Myeloid PTEN deficiency impairs tumor-immune surveillance via immune-checkpoint inhibition.

Tumor-host interaction is determined by constant immune surveillance, characterized by tumor infiltration of myeloid and lymphoid cells. A malfunctioning or diverted immune response promotes tumor growth and metastasis. Recent advances had been made, by treating of certain tumor types, such as melanoma, with T-cell checkpoint inhibitors. This highlights the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between tumors and their environment, in particular myeloid and lymphoid cells. Our aim was to study the contribution of the myeloid PI3K/PTEN-signaling pathway in the regulation of tumor-immune surveillance in murine models of cancer. We made use of conditional PTEN-deficient mice, which exhibit sustained activation of the PI3K-signaling axis in a variety of myeloid cell subsets such as macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). In colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC), mice deficient in myeloid PTEN showed a markedly higher tumor burden and decreased survival. We attributed this observation to the increased presence of immune-modulatory conventional CD8α(+) DCs in the spleen, whereas other relevant myeloid cell subsets were largely unaffected. Notably, we detected enhanced surface expression of PD-L1 and PD-L2 on these DCs. As a consequence, tumoricidal T-cell responses were hampered or redirected. Taken together, our findings indicated an unanticipated role for the PI3K/PTEN-signaling axis in the functional regulation of splenic antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Our data pointed at potential, indirect, tumoricidal effects of subclass-specific PI3K inhibitors, which are currently under clinical investigation for treatment of tumors, via myeloid cell activation.

The difference in recognition of terminal tripeptides as peroxisomal targeting signal 1 between yeast and human is due to different affinities of their receptor Pex5p to the cognate signal and to residues adjacent to it.

Pex5p is the receptor for the peroxisomal targeting signal 1 (PTS1) that consists of a C-terminal tripeptide (consensus (S/A/C)(K/R/H)(L/M)). Hexadecapeptides recognized by Pex5p from Homo sapiens and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were identified by screening a two-hybrid peptide library, and the targeting ability of the peptides was demonstrated using the green fluorescent protein as reporter. The PTS1 receptors recognized in a species-specific manner a broad range of C-terminal tripeptides, and these are reported herein. In addition, residues upstream of the tripeptide influenced the strength of the interaction in the two-hybrid system as well as in an in vitro competition assay. In peptides interacting with the human protein, hydrophobic residues were found with high frequency especially at positions -2 and -5, whereas peptides interacting with S. cerevisiae Pex5p were more hydrophilic and frequently contained arginine at position -2. In instances where the terminal tripeptide deviated from the consensus, upstream residues exerted a greater influence on the ability of the hexadecapeptides to bind Pex5p.

Identification and analysis of the plant peroxisomal targeting signal 1 receptor NtPEX5.

Protein translocation into peroxisomes takes place via recognition of a peroxisomal targeting signal present at either the extreme C termini (PTS1) or N termini (PTS2) of matrix proteins. In mammals and yeast, the peroxisomal targeting signal receptor, Pex5p, recognizes the PTS1 consisting of -SKL or variants thereof. Although many plant peroxisomal matrix proteins are transported through the PTS1 pathway, little is known about the PTS1 receptor or any other peroxisome assembly protein from plants. We cloned tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cDNAs encoding Pex5p (NtPEX5) based on the protein's interaction with a PTS1-containing protein in the yeast two-hybrid system. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the tobacco Pex5p contains seven tetratricopeptide repeats and that NtPEX5 shares greater sequence similarity with its homolog from humans than from yeast. Expression of NtPEX5 fusion proteins, consisting of the N-terminal part of yeast Pex5p and the C-terminal region of NtPEX5, in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae pex5 mutant restored protein translocation into peroxisomes. These experiments confirmed the identity of the tobacco protein as a PTS1 receptor and indicated that components of the peroxisomal translocation apparatus are conserved functionally. Two-hybrid assays showed that NtPEX5 interacts with a wide range of PTS1 variants that also interact with the human Pex5p. Interestingly, the C-terminal residues of some of these peptides deviated from the established plant PTS1 consensus sequence. We conclude that there are significant sequence and functional similarities between the plant and human Pex5ps.

Pex14p is a member of the protein linkage map of Pex5p.

To identify members of the translocation machinery for peroxisomal proteins, we made use of the two-hybrid system to establish a protein linkage map centered around Pex5p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the receptor for the C-terminal peroxisomal targeting signal (PTS1). Among the five interaction partners identified, Pex14p was found to be induced under conditions allowing peroxisome proliferation. Deletion of the corresponding gene resulted in the inability of yeast cells to grow on oleate as well as the absence of peroxisomal structures. The PEX14 gene product of approximately 38 kDa was biochemically and ultrastructurally demonstrated to be a peroxisomal membrane protein, despite the lack of a membrane-spanning domain. This protein was shown to interact with itself, with Pex13p and with both PTS receptors, Pex5p and Pex7p, indicating a central function for the import of peroxisomal matrix proteins, either as a docking protein or as a releasing factor at the organellar membrane.