regulating innate immunity in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. In order to gain a better understanding of the role of DUSPs in fish innate immunity, in the present study we identified and characterized three additional DUSP genes including DUSP1, 2 and 5 in P. olivaceus. The three Japanese flounder DUSP proteins share common domain structures composed of a conserved N-terminal Rhodanase/CDC25 domain and a C-terminal catalytic phosphatase domain, while they show only less than 26% sequence identities, indicating that they may have different substrate selectivity. In addition, mRNA transcripts of all the three DUSP genes are detected in all examined Japanese flounder tissues; however, DUSP1 is dominantly expressed in spleen while DUSP2 and 5 are primarily expressed in skin. Furthermore, all the three DUSP genes are constitutively expressed in the Japanese flounder head kidney macrophages (HKMs) and peripheral blood leucocytes (PBLs) with unequal distribution patterns. Moreover, all the three DUSPs gene expression was induced differently in response to the LPS and double-stranded RNA mimic poly(I:C) stimulations both in the Japanese flounder HKMs and PBLs, suggesting an association of DUSPs with TLR signaling in fish. Taken together, the co-expression of various DUSPs members together with their different responses to the immune challenges indicate that the DUSP members may operate coordinately in regulating the MAPK-dependent immune responses in the Japanese flounder.

Upregulation of MKP-7 in response to rosiglitazone treatment ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced destabilization of SIRT1 by inactivating JNK.

Silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1), a NAD-dependent deacetylase, mediates cellular processes involved in gene silencing and aging. The regulation of lifespan by SIRT1 has been extensively investigated, but less is known about the mechanisms associated with its cellular turnover during inflammatory responses. In this study, we found that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ is associated with SIRT1 stability in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Activation of PPARγ by rosiglitazone, a specific ligand of PPARγ, rescues LPS-induced destabilization of SIRT1, with a concomitant decrease in phosphorylation of residue Ser-46, which is targeted by JNK-1 to promote proteasome-mediated degradation of SIRT1. The rosiglitazone-mediated increase in SIRT1 stability is accompanied by upregulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase (MKP)-7, a JNK-specific phosphatase. These effects are significantly influenced by ablation or ectopic expression of PPARγ, indicating that PPARγ is directly involved in the regulation of SIRT1 stability. Furthermore, gain of MKP-7 function mimicked the effect of rosiglitazone on LPS-induced destabilization and ubiquitination of SIRT1. These results indicate that PPARγ-dependent upregulation of MKP-7 improves the stability of SIRT1 by inactivating JNK during inflammatory responses of LPS-activated macrophages.

Determinants of VH1-46 Cross-Reactivity to Pemphigus Vulgaris Autoantigen Desmoglein 3 and Rotavirus Antigen VP6.

Shared VH1-46 gene usage has been described in B cells reacting to desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) in the autoimmune disease pemphigus vulgaris (PV), as well as B cells responding to rotavirus capsid protein VP6. In both diseases, VH1-46 B cells bearing few to no somatic mutations can recognize the disease Ag. This intriguing connection between an autoimmune response to self-antigen and an immune response to foreign Ag prompted us to investigate whether VH1-46 B cells may be predisposed to Dsg3-VP6 cross-reactivity. Focused testing of VH1-46 mAbs previously isolated from PV and rotavirus-exposed individuals indicates that cross-reactivity is rare, found in only one of seven VH1-46 IgG clonotypes. High-throughput screening of IgG B cell repertoires from two PV patients identified no additional cross-reactive clonotypes. Screening of IgM B cell repertoires from one non-PV and three PV patients identified specific cross-reactive Abs in one PV patient, but notably all six cross-reactive clonotypes used VH1-46. Site-directed mutagenesis studies indicate that amino acid residues predisposing VH1-46 Abs to Dsg3 reactivity reside in CDR2. However, somatic mutations only rarely promote Dsg3-VP6 cross-reactivity; most mutations abolish VP6 and/or Dsg3 reactivity. Nevertheless, functional testing identified two cross-reactive VH1-46 Abs that both disrupt keratinocyte adhesion and inhibit rotavirus replication, indicating the potential for VH1-46 Abs to have both pathologic autoimmune and protective immune functions. Taken together, these studies suggest that certain VH1-46 B cell populations may be predisposed to Dsg3-VP6 cross-reactivity, but multiple mechanisms prevent the onset of autoimmunity after rotavirus exposure.

Malaria-associated atypical memory B cells exhibit markedly reduced B cell receptor signaling and effector function.

Protective antibodies in Plasmodium falciparum malaria are only acquired after years of repeated infections. Chronic malaria exposure is associated with a large increase in atypical memory B cells (MBCs) that resemble B cells expanded in a variety of persistent viral infections. Understanding the function of atypical MBCs and their relationship to classical MBCs will be critical to developing effective vaccines for malaria and other chronic infections. We show that VH gene repertoires and somatic hypermutation rates of atypical and classical MBCs are indistinguishable indicating a common developmental history. Atypical MBCs express an array of inhibitory receptors and B cell receptor (BCR) signaling is stunted in atypical MBCs resulting in impaired B cell responses including proliferation, cytokine production and antibody secretion. Thus, in response to chronic malaria exposure, atypical MBCs appear to differentiate from classical MBCs becoming refractory to BCR-mediated activation and potentially interfering with the acquisition of malaria immunity.

DUSP4-mediated accelerated T-cell senescence in idiopathic CD4 lymphopenia.

Idiopathic CD4 lymphopenia (ICL) is a rare heterogeneous immunological syndrome of unclear etiology. ICL predisposes patients to severe opportunistic infections and frequently leads to poor vaccination effectiveness. Chronic immune activation, expansion of memory T cells, and impaired T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling have been reported in ICL, but the mechanistic and causative links remain unclear. We show that late-differentiated T cells in 20 patients with ICL displayed defective TCR responses and aging markers similar to those found in T cells from elderly subjects. Intrinsic T-cell defects were caused by increased expression of dual-specific phosphatase 4 (DUSP4). Normalization of DUSP4 expression using a specific siRNA improved CD4(+) T-cell activity in ICL, as this restored TCR-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation and increased the expression of the costimulatory molecules CD27 and CD40L. Conversely, repeated TCR stimulation led to defective signaling and DUSP4 overexpression in control CD4(+) T cells. This was associated with gradual acquisition of a memory phenotype and was curtailed by DUSP4 silencing. These findings identify a premature T-cell senescence in ICL that might be caused by chronic T-cell activation and a consequential DUSP4-dependent dampening of TCR signaling.

Gene trap mice reveal an essential function of dual specificity phosphatase Dusp16/MKP-7 in perinatal survival and regulation of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-induced cytokine production.

MAPK activity is negatively regulated by members of the dual specificity phosphatase (Dusp) family, which differ in expression, substrate specificity, and subcellular localization. Here, we investigated the function of Dusp16/MKP-7 in the innate immune system. The Dusp16 isoforms A1 and B1 were inducibly expressed in macrophages and dendritic cells following Toll-like receptor stimulation. A gene trap approach was used to generate Dusp16-deficient mice. Homozygous Dusp16tp/tp mice developed without gross abnormalities but died perinatally. Fetal liver cells from Dusp16tp/tp embryos efficiently reconstituted the lymphoid and myeloid compartments with Dusp16-deficient hematopoietic cells. However, GM-CSF-induced proliferation of bone marrow progenitors in vitro was impaired in the absence of Dusp16. In vivo challenge with Escherichia coli LPS triggered higher production of IL-12p40 in mice with a Dusp16-deficient immune system. In vitro, Dusp16-deficient macrophages, but not dendritic cells, selectively overexpressed a subset of TLR-induced genes, including the cytokine IL-12. Dusp16-deficient fibroblasts showed enhanced activation of p38 and JNK MAPKs. In macrophages, pharmacological inhibition and siRNA knockdown of JNK1/2 normalized IL-12p40 secretion. Production of IL-10 and its inhibitory effect on IL-12 production were unaltered in Dusp16tp/tp macrophages. Altogether, the Dusp16 gene trap mouse model identifies an essential role in perinatal survival and reveals selective control of differentiation and cytokine production of myeloid cells by the MAPK phosphatase Dusp16.

A bioassay for Lafora disease and laforin glucan phosphatase activity.

OBJECTIVES: Lafora disease is a rare yet invariably fatal form of progressive neurodegenerative epilepsy resulting from mutations in the phosphatase laforin. Several therapeutic options for Lafora disease patients are currently being explored, and these therapies would benefit from a biochemical means of assessing functional laforin activity following treatment. To date, only clinical outcomes such as decreases in seizure frequency and severity have been used to indicate success of epilepsy treatment. However, these qualitative measures exhibit variability and must be assessed over long periods of time. In this work, we detail a simple and sensitive bioassay that can be used for the detection of functional endogenous laforin from human and mouse tissue. DESIGN AND METHODS: We generated antibodies capable of detecting and immunoprecipitating endogenous laforin. Following laforin immunoprecipitation, laforin activity was assessed via phosphatase assays using para-nitrophenylphosphate (pNPP) and a malachite green-based assay specific for glucan phosphatase activity. RESULTS: We found that antibody binding to laforin does not impede laforin activity. Furthermore, the malachite green-based glucan phosphatase assay used in conjunction with a rabbit polyclonal laforin antibody was capable of detecting endogenous laforin activity from human and mouse tissues. Importantly, this assay discriminated between laforin activity and other phosphatases. CONCLUSIONS: The bioassay that we have developed utilizing laforin antibodies and an assay specific for glucan phosphatase activity could prove valuable in the rapid detection of functional laforin in patients to which novel Lafora disease therapies have been administered.

A possible mechanism behind autoimmune disorders discovered by genome-wide linkage and association analysis in celiac disease.

Celiac disease is a common autoimmune disorder characterized by an intestinal inflammation triggered by gluten, a storage protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Similar to other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease is the result of an immune response to self-antigens leading to tissue destruction and production of autoantibodies. Common diseases like celiac disease have a complex pattern of inheritance with inputs from both environmental as well as additive and non-additive genetic factors. In the past few years, Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have been successful in finding genetic risk variants behind many common diseases and traits. To complement and add to the previous findings, we performed a GWAS including 206 trios from 97 nuclear Swedish and Norwegian families affected with celiac disease. By stratifying for HLA-DQ, we identified a new genome-wide significant risk locus covering the DUSP10 gene. To further investigate the associations from the GWAS we performed pathway analyses and two-locus interaction analyses. These analyses showed an over-representation of genes involved in type 2 diabetes and identified a set of candidate mechanisms and genes of which some were selected for mRNA expression analysis using small intestinal biopsies from 98 patients. Several genes were expressed differently in the small intestinal mucosa from patients with celiac autoimmunity compared to intestinal mucosa from control patients. From top-scoring regions we identified susceptibility genes in several categories: 1) polarity and epithelial cell functionality; 2) intestinal smooth muscle; 3) growth and energy homeostasis, including proline and glutamine metabolism; and finally 4) innate and adaptive immune system. These genes and pathways, including specific functions of DUSP10, together reveal a new potential biological mechanism that could influence the genesis of celiac disease, and possibly also other chronic disorders with an inflammatory component.

An essential function for MKP5 in the formation of oxidized low density lipid-induced foam cells.

The uptake of oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) by macrophages usually leads to the formation of lipid-laden macrophages known as "foam cells," and this process plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Ox-LDL activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP) kinases and nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and activations of p38 and NF-κB are important for the formation of foam cells. MAP kinase phosphatase (MKP) 5 is a member of the dual specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) family that can selectively dephosphorylate activated MAPKs to regulate innate and adaptive immune responses. However, the role of MKP5 in the formation of foam cells remains unknown. Here, we found that stimulation of ox-LDL induces the expression of MKP5 in macrophages. MKP5 deficiency blocked the uptake of ox-LDL and the formation of foam cells. Further analysis revealed that deletion of MKP5 reduced the ox-LDL-induced activation of NF-κB. Also, MKP5 deficiency markedly inhibited the production of TNF-α, but enhanced the levels of TGF-ß1 in ox-LDL-stimulated macrophages. Moreover, inhibition of NF-κB by p65 RNAi significantly reduced foam cell formation in macrophages from WT mice relative to MKP5-deficient mice. Thus, MKP5 has an essential role in the formation of foam cells through activation of NF-κB, and MKP5 represents a novel target for the therapeutic intervention of atherosclerosis.

Functional involvement of dual specificity phosphatase 16 (DUSP16), a c-Jun N-terminal kinase-specific phosphatase, in the regulation of T helper cell differentiation.

Naïve CD4(+) T helper (Th) cells differentiate into distinct subsets of effector cells (Th1, Th2, Th17, and induced regulatory T cells (iTreg)) expressing different sets of cytokines upon encounter with presented foreign antigens. It has been well established that Th1/Th2 balance is critical for the nature of the following immune responses. Previous reports have demonstrated important roles of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in Th1/Th2 balance, whereas the regulatory mechanisms of JNK activity in Th cells have not been elucidated. Here, we show that dual specificity phosphatase 16 (DUSP16, also referred to as MKP-M or MKP-7), which preferentially inactivates JNK, is selectively expressed in Th2 cells. In the in vitro differentiation assay of naïve CD4(+) cells, DUSP16 expression is up-regulated during Th2 differentiation and down-regulated during Th1 differentiation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed the increased acetylation of histone H3/H4 at the dusp16 gene promoter in CD4(+) T cells under the Th2 condition. Adenoviral transduction of naïve CD4(+) T cells with DUSP16 resulted in increased mRNA expression of IL-4 and GATA-3 in Th2 and decreased expression of IFNγ and T-bet in Th1 differentiation. In contrast, transduction of a dominant negative form of DUSP16 had the reverse effects. Furthermore, upon immunization, T cell-specific dusp16 transgenic mice produced antigen-specific IgG2a at lower amounts, whereas DN dusp16 transgenic mice produced higher amounts of antigen-specific IgG2a accompanied by decreased amounts of antigen-specific IgG1 and IgE than those of control mice. Together, these data suggest the functional role of DUSP16 in Th1/Th2 balance.

Efficacious immune therapy in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) recognizes antigens that are expressed on CML progenitor cells.

Curative effects of graft-versus-leukemia-based therapies such as donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) may result from immunologic ablation of self-renewing CML progenitor cells. Patients who achieved durable remissions after DLI developed a significant B-cell lymphocytosis after treatment, which did not occur in patients who were unresponsive to DLI. In this study, we identified antigen targets of this B-cell response by probing two immunoproteomic platforms with plasma immunoglobulins from seven CML patients with clinically apparent graft-versus-leukemia responses after DLI. In total, 62 antigens elicited greater reactivity from post-DLI versus pre-DLI plasma. Microarray analysis revealed that >70% of the antigens were expressed in CML CD34(+) cells, suggesting that expression in malignant progenitor cells is a feature common to antibody targets of DLI. We confirmed elevated expression of three target antigens (RAB38, TBCE, and DUSP12) in CML that together consistently elicited antibody responses in 18 of 21 of an additional cohort of CML patients with therapeutic responses, but not in normal donors and rarely in non-CML patients. In summary, immunologic targets of curative DLI responses include multiple antigens on CML progenitor cells, identifying them as potential immunogens for vaccination and/or monitoring of immunotherapeutics designed to eliminate myeloid leukemia stem cells.