Role of peptide transporters in antigen presentation by dendritic cells

Les cellules dendritiques (DCs) sont des cellules spécialisées dans la présentation de l'antigène aux lymphocytes (CPAs), capables d'initier des réponses immunitaires adaptatives et ce sont également les acteurs majeurs de la présentation croisée des antigènes exogènes par le complexe majeur d’histocompatibilité de classe I (CMH-I). Les mécanismes moléculaires et cellulaires de la présentation croisée ont beaucoup été étudiés, mais des questions importantes restent à élucider. Notre laboratoire a précédemment montré que la pré-incubation à basse température des DCs déficientes pour TAP (transporter associated with antigen processing) normalise l’expression de molécules du CMH-I à la surface et la présentation croisée des antigènes phagocytés par une voie dépendante du protéasome, suggérant que les phagosomes pourraient être dotés d’un transporteur alternatif pour importer les peptides générés dans le cytosol par le protéasome. Comme la source de CMH-I chargés par cette voie reste incertaine, il est possible que le rôle de TAP dans la présentation croisée des antigènes phagocytés soit indirect et limité à fournir les molécules de CMH-I disponibles pour un chargement pendant leur recyclage. Ainsi, notre objectif était de déterminer le rôle exact de TAP dans le transport de peptides à l'intérieur du phagosome et d'évaluer le rôle de TAP-L (TAP-like), un transporteur lysosomal ATP-dépendant avec une fonction putative dans la présentation antigénique. Nous avons mis au point une technique de transport des peptides par cytométrie en flux (phagoFACS) et montré que TAP est présent dans les phagosomes des DCs et est capable de transporter des peptides ayant une forte affinité pour TAP d'une manière ATP-dépendante. Cette technique permet l'exclusion des phagosomes ayant un défaut d’intégrité membranaire, obtenus lors de la préparation des phagosomes, et apporte une preuve directe de l'accumulation du peptide à l'intérieur des phagosomes. Les paramètres affectant cette accumulation sont la maturation phagosomale et la présence de molécules CMH-I liant le peptide. De façon surprenante, en l'absence de TAP, le peptide SIINFEKL dérivé de l’ovalbumine ayant une affinité intermédiaire pour TAP est transporté de manière ATP-dépendante dans le phagosome. Ceci est cohérent avec l’hypothèse suggérant la présence d'un autre transporteur de peptide dans les phagosomes des DCs. Nous avons utilisé la même technique pour évaluer la fonction physiologique de TAP-L dans le transport de peptides et montré que TAP-L est présent dans les phagosomes et serait responsable de l’import de peptides dans ces vésicules. Nos résultats suggèrent aussi que TAP-L semble jouer un rôle dans la présentation croisée des antigènes phagocytés à basse température. Ceci a été observé dans des DCs déficientes pour TAP et TAP-L, indiquant que les deux transporteurs pourraient coopérer pour assurer l’import des peptides dans les phagosomes. Nous avons également pu démontrer un rôle de TAP-L dans la présentation de l’antigène par CMH-II. Ces résultats nous encouragent à explorer les mécanismes sous-jacents à ces fonctions pour comprendre la contribution relative de chaque transporteur de peptides dans la présentation antigénique.Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells, capable of activating resting T cells and of initiating primary and stimulating memory immune responses. DCs can efficiently use internalized antigens for presentation by major histocompatibility class I (MHC-I) molecules: a phenomenon referred to as “cross-presentation.” Cross-presentation is important in priming of CD8+ T-cell responses to a variety of pathogens and to tumors as well as in immune tolerance to self and in autoimmunity. The molecular and cell biological mechanisms underlying cross-presentation have been studied intensively but important issues remain unclear. Our laboratory has previously shown that the pre-incubation of TAP-deficient DCs at low temperature normalized surface MHC-I expression and cross-presentation of phagocytosed antigens in a proteasome-dependent pathway. This suggested that phagosomes might harbor an alternative peptide transporter to import peptides generated by cytosolic proteasome complexes. As the source of MHC-I loaded in this pathway remains unclear, it is possible that the principal or partial role of TAP in proteasome-dependent cross-presentation of phagocytosed antigens is to provide recycling cell surface class I molecules. Our aim was to assess the exact role of TAP in peptide transport into phagosomes and to examine the role of the transporter associated with antigen processing-like (TAP-L), a lysosomal transporter with a putative function in antigen presentation. We have developed an assay of peptide transport using flow cytometry (phagoFACS) and shown that TAP is present in DC phagosomes and capable of transporting at least peptides with high affinity to TAP in an ATP-dependant manner. Using this assay, which allowed for eliminating background due to leaky vesicles, we were able to provide direct evidence of peptide accumulation inside phagosomes. ATP-dependant peptide accumulation inside phagosomes was affected by phagosomal maturation and by the presence of a peptide-binding MHC class I-molecule. Surprisingly, in the absence of TAP, another peptide transporter may be able to transport a peptide with intermediate affinity to TAP, namely the ovalbumin peptide SIINFEKL, in an ATP-dependant manner. We used the same technique to assess the function of TAP-L in peptide transport and found that TAP-L may be involved in peptide import into phagosomes. Additional results suggest that TAP-L plays a role in MHC-II presentation and cross-presentation of phagocytosed antigens at low temperature. The latter was shown in DCs lacking both transporters, suggesting that TAP and TAP-L might cooperate to ensure peptide import into phagosomes. The mechanisms underlying these functions should be explored to understand the relative contribution of each peptide transporter to antigen presentation

Key Features of Gamma-Delta T-Cell Subsets in Human Diseases and Their Immunotherapeutic Implications

The unique features of gamma-delta (γδ) T cells, related to their antigen recognition capacity, their tissue tropism, and their cytotoxic function, make these cells ideal candidates that could be targeted to induce durable immunity in the context of different pathologies. In this review, we focus on the main characteristics of human γδ T-cell subsets in diseases and the key mechanisms that could be explored to target these cells

Unexpected lack of specificity of a rabbit polyclonal TAP-L (ABCB9) antibody [v1; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/5ex]

In this article, we describe the surprising non-specific reactivity in immunoblots of a rabbit polyclonal antibody (ref. Abcam 86222) expected to recognize the transporter associated with antigen processing like (TAP-L, ABCB9) protein. Although this antibody, according to company documentation, recognizes a band with the expected molecular weight of 84 kDa in HeLa, 293T and mouse NIH3T3 whole-cell lysates, we found that this band is also present in immunoblots of TAP-L deficient bone marrow-derived dendritic cell (BMDC) whole-cell lysates in three independent replicates. We performed extensive verification by multiple PCR tests to confirm the complete absence of the ABCB9 gene in our TAP-L deficient mice. We conclude that the antibody tested cross-reacts with an unidentified protein present in TAP-L knockout cells, which coincidentally runs at the same molecular weight as TAP-L. These findings underline the pitfalls of antibody specificity testing in the absence of cells lacking expression of the target protein

Key Features of Gamma-Delta T-Cell Subsets in Human Diseases and Their Immunotherapeutic Implications

International audienceThe unique features of gamma-delta (γδ) T cells, related to their antigen recognition capacity, their tissue tropism, and their cytotoxic function, make these cells ideal candidates that could be targeted to induce durable immunity in the context of different pathologies. In this review, we focus on the main characteristics of human γδ T-cell subsets in diseases and the key mechanisms that could be explored to target these cells

Designed Methods for the Sorting of Tertiary Lymphoid Structure-Immune Cell Populations

International audienceThe tumor microenvironment is a complex network of interacting cells composed of immune and nonimmune cells. It has been reported that the composition of the immune contexture has a significant impact on tumor growth and patient survival in different solid tumors. For instance, we and other groups have previously demonstrated that a strong infiltration of T-helper type 1 (Th1) or memory CD8+ T cells is associated with long-term survival of cancer patients. Nevertheless, the prognostic value of the other immune populations, namely regulatory T cells (Treg), B cells, and gamma delta (γδ) T cells, remains a matter of debate. Herein, we describe novel flow cytometry-based strategies to sort out these different immune populations in order to evaluate their role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

IRAP Endosomes Control Phagosomal Maturation in Dendritic Cells

International audienceDendritic cells (DCs) contribute to the immune surveillance by sampling their environment through phagocytosis and endocytosis. We have previously reported that, rapidly following uptake of extracellular antigen into phagosomes or endosomes in DCs, a specialized population of storage endosomes marked by Rab14 and insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) is recruited to the nascent antigen-containing compartment, thereby regulating its maturation and ultimately antigen cross-presentation to CD8 + T lymphocytes. Here, using IRAP –/– DCs, we explored how IRAP modulates phagosome maturation dynamics and cross-presentation. We find that in the absence of IRAP, phagosomes acquire more rapidly late endosomal markers, are more degradative, and show increased microbicidal activity. We also report evidence for a role of vesicle trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–Golgi intermediate compartment to endosomes for the formation or stability of the IRAP compartment. Moreover, we dissect the dual role of IRAP as a trimming peptidase and a critical constituent of endosome stability. Experiments using a protease-dead IRAP mutant and pharmacological IRAP inhibition suggest that IRAP expression but not proteolytic activity is required for the formation of storage endosomes and for DC-typical phagosome maturation, whereas proteolysis is required for fully efficient cross-presentation. These findings identify IRAP as a key factor in cross-presentation, trimming peptides to fit the major histocompatibility complex class-I binding site while preventing their destruction through premature phagosome maturation

Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in cancers: prognostic value, regulation and manipulation for therapeutic intervention

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are ectopic lymphoid aggregates that reflect lymphoid neogenesis occurring in tissues at sites of inflammation. They are detected in tumors where they orchestrate local and systemic anti-tumor responses. A correlation has been found between high densities of TLS and prolonged patient’s survival in more than ten different types of cancer. TLS can be regulated by the same set of chemokines and cytokines that orchestrate lymphoid organogenesis and by regulatory T cells. Thus, TLS offer a series of putative new targets that could be used to develop therapies aiming to increase the anti-tumor immune response

Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Cancers: Prognostic Value, Regulation, and Manipulation for Therapeutic Intervention

International audienceTertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are ectopic lymphoid aggregates that reflect lymphoid neogenesis occurring in tissues at sites of inflammation. They are detected in tumors where they orchestrate local and systemic anti-tumor responses. A correlation has been found between high densities of TLS and prolonged patient's survival in more than 10 different types of cancer. TLS can be regulated by the same set of chemokines and cytokines that orchestrate lymphoid organogenesis and by regulatory T cells. Thus, TLS offer a series of putative new targets that could be used to develop therapies aiming to increase the anti-tumor immune response