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Holtappels R, Büttner JK, Freitag K, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NA. Modulation of cytomegalovirus immune evasion identifies direct antigen presentation as the predominant mode of CD8 T-cell priming during immune reconstitution after hematopoietic cell transplantation. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1355153. [PMID: 38426094 PMCID: PMC10902149 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1355153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most critical infectious complication in recipients of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in the period between a therapeutic hematoablative treatment and the hematopoietic reconstitution of the immune system. Clinical investigation as well as the mouse model of experimental HCT have consistently shown that timely reconstitution of antiviral CD8 T cells is critical for preventing CMV disease in HCT recipients. Reconstitution of cells of the T-cell lineage generates naïve CD8 T cells with random specificities among which CMV-specific cells need to be primed by presentation of viral antigen for antigen-specific clonal expansion and generation of protective antiviral effector CD8 T cells. For CD8 T-cell priming two pathways are discussed: "direct antigen presentation" by infected professional antigen-presenting cells (pAPCs) and "antigen cross-presentation" by uninfected pAPCs that take up antigenic material derived from infected tissue cells. Current view in CMV immunology favors the cross-priming hypothesis with the argument that viral immune evasion proteins, known to interfere with the MHC class-I pathway of direct antigen presentation by infected cells, would inhibit the CD8 T-cell response. While the mode of antigen presentation in the mouse model of CMV infection has been studied in the immunocompetent host under genetic or experimental conditions excluding either pathway of antigen presentation, we are not aware of any study addressing the medically relevant question of how newly generated naïve CD8 T cells become primed in the phase of lympho-hematopoietic reconstitution after HCT. Here we used the well-established mouse model of experimental HCT and infection with murine CMV (mCMV) and pursued the recently described approach of up- or down-modulating direct antigen presentation by using recombinant viruses lacking or overexpressing the central immune evasion protein m152 of mCMV, respectively. Our data reveal that the magnitude of the CD8 T-cell response directly reflects the level of direct antigen presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Julia K. Büttner
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kirsten Freitag
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A. Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Büttner JK, Becker S, Fink A, Brinkmann MM, Holtappels R, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NA. Direct antigen presentation is the canonical pathway of cytomegalovirus CD8 T-cell priming regulated by balanced immune evasion ensuring a strong antiviral response. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1272166. [PMID: 38149242 PMCID: PMC10749961 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1272166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
CD8 T cells are important antiviral effectors in the adaptive immune response to cytomegaloviruses (CMV). Naïve CD8 T cells can be primed by professional antigen-presenting cells (pAPCs) alternatively by "direct antigen presentation" or "antigen cross-presentation". In the case of direct antigen presentation, viral proteins are expressed in infected pAPCs and enter the classical MHC class-I (MHC-I) pathway of antigen processing and presentation of antigenic peptides. In the alternative pathway of antigen cross-presentation, viral antigenic material derived from infected cells of principally any cell type is taken up by uninfected pAPCs and eventually also fed into the MHC class-I pathway. A fundamental difference, which can be used to distinguish between these two mechanisms, is the fact that viral immune evasion proteins that interfere with the cell surface trafficking of peptide-loaded MHC-I (pMHC-I) complexes are absent in cross-presenting uninfected pAPCs. Murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) models designed to disrupt either of the two presentation pathways revealed that both are possible in principle and can substitute each other. Overall, however, the majority of evidence has led to current opinion favoring cross-presentation as the canonical pathway. To study priming in the normal host genetically competent in both antigen presentation pathways, we took the novel approach of enhancing or inhibiting direct antigen presentation by using recombinant viruses lacking or overexpressing a key mCMV immune evasion protein. Against any prediction, the strongest CD8 T-cell response was elicited under the condition of intermediate direct antigen presentation, as it exists for wild-type virus, whereas the extremes of enhanced or inhibited direct antigen presentation resulted in an identical and weaker response. Our findings are explained by direct antigen presentation combined with a negative feedback regulation exerted by the newly primed antiviral effector CD8 T cells. This insight sheds a completely new light on the acquisition of viral immune evasion genes during virus-host co-evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia K. Büttner
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sara Becker
- Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Annette Fink
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Melanie M. Brinkmann
- Institute of Genetics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Virology and Innate Immunity Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A. Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Holtappels R, Becker S, Hamdan S, Freitag K, Podlech J, Lemmermann NA, Reddehase MJ. Immunotherapy of cytomegalovirus infection by low-dose adoptive transfer of antiviral CD8 T cells relies on substantial post-transfer expansion of central memory cells but not effector-memory cells. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011643. [PMID: 37972198 PMCID: PMC10688903 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) are host species-specific in their replication. It is a hallmark of all CMVs that productive primary infection is controlled by concerted innate and adaptive immune responses in the immunocompetent host. As a result, the infection usually passes without overt clinical symptoms and develops into latent infection, referred to as "latency". During latency, the virus is maintained in a non-replicative state from which it can reactivate to productive infection under conditions of waning immune surveillance. In contrast, infection of an immunocompromised host causes CMV disease with viral multiple-organ histopathology resulting in organ failure. Primary or reactivated CMV infection of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients in a "window of risk" between therapeutic hemato-ablative leukemia therapy and immune system reconstitution remains a clinical challenge. Studies in the mouse model of experimental HCT and infection with murine CMV (mCMV), followed by clinical trials in HCT patients with human CMV (hCMV) reactivation, have revealed a protective function of virus-specific CD8 T cells upon adoptive cell transfer (AT). Memory CD8 T cells derived from latently infected hosts are a favored source for immunotherapy by AT. Strikingly low numbers of these cells were found to prevent CMV disease, suggesting either an immediate effector function of few transferred cells or a clonal expansion generating high numbers of effector cells. In the murine model, the memory population consists of resting central memory T cells (TCM), as well as of conventional effector-memory T cells (cTEM) and inflationary effector-memory T cells (iTEM). iTEM increase in numbers over time in the latently infected host, a phenomenon known as 'memory inflation' (MI). They thus appeared to be a promising source for use in immunotherapy. However, we show here that iTEM contribute little to the control of infection after AT, which relies almost entirely on superior proliferative potential of TCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sara Becker
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sara Hamdan
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kirsten Freitag
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A. Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Scheller S, Grießl M, Renzaho A, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NA. What drives ‘Memory Inflation’ of CD8 T cells during Cytomegalovirus Latency? Mol Immunol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2022.05.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Holtappels R, Podlech J, Freitag K, Lemmermann NA, Reddehase MJ. Memory CD8 T Cells Protect against Cytomegalovirus Disease by Formation of Nodular Inflammatory Foci Preventing Intra-Tissue Virus Spread. Viruses 2022; 14:v14061145. [PMID: 35746617 PMCID: PMC9229300 DOI: 10.3390/v14061145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) are controlled by innate and adaptive immune responses in an immunocompetent host while causing multiple organ diseases in an immunocompromised host. A risk group of high clinical relevance comprises transiently immunocompromised recipients of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in the “window of risk” between eradicative therapy of hematopoietic malignancies and complete reconstitution of the immune system. Cellular immunotherapy by adoptive transfer of CMV-specific CD8 T cells is an option to prevent CMV disease by controlling a primary or reactivated infection. While experimental models have revealed a viral epitope-specific antiviral function of cognate CD8 T cells, the site at which control is exerted remained unidentified. The observation that remarkably few transferred cells protect all organs may indicate an early blockade of virus dissemination from a primary site of productive infection to various target organs. Alternatively, it could indicate clonal expansion of a few transferred CD8 T cells for preventing intra-tissue virus spread after successful initial organ colonization. Our data in the mouse model of murine CMV infection provide evidence in support of the second hypothesis. We show that transferred cells vigorously proliferate to prevent virus spread, and thus viral histopathology, by confining and eventually resolving tissue infection within nodular inflammatory foci.
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Becker S, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NA. Mast Cells Meet Cytomegalovirus: A New Example of Protective Mast Cell Involvement in an Infectious Disease. Cells 2022; 11:cells11091402. [PMID: 35563708 PMCID: PMC9101682 DOI: 10.3390/cells11091402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) belong to the β-subfamily of herpesviruses. Their host-to-host transmission involves the airways. As primary infection of an immunocompetent host causes only mild feverish symptoms, human CMV (hCMV) is usually not considered in routine differential diagnostics of common airway infections. Medical relevance results from unrestricted tissue infection in an immunocompromised host. One risk group of concern are patients who receive hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for immune reconstitution following hematoablative therapy of hematopoietic malignancies. In HCT patients, interstitial pneumonia is a frequent cause of death from hCMV strains that have developed resistance against antiviral drugs. Prevention of CMV pneumonia requires efficient reconstitution of antiviral CD8 T cells that infiltrate lung tissue. A role for mast cells (MC) in the immune control of lung infection by a CMV was discovered only recently in a mouse model. MC were shown to be susceptible for productive infection and to secrete the chemokine CCL-5, which recruits antiviral CD8 T cells to the lungs and thereby improves the immune control of pulmonary infection. Here, we review recent data on the mechanism of MC-CMV interaction, a field of science that is new for CMV virologists as well as for immunologists who have specialized in MC.
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Blaum F, Lukas D, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NAW. Localization of Viral Epitope-Specific CD8 T Cells during Cytomegalovirus Latency in the Lungs and Recruitment to Lung Parenchyma by Airway Challenge Infection. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11090918. [PMID: 34575067 PMCID: PMC8467276 DOI: 10.3390/life11090918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Interstitial pneumonia is a life-threatening clinical manifestation of cytomegalovirus infection in recipients of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The mouse model of experimental HCT and infection with murine cytomegalovirus revealed that reconstitution of virus-specific CD8+ T cells is critical for resolving productive lung infection. CD8+ T-cell infiltrates persisted in the lungs after the establishment of latent infection. A subset defined by the phenotype KLRG1+CD62L− expanded over time, a phenomenon known as memory inflation (MI). Here we studied the localization of these inflationary T effector-memory cells (iTEM) by comparing their frequencies in the intravascular and transmigration compartments, the IVC and TMC, respectively, with their frequency in the extravascular compartment (EVC), the alveolar epithelium. Frequencies of viral epitope-specific iTEM were comparable in the IVC and TMC but were reduced in the EVC, corresponding to an increase in KLRG1−CD62L− conventional T effector-memory cells (cTEM) and a decrease in functional IFNγ+CD8+ T cells. As maintained expression of KLRG1 requires stimulation by antigen, we conclude that iTEM lose KLRG1 and convert to cTEM after transmigration into the EVC because pneumocytes are not latently infected and, therefore, do not express antigens. Accordingly, antigen re-expression upon airway challenge infection recruited virus-specific CD8+ T cells to TMC and EVC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Blaum
- Institute for Virology, Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (F.B.); (N.A.W.L.)
| | - Dominika Lukas
- Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, University Hospital Cologne and Faculty of Medicine, 50937 Cologne, Germany;
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology, Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (F.B.); (N.A.W.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Niels A. W. Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology, Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (F.B.); (N.A.W.L.)
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Gergely KM, Podlech J, Becker S, Freitag K, Krauter S, Büscher N, Holtappels R, Plachter B, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NAW. Therapeutic Vaccination of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Recipients Improves Protective CD8 T-Cell Immunotherapy of Cytomegalovirus Infection. Front Immunol 2021; 12:694588. [PMID: 34489940 PMCID: PMC8416627 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.694588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) endangers the therapeutic success of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in tumor patients due to cytopathogenic virus spread that leads to organ manifestations of CMV disease, to interstitial pneumonia in particular. In cases of virus variants that are refractory to standard antiviral pharmacotherapy, immunotherapy by adoptive cell transfer (ACT) of virus-specific CD8+ T cells is the last resort to bridge the "protection gap" between hematoablative conditioning for HCT and endogenous reconstitution of antiviral immunity. We have used the well-established mouse model of CD8+ T-cell immunotherapy by ACT in a setting of experimental HCT and murine CMV (mCMV) infection to pursue the concept of improving the efficacy of ACT by therapeutic vaccination (TherVac) post-HCT. TherVac aims at restimulation and expansion of limited numbers of transferred antiviral CD8+ T cells within the recipient. Syngeneic HCT was performed with C57BL/6 mice as donors and recipients. Recipients were infected with recombinant mCMV (mCMV-SIINFEKL) that expresses antigenic peptide SIINFEKL presented to CD8+ T cells by the MHC class-I molecule Kb. ACT was performed with transgenic OT-I CD8+ T cells expressing a T-cell receptor specific for SIINFEKL-Kb. Recombinant human CMV dense bodies (DB-SIINFEKL), engineered to contain SIINFEKL within tegument protein pUL83/pp65, served for vaccination. DBs were chosen as they represent non-infectious, enveloped, and thus fusion-competent subviral particles capable of activating dendritic cells and delivering antigens directly into the cytosol for processing and presentation in the MHC class-I pathway. One set of our experiments documents the power of vaccination with DBs in protecting the immunocompetent host against a challenge infection. A further set of experiments revealed a significant improvement of antiviral control in HCT recipients by combining ACT with TherVac. In both settings, the benefit from vaccination with DBs proved to be strictly epitope-specific. The capacity to protect was lost when DBs included the peptide sequence SIINFEKA lacking immunogenicity and antigenicity due to C-terminal residue point mutation L8A, which prevents efficient proteasomal peptide processing and binding to Kb. Our preclinical research data thus provide an argument for using pre-emptive TherVac to enhance antiviral protection by ACT in HCT recipients with diagnosed CMV reactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Niels A. W. Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Griessl M, Renzaho A, Freitag K, Seckert CK, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NAW. Stochastic Episodes of Latent Cytomegalovirus Transcription Drive CD8 T-Cell "Memory Inflation" and Avoid Immune Evasion. Front Immunol 2021; 12:668885. [PMID: 33968074 PMCID: PMC8100209 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.668885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute infection with murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) is controlled by CD8+ T cells and develops into a state of latent infection, referred to as latency, which is defined by lifelong maintenance of viral genomes but absence of infectious virus in latently infected cell types. Latency is associated with an increase in numbers of viral epitope-specific CD8+ T cells over time, a phenomenon known as "memory inflation" (MI). The "inflationary" subset of CD8+ T cells has been phenotyped as KLRG1+CD62L- effector-memory T cells (iTEM). It is agreed upon that proliferation of iTEM requires repeated episodes of antigen presentation, which implies that antigen-encoding viral genes must be transcribed during latency. Evidence for this has been provided previously for the genes encoding the MI-driving antigenic peptides IE1-YPHFMPTNL and m164-AGPPRYSRI of mCMV in the H-2d haplotype. There exist two competing hypotheses for explaining MI-driving viral transcription. The "reactivation hypothesis" proposes frequent events of productive virus reactivation from latency. Reactivation involves a coordinated gene expression cascade from immediate-early (IE) to early (E) and late phase (L) transcripts, eventually leading to assembly and release of infectious virus. In contrast, the "stochastic transcription hypothesis" proposes that viral genes become transiently de-silenced in latent viral genomes in a stochastic fashion, not following the canonical IE-E-L temporal cascade of reactivation. The reactivation hypothesis, however, is incompatible with the finding that productive virus reactivation is exceedingly rare in immunocompetent mice and observed only under conditions of compromised immunity. In addition, the reactivation hypothesis fails to explain why immune evasion genes, which are regularly expressed during reactivation in the same cells in which epitope-encoding genes are expressed, do not prevent antigen presentation and thus MI. Here we show that IE, E, and L genes are transcribed during latency, though stochastically, not following the IE-E-L temporal cascade. Importantly, transcripts that encode MI-driving antigenic peptides rarely coincide with those that encode immune evasion proteins. As immune evasion can operate only in cis, that is, in a cell that simultaneously expresses antigenic peptides, the stochastic transcription hypothesis explains why immune evasion is not operative in latently infected cells and, therefore, does not interfere with MI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Niels A. W. Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology, Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Schmiedeke JK, Hartmann AK, Ruckenbrod T, Stassen M, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NA. The Anti-apoptotic Murine Cytomegalovirus Protein vMIA-m38.5 Induces Mast Cell Degranulation. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:439. [PMID: 32984069 PMCID: PMC7477074 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mast cells (MC) represent “inbetweeners” of the immune system in that they are part of innate immunity by acting as first-line sentinels for environmental antigens but also provide a link to adaptive immunity by secretion of chemokines that recruit CD8 T cells to organ sites of infection. An interrelationship between MC and cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been a blank area in science until recently when the murine model revealed a role for MC in the resolution of pulmonary infection by murine CMV (mCMV). As to the mechanism, MC were identified as a target cell type of mCMV. Infected MC degranulate and synthesize the CC-chemokine ligand-5 (CCL-5), which is released to attract protective virus-specific CD8 T cells to infected host tissue for confining and eventually resolving the productive, cytopathogenic infection. In a step forward in our understanding of how mCMV infection of MC triggers their degranulation, we document here a critical role for the mCMV m38.5 gene product, a mitochondria-localized inhibitor of apoptosis (vMIA). We show an involvement of mCMV vMIA-m38.5 in MC degranulation by two reciprocal approaches: first, by enhanced degranulation after m38.5 gene transfection of bone marrow-derived cell culture-grown MC (BMMC) and, second, by reduced degranulation of MC in peritoneal exudate cell populations infected ex corpore or in corpore with mutant virus mCMV-Δm38.5. These studies thus reveal a so far unknown function of mCMV vMIA-m38.5 and offer a previously unconsidered but biologically relevant cell system for further analyzing functional analogies between vMIAs of different CMV species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia K Schmiedeke
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Hartmann
- Institute for Immunology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Teresa Ruckenbrod
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael Stassen
- Institute for Immunology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Becker S, Fink A, Podlech J, Giese I, Schmiedeke JK, Bukur T, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NA. Positive Role of the MHC Class-I Antigen Presentation Regulator m04/gp34 of Murine Cytomegalovirus in Antiviral Protection by CD8 T Cells. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:454. [PMID: 32984075 PMCID: PMC7479846 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) codes for MHC class-I trafficking modulators m04/gp34, m06/gp48, and m152/gp40. By interacting with the MHC class-Iα chain, these proteins disconnect peptide-loaded MHC class-I (pMHC-I) complexes from the constitutive vesicular flow to the cell surface. Based on the assumption that all three inhibit antigen presentation, and thus the recognition of infected cells by CD8 T cells, they were referred to as “immunoevasins.” Improved antigen presentation mediated by m04 in the presence of m152 after infection with deletion mutant mCMV-Δm06W, compared to mCMV-Δm04m06 expressing only m152, led us to propose renaming these molecules “viral regulators of antigen presentation” (vRAP) to account for both negative and positive functions. In accordance with a positive function, m04-pMHC-I complexes were found to be displayed on the cell surface, where they are primarily known as ligands for Ly49 family natural killer (NK) cell receptors. Besides the established role of m04 in NK cell silencing or activation, an anti-immunoevasive function by activation of CD8 T cells is conceivable, because the binding site of m04 to MHC class-Iα appears not to mask the peptide binding site for T-cell receptor recognition. However, functional evidence was based on mCMV-Δm06W, a virus of recently doubted authenticity. Here we show that mCMV-Δm06W actually represents a mixture of an authentic m06 deletion mutant and a mutant with an accidental additional deletion of a genome region encompassing also gene m152. Reanalysis of previously published experiments for the authentic mutant in the mixture confirms the previously concluded positive vRAP function of m04.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Becker
- Institute for Virology, Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Annette Fink
- Institute for Virology, Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology, Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Irina Giese
- TRON - Translational Oncology, Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Julia K Schmiedeke
- Institute for Virology, Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Bukur
- TRON - Translational Oncology, Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology, Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology, Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Holtappels R, Freitag K, Renzaho A, Becker S, Lemmermann NA, Reddehase MJ. Revisiting CD8 T-cell 'Memory Inflation': New Insights with Implications for Cytomegaloviruses as Vaccine Vectors. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8030402. [PMID: 32707744 PMCID: PMC7563500 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8030402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Murine models of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection have revealed an exceptional kinetics of the immune response. After resolution of productive infection, transient contraction of the viral epitope-specific CD8 T-cell pool was found to be followed by a pool expansion specific for certain viral epitopes during non-productive ‘latent’ infection. This phenomenon, known as ‘memory inflation’ (MI), was found to be based on inflationary KLRG1+CD62L− effector-memory T cells (iTEM) that depend on repetitive restimulation. MI gained substantial interest for employing CMV as vaccine vector by replacing MI-driving CMV epitopes with foreign epitopes for generating high numbers of protective memory cells specific for unrelated pathogens. The concept of an MI-driving CMV vector is questioned by human studies disputing MI in humans. A bias towards MI in experimental models may have resulted from systemic infection. We have here studied local murine CMV infection as a route that is more closely matching routine human vaccine application. Notably, KLRG1−CD62L+ central memory T cells (TCM) and conventional KLRG1−CD62L− effector memory T cells (cTEM) were found to expand, associated with ‘avidity maturation’, whereas the pool size of iTEM steadily declined over time. The establishment of high avidity CD8 T-cell central memory encourages one to pursue the concept of CMV vector-based vaccines.
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Gezinir E, Podlech J, Gergely KM, Becker S, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NAW. Enhancement of Antigen Presentation by Deletion of Viral Immune Evasion Genes Prevents Lethal Cytomegalovirus Disease in Minor Histocompatibility Antigen-Mismatched Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:279. [PMID: 32582572 PMCID: PMC7296086 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hematoablative treatment followed by hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for reconstituting the co-ablated immune system is a therapeutic option to cure aggressive forms of hematopoietic malignancies. In cases of family donors or unrelated donors, immunogenetic mismatches in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and/or minor histocompatibility (minor-H) loci are unavoidable and bear a risk of graft-vs.-host reaction and disease (GvHR/D). Transient immunodeficiency inherent to the HCT protocol favors a productive reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) that can result in multiple-organ CMV disease. In addition, there exists evidence from a mouse model of MHC class-I-mismatched GvH-HCT to propose that mismatches interfere with an efficient reconstitution of antiviral immunity. Here we used a mouse model of MHC-matched HCT with C57BL/6 donors and MHC-congenic BALB.B recipients that only differ in polymorphic autosomal background genes, including minor-H loci coding for minor-H antigens (minor-HAg). Minor-HAg mismatch is found to promote lethal CMV disease in absence of a detectable GvH response to an immunodominant minor-HAg, the H60 locus-encoded antigenic peptide LYL8. Lethality of infection correlates with inefficient reconstitution of viral epitope-specific CD8+ T cells. Notably, lethality is prevented and control of cytopathogenic infection is restored when viral antigen presentation is enhanced by deletion of immune evasion genes from the infecting virus. We hypothesize that any kind of mismatch in GvH-HCT can induce "non-cognate transplantation tolerance" that dampens not only a mismatch-specific GvH response, which is beneficial, but adversely affects also responses to mismatch-unrelated antigens, such as CMV antigens in the specific case, with the consequence of lethal CMV disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emin Gezinir
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kerstin M Gergely
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sara Becker
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A W Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Renzaho A, Podlech J, Kühnapfel B, Blaum F, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NAW. Cytomegalovirus-Associated Inhibition of Hematopoiesis Is Preventable by Cytoimmunotherapy With Antiviral CD8 T Cells. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:138. [PMID: 32373544 PMCID: PMC7186302 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) in recipients of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) not only results in severe organ manifestations, but can also cause “graft failure” resulting in bone marrow (BM) aplasia. This inhibition of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell engraftment is a manifestation of CMV infection that is long known in clinical hematology as “myelosuppression.” Previous studies in a murine model of sex-chromosome mismatched but otherwise syngeneic HCT and infection with murine CMV have shown that transplanted hematopoietic cells (HC) initially home to the BM stroma of recipients but then fail to further divide and differentiate. Data from this model were in line with the hypothesis that infection of stromal cells, which constitute “hematopoietic niches” where hematopoiesis takes place, causes a local deficiency in essential hematopoietins. Based on this understanding, one must postulate that preventing infection of stromal cells should restore the stroma's capacity to support hematopoiesis. Adoptively-transferred antiviral CD8+ T cells prevent lethal CMV disease by controlling viral spread and histopathology in vital organs, such as liver and lungs. It remained to be tested, however, if they can also prevent infection of the BM stroma and thus allow for successful HC engraftment. Here we demonstrate that antiviral CD8+ T cells control stromal infection. By tracking male donor-derived sry+ HC in the BM of infected female sry− recipients, we show the CD8+ T cells allow for successful donor HC engraftment and thereby prevent CMV-associated BM aplasia. These data provide a further argument for cytoimmunotherapy of CMV infection after HCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelique Renzaho
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Birgit Kühnapfel
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Franziska Blaum
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A W Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Holtappels R, Schader SI, Oettel O, Podlech J, Seckert CK, Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NAW. Insufficient Antigen Presentation Due to Viral Immune Evasion Explains Lethal Cytomegalovirus Organ Disease After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:157. [PMID: 32351904 PMCID: PMC7174590 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) poses a clinical problem in transiently immunocompromised recipients of hematopoietic cell (HC) transplantation (HCT) by viral histopathology that results in multiple organ manifestations. Compared to autologous HCT and to syngeneic HCT performed with identical twins as HC donor and recipient, lethal outcome of CMV infection is more frequent in allogeneic HCT with MHC/HLA or minor histocompatibility loci mismatch between donor and recipient. It is an open question if a graft-vs.-host (GvH) reaction exacerbates CMV disease, or if CMV exacerbates GvH disease (GvHD), or if interference is mutual. Here we have used a mouse model of experimental HCT and murine CMV (mCMV) infection with an MHC class-I mismatch by gene deletion, so that either HCT donor or recipient lack a single MHC class-I molecule, specifically H-2 Ld. This particular immunogenetic disparity has the additional advantage that it allows to experimentally separate GvH reaction of donor-derived T cells against recipient's tissues from host-vs.-graft (HvG) reaction of residual recipient-derived T cells against the transplanted HC and their progeny. While in HvG-HCT with Ld-plus donors and Ld-minus recipients almost all infected recipients were found to control the infection and survived, almost all infected recipients died of uncontrolled virus replication and consequent multiple-organ viral histopathology in case of GvH-HCT with Ld-minus donors and Ld-plus recipients. Unexpectedly, although anti-Ld-reactive CD8+ T cells were detected, mortality was not found to be associated with GvHD histopathology. By comparing HvG-HCT and GvH-HCT, investigation into the mechanism revealed an inefficient reconstitution of antiviral high-avidity CD8+ T cells, associated with lack of formation of protective nodular inflammatory foci (NIF) in host tissue, selectively in GvH-HCT. Most notably, mice infected with an immune evasion gene deletion mutant of mCMV survived under otherwise identical GvH-HCT conditions. Survival was associated with enhanced antigen presentation and formation of protective NIF by antiviral CD8+ T cells that control the infection and prevent viral histopathology. This is an impressive example of lethal viral disease in HCT recipients based on a failure of the immune control of CMV infection due to viral immune evasion in concert with an MHC class-I mismatch.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A. W. Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Krmpotić A, Podlech J, Reddehase MJ, Britt WJ, Jonjić S. Role of antibodies in confining cytomegalovirus after reactivation from latency: three decades' résumé. Med Microbiol Immunol 2019; 208:415-429. [PMID: 30923898 PMCID: PMC6705608 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-019-00600-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) are highly prevalent herpesviruses, characterized by strict species specificity and the ability to establish non-productive latent infection from which reactivation can occur. Reactivation of latent human CMV (HCMV) represents one of the most important clinical challenges in transplant recipients secondary to the strong immunosuppression. In addition, HCMV is the major viral cause of congenital infection with severe sequelae including brain damage. The accumulated evidence clearly shows that cellular immunity plays a major role in the control of primary CMV infection as well as establishment and maintenance of latency. However, the efficiency of antiviral antibodies in virus control, particularly in prevention of congenital infection and virus reactivation from latency in immunosuppressed hosts, is much less understood. Because of a strict species specificity of HCMV, the role of antibodies in controlling CMV disease has been addressed using murine CMV (MCMV) as a model. Here, we review and discuss the role played by the antiviral antibody response during CMV infections with emphasis on latency and reactivation not only in the MCMV model, but also in relevant clinical settings. We provide evidence to conclude that antiviral antibodies do not prevent the initiating molecular event of virus reactivation from latency but operate by preventing intra-organ spread and inter-organ dissemination of recurrent virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Krmpotić
- Department of Histology and Embryology and Center for Proteomics, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - William J. Britt
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA and Department of Pediatrics Infectious Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Stipan Jonjić
- Department of Histology and Embryology and Center for Proteomics, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
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17
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
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18
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Reddehase MJ. Adverse immunological imprinting by cytomegalovirus sensitizing for allergic airway disease. Med Microbiol Immunol 2019; 208:469-473. [PMID: 31076879 PMCID: PMC7086984 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-019-00610-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has a profound impact on the host’s immune system. Immunological imprinting by CMV is not restricted to immunity against CMV itself, but can affect immunity against other viral or non-viral infectious agents and also immunopathological responses. One category is heterologous immunity based on molecular mimicry, where antigen recognition receptors specific for a CMV antigen with broad avidity distribution also bind with some avidity to unrelated antigens and exert effector functions against target structures other than those linked to CMV. Another category is induction of cytokines by CMV infection that inhibit or drive immune responses to bystander antigens unrelated to CMV, and a third category is the activation of antigen-presenting cells by CMV from which unrelated antigens profit as “stowaways”. A striking example of the “stowaway” category, actually one that is of medical importance, has been published recently and will be discussed here for the more general reader. Specifically, in a murine model, CMV airway infection and inhaled environmental antigen of poor intrinsic allergenic potential were found to sensitize for allergic airway disease (AAD) only when combined. As to the mechanism, viral activation of CD11b+ conventional dendritic cells (CD11b+ cDC) that localize to airway mucosa facilitates uptake and processing of inhaled antigen. Thus, CMV serves as a “door opener” for otherwise harmless environmental antigens that have no intrinsic property to activate DC. Antigen-laden CD11b+ cDC migrate selectively to the airway draining lymph nodes, where they prime type-2 CD4+ T helper (Th-2) cells. Upon airway re-exposure to the inhaled antigen, Th-2 cells secrete interleukins (IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-25) known to induce goblet cell metaplasia, the lead histopathological manifestation of AAD that is characterized by thickening of airway epithelia and increased numbers of mucus-producing goblet cells, resulting in enhanced mucus secretion and airflow obstruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
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19
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Adler SP, Reddehase MJ. Pediatric roots of cytomegalovirus recurrence and memory inflation in the elderly. Med Microbiol Immunol 2019; 208:323-328. [PMID: 31062089 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-019-00609-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of a lifelong latent infection after resolution of primary infection is a hallmark of cytomegalovirus (CMV) biology. Primary infection with human CMV is possible any time in life, but most frequently, virus transmission occurs already perinatally or in early childhood. Many years or even decades later, severe clinical problems can result from recurrence of infectious virus by reactivation from latency in individuals who undergo immunocompromising medical treatment, for instance, transplant recipients, but also in septic patients without canonical immunosuppression, and in elderly people with a weakened immune system. The diversity of disease manifestations, such as retinitis, pneumonia, hepatitis, gastrointestinal disease, and others, has remained an enigma. In clinical routine, seropositivity for IgG antibodies against human CMV is taken to indicate latent infection and thus to define a qualitative risk of recurrence, but it is insufficient as a predictor for the quantitative risk of recurrence. Early experimental studies in the mouse model, comparing primary infection of neonatal and adult mice, led to the hypothesis that high load of latent viral genomes is a better predictor for the quantitative risk. A prolonged period of virus multiplication in the immunologically immature neonatally infected host increased the risk of virus recurrence by an enhanced copy number of latent virus genomes from which reactivation can initiate. In extension of this hypothesis, one would predict today that a higher incidence of reactivation events will also fuel the expansion of virus-specific T cells observed in the elderly, a phenomenon known as "memory inflation". Notably, the mouse model also indicated a stochastic nature of reactivation, thus offering an explanation for the diversity and organ selectivity of disease manifestations observed in patients. As the infection history is mostly undefined in humans, such predictions from the mouse model are difficult to verify by clinical investigation, and moreover, such questions were actually rarely addressed. Here, we have surveyed the existing literature for reports that may help to retrospectively relate the individual infection history to the risk of virus recurrence and recrudescent organ disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart P Adler
- CMV Research Foundation, 9304 Bandock Road, Richmond, VA, 23229, USA.
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
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Abstract
Cytomegaloviruses (CMVs), members of the β-subfamily of the herpesvirus family, have co-speciated with their respective mammalian hosts resulting in a mutual virus-host adaptation reflected by sets of 'private' viral genes that a particular CMV species does not share with other CMVs and that define the host-species specificity of CMVs. Nonetheless, based on "biological convergence" in evolution, fundamental rules in viral pathogenesis and immune control are functionally analogous between different virus-host pairs. Therefore, the mouse model of infection with murine CMV (mCMV) has revealed generally valid principles of CMV-host interactions. Specifically, the mouse model has paved the way to cellular immunotherapy of CMV disease in immunocompromised recipients of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Precisely in the context of HCT, however, current view assumes that there exists a major difference between hCMV and mCMV regarding "latent virus reservoirs" in that only hCMV establishes latency in hematopoietic lineage cells (HLCs), whereas mCMV establishes latency in endothelial cells. This would imply that only hCMV can reactivate from transplanted HLCs of a latently infected donor. In addition, as viral transcriptional activity during latency is discussed as a driver of clonal T-cell expansion over lifetime, a phenomenon known as "memory inflation", it is important to know if hCMV and mCMV establish latency in the same cell type(s) for imprinting the immune system. Here, we review the currently available evidence to propose that the alleged difference in latent virus reservoirs between hCMV and mCMV may rather relate to a difference in the focus of research. While studies on hCMV latency in HLCs likely described a non-canonical, transient type-2 latency, studies in the mouse model focussed on canonical, lifelong type-1 latency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Niels A W Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
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21
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Reuter S, Lemmermann NAW, Maxeiner J, Podlech J, Beckert H, Freitag K, Teschner D, Ries F, Taube C, Buhl R, Reddehase MJ, Holtappels R. Coincident airway exposure to low-potency allergen and cytomegalovirus sensitizes for allergic airway disease by viral activation of migratory dendritic cells. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007595. [PMID: 30845208 PMCID: PMC6405056 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite a broad cell-type tropism, cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an evidentially pulmonary pathogen. Predilection for the lungs is of medical relevance in immunocompromised recipients of hematopoietic cell transplantation, in whom interstitial CMV pneumonia is a frequent and, if left untreated, fatal clinical manifestation of human CMV infection. A conceivable contribution of CMV to airway diseases of other etiology is an issue that so far attracted little medical attention. As the route of primary CMV infection upon host-to-host transmission in early childhood involves airway mucosa, coincidence of CMV airway infection and exposure to airborne environmental antigens is almost unavoidable. For investigating possible consequences of such a coincidence, we established a mouse model of airway co-exposure to CMV and ovalbumin (OVA) representing a protein antigen of an inherently low allergenic potential. Accordingly, intratracheal OVA exposure alone failed to sensitize for allergic airway disease (AAD) upon OVA aerosol challenge. In contrast, airway infection at the time of OVA sensitization predisposed for AAD that was characterized by airway inflammation, IgE secretion, thickening of airway epithelia, and goblet cell hyperplasia. This AAD histopathology was associated with a T helper type 2 (Th2) transcription profile in the lungs, including IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-25, known inducers of Th2-driven AAD. These symptoms were all prevented by a pre-challenge depletion of CD4+ T cells, but not of CD8+ T cells. As to the underlying mechanism, murine CMV activated migratory CD11b+ as well as CD103+ conventional dendritic cells (cDCs), which have been associated with Th2 cytokine-driven AAD and with antigen cross-presentation, respectively. This resulted in an enhanced OVA uptake and recruitment of the OVA-laden cDCs selectively to the draining tracheal lymph nodes for antigen presentation. We thus propose that CMV, through activation of migratory cDCs in the airway mucosa, can enhance the allergenic potential of otherwise poorly allergenic environmental protein antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Reuter
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Medical Center Essen-Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany
| | - Niels A. W. Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Joachim Maxeiner
- Asthma Core Facility and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hendrik Beckert
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Medical Center Essen-Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany
- Department of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Pneumonology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kirsten Freitag
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Daniel Teschner
- Department of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Pneumonology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Frederic Ries
- Department of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Pneumonology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christian Taube
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Medical Center Essen-Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany
| | - Roland Buhl
- Department of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Pneumonology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Reddehase MJ, Lemmermann NAW. Mouse Model of Cytomegalovirus Disease and Immunotherapy in the Immunocompromised Host: Predictions for Medical Translation that Survived the "Test of Time". Viruses 2018; 10:v10120693. [PMID: 30563202 PMCID: PMC6315540 DOI: 10.3390/v10120693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human Cytomegalovirus (hCMV), which is the prototype member of the β-subfamily of the herpesvirus family, is a pathogen of high clinical relevance in recipients of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). hCMV causes multiple-organ disease and interstitial pneumonia in particular upon infection during the immunocompromised period before hematopoietic reconstitution restores antiviral immunity. Clinical investigation of pathomechanisms and of strategies for an immune intervention aimed at restoring antiviral immunity earlier than by hematopoietic reconstitution are limited in patients to observational studies mainly because of ethical issues including the imperative medical indication for chemotherapy with antivirals. Aimed experimental studies into mechanisms, thus, require animal models that match the human disease as close as possible. Any model for hCMV disease is, however, constrained by the strict host-species specificity of CMVs that prevents the study of hCMV in any animal model including non-human primates. During eons of co-speciation, CMVs each have evolved a set of "private genes" in adaptation to their specific mammalian host including genes that have no homolog in the CMV virus species of any other host species. With a focus on the mouse model of CD8 T cell-based immunotherapy of CMV disease after experimental HCT and infection with murine CMV (mCMV), we review data in support of the phenomenon of "biological convergence" in virus-host adaptation. This includes shared fundamental principles of immune control and immune evasion, which allows us to at least make reasoned predictions from the animal model as an experimental "proof of concept." The aim of a model primarily is to define questions to be addressed by clinical investigation for verification, falsification, or modification and the results can then give feedback to refine the experimental model for research from "bedside to bench".
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center and Center for Immunotherapy of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Str. 67, D-55131 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Niels A W Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center and Center for Immunotherapy of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Str. 67, D-55131 Mainz, Germany.
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Lemmermann NAW, Reddehase MJ. TLR3-independent activation of mast cells by cytomegalovirus contributes to control of pulmonary infection. Cell Mol Immunol 2017; 14:479-481. [PMID: 28479599 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2017.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Niels A W Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
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Popovic B, Golemac M, Podlech J, Zeleznjak J, Bilic-Zulle L, Lukic ML, Cicin-Sain L, Reddehase MJ, Sparwasser T, Krmpotic A, Jonjic S. IL-33/ST2 pathway drives regulatory T cell dependent suppression of liver damage upon cytomegalovirus infection. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006345. [PMID: 28448566 PMCID: PMC5423658 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells dampen an exaggerated immune response to viral infections in order to avoid immunopathology. Cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) are herpesviruses usually causing asymptomatic infection in immunocompetent hosts and induce strong cellular immunity which provides protection against CMV disease. It remains unclear how these persistent viruses manage to avoid induction of immunopathology not only during the acute infection but also during life-long persistence and virus reactivation. This may be due to numerous viral immunoevasion strategies used to specifically modulate immune responses but also induction of Treg cells by CMV infection. Here we demonstrate that liver Treg cells are strongly induced in mice infected with murine CMV (MCMV). The depletion of Treg cells results in severe hepatitis and liver damage without alterations in the virus load. Moreover, liver Treg cells show a high expression of ST2, a cellular receptor for tissue alarmin IL-33, which is strongly upregulated in the liver of infected mice. We demonstrated that IL-33 signaling is crucial for Treg cell accumulation after MCMV infection and ST2-deficient mice show a more pronounced liver pathology and higher mortality compared to infected control mice. These results illustrate the importance of IL-33 in the suppressive function of liver Treg cells during CMV infection. Treg cells are crucial for immune homeostasis and for dampening immune response to several diseased conditions, including viral infections. Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) is a herpesvirus with pathogenic potential, so that early immune mechanisms are essential in controlling virus and protecting from virus-induced pathology. Studies on Foxp3+ Treg cells have revealed their inhibitory role on the early T cell response to MCMV infection and have suggested Treg cells as a target of MCMV’s immunoevasion mechanisms. Here we demonstrate that the number and activation status of liver Treg cells is strongly induced upon MCMV infection in order to protect the host from severe liver damage. They constitutively express high amounts of IL-33 receptor ST2 and their accumulation depends on IL-33, which is released as a tissue alarmin after the cell damage. For the first time, we show an immunoregulatory role of IL-33-dependent Treg cells in the liver of MCMV infected mice and their suppression of MCMV-induced immunopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branka Popovic
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Mijo Golemac
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jelena Zeleznjak
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Lidija Bilic-Zulle
- Clinical Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics, Clinical Hospital Center, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Miodrag L. Lukic
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
| | - Luka Cicin-Sain
- Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig site, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tim Sparwasser
- Institute of Infection Immunology, TWINCORE, Hannover, Germany
| | - Astrid Krmpotic
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Stipan Jonjic
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
- * E-mail:
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25
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Dekhtiarenko I, Ratts RB, Blatnik R, Lee LN, Fischer S, Borkner L, Oduro JD, Marandu TF, Hoppe S, Ruzsics Z, Sonnemann JK, Mansouri M, Meyer C, Lemmermann NAW, Holtappels R, Arens R, Klenerman P, Früh K, Reddehase MJ, Riemer AB, Cicin-Sain L. Peptide Processing Is Critical for T-Cell Memory Inflation and May Be Optimized to Improve Immune Protection by CMV-Based Vaccine Vectors. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1006072. [PMID: 27977791 PMCID: PMC5158087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) elicits long-term T-cell immunity of unparalleled strength, which has allowed the development of highly protective CMV-based vaccine vectors. Counterintuitively, experimental vaccines encoding a single MHC-I restricted epitope offered better immune protection than those expressing entire proteins, including the same epitope. To clarify this conundrum, we generated recombinant murine CMVs (MCMVs) encoding well-characterized MHC-I epitopes at different positions within viral genes and observed strong immune responses and protection against viruses and tumor growth when the epitopes were expressed at the protein C-terminus. We used the M45-encoded conventional epitope HGIRNASFI to dissect this phenomenon at the molecular level. A recombinant MCMV expressing HGIRNASFI on the C-terminus of M45, in contrast to wild-type MCMV, enabled peptide processing by the constitutive proteasome, direct antigen presentation, and an inflation of antigen-specific effector memory cells. Consequently, our results indicate that constitutive proteasome processing of antigenic epitopes in latently infected cells is required for robust inflationary responses. This insight allows utilizing the epitope positioning in the design of CMV-based vectors as a novel strategy for enhancing their efficacy. Experimental cytomegalovirus (CMV) based vaccine vectors have provided highly encouraging results as innovative vaccine formulations against deadly virus infections, such as Ebola or AIDS. Nevertheless, it has remained incompletely understood why CMV is so efficient at stimulating T-lymphocytes, the immune cells that recognize pathogens within infected cells. We have generated an array of CMV mutants expressing the same antigen in different genes or in different parts of the same gene. This allowed us to identify that the immediate environment of the antigen, rather than properties of the antigen itself, crucially determine the immune protection conferred by CMV-based vaccines, implying that optimal immunity depends on the ability of host cells to degrade CMV proteins into peptides, short units that are recognized by T-cells. Detailed analysis revealed that strong and sustained T-cell immunity occurs only when their antigenic targets are processed by a primitive cellular machinery that is present in all cells of the body, rather than by its newly-evolved counterpart, which is present only in specialized antigen-presenting cells. Most importantly, our results provide a simple strategy to develop improved CMV vaccines by positioning the antigenic peptides at the right spot in CMV proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iryna Dekhtiarenko
- Department of Vaccinology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Renata Blatnik
- Immunotherapy and prevention, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Molecular Vaccine Design, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lian N. Lee
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sonja Fischer
- Department of Vaccinology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lisa Borkner
- Department of Vaccinology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jennifer D. Oduro
- Department of Vaccinology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thomas F. Marandu
- Department of Vaccinology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
- Dar es Salaam University College of Education, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Stephanie Hoppe
- Immunotherapy and prevention, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Molecular Vaccine Design, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Zsolt Ruzsics
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Julia K. Sonnemann
- Department of Vaccinology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Mandana Mansouri
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | | | - Niels A. W. Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Ramon Arens
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Paul Klenerman
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Klaus Früh
- TomegaVax Inc., Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Angelika B. Riemer
- Immunotherapy and prevention, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Molecular Vaccine Design, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Luka Cicin-Sain
- Department of Vaccinology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover/Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute for Virology, Medical School Hannover, Germany
- * E-mail:
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26
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Chopra M, Biehl M, Steinfatt T, Brandl A, Kums J, Amich J, Vaeth M, Kuen J, Holtappels R, Podlech J, Mottok A, Kraus S, Jordán-Garrote AL, Bäuerlein CA, Brede C, Ribechini E, Fick A, Seher A, Polz J, Ottmüller KJ, Baker J, Nishikii H, Ritz M, Mattenheimer K, Schwinn S, Winter T, Schäfer V, Krappmann S, Einsele H, Müller TD, Reddehase MJ, Lutz MB, Männel DN, Berberich-Siebelt F, Wajant H, Beilhack A. Exogenous TNFR2 activation protects from acute GvHD via host T reg cell expansion. J Exp Med 2016; 213:1881-900. [PMID: 27526711 PMCID: PMC4995078 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20151563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of TNFR2 with a novel agonist expands T reg cells in vivo and protects allo-HCT recipients from acute GvHD while sparing antilymphoma and antiinfectious properties of transplanted donor T cells. Donor CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (T reg cells) suppress graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT [allo-HCT]). Current clinical study protocols rely on the ex vivo expansion of donor T reg cells and their infusion in high numbers. In this study, we present a novel strategy for inhibiting GvHD that is based on the in vivo expansion of recipient T reg cells before allo-HCT, exploiting the crucial role of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) in T reg cell biology. Expanding radiation-resistant host T reg cells in recipient mice using a mouse TNFR2-selective agonist before allo-HCT significantly prolonged survival and reduced GvHD severity in a TNFR2- and T reg cell–dependent manner. The beneficial effects of transplanted T cells against leukemia cells and infectious pathogens remained unaffected. A corresponding human TNFR2-specific agonist expanded human T reg cells in vitro. These observations indicate the potential of our strategy to protect allo-HCT patients from acute GvHD by expanding T reg cells via selective TNFR2 activation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Chopra
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marlene Biehl
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tim Steinfatt
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Graduate School of Life Sciences, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Brandl
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Juliane Kums
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jorge Amich
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Martin Vaeth
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Janina Kuen
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology and Research Center of Immunotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology and Research Center of Immunotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Anja Mottok
- Institute of Pathology, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sabrina Kraus
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ana-Laura Jordán-Garrote
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Graduate School of Life Sciences, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Carina A Bäuerlein
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Graduate School of Life Sciences, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Brede
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Graduate School of Life Sciences, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eliana Ribechini
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Fick
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Axel Seher
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Polz
- Institute of Immunology, Regensburg University, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Katja J Ottmüller
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Graduate School of Life Sciences, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jeanette Baker
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Hidekazu Nishikii
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Miriam Ritz
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Mattenheimer
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Schwinn
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Winter
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Viktoria Schäfer
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sven Krappmann
- Microbiology Institute, Clinical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, University Hospital Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Hermann Einsele
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas D Müller
- Department for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center of Immunotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Manfred B Lutz
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Daniela N Männel
- Institute of Immunology, Regensburg University, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Harald Wajant
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Beilhack
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany Graduate School of Life Sciences, Würzburg University, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
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27
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Reddehase MJ. Mutual Interference between Cytomegalovirus and Reconstitution of Protective Immunity after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Front Immunol 2016; 7:294. [PMID: 27540380 PMCID: PMC4972816 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a therapy option for aggressive forms of hematopoietic malignancies that are resistant to standard antitumoral therapies. Hematoablative treatment preceding HCT, however, opens a “window of opportunity” for latent Cytomegalovirus (CMV) by releasing it from immune control with the consequence of reactivation of productive viral gene expression and recurrence of infectious virus. A “window of opportunity” for the virus represents a “window of risk” for the patient. In the interim between HCT and reconstitution of antiviral immunity, primarily mediated by CD8+ T cells, initially low amounts of reactivated virus can expand exponentially, disseminate to essentially all organs, and cause multiple organ CMV disease, with interstitial pneumonia (CMV-IP) representing the most severe clinical manifestation. Here, I will review predictions originally made in the mouse model of experimental HCT and murine CMV infection, some of which have already paved the way to translational preclinical research and promising clinical trials of a preemptive cytoimmunotherapy of human CMV disease. Specifically, the mouse model has been pivotal in providing “proof of concept” for preventing CMV disease after HCT by adoptive transfer of preselected, virus epitope-specific effector and memory CD8+ T cells bridging the critical interim. However, CMV is not a “passive antigen” but is a pathogen that actively interferes with the reconstitution of protective immunity by infecting bone marrow (BM) stromal cells that otherwise form niches for hematopoiesis by providing the structural microenvironment and by producing hematopoietically active cytokines, the hemopoietins. Depending on the precise conditions of HCT, reduced homing of transplanted hematopoietic stem- and progenitor cells to infected BM stroma and impaired colony growth and lineage differentiation can lead to “graft failure.” In consequence, uncontrolled virus spread causes morbidity and mortality. In the race between viral BM pathology and reconstitution of antiviral immunity following HCT, exogenous reconstitution of virus-specific CD8+ T cells by adoptive cell transfer as an interventional strategy can turn the balance toward control of CMV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias J Reddehase
- Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), Institute for Virology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz , Mainz , Germany
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28
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Holtappels R, Lemmermann NAW, Podlech J, Ebert S, Reddehase MJ. Reconstitution of CD8 T Cells Protective against Cytomegalovirus in a Mouse Model of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Dynamics and Inessentiality of Epitope Immunodominance. Front Immunol 2016; 7:232. [PMID: 27379095 PMCID: PMC4905951 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful reconstitution of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific CD8+ T cells by hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) gives a favorable prognosis for the control of CMV reactivation and prevention of CMV disease after hematoablative therapy of hematopoietic malignancies. In the transient immunocompromised state after HCT, pre-emptive cytoimmunotherapy with viral epitope-specific effector or memory CD8+ T cells is a promising option to speed up antiviral control. Despite high-coding capacity of CMVs and a broad CD8+ T-cell response on the population level, which reflects polymorphism in major histocompatibility complex class-I (MHC-I) glycoproteins, the response in terms of quantity of CD8+ T cells in any individual is directed against a limited set of CMV-encoded epitopes selected for presentation by the private repertoire of MHC-I molecules. Such epitopes are known as “immunodominant” epitopes (IDEs). Besides host immunogenetics, genetic variance in CMV strains harbored as latent viruses by an individual HCT recipient can also determine the set of IDEs, which complicates a “personalized immunotherapy.” It is, therefore, an important question if IDE-specific CD8+ T-cell reconstitution after HCT is critical or dispensable for antiviral control. As viruses with targeted mutations of IDEs cannot be experimentally tested in HCT patients, we employed the well-established mouse model of HCT. Notably, control of murine CMV (mCMV) after HCT was comparably efficient for IDE-deletion mutant mCMV-Δ4IDE and the corresponding IDE-expressing revertant virus mCMV-Δ4IDE-rev. Thus, antigenicity-loss mutations in IDEs do not result in loss-of-function of a polyclonal CD8+ T-cell population. Although IDE deletion was not associated with global changes in the response to non-IDE epitopes, the collective of non-IDE-specific CD8+ T-cells infiltrates infected tissue and confines infection within nodular inflammatory foci. We conclude from the model, and predict also for human CMV, that there is no need to exclusively aim for IDE-specific immunoreconstitution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz , Mainz , Germany
| | - Niels A W Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz , Mainz , Germany
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz , Mainz , Germany
| | - Stefan Ebert
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz , Mainz , Germany
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz , Mainz , Germany
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Holtappels R, Podlech J, Lemmermann NAW, Schmitt E, Reddehase MJ. Non-cognate bystander cytolysis by clonal epitope-specific CTL lines through CD28-CD80 interaction inhibits antibody production: A potential caveat to CD8 T-cell immunotherapy. Cell Immunol 2016; 308:44-56. [PMID: 26717854 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive transfer of virus epitope-specific CD8 T cells is an immunotherapy option to control cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and prevent CMV organ disease in immunocompromised solid organ transplantation (SOT) and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients. The therapy aims at an early, selective recognition and cytolysis of infected cells for preventing viral spread in tissues with no adverse immunopathogenic side-effects by attack of uninfected bystander cells. Here we describe that virus epitope-specific, cloned T-cell lines lyse target cells that present the cognate antigenic peptide to the TCR, but simultaneously have the potential to lyse uninfected cells expressing the CD28 ligand CD80 (B7-1). While TCR-mediated cytolysis requires co-receptor CD8 and depends on perforin, the TCR-independent and viral epitope-independent cytolysis through CD28-CD80 signaling does not require CD8 on the effector cells and is perforin-independent. Importantly, this non-cognate cytolysis pathway leads to bystander cytolysis of CD80-expressing B-cell blasts and thereby inhibits pan-specific antibody production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A W Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Edgar Schmitt
- Institute for Immunology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
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Thomas S, Klobuch S, Podlech J, Plachter B, Hoffmann P, Renzaho A, Theobald M, Reddehase MJ, Herr W, Lemmermann NAW. Evaluating Human T-Cell Therapy of Cytomegalovirus Organ Disease in HLA-Transgenic Mice. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1005049. [PMID: 26181057 PMCID: PMC4504510 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactivation of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can cause severe disease in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Although preclinical research in murine models as well as clinical trials have provided 'proof of concept' for infection control by pre-emptive CD8 T-cell immunotherapy, there exists no predictive model to experimentally evaluate parameters that determine antiviral efficacy of human T cells in terms of virus control in functional organs, prevention of organ disease, and host survival benefit. We here introduce a novel mouse model for testing HCMV epitope-specific human T cells. The HCMV UL83/pp65-derived NLV-peptide was presented by transgenic HLA-A2.1 in the context of a lethal infection of NOD/SCID/IL-2rg-/- mice with a chimeric murine CMV, mCMV-NLV. Scenarios of HCMV-seropositive and -seronegative human T-cell donors were modeled by testing peptide-restimulated and T-cell receptor-transduced human T cells, respectively. Upon transfer, the T cells infiltrated host tissues in an epitope-specific manner, confining the infection to nodular inflammatory foci. This resulted in a significant reduction of viral load, diminished organ pathology, and prolonged survival. The model has thus proven its potential for a preclinical testing of the protective antiviral efficacy of HCMV epitope-specific human T cells in the evaluation of new approaches to an immunotherapy of CMV disease. Pre-emptive CD8 T-cell therapy of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) disease in immunocompromised recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation gave promising results in clinical trials, but limited efficacy and the need of HCMV-seropositive memory cell donors has so far prevented adoptive cell transfer from becoming clinical routine. Further development is currently hampered by the lack of experimental animal models that allow preclinical testing of the protective efficacy of human T cells in functional organs. While humanized mouse models with human tissue implants are technically and statistically demanding, and are limited to studying human T-cell activation and local virus control in the implants, a more feasible model for control of systemic infection and prevention of multiple-organ CMV disease is regrettably missing. Here we introduce such a model based on infection of genetically immunocompromised, HLA-A2.1-transgenic NOD/SCID/IL-2rg-/- mice with a chimeric murine CMV engineered to express the HCMV NLV-peptide epitope. Mimicking the scenario of HCMV-unexperienced donors, human T cells transduced with a human T-cell receptor specific for HLA-A.2.1-presented NLV peptide controlled systemic infection and moderated organ disease resulting in a survival benefit. The model promises to become instrumental in defining T-cell properties that determine their protective efficacy for a further development of adoptive immunotherapy of post-transplantation CMV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Thomas
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Regensburg Center of Interventional Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology, Oncology and Pneumology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Sebastian Klobuch
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology, Oncology and Pneumology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Bodo Plachter
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Petra Hoffmann
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Regensburg Center of Interventional Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Angelique Renzaho
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Theobald
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology, Oncology and Pneumology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Herr
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Regensburg Center of Interventional Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology, Oncology and Pneumology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A. W. Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
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Reddehase MJ. Margaret Gladys Smith, mother of cytomegalovirus: 60th anniversary of cytomegalovirus isolation. Med Microbiol Immunol 2015; 204:239-41. [PMID: 25864083 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-015-0416-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology, Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany,
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Fink A, Blaum F, Babic Cac M, Ebert S, Lemmermann NAW, Reddehase MJ. An endocytic YXXΦ (YRRF) cargo sorting motif in the cytoplasmic tail of murine cytomegalovirus AP2 'adapter adapter' protein m04/gp34 antagonizes virus evasion of natural killer cells. Med Microbiol Immunol 2015; 204:383-94. [PMID: 25850989 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-015-0414-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Viruses have evolved proteins that bind immunologically relevant cargo molecules at the cell surface for their downmodulation by internalization. Via a tyrosine-based sorting motif YXXΦ in their cytoplasmic tails, they link the bound cargo to the cellular adapter protein-2 (AP2), thereby sorting it into clathrin-triskelion-coated pits for accelerated endocytosis. Downmodulation of CD4 molecules by lentiviral protein NEF represents the most prominent example. Based on connecting cargo to cellular adapter molecules, such specialized viral proteins have been referred to as 'connectors' or 'adapter adapters.' Murine cytomegalovirus glycoprotein m04/gp34 binds stably to MHC class-I (MHC-I) molecules and suspiciously carries a canonical YXXΦ endocytosis motif YRRF in its cytoplasmic tail. Disconnection from AP2 by motif mutation ARRF should retain m04-MHC-I complexes at the cell surface and result in an enhanced silencing of natural killer (NK) cells, which recognize them via inhibitory receptors. We have tested this prediction with a recombinant virus in which the AP2 motif is selectively destroyed by point mutation Y248A, and compared this with the deletion of the complete protein in a Δm04 mutant. Phenotypes were antithetical in that loss of AP2-binding enhanced NK cell silencing, whereas absence of m04-MHC-I released them from silencing. We thus conclude that AP2-binding antagonizes NK cell silencing by enhancing endocytosis of the inhibitory ligand m04-MHC-I. Based on a screen for tyrosine-based endocytic motifs in cytoplasmic tail sequences, we propose here the new hypothesis that most proteins of the m02-m16 gene family serve as 'adapter adapters,' each selecting its specific cell surface cargo for clathrin-assisted internalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Fink
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131, Mainz, Germany,
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Erlach KC, Reddehase MJ, Podlech J. Mechanism of tumor remission by cytomegalovirus in a murine lymphoma model: evidence for involvement of virally induced cellular interleukin-15. Med Microbiol Immunol 2015; 204:355-66. [PMID: 25805565 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-015-0408-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
A murine model of B and T cell lymphomas in recipients after hematoablative conditioning for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has previously revealed a tumor-repressive, metastasis-inhibiting function of murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV). More recently, this prediction from the experimental model was put on trial in several clinical studies that indeed gave evidence for a lower incidence of tumor relapse associated with early reactivation of latent human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) after allogeneic HCT in patients treated against different types of hematopoietic malignancies, including lymphoma and acute as well as chronic leukemias. Due to the limitations inherent to clinical studies, the tumor-repressive role of hCMV remained observational with no approach to clarify mechanisms. Although the tumor-repressive mechanisms of mCMV and hCMV may differ and depend on the type of tumor, experimental approaches in the murine model might give valuable hints for concepts to follow in clinical research. We have previously shown for the liver-adapted A20-derived B cell lymphoma E12E that mCMV does not infect the lymphoma cells for causing cell death by viral cytopathogenicity but triggers tumor-selective apoptosis at a tissue site of tumor metastasis distant from a local site of infection. This finding suggested involvement of a cytokine that triggers apoptosis, directly or indirectly. Here we used a series of differential high-density microarray analyses to identify cellular genes whose expression is specifically upregulated at the site of virus entry only by viruses capable of triggering lymphoma cell apoptosis. This strategy identified interleukin-15 (IL-15) as most promising candidate, eventually confirmed by lymphoma repression with recombinant IL-15.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja C Erlach
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131, Mainz, Germany
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Holtappels R, Lemmermann NAW, Thomas D, Renzaho A, Reddehase MJ. Identification of an atypical CD8 T cell epitope encoded by murine cytomegalovirus ORF-M54 gaining dominance after deletion of the immunodominant antiviral CD8 T cell specificities. Med Microbiol Immunol 2015; 204:317-26. [PMID: 25805564 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-015-0404-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Control of murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) infection is mediated primarily by CD8 T cells, with four specificities dominating in BALB/c mice. Functional deletion of the respective immunodominant epitopes (IDEs) in mutant virus Δ4IDE revealed a still efficient control of infection. In a murine model of hematopoietic cell transplantation and infection with Δ4IDE, an mCMV-specific open reading frame (ORF) library screening assay indicated a strong CD8 T cell reactivity against the ORF-M54 product, the highly conserved and essential mCMV homolog of human CMV DNA polymerase UL54, which is a known inducer of in vivo protection against mCMV by DNA immunization. Applying bioinformatic algorithms for CD8 T cell epitope prediction, the top-scoring peptides were used to stimulate ex vivo-isolated CD8 T cells and to generate cytolytic T cell lines; yet, this approach failed to identify M54 epitope(s). As an alternative, a peptide library consisting of 549 10-mers with an offset of two amino acids (aa), covering the complete aa-sequence of the M54 protein, was synthesized and used for the stimulation. A region of 12 aa proved to encompass an epitope. An 'alanine walk' over this antigenic 12-mer and all possible 11-, 10- and 9-mers derived thereof revealed aa-residues critical for antigenicity, and terminal truncations identified the H-2D(d) presented 8-mer M5483-90 as the optimal epitope. An increased frequency of the corresponding CD8 T cells in the absence of the 4 IDEs indicated immunodomination by the IDE-specific CD8 T cells as a mechanism by which the generation of M54-specific CD8 T cells is inhibited after infection with wild-type mCMV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131, Mainz, Germany,
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Podlech J, Reddehase MJ, Adler B, Lemmermann NAW. Principles for studying in vivo attenuation of virus mutants: defining the role of the cytomegalovirus gH/gL/gO complex as a paradigm. Med Microbiol Immunol 2015; 204:295-305. [DOI: 10.1007/s00430-015-0405-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Podlech J, Ebert S, Becker M, Reddehase MJ, Stassen M, Lemmermann NAW. Mast cells: innate attractors recruiting protective CD8 T cells to sites of cytomegalovirus infection. Med Microbiol Immunol 2015; 204:327-34. [PMID: 25648117 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-015-0386-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the transient immunocompromised state after hematoablative treatment is a major concern in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) as a therapy of hematopoietic malignancies. Timely reconstitution of antiviral CD8 T cells and their efficient recruitment to the lungs is crucial for preventing interstitial pneumonia, the most severe disease manifestation of CMV in HCT recipients. Here, we review recent work in a murine model, implicating mast cells (MC) in the control of pulmonary infection. Murine CMV (mCMV) productively infects MC in vivo and triggers their degranulation, resulting in the release of the CC chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) that attracts CD8 T cells to infiltrate infected tissues. Comparing infection of MC-sufficient C57BL/6 mice and congenic MC-deficient Kit (W-sh/W-sh) "sash" mutants revealed an inverse relation between the number of lung-infiltrating CD8 T cells and viral burden in the lungs. Specifically, reduced lung infiltration by CD8 T cells in "sash" mutants was associated with an impaired infection control. The causal, though indirect, involvement of MC in antiviral control was confirmed by reversion of the deficiency phenotype in "sash" mutants reconstituted with MC. These recent findings predict that efficient MC reconstitution facilitates the control of CMV infection also in immunocompromised HCT recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz and Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131, Mainz, Germany
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Ebert S, Becker M, Lemmermann NAW, Büttner JK, Michel A, Taube C, Podlech J, Böhm V, Freitag K, Thomas D, Holtappels R, Reddehase MJ, Stassen M. Mast cells expedite control of pulmonary murine cytomegalovirus infection by enhancing the recruitment of protective CD8 T cells to the lungs. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004100. [PMID: 24763809 PMCID: PMC3999167 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The lungs are a noted predilection site of acute, latent, and reactivated cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. Interstitial pneumonia is the most dreaded manifestation of CMV disease in the immunocompromised host, whereas in the immunocompetent host lung-infiltrating CD8 T cells confine the infection in nodular inflammatory foci and prevent viral pathology. By using murine CMV infection as a model, we provide evidence for a critical role of mast cells (MC) in the recruitment of protective CD8 T cells to the lungs. Systemic infection triggered degranulation selectively in infected MC. The viral activation of MC was associated with a wave of CC chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) in the serum of C57BL/6 mice that was MC-derived as verified by infection of MC-deficient KitW-sh/W-sh “sash” mutants. In these mutants, CD8 T cells were recruited less efficiently to the lungs, correlating with enhanced viral replication and delayed virus clearance. A causative role for MC was verified by MC reconstitution of “sash” mice restoring both, efficient CD8 T-cell recruitment and infection control. These results reveal a novel crosstalk axis between innate and adaptive immune defense against CMV, and identify MC as a hitherto unconsidered player in the immune surveillance at a relevant site of CMV disease. Being strategically located beneath endothelial and epithelial surfaces, mast cells (MC) serve as sentinels for invading pathogens at host-environment boundaries as part of the innate defense against infection. Host genetic resistance against cytomegaloviruses (CMV) is largely determined by the innate immune response, but an implication of MC in the adaptive immune defense against CMV has not been considered so far and is almost impossible to address in human infection. Using murine CMV as a model that in the past has already pioneered the discovery of fundamental principles in CMV-host interactions, our data reveal MC as central part of a novel crosstalk-axis between the innate and adaptive immune response to CMV. We found that upon host infection MC become rapidly activated and promote the recruitment of protective CD8 T cells to the lungs, a noted critical site of CMV pathogenesis in humans as well as in the mouse model. Enhanced tissue infiltration of CD8 T cells results in a reduced peak viral load and a faster clearance of productive infection. Realizing the importance of MC in the control of pulmonary CMV infection may help to develop new strategies for preventing CMV pneumonia by MC supplementation in recipients of hematopoietic cell transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Ebert
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marc Becker
- Institute for Immunology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A W Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Julia K Büttner
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anastasija Michel
- Institute for Immunology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christian Taube
- Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Verena Böhm
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kirsten Freitag
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Doris Thomas
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael Stassen
- Institute for Immunology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
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Wagner FM, Brizic I, Prager A, Trsan T, Arapovic M, Lemmermann NAW, Podlech J, Reddehase MJ, Lemnitzer F, Bosse JB, Gimpfl M, Marcinowski L, MacDonald M, Adler H, Koszinowski UH, Adler B. The viral chemokine MCK-2 of murine cytomegalovirus promotes infection as part of a gH/gL/MCK-2 complex. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003493. [PMID: 23935483 PMCID: PMC3723581 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2012] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) forms two gH/gL glycoprotein complexes, gH/gL/gO and gH/gL/pUL(128,130,131A), which determine the tropism, the entry pathways and the mode of spread of the virus. For murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), which serves as a model for HCMV, a gH/gL/gO complex functionally homologous to the HCMV gH/gL/gO complex has been described. Knock-out of MCMV gO does impair, but not abolish, virus spread indicating that also MCMV might form an alternative gH/gL complex. Here, we show that the MCMV CC chemokine MCK-2 forms a complex with the glycoprotein gH, a complex which is incorporated into the virion. We could additionally show that mutants lacking both, gO and MCK-2 are not able to produce infectious virus. Trans-complementation of these double mutants with either gO or MCK-2 showed that both proteins can promote infection of host cells, although through different entry pathways. MCK-2 has been extensively studied in vivo by others. It has been shown to be involved in attracting cells for virus dissemination and in regulating antiviral host responses. We now show that MCK-2, by forming a complex with gH, strongly promotes infection of macrophages in vitro and in vivo. Thus, MCK-2 may play a dual role in MCMV infection, as a chemokine regulating the host response and attracting specific target cells and as part of a glycoprotein complex promoting entry into cells crucial for virus dissemination. Several human herpesviruses form alternative gH/gL complexes which determine the tropism for different cell types. For murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), a gH/gL/gO complex has recently been characterized. Here, we present the identification and characterization of an alternative gH/gL/MCK-2 complex which promotes MCMV spread and is important for efficient infection of macrophages in vitro and in vivo. Association of the MCMV CC chemokine MCK-2 with a glycoprotein complex promoting virus entry is a novel function for the well-characterized MCK-2. Virus mutants lacking MCK-2 have been shown to exhibit a reduced capacity to attract leukocytes and a disregulated T cell control of the MCMV infection in vivo. These defects can be attributed to the chemokine function of MCK-2. Yet, the observation that MCK-2 knock-out mutants additionally are impaired in infecting leukocytes in vivo is consistent with our new finding that MCK-2 forms a glycoprotein complex promoting entry into monocytic cells. gH/gL complexes associating with multifunctional proteins add a new level of complexity to the interpretation of infection phenotypes of the respective knock-out herpesviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia M. Wagner
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Virology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ilija Brizic
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Virology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Adrian Prager
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Virology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tihana Trsan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Maja Arapovic
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Niels A. W. Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Frederic Lemnitzer
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Virology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jens Bernhard Bosse
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Virology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martina Gimpfl
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Virology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lisa Marcinowski
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Virology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Margaret MacDonald
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Heiko Adler
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich H. Koszinowski
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Virology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Barbara Adler
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Virology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Nauerth M, Weiβbrich B, Knall R, Franz T, Dössinger G, Bet J, Paszkiewicz PJ, Pfeifer L, Bunse M, Uckert W, Holtappels R, Gillert-Marien D, Neuenhahn M, Krackhardt A, Reddehase MJ, Riddell SR, Busch DH. TCR-ligand koff rate correlates with the protective capacity of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells for adoptive transfer. Sci Transl Med 2013; 5:192ra87. [PMID: 23825303 PMCID: PMC3991308 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3005958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of chronic infections and cancer. T cells within a certain range of high avidity for their cognate ligand are believed to be most effective. T cell receptor (TCR) transfer experiments indicate that a major part of avidity is hardwired within the structure of the TCR. Unfortunately, rapid measurement of structural avidity of TCRs is difficult on living T cells. We developed a technology where dissociation (koff rate) of truly monomeric peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) molecules bound to surface-expressed TCRs can be monitored by real-time microscopy in a highly reliable manner. A first evaluation of this method on distinct human cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T cell populations revealed unexpected differences in the koff rates. CMV-specific T cells are currently being evaluated in clinical trials for efficacy in adoptive immunotherapy; therefore, determination of koff rates could guide selection of the most effective donor cells. Indeed, in two different murine infection models, we demonstrate that T cell populations with lower koff rates confer significantly better protection than populations with fast koff rates. These data indicate that koff rate measurements can improve the predictability of adoptive immunotherapy and provide diagnostic information on the in vivo quality of T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Nauerth
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Bianca Weiβbrich
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Robert Knall
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Franz
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Georg Dössinger
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Jeannette Bet
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Focus Group “Clinical Cell Processing and Purification”, Institute for Advanced Study, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Paulina J. Paszkiewicz
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Focus Group “Clinical Cell Processing and Purification”, Institute for Advanced Study, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Lukas Pfeifer
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Mario Bunse
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Uckert
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dorothea Gillert-Marien
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael Neuenhahn
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Groups ‘‘Antigen-specific Immunotherapy’’ and “Immune Monitoring”, Helmholtz Center Munich (Neuherberg) and Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- DZIF - National Centre for Infection Research, Munich, Germany
| | - Angela Krackhardt
- Clinical Cooperation Groups ‘‘Antigen-specific Immunotherapy’’ and “Immune Monitoring”, Helmholtz Center Munich (Neuherberg) and Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Medical Department III, Hematology and Oncology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology and Research Center for Immunology (FZI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
- Helmholtz Virtual Institute on Viral Strategies of Immune Evasion (VISTRIE), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stanley R. Riddell
- Focus Group “Clinical Cell Processing and Purification”, Institute for Advanced Study, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Program in Immunology, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Dirk H. Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Focus Group “Clinical Cell Processing and Purification”, Institute for Advanced Study, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Groups ‘‘Antigen-specific Immunotherapy’’ and “Immune Monitoring”, Helmholtz Center Munich (Neuherberg) and Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- DZIF - National Centre for Infection Research, Munich, Germany
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Seckert CK, Griessl M, Büttner JK, Scheller S, Simon CO, Kropp KA, Renzaho A, Kühnapfel B, Grzimek NKA, Reddehase MJ. Viral latency drives 'memory inflation': a unifying hypothesis linking two hallmarks of cytomegalovirus infection. Med Microbiol Immunol 2012; 201:551-66. [PMID: 22991040 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-012-0273-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Low public awareness of cytomegalovirus (CMV) results from the only mild and transient symptoms that it causes in the healthy immunocompetent host, so that primary infection usually goes unnoticed. The virus is not cleared, however, but stays for the lifetime of the host in a non-infectious, replicatively dormant state known as 'viral latency'. Medical interest in CMV results from the fact that latent virus can reactivate to cytopathogenic, tissue-destructive infection causing life-threatening end-organ disease in immunocompromised recipients of solid organ transplantation (SOT) or hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). It is becoming increasingly clear that CMV latency is not a static state in which the viral genome is silenced at all its genetic loci making the latent virus immunologically invisible, but rather is a dynamic state characterized by stochastic episodes of transient viral gene desilencing. This gene expression can lead to the presentation of antigenic peptides encoded by 'antigenicity-determining transcripts expressed in latency (ADTELs)' sensed by tissue-patrolling effector-memory CD8 T cells for immune surveillance of latency [In Reddehase et al., Murine model of cytomegalovirus latency and reactivation, Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 325. Springer, Berlin, pp 315-331, 2008]. A hallmark of the CD8 T cell response to CMV is the observation that with increasing time during latency, CD8 T cells specific for certain viral epitopes increase in numbers, a phenomenon that has gained much attention in recent years and is known under the catchphrase 'memory inflation.' Here, we provide a unifying hypothesis linking stochastic viral gene desilencing during latency to 'memory inflation.'
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Affiliation(s)
- Christof K Seckert
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
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41
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Ebert S, Podlech J, Gillert-Marien D, Gergely KM, Büttner JK, Fink A, Freitag K, Thomas D, Reddehase MJ, Holtappels R. Parameters determining the efficacy of adoptive CD8 T-cell therapy of cytomegalovirus infection. Med Microbiol Immunol 2012; 201:527-39. [PMID: 22972232 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-012-0258-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2012] [Accepted: 08/22/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the transient state of immunodeficiency after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the most frequent and severe viral complication endangering leukemia therapy success. By infecting the bone marrow (BM) stroma of the transplantation recipient, CMV can directly interfere with BM repopulation by the transplanted donor-derived hematopoietic cells and thus delay immune reconstitution of the recipient. Cytopathogenic virus spread in tissues can result in CMV disease with multiple organ manifestations of which interstitial pneumonia is the most feared. There exists a 'window of risk' between hematoablative treatment and reconstitution of antiviral immunity after HCT, whereby timely reconstitution of antiviral CD8 T cells is a recognized positive prognostic parameter for the control of reactivated CMV infection and prevention of CMV disease. Supplementation of endogenous reconstitution by adoptive cell transfer of 'ready-to-go' effector and/or memory virus epitope-specific CD8 T cells is a therapeutic option to bridge the 'window of risk.' Preclinical research in murine models of CMV disease has been pivotal by providing 'proof of concept' for a benefit from CD8 T-cell therapy of HCT-associated CMV disease (reviewed in Holtappels et al. Med Microbiol Immunol 197:125-134, 2008). Here, we give an update of our previous review with focus on parameters that determine the efficacy of adoptive immunotherapy of CMV infection by antiviral CD8 T cells in the murine model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Ebert
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
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42
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Fink A, Lemmermann NAW, Gillert-Marien D, Thomas D, Freitag K, Böhm V, Wilhelmi V, Reifenberg K, Reddehase MJ, Holtappels R. Antigen presentation under the influence of 'immune evasion' proteins and its modulation by interferon-gamma: implications for immunotherapy of cytomegalovirus infection with antiviral CD8 T cells. Med Microbiol Immunol 2012; 201:513-25. [PMID: 22961126 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-012-0256-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease with multiple organ manifestations is the most feared viral complication limiting the success of hematopoietic cell transplantation as a therapy of hematopoietic malignancies. A timely endogenous reconstitution of CD8 T cells controls CMV infection, and adoptive transfer of antiviral CD8 T cells is a therapeutic option to prevent CMV disease by bridging the gap between an early CMV reactivation and delayed endogenous reconstitution of protective immunity. Preclinical research in murine models has provided 'proof of concept' for CD8 T-cell therapy of CMV disease. Protection by CD8 T cells appears to be in conflict with the finding that CMVs encode proteins that inhibit antigen presentation to CD8 T cells by interfering with the constitutive trafficking of peptide-loaded MHC class I molecules (pMHC-I complexes) to the cell surface. Here, we have systematically explored antigen presentation in the presence of the three currently noted immune evasion proteins of murine CMV in all possible combinations and its modulation by pre-treatment of cells with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). The data reveal improvement in antigen processing by pre-treatment with IFN-γ can almost overrule the inhibitory function of immune evasion molecules in terms of pMHC-I expression levels capable of triggering most of the specific CD8 T cells, though the intensity of stimulation did not retrieve their full functional capacity. Notably, an in vivo conditioning of host tissue cells with IFN-γ in adoptive cell transfer recipients constitutively overexpressing IFN-γ (B6-SAP-IFN-γ mice) enhanced the antiviral efficiency of CD8 T cells in this transgenic cytoimmunotherapy model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Fink
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
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43
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Rodríguez-Martín S, Kropp KA, Wilhelmi V, Lisnic VJ, Hsieh WY, Blanc M, Livingston A, Busche A, Tekotte H, Messerle M, Auer M, Fraser I, Jonjic S, Angulo A, Reddehase MJ, Ghazal P. Ablation of the regulatory IE1 protein of murine cytomegalovirus alters in vivo pro-inflammatory TNF-alpha production during acute infection. PLoS Pathog 2012; 8:e1002901. [PMID: 22952450 PMCID: PMC3431344 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 07/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the role of viral genes in modulating host cytokine responses. Here we report a new functional role of the viral encoded IE1 protein of the murine cytomegalovirus in sculpting the inflammatory response in an acute infection. In time course experiments of infected primary macrophages (MΦs) measuring cytokine production levels, genetic ablation of the immediate-early 1 (ie1) gene results in a significant increase in TNFα production. Intracellular staining for cytokine production and viral early gene expression shows that TNFα production is highly associated with the productively infected MΦ population of cells. The ie1- dependent phenotype of enhanced MΦ TNFα production occurs at both protein and RNA levels. Noticeably, we show in a series of in vivo infection experiments that in multiple organs the presence of ie1 potently inhibits the pro-inflammatory cytokine response. From these experiments, levels of TNFα, and to a lesser extent IFNβ, but not the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10, are moderated in the presence of ie1. The ie1- mediated inhibition of TNFα production has a similar quantitative phenotype profile in infection of susceptible (BALB/c) and resistant (C57BL/6) mouse strains as well as in a severe immuno-ablative model of infection. In vitro experiments with infected macrophages reveal that deletion of ie1 results in increased sensitivity of viral replication to TNFα inhibition. However, in vivo infection studies show that genetic ablation of TNFα or TNFRp55 receptor is not sufficient to rescue the restricted replication phenotype of the ie1 mutant virus. These results provide, for the first time, evidence for a role of IE1 as a regulator of the pro-inflammatory response and demonstrate a specific pathogen gene capable of moderating the host production of TNFα in vivo. The suppression of the production rather than the blockage of action of the potent inflammatory mediator TNFα is a particular hallmark of anti-TNFα mechanisms associated with microbial and parasitic infections. Whether this mode of counter-regulation is an important feature of infection by viruses is not clear. Also, it remains to be determined whether a specific pathogen gene in the context of an infection in vivo is capable of modulating levels of TNFα production. In this study we disclose a virus-mediated moderation of TNFα production, dependent on the ie1 gene of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV). The ie1 gene product IE1 is a well-characterized nuclear protein capable of altering levels of host and viral gene expression although its biological role in the context of a natural infection is to date unknown. We provide evidence showing that ie1 is associated with a moderated pro-inflammatory cytokine response, in particular with TNFα production. Further, we show that the viral moderation of this cytokine is not only readily apparent in vitro but also in the natural host. The identification of a viral gene responsible for this mode of regulation in vivo may have therapeutic potential in the future in both anti-viral and anti-inflammatory strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Rodríguez-Martín
- Division of Pathway Medicine and Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kai Alexander Kropp
- Division of Pathway Medicine and Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Vanessa Wilhelmi
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Vanda Juranic Lisnic
- Department of Histology and Embryology/Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Wei Yuan Hsieh
- Division of Pathway Medicine and Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mathieu Blanc
- Division of Pathway Medicine and Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Livingston
- Division of Pathway Medicine and Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Busche
- Department of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Hille Tekotte
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Messerle
- Department of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Manfred Auer
- University of Edinburgh, School of Biological Sciences (CSE) and School of Biomedical Sciences (CMVM), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Iain Fraser
- Laboratory of Systems Biology, National Institution of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stipan Jonjic
- Department of Histology and Embryology/Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ana Angulo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matthias J. Reddehase
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Peter Ghazal
- Division of Pathway Medicine and Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Marquardt A, Halle S, Seckert CK, Lemmermann NAW, Veres TZ, Braun A, Maus UA, Förster R, Reddehase MJ, Messerle M, Busche A. Single cell detection of latent cytomegalovirus reactivation in host tissue. J Gen Virol 2011; 92:1279-1291. [PMID: 21325477 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.029827-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms leading to reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus are not well understood. To study reactivation, the few cells in an organ tissue that give rise to reactivated virus need to be identified, ideally at the earliest possible time point in the process. To this end, mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) reporter mutants were designed to simultaneously express the red fluorescent protein mCherry and the secreted Gaussia luciferase (Gluc). Whereas Gluc can serve to assess infection at the level of individual mice by measuring luminescence in blood samples or by in vivo imaging, mCherry fluorescence offers the advatage of detection of infection at the single cell level. To visualize cells in which MCMV was being reactivated, precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) that preserve tissue microanatomy were prepared from the lungs of latently infected mice. By day 3 of cultivation of the PCLS, reactivation was revealed by Gluc expression, preceding the detection of infectious virus by approximately 4 days. Reactivation events in PCLS could be identified when they were still confined to single cells. Notably, using fractalkine receptor-GFP reporter mice, we never observed reactivation originating from CX3CR1(+) monocytes or pulmonary dendritic cells derived therefrom. Furthermore, latent viral genome in the lungs was not enriched in sorted bone-marrow-derived cells expressing CD11b. Taken together, these complementary approaches suggest that CD11b(+) and CX3CR1(+) subsets of the myeloid differentiation lineage are not the main reservoirs and cellular sites of MCMV latency and reactivation in the lungs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Marquardt
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Stephan Halle
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Christof K Seckert
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Niels A W Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tibor Z Veres
- Department of Immunology, Allergology and Immunotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Hannover, Germany
| | - Armin Braun
- Department of Immunology, Allergology and Immunotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ulrich A Maus
- Department of Experimental Pneumology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Reinhold Förster
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Martin Messerle
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andreas Busche
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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Seckert CK, Schader SI, Ebert S, Thomas D, Freitag K, Renzaho A, Podlech J, Reddehase MJ, Holtappels R. Antigen-presenting cells of haematopoietic origin prime cytomegalovirus-specific CD8 T-cells but are not sufficient for driving memory inflation during viral latency. J Gen Virol 2011; 92:1994-2005. [PMID: 21632567 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.031815-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of the CD8 T-cell memory pool, also known as 'memory inflation', for certain but not all viral epitopes in latently infected host tissues is a special feature of the immune response to cytomegalovirus. The L(d)-presented murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) immediate-early (IE) 1 peptide is the prototype of an epitope that is associated with memory inflation. Based on the detection of IE1 transcripts in latently infected lungs it was previously proposed that episodes of viral gene expression and antigenic activity due to desilencing of a limited number of viral genes may drive epitope-specific memory inflation. This would imply direct antigen presentation through latently infected host tissue cells rather than cell death-associated cross-presentation of viral antigens derived from productively infected cells through uninfected, professional antigen-presenting cells (profAPCs). To address the role of bone marrow-derived profAPCs in CD8 T-cell priming and memory to mCMV, we have used here a combined sex-mismatched and MHC class-I mismatched dual-marker bone marrow chimera model in which presentation of the IE1 epitope is restricted to donor-derived sry(+)L(d+) cells of haematopoietic differentiation lineages. Successful CD8 T-cell priming specific for the L(d)- and D(d)-presented inflationary epitopes IE1 and m164, respectively, but selective failure in IE1 epitope-specific memory inflation in these chimeras indicates different modes of antigen presentation involved in CD8 T-cell priming and memory inflation. These data suggest that memory inflation during mCMV latency requires expression of the epitope-presenting MHC class-I molecule by latently infected non-haematopoietic host tissue cells and thus predicts a role for direct antigen presentation in memory inflation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christof K Seckert
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sina I Schader
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Stefan Ebert
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Doris Thomas
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Kirsten Freitag
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Angélique Renzaho
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Podlech
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias J Reddehase
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Rafaela Holtappels
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
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46
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Lemmermann NAW, Böhm V, Holtappels R, Reddehase MJ. In vivo impact of cytomegalovirus evasion of CD8 T-cell immunity: facts and thoughts based on murine models. Virus Res 2010; 157:161-74. [PMID: 20933556 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2010.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2010] [Revised: 09/28/2010] [Accepted: 09/30/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) co-exist with their respective host species and have evolved to avoid their elimination by the hosts' immune effector mechanisms and to persist in a non-replicative state, known as viral latency. There is evidence to suggest that latency is nevertheless a highly dynamic condition during which episodes of viral gene desilencing, which can be viewed as incomplete reactivations, cause intermittent antigenic activity that stimulates CD8 memory-effector T cells and drives their clonal expansion. These T cells are supposed to terminate reactivation before completion of the productive viral cycle. In this view, CMVs do not "evade" their respective host's immune response but are actually held in check all the time, unless the host gets immunocompromised. Accordingly, CMV disease is typically a disease of the immunocompromised host only. Here we review current knowledge about the in vivo role of viral proteins involved in subverting the immune recognition of infected cells with focus on the CD8 T-cell response and viral interference with the MHC class-I pathway of antigenic peptide presentation. Whereas the intracellular functions of these "immune-evasion proteins" are known in molecular detail, knowledge of their in vivo role in CMV biology is only beginning to take shape. Experimental studies on the in vivo function of human CMV (hCMV) immune-evasion proteins prohibits, of course. Studying animal CMVs paradigmatically in the corresponding natural host is therefore used to identify principles from which the role of hCMV immune-evasion proteins can hopefully be inferred. Here we summarize recent insights gained primarily from the murine model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels A W Lemmermann
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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47
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Däubner T, Fink A, Seitz A, Tenzer S, Müller J, Strand D, Seckert CK, Janssen C, Renzaho A, Grzimek NKA, Simon CO, Ebert S, Reddehase MJ, Oehrlein-Karpi SA, Lemmermann NAW. A novel transmembrane domain mediating retention of a highly motile herpesvirus glycoprotein in the endoplasmic reticulum. J Gen Virol 2010; 91:1524-34. [PMID: 20147515 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.018580-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene m164 of murine cytomegalovirus belongs to the large group of 'private' genes that show no homology to those of other cytomegalovirus species and are thought to represent 'host adaptation' genes involved in virus-host interaction. Previous interest in the m164 gene product was based on the presence of an immunodominant CD8 T-cell epitope presented at the surface of infected cells, despite interference by viral immune-evasion proteins. Here, we provide data to reveal that the m164 gene product shows unusual features in its cell biology. A novel strategy of mass-spectrometric analysis was employed to map the N terminus of the mature protein, 107 aa downstream of the start site of the predicted open reading frame. The resulting 36.5 kDa m164 gene product is identified here as an integral type-I membrane glycoprotein with exceptional intracellular trafficking dynamics, moving within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and outer nuclear membrane with an outstandingly high lateral membrane motility, actually 100 times higher than those published for cellular ER-resident proteins. Notably, gp36.5/m164 does not contain any typical ER-retention/retrieval signals, such as the C-terminal motifs KKXX or KXKXX, and does not pass the Golgi apparatus. Instead, it belongs to the rare group of viral glycoproteins in which the transmembrane domain (TMD) itself mediates direct ER retention. This is the first report relating TMD usage of an ER-resident transmembrane protein to its lateral membrane motility as a paradigm in cell biology. We propose that TMD usage for ER retention facilitates free and fast floating in ER-related membranes and between ER subdomains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Däubner
- Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
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Kern M, Popov A, Scholz K, Schumak B, Djandji D, Limmer A, Eggle D, Sacher T, Zawatzky R, Holtappels R, Reddehase MJ, Hartmann G, Debey-Pascher S, Diehl L, Kalinke U, Koszinowski U, Schultze J, Knolle PA. Virally infected mouse liver endothelial cells trigger CD8+ T-cell immunity. Gastroenterology 2010; 138:336-46. [PMID: 19737567 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2009.08.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2009] [Revised: 07/29/2009] [Accepted: 08/24/2009] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Dendritic cell activation through ligation of pattern recognition receptors leading to full functional maturation causes induction of CD8(+) T-cell immunity through increased delivery of costimulatory signals instead of tolerance. Here we investigate whether organ-resident antigen-presenting cells, such as liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), also switch from tolerogenic to immunogenic CD8(+) T-cell activation upon such stimulation. METHODS Murine LSECs were isolated by immunomagnetic separation and analyzed for functional maturation upon triggering pattern recognition receptors or viral infection employing gene expression analysis and T cell coculture assays. In vivo relevance of the findings was confirmed with bone-marrow chimeric animals. RESULTS LSECs expressed numerous pattern recognition receptors that allowed for sentinel function, but ligand-induced activation of these receptors was not sufficient to overcome tolerance induction of CD8(+) T cells. Importantly, viral infection with murine cytomegalovirus caused functional maturation of antigen-presenting LSECs and was sufficient to promote antigen-specific differentiation into effector CD8(+) T cells in the absence of dendritic cells and independent of CD80/86. CONCLUSIONS These results shed new light on the generation of organ-specific immunity and may contribute to overcoming tolerance in relevant situations, such as cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Kern
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Lemmermann NA, Podlech J, Seckert CK, Kropp KA, Grzimek NK, Reddehase MJ, Holtappels R. CD8 T-Cell Immunotherapy of Cytomegalovirus Disease in the Murine Model. Immunology of Infection 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/s0580-9517(10)37016-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Sacher T, Podlech J, Mohr CA, Jordan S, Ruzsics Z, Reddehase MJ, Koszinowski UH. The major virus-producing cell type during murine cytomegalovirus infection, the hepatocyte, is not the source of virus dissemination in the host. Cell Host Microbe 2008; 3:263-72. [PMID: 18407069 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2008.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2007] [Revised: 02/04/2008] [Accepted: 02/26/2008] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The course of systemic viral infections is determined by the virus productivity of infected cell types and the efficiency of virus dissemination throughout the host. Here, we used a cell-type-specific virus labeling system to quantitatively track virus progeny during murine cytomegalovirus infection. We infected mice that expressed Cre recombinase selectively in vascular endothelial cells or hepatocytes with a murine cytomegalovirus for which Cre-mediated recombination would generate a fluorescently labeled virus. We showed that endothelial cells and hepatocytes produced virus after direct infection. However, in the liver, the main contributor to viral load in the mouse, most viruses were produced by directly infected hepatocytes. Remarkably, although virus produced in hepatocytes spread to hepatic endothelial cells (and vice versa), there was no significant spread from the liver to other organs. Thus, the cell type producing the most viruses was not necessarily the one responsible for virus dissemination within the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Sacher
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute, Ludwig Maximilians-University, Munich D-80336, Germany
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