Fyn-binding protein (Fyb)/SLP-76-associated protein (SLAP), Ena/vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) proteins and the Arp2/3 complex link T cell receptor (TCR) signaling to the actin cytoskeleton.

T cell receptor (TCR)-driven activation of helper T cells induces a rapid polarization of their cytoskeleton towards bound antigen presenting cells (APCs). We have identified the Fyn- and SLP-76-associated protein Fyb/SLAP as a new ligand for Ena/ vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) homology 1 (EVH1) domains. Upon TCR engagement, Fyb/SLAP localizes at the interface between T cells and anti-CD3-coated beads, where Evl, a member of the Ena/VASP family, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) and the Arp2/3 complex are also found. In addition, Fyb/SLAP is restricted to lamellipodia of spreading platelets. In activated T cells, Fyb/SLAP associates with Ena/VASP family proteins and is present within biochemical complexes containing WASP, Nck, and SLP-76. Inhibition of binding between Fyb/SLAP and Ena/VASP proteins or WASP and the Arp2/3 complex impairs TCR-dependent actin rearrangement, suggesting that these interactions play a key role in linking T cell signaling to remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton.

Characterization of clonally derived, spontaneously transformed bone marrow macrophage cell lines from lipopolysaccharide hyporesponsive LPS(d) and normal LPS(n) mice.

Six macrophage cell lines, each derived from a bone marrow macrophage colony grown in soft agar, were established by expansion of the macrophage clones in liquid culture until spontaneous transformation occurred. Four lines originated from the LPS(d) nonresponder mouse strain C3H/HeJ and two from the LPS(n) responder strain CBA/J. The cell lines adhered to plastic and glass surfaces and displayed typical macrophage functions such as phagocytosis and nonspecific esterase activity. Flow cytometry analyses showed that the lines expressed the macrophage surface markers CD11b, CD13, CD32/16, F4/80, and BM8 constitutively. A moderate expression of the adhesion receptor CD11a, but only a very low expression of its ligand CD54, was observed. A minor fraction of the cells in each line constitutively expressed MHC class II antigen, and its expression could be up-regulated in each cell line by treatment with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Secretion of the inflammatory mediators nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) after induction by three bacterial derivatives, heat-killed Salmonella typhimurium (HKS), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the Mycoplasma fermentans-derived amphiphilic lipid MDHM, were examined in detail. Not only did the lines differ in the amounts of mediators secreted in response to any one stimulus, but the doses of MDHM or LPS required for 50% maximal induction of NO varied up to 10-fold among the four LPS(d) cell lines, suggesting considerable functional heterogeneity between the clones. Secretion of large amounts of TNF-alpha was induced in all the cell lines by HKS. Although it could be shown that exogenously added TNF-alpha acted synergistically with IFN-gamma to induce NO release from the cell lines, an autocrine role for TNF-alpha during HKS-IFN-gamma induction of NO synthesis could not be substantiated. Neutralization of TNF-alpha with a specific antibody completely blocked NO induction by exogenous TNF-alpha but did not abrogate NO release either by HKS-IFN-gamma-induced cells or by macrophages treated with supernatant from an HKS-IFN-gamma-activated cell line. These results indicate that the clones are arrested in distinct stages of differentiation and retain some properties of normal untransformed macrophages. They should be helpful tools for investigations into macrophage function.

Constitutive production of colony-stimulating factor by mouse lymphoma cell lines is correlated with granulocytosis in vivo.

The mouse lymphoma cell line Eb, its highly metastasizing variant ESb, and an unrelated metastasizing tumor MDAY-D2, were shown to produce colony-stimulating factor (CSF) constitutively both in vitro and in vivo in ascites. For each tumor, the amounts of CSF produced on a per-cell basis in vitro and in vivo were similar. The findings were substantiated using two different methods for CSF determination, a colony assay and an isotope incorporation test. Elevated levels of CSF in serum of mice with tumors were also found. Examination of blood from tumor-bearing mice revealed that whereas total leukocyte counts remained within the normal range, all three tumors caused a reversal of the normal neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio. The severity of the reversal correlated with the propensity of the tumor to elevate serum CSF rather than with in vitro CSF-producing capacity. Thus, whereas production of CSF in vivo was not related to the ability of the tumors to metastasize, it could be causative in creating an imbalance in normal hematopoiesis.

Stimulation of mouse bone marrow cell membrane glycoconjugate synthesis by colony stimulating factor (CSF): basis for a rapid, simple assay for CSF.

A new method is presented for assaying mouse colony stimulating factor (CSF) based on the presumption that one of the earliest events after the induction of differentiation or maturation is an increase in synthesis and/or turnover of glycoconjugates in the target cell plasma membranes which may be detected as an increase in incorporation of [3H]galactose into acid precipitates of these cells. Using mouse bone marrow cells cultured in microtiter plates, we show that addition of CSF indeed results in dose-dependent stimulation of incorporation of galactose into their membrane glycoconjugates. Maximum stimulation of galactose incorporation occurs between 16 and 24 h of culture in the presence of CSF. A comparison of the standard colony test with the galactose incorporation assay showed similar dose-response patterns with 2 different CSFs. In a 3-step separation of bone marrow cells, there was a parallel enrichment of target cells for both assays. Furthermore, [3H]galactose-labeled marrow cells from our assay formed a discrete subpopulation which banded at a density of 1.065 g/cm3 on a linear gradient, and which contained all the identifiable CFU-c when further cultured in soft agar. The galactose incorporation assay does not require special medium or serum, and is simpler and quicker than the colony test. In comparative experiments it is demonstrated that this new 24 h assay is also reliable for screening CSF during purification procedures.

Large scale production and purification of human IL-2 from buffy coat lymphocytes stimulated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate and calcium ionophore A23187.

Methods for the production of high titers of interleukin-2 (IL-2) from human buffy coat lymphocytes, and subsequent purification of the IL-2 are described. 50 buffy coats containing 1 X 10(11) leukocytes were first depleted of erythrocytes by batchwise leukapheresis using a Haemonetics model 15 blood wash centrifuge. Further lymphocyte enrichment was achieved using a one-step sedimentation in the presence of hydroxyethyl starch, which produced suspensions of more than 90% lymphocytes. This degree of lymphocyte purity was important since phagocytes were inhibitory to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate/calcium ionophore (TPA/A23187)-induced IL-2 production when their concentration exceeded 15% of the total cells. Cell culture was performed in stirred fermenters. Using TPA/A23187 induction, up to 500 micrograms of IL-2 per liter were produced. The IL-2 was purified by absorption from the supernatants onto controlled pore glass and elution with 50% ethylene glycol, followed by Fractogel chromatography, and then preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using an RP-6 column and elution with a gradient of n-propanol. A final HPLC rechromatography step using an analytical RP-6 column gave a homogeneous preparation with specific activity of 1.2 X 10(7) U/mg and a recovery from the starting supernatant of 22%.

An assay for growth of mouse bone marrow cells in microtiter liquid culture using the tetrazolium salt MTT, and its application to studies of myelopoiesis.

Mouse bone marrow cells were grown in liquid culture in microtiter plates in the presence of different colony-stimulating factors (CSF). Growth was assayed using the tetrazolium salt MTT, which is reduced in the mitochondria of viable cells to a water-insoluble blue formazan dye. Two technical problems have limited the use of this assay: the solubilization of the dye crystals and the necessity to acidify the phenol red in the culture medium. Both could be solved here by the use of a developing solution of 5% formic acid in isopropanol. Using manual mixing combined with a short sonication by floating the plates in a sonic bath, the crystals were dissolved within minutes. There was no flocculation of protein, even using medium with 20% serum. The color remained stable for at least 4 h. This enabled the semi-automatic measurement of large numbers of cultures directly in the microtiter plates. Growth and differentiation of myelopoietic precursor cells in the liquid cultures was shown to be comparable to that in soft agar. Cell growth was CSF-dependent. The calculated cell yield per colony forming cell (CFC) seeded was within the range of the average cell number per colony found in soft agar, and the spectrum of mature cells obtained reflected the type of CSF used as stimulus. Using the combined culture and assay systems, it was possible to perform detailed kinetic studies of myelopoiesis. This technique should be useful for studying the mechanisms of action of pharmacological modulators of myelopoiesis.

Calcium ionophore A 23 187 in the presence of phorbol ester PMA: a potent inducer of interleukin 2 and interferon-gamma synthesis by human blood cells.

Cultures of human blood mononuclear cells incubated with the calcium ionophore A 23 187 in the presence of the tumor promoter phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) produced 5-10 times more of the lymphokines interleukin 2 (IL 2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) than cultures which were stimulated with other combinations of inducing agents and PMA. Especially at low protein concentrations, the amount of ionophore which is necessary to induce maximal quantities of both lymphokines was determined by the protein content of the culture medium. The synthesis of the two lymphokines was inhibited by low doses of Mn++ which competes with Ca++ for binding to the ionophore. This suggests the importance of Ca++ in the induction process. The synthesis rates of IL 2 were maximal 10-12 h, and those of IFN-gamma 20-40 h after induction. Maximal titers of IL 2 were detected 48 h after the addition of A 23187 and PMA to the cultures, and the highest IFN-gamma levels 12-24 h later.

Surface expression of Forssman glycosphingolipid antigen on murine bone marrow-derived macrophages is subject to both temporal and population-specific regulation and is modulated by IL-4 and IL-6.

The Forssman glycolipid antigen (Fo) has been shown to be a differentiation marker for mouse macrophages both in vivo and in vitro. In order to determine whether or not there is a relationship between stage of differentiation and Fo expression, we have analyzed the kinetics of Fo expression during the growth of cultured mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM). BMDM were grown in serum free medium to avoid the possible influence of undefined serum factors. In this medium they could be maintained over a period of up to 20 days with cell yields comparable to those obtained with serum-supplemented media. Fo antigen was assayed with a specific antibody using both a whole cell ELISA and immunocytochemical staining of cells grown on slides. With increasing age in culture, BMDM showed a gradual quantitative increase in Fo expression and parallel increase in the Fo+ BMDM fraction from about 10% Fo+ cells on the 10th day of culture to a maximum of 50%-60% Fo+ cells between the 17th and 19th days. The temporal control over the development of the Fo+ cell fraction was intrinsic to BMDM maturation but was specific for Fo. During the same time period expression of MHC class II (Ia) remained consistently low, whereas expression of both Mac-1 (C3bR) and the macrophage-specific marker ER-BMDM-1 was always high. The interleukins IL-4 and especially IL-6 induced a premature expression of Fo at earlier stages of BMDM culture, but neither could promote further Fo expression once the intrinsically occurring maximum had been reached. No evidence in support of an autocrine regulation of Fo expression by IL-6 could be obtained, nor could a connection between cell cycle status and Fo expression be established. These data provide further evidence that Fo is a temporally regulated differentiation marker for a mouse macrophage subpopulation and for modulation of its expression by lymphokines.

Immunohistochemical localization of Forssman glycosphingolipid-positive macrophages and reticular cells in murine lymphoid tissue.

Forssman (Fo) glycolipid antigen, as detected by a monoclonal antibody (mAb), is expressed by a subpopulation of murine macrophages in the spleen and peripheral lymph nodes. The histological distribution of Fo antigen in spleen and lymph nodes was studied by immunostaining of cryosections, and was compared with the staining pattern of four other mAbs known to recognize macrophage subpopulations: F4/80, Mac-1, MOMA-1, and ERTR-9. Fo+ macrophages were found exclusively in the red pulp of the spleen and the medulla of inguinal and axial lymph nodes. Macrophages in the other lymphoid organs were Fo-. Besides macrophages, reticular cells in T-dependent areas of spleen and lymph nodes were Fo+. Attempts to grow colonies of Fo+ macrophages from either bone marrow or spleen precursors were negative. While the usual number of F4/80+ colonies was obtained, only a few, small clusters of Fo+ macrophages were formed, which speaks against an early commitment of precursors to express Fo.

Interleukin-1-like activity constitutively generated by Hodgkin derived cell lines. I. Measurement in a human lymphocyte co-stimulator assay.

Culture supernatants (CS) from Hodgkin derived cell lines have previously been shown to contain colony stimulating activity (CSF) for human cord blood cells, fetal bone marrow and fetal liver cells. In this study 3-day CS from four Hodgkin lines (L428, L538, L540, L591) and two sublines (L428KS, L428KSA) were examined for interleukin (IL) activity. None of the tested CS supported the growth of an IL-2 dependent murine T-cell line, suggesting that the Hodgkin lines do not produce significant amounts of IL-2. When crude 3-day CS from the various lines were assayed for IL-1-activity in the conventional murine thymocyte costimulator assay no or only borderline IL-1-activity was detectable. However, concentrated CS from L428KS exhibited IL-1-activity also in this assay as did lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced human IL-1. Surprisingly, crude 3-day CS from all Hodgkin cell lines were capable of fully replacing the accessory cell requirement in ConA-induced lymphoproliferation assays of heavily monocyte-depleted human blood lymphocytes. The monocyte-depleted lymphocyte populations were obtained by 1 X g sedimentation at a sedimentation rate of 30.2 to 38.8 mm/hr (fraction IIIa and IIIb). These cells responded poorly to the T-cell mitogen ConA at 10 micrograms/ml and produced no IL-2. Addition of irradiated, autologous monocytes or of CS from the various Hodgkin cell lines quantitatively restored the ConA responsiveness and induced significant IL-2 production in the monocyte-depleted lymphocyte population, suggesting that Hodgkin lines constitutively secrete IL-1 or IL-1-like activity. A preliminary biochemical characterization (heat and pH stability, molecular weight range of 13-24 KD) supports the notion that the accessory cell replacing activity present in CS of Hodgkin cell lines is a type of human IL-1.

In vivo effects of interleukin 2 on lymphocyte subpopulations in a patient with a combined immunodeficiency.

This report describes a clinical trial with Interleukin 2 (IL-2) on a 17-month old male child with combined immunodeficiency (Nezelof's syndrome). IL-2 was prepared from conditioned media of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated leukocytes from buffy coats. The purification of IL-2 involved chromatography on Matrex Blue A sepharose and gel filtration chromatography. The preparation was free of macrophage cytotoxicity factor, macrophage migration inhibition factor and colony-stimulating factor. It contained negligible activity of interferon-gamma. IL-2 activity was adjusted to 1600 U/ml, which corresponds to about 0.8 micrograms homogeneous IL-2/ml. The patient was treated over a 50-day period with a total dose of 20,000 U IL-2, which was injected subcutaneously. IL-2 was well tolerated. Within 3 weeks, the treatment led to a normalization of a lymphocytosis which had prevailed for the previous 3 months. A pronounced eosinophilia also improved but did not reach normal levels. The most striking effect was a normalization of the OKT4+/OKT8+ ratio with a concomitant relative increase in OKT3+ cells in the peripheral blood. No effects were seen on E rosette formation, B cell counts or serum Ig levels. Also NK or ADCC activity remained high, as before the treatment. Infectious episodes and requirement for antibiotic treatment were less frequent during IL-2 therapy. Some effects of IL-2 were transient, e.g., the counts of OKT4+ and OKT3+ cells which returned to pathological values a few weeks after the treatment was discontinued.

Intralymphatic interleukin 2 treatment in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: preliminary experience in three cases.

Patients with opportunistic infections during the course of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were analyzed for cellular immune functions and found to be severely immunocompromised. In particular, interleukin 2 (IL 2) production appeared to be defect not only qualitatively but also quantitatively. In some of these patients, exogenous IL 2 improved immune response in vitro. Intralymphatically administered highly purified natural IL 2 was given repeatedly (over a time period of ten days) to three of these patients. In two cases, such a treatment course was repeated later. Clinical response - at least in some patients - appeared to be of temporary benefit. Shortly after termination of IL 2 application in two patients an increase of lectin responsiveness as well as improved reactivity in skin testing was noted, encouraging further exploration of IL 2 as an immunostimulatory drug in AIDS patients.

Characterization of lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli K-12 mutants.

Chemical analyses of the carbohydrate composition of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from a number of LPS mutants were used to propose a schematic composition for the LPS from Escherichia coli K-12. The formula contains four regions: the first consists of lipid A, ketodeoxyoctonoic acid, and a phosphorous component; the second contains only heptose; the third only glucose; and the fourth additional glucose, galactose, and rhamnose. LPS from E. coli B may have a similar composition but lacks the galactose and rhamnose units. A set of LPS-specific bacteriophages were used for comparing three mutants of Salmonella with a number of LPS mutants of E. coli K-12. The results confirm that there are basic similarities in the first and second regions of the LPS structure; they also support the four region divisions of the LPS formula. Paper chromatography was used for characterization of 32-P-labeled LPS from different strains of E. coli and Salmonella. The Rf values for LPS varied from 0.27 to 0.75 depending on the amounts of carbohydrates in the molecule. LPS from all strains studied was homogenous except for strain D31 which produced two types of LPS. Mild acid hydrolysis of labeled LPS liberated lipid A and two other components with phosphate, one of which was assigned to the first region. It is suggested that paper chromatography can be used in biosynthetic studies concerning regions 2 to 4.

Blocking of bacteriophages phi W and phi 5 with lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli K-12 mutants.

In the preceding paper we presented a formula for the composition of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Escherichia coli K-12. This formula contains four regions defined from analyses of LPS from four key strains, the parent and mutants which had lost one, two, or three regions of their carbohydrates. Support for the formula was derived from the susceptibility of the key mutants to several bacteriophages. One of these, phage phi W, was found specific for strains which had lost region 4. In this paper we described inactivation in vitro of phage phi W and its host-range mutant phi 5, using LPS devoid of regions 2 to 4. The blocking of phi W was found to require about 0.15 M concentrations of monovalent cations and to be inhibited by low concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions. One particle of phage phi W required 2 times 10-16 g of LPS devoid of region 4 for stoichiometric inactivation. Phage phi 5 was blocked by both heptose-less LPS (devoid of regions 2 to 4) and glucose-less LPS (devoid of regions 3 to 4) but was unaffected by LPS devoid of region 4. LPS from a heptose-less mutant of Salmonella minnesota showed the same inactivation ability as did LPS from heptose-less strains of E. coli K-12. Lipid A was prepared from LPS containing all four regions. Such lipid A was found to inactivate phi 5, whereas both the polysaccharide moiety as well as the intact LPS were without effect. It is suggested that lipid A is part of the receptor site for phage phi 5.

Evidence from a carbohydrate incorporation assay for direct activation of bone marrow myelopoietic precursor cells by bacterial cell wall constitutents.

The stimulation of incorporation of [3H]galactose into membrane glycoconjugates, measured in a precipitation test, was used as a criterion for activation of bone marrow cells. In this assay, purified bacterial lipopolysaccharide, lipoprotein, and murein monomer and dimer fragments all activated rat bone marrow cells in vitro. The response was dose dependent, followed a defined time course, and was not serum dependent. O-Acetylated murein dimer fragments from Proteus mirabilis were much less active than their unsubstituted counterparts, indicating a structural specificity for murein activation. Removal of adherent and phagocytizing cells from the marrow suspensions did not alter these results. The labeled, activated cells constituted a distinct population of buoyant density 1.064 to 1.069 g/cm3 when centrifuged on a continuous gradient of Percoll. Enrichment of the target cell population was achieved by a combination of adherent cell removal and discontinuous density gradient centrifugation to remove granulocytes and erythropoietic cells. It was concluded that a population of myelopoietic precursors could be activated by direct contact with bacterial cell wall constituents. The stimulation of galactose incorporation was not coupled to active deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in the marrow cells. Thus, the activation was interpreted as an induction of differentiation rather than a mitotic event.

Induction of lymphokine synthesis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells with phorbol ester and calcium ionophore allows precise measurement of individual variations in capacity to produce IL 2.

Absolute capacity for IL2 production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was studied using 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) and calcium ionophore A23187, which act synergistically, to induce lymphokine synthesis. Culture parameters were optimized for the TPA/A23187 stimulation such that maximal IL2 titers were produced with a high degree of reproducibility. Thus, using a synthetic medium, TPA/A23187 at 20/50ng/ml respectively, and a cell concentration of 2.5 X 10(6)/ml, IL2 titers in the cultures increased linearly over a period of 96h, reaching values at least 15-fold higher than with lectin stimulation. This allowed for determinations of IL2 synthetic capacity in individual blood samples. Large fluctuations in normal IL2 production (range 1775-10654 BRMP U/ml at 48h) were observed among 23 normal persons. A statistically significant lower IL2 productive capacity was observed in the age group above 40 as compared to those under 40. The lower rates of IL2 synthesis in a group of patients with Hodgkin's disease was seen only among those who had undergone immunosuppressive therapy; newly diagnosed cases fell within the normal range.

Ampicillin-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 with lipopolysaccharide alterations affecting mating ability and susceptibility to sex-specific bacteriophages.

Mutations from moderate (class I) to high (class III) ampicillin resistance in a male and a female strain of Escherichia coli K-12 have been found to be accompanied by surface alterations, first demonstrated as hindrance in the formation of mating pairs. These changes have now been studied with the ribonucleic acid phage MS2, and especially with the "female-specific" phage phiW. Several class III mutations in male and female strains were found to make the cells susceptible to phage phiW and to reduce their abilities to form mating pairs. Spontaneous phage phiW-resistant mutants isolated from class III strains were found also to have acquired changes in ampicillin resistance and ability to form mating pairs. One mutant had reverted to parental class I type in all three properties. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) prepared from phiW-sensitive class III strains inactivated the phage in vitro, whereas LPS from phage-resistant strains had no effect. Carbohydrate analyses of LPS preparations showed that two class III mutants, compared to their parental strains, had lost significant parts of the rhamnose, galactose, and glucose from the LPS. One of the phage phiW-resistant mutants showed a partial restoration of its carbohydrate composition. Other phiW-resistant mutants showed, instead, further losses of carbohydrates in their LPS. It is suggested that genes exist which simultaneously mediate a female-specific mating site, ampicillin resistance, and the receptors for phage phiW.

Glycosphingolipids of the globo-series are associated with the monocytic lineage of human myeloid cells.

Neutral glycosphingolipids (neutral GSLs) of the human myeloid leukemia cell lines ML-2, ML-3, HL-60 and THP-1-0 were metabolically labeled with [3H]galactose and [3H]glucosamine, and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. They were compared with unlabeled neutral GSLs from purified human granulocytes and monocytes. Neutral GSLs were identified by retention times and the structures were further confirmed by degradation with specific exoglycosidases. Two neutral GSLs of the globoseries, globotetraosylceramide and globotriaosylceramide were found in monocytes and the monoblastic leukemia line THP-1-0. The leukemia-derived cell-lines, ML-3 and HL-60, representing successively earlier stages of myeloid differentiation, contained respectively less neutral GSLs of the globoseries and an increasing proportion of (neo)lacto neutral GSLs. Granulocytes and the cell line ML-2 contained almost exclusively neutral GSLs of the (neo)lacto series.