Interleukins increase surface ganglioside expression of pancreatic islet cells in vitro

TNF-alpha induction of GM2 expression on renal cell carcinomas promotes T cell dysfunction

Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated the role of tumor-derived gangliosides as important mediators of T cell apoptosis, and hence, as one mechanism by which tumors evade immune destruction. In this study, we report that TNF-alpha secreted by infiltrating inflammatory cells and/or genetically modified tumors augments tumor-associated GM2 levels, which leads to T cell death and immune dysfunction. The conversion of weakly apoptogenic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) clones to lines that can induce T cell death requires 3-5 days of TNF-alpha pretreatment, a time frame paralleling that needed for TNF-alpha to stimulate GM2 accumulation by SK-RC-45, SK-RC-54, and SK-RC-13. RCC tumor cell lines permanently transfected with the TNF-alpha transgene are similarly toxic for T lymphocytes, which correlates with their constitutively elevated levels of GM2. TNF-alpha increases GM2 ganglioside expression by enhancing the mRNA levels encoding its synthetic enzyme, GM2 synthase, as demonstrated by both RT-PCR and Southern analysis. The contribution of GM2 gangliosides to tumor-induced T cell death was supported by the finding that anti-GM2 Abs significantly blocked T cell apoptosis mediated by TNF-alpha-treated tumor cells, and by the observation that small interfering RNA directed against TNF-alpha abrogated GM2 synthase expression by TNF-transfected SK-RC-45, diminished its GM2 accumulation, and inhibited its apoptogenicity for T lymphocytes. Our results indicate that TNF-alpha signaling promotes RCC-induced killing of T cells by stimulating the acquisition of a distinct ganglioside assembly in RCC tumor cells.

Interaction of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) with free gangliosides: biochemical characterization and biological consequences in endothelial cell cultures

Exogenous gangliosides affect the angiogenic activity of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), but their mechanism of action has not been elucidated. Here, a possible direct interaction of sialo-glycolipids with FGF-2 has been investigated. Size exclusion chromatography demonstrates that native, but not heat-denatured, 125I-FGF-2 binds to micelles formed by gangliosides GT1b, GD1b, or GM1. Also, gangliosides protect native FGF-2 from trypsin digestion at micromolar concentrations, the order of relative potency being GT1b > GD1b > GM1 = GM2 = sulfatide > GM3 = galactosyl-ceramide, whereas asialo-GM1, neuraminic acid, and N-acetylneuramin-lactose were ineffective. Scatchard plot analysis of the binding data of fluorochrome-labeled GM1 to immobilized FGF-2 indicates that FGF-2/GM1 interaction occurs with a Kd equal to 6 microM. This interaction is inhibited by the sialic acid-binding peptide mastoparan and by the synthetic fragments FGF-2(112-129) and, to a lesser extent, FGF-2(130-155), whereas peptides FGF-2(10-33), FGF-2(39-59), FGF-2(86-96), and the basic peptide HIV-1 Tat(41-60) were ineffective. These data identify the COOH terminus of FGF-2 as a putative ganglioside-binding region. Exogenous gangliosides inhibit the binding of 125I-FGF-2 to high-affinity tyrosine-kinase FGF-receptors (FGFRs) of endothelial GM 7373 cells at micromolar concentrations. The order of relative potency was GT1b > GD1b > GM1 > sulfatide a = sialo-GM1. Accordingly, GT1b,GD1b, GM1, and GM2, but not GM3 and asialo-GM1, prevent the binding of 125I-FGF-2 to a soluble, recombinant form of extracellular FGFR-1. Conversely, the soluble receptor and free heparin inhibit the interaction of fluorochrome-labeled GM1 to immobilized FGF-2. In agreement with their FGFR antagonist activity, free gangliosides inhibit the mitogenic activity exerted by FGF-2 on endothelial cells in the same range of concentrations. Also in this case, GT1b was the most effective among the gangliosides tested while asialo-GM1, neuraminic acid, N-acetylneuramin-lactose, galactosyl-ceramide, and sulfatide were ineffective. In conclusion, the data demonstrate the capacity of exogenous gangliosides to interact with FGF-2. This interaction involves the COOH terminus of the FGF-2 molecule and depends on the structure of the oligosaccharide chain and on the presence of sialic acid residue(s) in the ganglioside molecule. Exogenous gangliosides act as FGF-2 antagonists when added to endothelial cell cultures. Since gangliosides are extensively shed by tumor cells and reach elevated levels in the serum of tumor-bearing patients, our data suggest that exogenous gangliosides may affect endothelial cell function by a direct interaction with FGF-2, thus modulating tumor neovascularization.

Recombinant human transforming growth factor beta does not inhibit the effects of interleukin-1 beta on pancreatic islet cells

The macrophage-derived cytokine, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), has been implicated to play an important role in the autoimmune beta cell lesion of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) because of its inhibition of insulin secretion, direct cytotoxicity, and alteration of islet cell antigen expression. Because transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) has been reported to inhibit IL-1 receptor expression in several lymphoid and progenitor cell lines, to induce IL-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP) production in human peripheral blood monocytes, and to antagonize several effects of inflammatory cytokines and because oral tolerance may be mediated in part by TGF-beta released by regulatory T lymphocytes, we investigated whether TGF-beta counteracted the effects of IL-1 beta on islet cells. Islets isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured with or without recombinant human IL-1 beta and TGF-beta. Accumulated insulin secretion, cytokine-induced cytotoxicity, and islet cell expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD-65) and heat-shock protein 70 (HSP-70) were measured in this study. We found that (1) IL-1 beta at 50 and 100 pg/ml inhibited insulin secretion by 41.9 +/- 14.8 and 52.6 +/- 3.5% and induced cytotoxicity by 46.5 +/- 17.3 and 54.1 +/- 6.1%, respectively. IL-1 beta at 1000 pg/ml significantly increased HSP-70 expression and decreased GAD-65 expression. (2) TGF-beta at 0.1, 1, 10, and 40 ng/ml had no significant effect on insulin secretion and did not induce cytotoxicity, TGF-beta at 40 ng/ml had no effect on the expression of either HSP-70 or GAD-65. (3) In combination, TGF-beta at 1, 10, and 40 ng/ml did not antagonize the IL-1 beta (50 and 100 pg/ml)-induced inhibition of insulin secretion or cytotoxicity; TGF-beta (40 ng/ml) did not block the effects of IL-1 beta (1000 pg/ml) on HSP-70 or GAD-65 expression. In conclusion, recombinant human TGF-beta does not counteract these effects of recombinant human IL-1 beta on rat pancreatic islet cells.

The effect of cytokines on expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 in cultured islets

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is an autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the pancreatic islets (insulitis). Cytokines released as part of the insulitis process have been suggested to play an important role in the beta cell lesion of IDDM. A possible diabetogenic effect of cytokines may be mediated by their inducing abnormal expression of islet cell autoantigens. Since glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 (GAD-65) is a target autoantigen in IDDM, we investigated whether the cytokines IL-1 beta, TNF alpha IFN gamma altered islet cell expression of GAD-65 and whether the effect of cytokines on GAD-65 expression was similar to their effect on insulin secretion. We found that: 1) IL-1 beta at low dose (1 U/ml) which stimulated insulin secretion, had no effect on GAD-65 expression, whereas higher doses of IL-1 beta (10, 100, 1000 U/ml) which inhibited insulin secretion, decreased GAD-65 expression. 2) TNF alpha at doses of 10, 100, 1000 U/ml which stimulated insulin secretion had no effect on GAD-65 expression. 3) IFN gamma at doses of 10, 100, 1000 U/ml had no effect on insulin secretion or on GAD-65 expression. 4) In combination, IL-1 beta plus TNF alpha and IFN gamma showed a similar inhibitory effect on GAD-65 expression as IL-1 beta alone. In summary: 1) IL-1 beta dramatically inhibits GAD-65 expression. 2) TNF alpha and IFN gamma have no effect on GAD-65 expression. Of these three cytokines, IL-1 beta is the primary cytokine affecting GAD-65 expression.