MIC gene polymorphism and haplotype diversity in rhesus macaques

New Latency Reversing Agents for HIV-1 Cure: Insights from Nonhuman Primate Models

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) controls human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) replication and prevents disease progression but does not eradicate HIV-1. The persistence of a reservoir of latently infected cells represents the main barrier to a cure. "Shock and kill" is a promising strategy involving latency reversing agents (LRAs) to reactivate HIV-1 from latently infected cells, thus exposing the infected cells to killing by the immune system or clearance agents. Here, we review advances to the "shock and kill" strategy made through the nonhuman primate (NHP) model, highlighting recently identified latency reversing agents and approaches such as mimetics of the second mitochondrial activator of caspase (SMACm), experimental CD8+ T cell depletion, immune checkpoint blockade (ICI), and toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. We also discuss the advantages and limits of the NHP model for HIV cure research and methods developed to evaluate the efficacy of in vivo treatment with LRAs in NHPs.

Nonhuman Primate Models of Immunosenescence

Due to a dramatic increase in life expectancy, the number of individuals aged 65 and older is rapidly rising. This presents considerable challenges to our health care system since advanced age is associated with a higher susceptibility to infectious diseases due to immune senescence. However, the mechanisms underlying age-associated dysregulated immunity are still incompletely understood. Advancement in our comprehension of mechanisms of immune senescence and development of interventions to improve health span requires animal models that closely recapitulate the physiological changes that occur with aging in humans. Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are invaluable preclinical models to study the underlying causal mechanism of pathogenesis due to their outbred nature, high degree of genetic and physiological similarity to humans, and their susceptibility to human pathogens. In this chapter, we review NHP models available for biogerontology research, advantages and challenges they present, and advances they facilitated. Furthermore, we emphasize the utility of NHPs in characterizing immune senescence, evaluating interventions to reverse aging of the immune system, and development of vaccine strategies that are better suited for this vulnerable population.

Comparative genomics of the human, macaque and mouse major histocompatibility complex

The MHC is a highly polymorphic genomic region that encodes the transplantation and immune regulatory molecules. It receives special attention for genetic investigation because of its important role in the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses and its strong association with numerous infectious and/or autoimmune diseases. The MHC locus was first discovered in the mouse and for the past 50 years it has been studied most intensively in both mice and humans. However, in recent years the macaque species have emerged as some of the more important and advanced experimental animal models for biomedical research into MHC with important human immunodeficiency virus/simian immunodeficiency virus and transplantation studies undertaken in association with precise MHC genotyping and haplotyping methods using Sanger sequencing and next-generation sequencing. Here, in this special issue on 'Macaque Immunology' we provide a short review of the genomic similarities and differences among the human, macaque and mouse MHC class I and class II regions, with an emphasis on the association of the macaque class I region with MHC polymorphism, haplotype structure and function.

Comparative genomics of the NKG2D ligand gene family

NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs) are a group of stress-inducible major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-like molecules that act as a danger signal alerting the immune system to the presence of abnormal cells. In mammals, two families of NKG2DL genes have been identified: the MIC gene family encoded in the MHC region and the ULBP gene family encoded outside the MHC region in most species. Some mammals have a third family of NKG2DL-like class I genes which we named MILL (MHC class I-like located near the leukocyte receptor complex). Despite the fact that MILL genes are more closely related to MIC genes than ULBP genes are to MIC genes, MILL molecules do not function as NKG2DLs, and their function remains unknown. With the progress of mammalian genome projects, information on the MIC, ULBP, and MILL gene families became available in many mammalian species. Here, we summarize such information and discuss the origin and evolution of the NKG2DL gene family from the viewpoint of host-pathogen coevolution.

Co-evolution of the MHC class I and KIR gene families in rhesus macaques: ancestry and plasticity

Researchers dealing with the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and killer immunoglobulin receptor (KIR) multi‐gene families in humans are often wary of the complex and seemingly different situation that is encountered regarding these gene families in Old World monkeys. For the sake of comparison, the well‐defined and thoroughly studied situation in humans has been taken as a reference. In macaques, both the major histocompatibility complex class I and KIR gene families are plastic entities that have experienced various rounds of expansion, contraction, and subsequent recombination processes. As a consequence, haplotypes in macaques display substantial diversity with regard to gene copy number variation. Additionally, for both multi‐gene families, differential levels of polymorphism (allelic variation), and expression are observed as well. A comparative genetic approach has allowed us to answer questions related to ancestry, to shed light on unique adaptations of the species’ immune system, and to provide insights into the genetic events and selective pressures that have shaped the range of these gene families.

Haplotype diversity generated by ancient recombination-like events in the MHC of Indian rhesus macaques

The Mamu-A, Mamu-B, and Mamu-DRB genes of the rhesus macaque show several levels of complexity such as allelic heterogeneity (polymorphism), copy number variation, differential segregation of genes/alleles present on a haplotype (diversity) and transcription level differences. A combination of techniques was implemented to screen a large panel of pedigreed Indian rhesus macaques (1,384 individuals representing the offspring of 137 founding animals) for haplotype diversity in an efficient and inexpensive manner. This approach allowed the definition of 140 haplotypes that display a relatively low degree of region variation as reflected by the presence of only 17 A, 18 B and 22 DRB types, respectively, exhibiting a global linkage disequilibrium comparable to that in humans. This finding contrasts with the situation observed in rhesus macaques from other geographic origins and in cynomolgus monkeys from Indonesia. In these latter populations, nearly every haplotype appears to be characterised by a unique A, B and DRB region. In the Indian population, however, a reshuffling of existing segments generated “new” haplotypes. Since the recombination frequency within the core MHC of the Indian rhesus macaques is relatively low, the various haplotypes were most probably produced by recombination events that accumulated over a long evolutionary time span. This idea is in accord with the notion that Indian rhesus macaques experienced a severe reduction in population during the Pleistocene due to a bottleneck caused by geographic changes. Thus, recombination-like processes appear to be a way to expand a diminished genetic repertoire in an isolated and relatively small founder population.

Immunogenetics of the NKG2D ligand gene family

NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs) are a group of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-like molecules, the expression of which is induced by cellular stresses such as infection, tumorigenesis, heat shock, tissue damage, and DNA damage. They act as a molecular danger signal alerting the immune system for infected or neoplastic cells. Mammals have two families of NKG2DL genes: the MHC-encoded MIC gene family and the ULBP gene family encoded outside the MHC region in most mammals. Rodents such as mice and rats lack the MIC family of ligands. Interestingly, some mammals have NKG2DL-like molecules named MILL that are phylogenetically related to MIC, but do not function as NKG2DLs. In this paper, we review our current knowledge of the MIC, ULBP, and MILL gene families in representative mammalian species and discuss the origin and evolution of the NKG2DL gene family.

Nonhuman primate transplant models finally evolve: detailed immunogenetic analysis creates new models and strengthens the old

Nonhuman primate (NHP) models play a critical role in the translation of novel therapies for transplantation to the clinic. However, although MHC disparity significantly affects the outcome of transplantation, until recently, experiments using NHP models were performed without the ability to rigorously control the degree of MHC disparity in transplant cohorts. In this review, we discuss several key technical breakthroughs in the field, which have finally enabled detailed immunogenetic data to be incorporated into NHP transplantation studies. These advances have created a new gold-standard for NHP transplantation research, which incorporates detailed information regarding the degree of relatedness and the degree of MHC haplotype disparity between transplant pairs and the precise MHC alleles that both donors and recipients express. The adoption of this new standard promises to increase the rigor of NHP transplantation studies and to ensure that these experiments are optimally translatable to patient care.

Comparative genome analysis of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I B/C segments in primates elucidated by genomic sequencing in common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Common marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) have emerged as important animal models for biomedical research, necessitating a more extensive characterization of their major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region. However, the genomic information of the marmoset MHC (Caja) is still lacking. The MHC-B/C segment represents the most diverse MHC region among primates. Therefore, in this paper, to elucidate the detailed gene organization and evolutionary processes of the Caja class I B (Caja-B) segment, we determined two parts of the Caja-B sequences with 1,079 kb in total, ranging from H6orf15 to BAT1 and compared the structure and phylogeny with that of other primates. This segment contains 54 genes in total, nine Caja-B genes (Caja-B1 to Caja-B9), two MIC genes (MIC1 and MIC2), eight non-MHC genes, two non-coding genes, and 33 non-MHC pseudogenes that have not been observed in other primate MHC-B/C segments. Caja-B3, Caja-B4, and Caja-B7 encode proper MHC class I proteins according to amino acid structural characteristics. Phylogenetic relationships based on 48 MHC-I nucleotide sequences in primates suggested (1) species-specific divergence for Caja, Mamu, and HLA/Patr/Gogo lineages, (2) independent generation of the "seven coding exon" type MHC-B genes in Mamu and HLA/Patr/Gogo lineages from an ancestral "eight coding exon" type MHC-I gene, (3) parallel correlation with the long and short segmental duplication unit length in Caja and Mamu lineages. These findings indicate that the MHC-B/C segment has been under permanent selective pressure in the evolution of primates.

Nonhuman primate models of human immunology

Nonhuman primates have been used for biomedical research for several decades. The high level of genetic homology to humans coupled with their outbred nature has made nonhuman primates invaluable preclinical models. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the nonhuman primate immune system, with special emphasis on studies carried out in rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). We highlight the utility of nonhuman primates in the characterization of immune senescence and the evaluation of new interventions to slow down the aging of the immune system.

Genomic location and characterisation of MIC genes in cattle

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I chain-related (MIC) genes have been previously identified and characterised in human. They encode polymorphic class I-like molecules that are stress-inducible, and constitute one of the ligands of the activating natural killer cell receptor NKG2D. We have identified three MIC genes within the cattle genome, located close to three non-classical MHC class I genes. The genomic position relative to other genes is very similar to the arrangement reported in the pig MHC region. Analysis of MIC cDNA sequences derived from a range of cattle cell lines suggest there may be four MIC genes in total. We have investigated the presence of the genes in distinct and well-defined MHC haplotypes, and show that one gene is consistently present, while configuration of the other three genes appears variable.