Mechanisms of immunological tolerance

Autoimmune and infectious skin diseases that target desmogleins

Desmosomes are intercellular adhesive junctions of epithelial cells that contain two major transmembrane components, the desmogleins (Dsg) and desmocollins (Dsc), which are cadherin-type cell-cell adhesion molecules and are anchored to intermediate filaments of keratin through interactions with plakoglobin and desmoplakin. Desmosomes play an important role in maintaining the proper structure and barrier function of the epidermis and mucous epithelia. Four Dsg isoforms have been identified to date, Dsg1-Dsg4, and are involved in several skin and heart diseases. Dsg1 and Dsg3 are the two major Dsg isoforms in the skin and mucous membranes, and are targeted by IgG autoantibodies in pemphigus, an autoimmune disease of the skin and mucous membranes. Dsg1 is also targeted by exfoliative toxin (ET) released by Staphylococcus aureus in the infectious skin diseases bullous impetigo and staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS). ET is a unique serine protease that shows lock and key specificity to Dsg1. Dsg2 is expressed in all tissues possessing desmosomes, including simple epithelia and myocardia, and mutations in this gene are responsible for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia. Dsg4 plays an important adhesive role mainly in hair follicles, and Dsg4 mutations cause abnormal hair development. Recently, an active disease model for pemphigus was generated by a unique approach using autoantigen-deficient mice that do not acquire tolerance against the defective autoantigen. Adoptive transfer of Dsg3(-/-) lymphocytes into mice expressing Dsg3 induces stable anti-Dsg3 IgG production with development of the pemphigus phenotype. This mouse model is a valuable tool with which to investigate immunological mechanisms of harmful IgG autoantibody production in pemphigus. Further investigation of desmoglein molecules will continue to provide insight into the unsolved pathophysiological mechanisms of diseases and aid in the development of novel therapeutic strategies with minimal side effects.

Use of autoantigen-knockout mice in developing an active autoimmune disease model for pemphigus

The development of experimental models of active autoimmune diseases can be difficult due to tolerance of autoantigens, but knockout mice, which fail to acquire tolerance to the defective gene product, provide a useful tool for this purpose. Using knockout mice lacking desmoglein 3 (Dsg3), the target antigen of pemphigus vulgaris (PV), we have generated an active disease model for this autoantibody-mediated disease. Dsg3(-/-) mice, but not Dsg3(+/-) littermates, produced anti-Dsg3 IgG that binds native Dsg3, when immunized with recombinant mouse Dsg3. Splenocytes from the immunized Dsg3(-/-) mice were then adoptively transferred into Rag-2(-/-) immunodeficient mice expressing Dsg3. Anti-Dsg3 IgG was stably produced in the recipient mice for more than 6 months without further boosting. This IgG bound to Dsg3 in vivo and disrupted the cell-cell adhesion of keratinocytes. Consequently, the recipient mice developed erosions in their oral mucous membranes with typical histologic findings of PV. In addition, the recipient mice showed telogen hair loss, as found in Dsg3(-/-) mice. Collectively, the recipient mice developed the phenotype of PV due to the pathogenic anti-Dsg3 IgG. This model will be valuable for developing novel therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, our approach can be applied broadly for the development of various autoimmune disease models.

Antigen-specific immunoregulation and autoimmune thyroiditis

1. Large Thy1+, CD8+ immunoregulatory cells were found in the thymus of mice 9-16 days after injection of soluble mouse thyroglobulin (without adjuvant). 2. Similar immunoregulatory cells appeared in the spleen 14-21 days after antigen administration suggesting that they were generated in the thymus and later migrated to the spleen. 3. The immunoregulatory cells were antigen-specific and attached to cognate antigen. 4. The degree of inhibition by the immunoregulatory cells differed among various inbred strains of mice and were virtually absent from SJL mice. 5. The regulatory function of the cells was strain specific in vitro and in vivo, and was restricted by both H-2 and non-H-2 haplotype. 6. By panning on antigen-coated plates, immunoregulatory cells were isolated and cell lines and clones with inhibitory function established.

The contribution of non-MHC genes to susceptibility to autoimmune diseases

Genetic studies of experimental models of autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus-like syndromes and organ-specific autoimmunity, provide major information on genetic control of autoimmune diseases. In addition to genes known to be linked to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), these studies point to multiple genes located outside the MHC that influence the onset and the progression of autoimmune diseases. Identification of these genes and of their interrelationships is now a major task that will be facilitated by recent progress in molecular biology and gene mapping. Among candidate genes, antigen-receptor genes (i.e., immunoglobulin- and T-cell receptor genes) most likely contribute an important part of the autoimmune susceptibility in several of these animal models. Available linkage data suggest a similar involvement of these antigen-receptor genes in several human autoimmune diseases. In addition to a better understanding of pathogenic mechanisms associated with autoimmunity, the knowledge of these disease-predisposing genes is expected to permit a better classification of often complex syndromes as well as the design of new treatments.

Fatal lymphoreticular disease in the scurfy (sf) mouse requires T cells that mature in a sf thymic environment: potential model for thymic education

Characteristic lesions in mice hemi- or homozygous for the X-linked mutation scurfy (sf) include lymphohistiocytic proliferation in the skin and lymphoid organs, Coombs' test-positive anemia, hypergammaglobulinemia, and death by 24 days of age. The role of the thymus in the development of fatal lymphoreticular disease in the scurfy mouse was investigated. Neonatal thymectomy doubles the life span of scurfy mice, moderates the histologic lesions, and prevents anemia, despite the continued presence of high levels of serum IgG. Animals bred to be nude and scurfy (nu/nu; sf/Y) are viable, fertile, and free of scurfy lesions. Bone marrow from scurfy mice can reconstitute lethally irradiated, H-2-compatible animals but does not transmit scurfy disease. We conclude, from these data, that scurfy lesions are mediated by T lymphocytes that mature in an abnormal (sf) thymic environment.