Signaling via interleukin-4, receptor alpha chain is required for successful vaccination against schistosomiasis in BALB/c mice

Radiation-attenuated (RA) schistosome larvae are potent stimulators of innate immune responses at the skin site of exposure (pinna) that are likely to be important factors in the development of Th1-mediated protective immunity. In addition to causing an influx of neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells (DCs) into the dermis, RA larvae induced a cascade of chemokine and cytokine secretion following in vitro culture of pinna biopsy samples. While macrophage inflammatory protein 1 and interleukin-1 (IL-1) were produced transiently within the first few days, the Th1-promoting cytokines IL-12 and IL-18 were secreted at high levels until at least day 14. Assay of C3H/HeJ mice confirmed that IL-12 secretion was not due to lipopolysaccharide contaminants binding Toll-like receptor 4. Significantly, IL-12 p40 secretion was sustained in pinnae from vaccinated mice but not in those from nonprotected infected mice. In contrast, IL-10 was produced from both vaccinated and infected mice. This cytokine regulates IL-12-associated dermal inflammation, since in vaccinated IL-10/ mice, pinna thickness was greatly increased concurrent with elevated levels of IL-12 p40. A significant number of IL-12 p40 cells were detected as emigrants from in vitro-cultured pinnae, and most were within a population of rare large granular cells that were Ia, consistent with their being antigen-presenting cells. Labeling of IL-12 cells for CD11c, CD205, CD8, CD11b, and F4/80 indicated that the majority were myeloid DCs, although a proportion were CD11c F4/80, suggesting that macrophages were an additional source of IL-12 in the skin

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection induces il12rb1 splicing to generate a novel IL-12Rβ1 isoform that enhances DC migration

RNA splicing is an increasingly recognized regulator of immunity. Here, we demonstrate that after Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (mRNA) il12rb1 is spliced by dendritic cells (DCs) to form an alternative (mRNA) il12rb1Deltatm that encodes the protein IL-12Rbeta1DeltaTM. Compared with IL-12Rbeta1, IL-12Rbeta1DeltaTM contains an altered C-terminal sequence and lacks a transmembrane domain. Expression of IL-12Rbeta1DeltaTM occurs in CD11c(+) cells in the lungs during M. tuberculosis infection. Selective reconstitution of il12rb1(-/-) DCs with (mRNA) il12rb1 and/or (mRNA) il12rb1Deltatm demonstrates that IL-12Rbeta1DeltaTM augments IL-12Rbeta1-dependent DC migration and activation of M. tuberculosis-specific T cells. It cannot mediate these activities independently of IL12Rbeta1. We hypothesize that M. tuberculosis-exposed DCs express IL-12Rbeta1DeltaTM to enhance IL-12Rbeta1-dependent migration and promote M. tuberculosis-specific T cell activation. IL-12Rbeta1DeltaTM thus represents a novel positive-regulator of IL12Rbeta1-dependent DC function and of the immune response to M. tuberculosis.This work was supported by the Trudeau Institute and the National Institutes of Health (AI067723 to A. M. Cooper; AI49823 to D. L. Woodland [trainee: R. T. Robinson] and AI084397 to R. T. Robinson)

Differential tumor surveillance by natural killer (NK) and NKT cells

Natural tumor surveillance capabilities of the host were investigated in six different mouse tumor models where endogenous interleukin (IL)-12. does or does not dictate the efficiency of the innate immune response. Gene-targeted and lymphocyte subset-depleted mice were used to establish the relative importance of natural killer (NK) and NK1.1(+) T (NKT) cells in protection from tumor initiation and metastasis. In the models examined, CD3(-) NK cells were responsible for tumor rejection and protection from metastasis in models where control of major histocompatibility complex class I-deficient tumors was independent of IL-12, A protective role for NKT cells was only observed when tumor rejection required endogenous IL-12 activity. In particular, T cell receptor J alpha 281 gene-targeted mice confirmed a critical function for NKT cells in protection from spontaneous tumors initiated by the chemical carcinogen, methylcholanthrene. This is the first description of an antitumor function for NKT cells in the absence of exogenously administered potent stimulators such as IL-12 or alpha-galactosylceramide

The Activated Type 1–Polarized Cd8+ T Cell Population Isolated from an Effector Site Contains Cells with Flexible Cytokine Profiles

The capacity of activated T cells to alter their cytokine expression profiles after migration into an effector site has not previously been defined. We addressed this issue by paired daughter analysis of a type 1–polarized CD8+ effector T cell population freshly isolated from lung parenchyma of influenza virus–infected mice. Single T cells were activated to divide in vitro; individual daughter cells were then micromanipulated into secondary cultures with and without added IL-4 to assess their potential to express type 2 cytokine genes. The resultant subclones were analyzed for type 1 and 2 cytokine mRNAs at day 6–7. When the most activated (CD44highCD11ahigh) CD8+ subpopulation from infected lung was compared with naive or resting (CD44lowCD11alow) CD8+ cells from infected lung and from normal lymph nodes (LNs), both clonogenicity and plasticity of the cytokine response were highest in the LN population and lowest in the activated lung population, correlating inversely with effector function. Multipotential cells were nevertheless detected among clonogenic CD44highCD11ahigh lung cells at 30–50% of the frequency in normal LNs. The data indicate that activated CD8+ T cells can retain the ability to proliferate and express new cytokine genes in response to local stimuli after recruitment to an effector site

SHARPIN Is Essential for Cytokine Production, NF-κB Signaling, and Induction of Th1 Differentiation by Dendritic Cells

Spontaneous mutations of the Sharpin (SHANK-associated RH domain-interacting protein, other aliases: Rbckl1, Sipl1) gene in mice result in systemic inflammation that is characterized by chronic proliferative dermatitis and dysregulated secretion of T helper1 (Th1) and Th2 cytokines. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this inflammatory phenotype remain elusive. Dendritic cells may contribute to the initiation and progression of the phenotype of SHARPIN-deficient mice because of their pivotal role in innate and adaptive immunity. Here we show by flow cytometry that SHARPIN- deficiency did not alter the distribution of different DC subtypes in the spleen. In response to TOLL-like receptor (TLR) agonists LPS and poly I:C, cultured bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC) from WT and mutant mice exhibited similar increases in expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD40, CD80, and CD86. However, stimulated SHARPIN-deficient BMDC had reduced transcription and secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators IL6, IL12P70, GMCSF, and nitric oxide. Mutant BMDC had defective activation of NF-κB signaling, whereas the MAPK1/3 (ERK1/2) and MAPK11/12/13/14 (p38 MAP kinase isoforms) and TBK1 signaling pathways were intact. A mixed lymphocyte reaction showed that mutant BMDC only induced a weak Th1 immune response but stimulated increased Th2 cytokine production from allogeneic naïve CD4+ T cells. In conclusion, loss of Sharpin in mice significantly affects the immune function of DC and this may partially account for the systemic inflammation and Th2-biased immune response

Pathogen-Induced Proapoptotic Phenotype and High CD95 (Fas) Expression Accompany a Suboptimal CD8+ T-Cell Response: Reversal by Adenoviral Vaccine

MHC class Ia-restricted CD8+ T cells are important mediators of the adaptive immune response against infections caused by intracellular microorganisms. Whereas antigen-specific effector CD8+ T cells can clear infection caused by intracellular pathogens, in some circumstances, the immune response is suboptimal and the microorganisms survive, causing host death or chronic infection. Here, we explored the cellular and molecular mechanisms that could explain why CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity during infection with the human protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is not optimal. For that purpose, we compared the CD8+ T-cell mediated immune responses in mice infected with T. cruzi or vaccinated with a recombinant adenovirus expressing an immunodominant parasite antigen. Several functional and phenotypic characteristics of specific CD8+ T cells overlapped. Among few exceptions was an accelerated expansion of the immune response in adenoviral vaccinated mice when compared to infected ones. Also, there was an upregulated expression of the apoptotic-signaling receptor CD95 on the surface of specific T cells from infected mice, which was not observed in the case of adenoviral-vaccinated mice. Most importantly, adenoviral vaccine provided at the time of infection significantly reduced the upregulation of CD95 expression and the proapoptotic phenotype of pathogen-specific CD8+ cells expanded during infection. In parallel, infected adenovirus-vaccinated mice had a stronger CD8 T-cell mediated immune response and survived an otherwise lethal infection. We concluded that a suboptimal CD8+ T-cell response is associated with an upregulation of CD95 expression and a proapoptotic phenotype. Both can be blocked by adenoviral vaccination