T-cell tolerance and autoimmune diabetes

Analysis of sirtuin 1 expression reveals a molecular explanation of IL-2-mediated reversal of T-cell tolerance

The type III histone deacetylase sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) is a suppressor of both innate and adoptive immune responses. We have recently found that Sirt1 expression is highly induced in anergic T cells. However, the transcriptional program to regulate Sirt1 expression in T cells remains uncharacterized. Here we report that the early responsive genes 2 and 3, which can be up-regulated by T-cell receptor-mediated activation of nuclear factor of activated T-cell transcription factors and are involved in peripheral T-cell tolerance, bind to the sirt1 promoter to transcript sirt1 mRNA. In addition, the forkhead transcription factor, FoxO3a, interacts with early responsive genes 2/3 on the sirt1 promoter to synergistically regulate Sirt1 expression. Interestingly, IL-2, a cytokine that can reverse T-cell anergy, suppresses sirt1 transcription by sequestering FoxO3a to the cytoplasm through activating the PI3K-AKT pathway. Expression of the constitutively active form of FoxO3a blocks IL-2-mediated reversal of T-cell tolerance by retaining sirt1 expression. Our findings here provide a molecular explanation of IL-2-mediated reversion of T-cell anergy.

Soluble, dimeric HLA DR4-peptide chimeras: an approach for detection and immunoregulation of human type-1 diabetes

Still there are no effective methods to predict or cure type 1 diabetes (T1D) in humans. Soluble, dimeric MHC class II-peptide (DEF) chimeras have potential for both early diagnosis and immunospecific therapy. DEF chimeras prevent and reverse diabetes in mice by stimulating antigen-specific type 1 T regulatory cell (Tr1)-like cells. We also showed that diabetes could be predicted by changes in the phenotype of autoreactive CD4 T cells in peripheral blood. Herein, we demonstrated that human DEF (HLA-DR*0401/Fcgamma1) chimeras expressing peptides of beta-cell antigens stimulate Tr1-like cells in blood of patients with T1D, non-diabetic relatives, and controls. Furthermore, the specific and stable binding of DEF chimeras to cognate TCR and CD4 coreceptor allowed quantification and phenotyping of autoreactive CD4 T cells in non-stimulated blood by FACS. Our results indicate that (1) autoreactive CD4 T cells to GAD65 autoantigen are commonly present in humans expressing diabetes-susceptible HLA-DR*0401 molecules; (2) these autoreactive T cells undergo avidity maturation upon encountering the self antigen early in life; (3) the disease is associated with an imbalance between autoreactive CD4+CD25+ and CD4+CD69+ T cells specific for GAD65. Based on this, we propose a model to explain the kinetics of autoreactive CD4 T cells in blood during the natural history of T1D.

The Evolution of Alloimmunity and the Genesis of Adaptive Immunity

Infectious agents select for host immune responses that destroy infectious nonself yet maintain tolerance to self. Here we propose that retroviruses and other host-antigen associated pathogens (HAAPs) select for the genetic, biochemical, and cell biological properties of alloimmunity, also known as the histocompatibility or tissue rejection response. This hypothesis predicts the major observations regarding histocompatibility responses, including: (i) their existence in animals as diverse as sponges and humans; (ii) extreme polymorphism and balanced allele frequencies at histocompatibility loci, including the human MHC and blood group loci; (iii) the frequency dependent selection of histocompatibility alleles; (iv) the ancient age of many alloantigenic polymorphisms; (v) the high ratio of nonsynonymous mutations to synonymous mutations at histocompatibility loci; (vi) disassortative mating based on MHC alleles; (vii) the inability to explain the existence and continuing selection of histocompatibility alleles by other more conventional biochemical and genetic paradigms; and (viii) the susceptibility of HAAPs, particularly retroviruses such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), to histocompatibility reactions. In addition, the hypothesis that HAAPs select the forms and molecules of alloimmunity offers simple explanations for the evolution of histocompatibility systems over time, the initial selection of hypervariable immune mechanisms, and the genesis of adaptive immunity.

A model for antigen-specific T-cell anergy: displacement of CD4-p56(lck) signalosome from the lipid rafts by a soluble, dimeric peptide-MHC class II chimera

Soluble, dimeric peptide-MHC chimeras were shown to induce Ag-specific T cell anergy in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we describe a mechanism by which a soluble, dimeric peptide MHC class II chimera (DEF) induces Ag-specific T cell anergy. The anergic cells showed a displacement of the CD4-p56(lck) signaling module from the GM1-rich plasma membrane microdomains (lipid rafts), and subsequently an increase in p59(fyn) kinase activity, a dominant expression of p21 inhibitory TCR zeta-chain, and a poor phosphorylation and recruitment of zeta-associated protein of 70 kDa kinase to the TCR's immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs. The Th1 and Th2 transcription was suppressed and the cells were arrested in the Th0 stage of differentiation. Recovery from DEF anergy occurred late and spontaneously at the expense of low thresholds for activation-induced cell death. In contrast to DEF, a combination of TCR and CD4 mAbs did not induce such alterations or anergy, indicating that the ligand-mediated topology of TCR and CD4 coengagement can differentially affect the T cell function. Our results argue for a model of anergy in which the defective partitioning of signaling molecules in lipid rafts is an early, negative signaling event in T cells. Physiological ligands like DEF chimeras may provide new tools for silencing the autoimmune processes, and may also help in deciphering new mechanisms of negative regulation in T cells.

Down-regulation of diabetogenic CD4+ T cells by a soluble dimeric peptide-MHC class II chimera

Type 1 diabetes is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that is mediated by autoreactive T cells. We show here that administration of a soluble dimeric peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) class II chimera (DEF) to prediabetic double-transgenic mice prevents the onset of disease or, in animals that are already diabetic, restores normoglycemia. The antidiabetogenic effects of DEF rely on the induction of anergy in splenic autoreactive CD4+ T cells via alteration of early T cell receptor signaling and stimulation of interleukin 10-secreting T regulatory type 1 cells in the pancreas. Soluble dimeric pMHC class II may be useful in the development of immunospecific therapies for type 1 diabetes.

Enzymatically mediated engineering of multivalent MHC class II-peptide chimeras

We previously reported the genetic engineering of the first soluble, bivalent major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-peptide ligand for T-cell receptor (TCR). This ligand binds stably and specifically to cognate T-cells and exhibits immunomodulatory effects in vitro and in vivo. The increase in valence of MHC class II-peptide ligands was shown to parallel their avidity for cognate TCRs and potency in stimulating cognate T-cells. We describe a new enzymatic method to increase the valence of MHC-peptide ligands by cross-linking the N-glycan moieties of dimeric MHC II-peptide units through a flexible, bifunctional polyethylene glycol linker. Using this method, we generated covalently stabilized tetravalent and octavalent MHC II-peptide ligands which bound stably and specifically to cognate TCR and preserved their structural integrity in blood and lymphoid organs for 72 h. Depending on the TCR/CD4 occupancy and degree of TCR/CD4 co-clustering, the multivalent MHC II-peptide ligands polarized efficiently the antigen-specific CD4(+) T-cells toward type 2 cell differentiation or induced T-cell anergy and apoptosis. The enzymatically mediated engineering of multivalent MHC-peptide ligands for cognate TCRs may provide rational grounds for the development of new therapeutic agents endowed with strong modulatory effects on antigen-specific T-cells.