Suppressive effects of vitamin C-treated induced-regulatory T cells on heart allograft rejection under vitamin C-deficient or -sufficient conditions.

Foxp3 stability of vitamin C-treated induced-regulatory T cells (V-iTregs) is superior to that of conventional iTregs (C-iTregs). However, the role of V-iTregs in allograft rejection under vitamin C-deficient conditions, such as those seen in humans, remains unclear. We aimed to elucidate the role of vitamin C treatment on generation and maintenance of iTregs from gulo knockout (Gulo-KO) mice as well as wild type (WT) mice, and in vitro and in vivo suppressive effects of V-iTregs on heart allograft rejection in either Gulo-KO or WT recipient mice. Conversion efficiency of iTregs was similar between C- and V-iTregs in both WT and Gulo-KO mice. V-iTregs from WT or Gulo-KO mice showed better in vitro Foxp3 stability than C-iTregs, although there was no difference between WT V-iTregs and Gulo-KO V-iTregs. Furthermore, V-iTregs from WT or Gulo-KO mice suppressed in vitro T cell proliferation better than C-iTregs. Heterotrophic heart transplantation from BALB/c mice to WT or vitamin C-deficient Gulo-KO C57BL/6J mice was performed following adoptive transfer of C- or V-iTregs. V-iTregs as well as C-iTregs prolonged heart allograft survival in WT and Gulo-KO mice. However, there was no difference between the C- and V-iTreg groups. Supplementation of low- or high-dose vitamin C did not induce significant changes in heart allograft survival in Gulo-KO recipients that had received V-iTregs. In conclusion, V-iTregs do not exert better suppressive effects on heart allograft survival than C-iTregs in either WT or vitamin C-deficient recipients.

The mTORC1/4E-BP/eIF4E Axis Promotes Antibody Class Switching in B Lymphocytes.

During an adaptive immune response, activated mature B cells give rise to Ab-secreting plasma cells to fight infection. B cells undergo Ab class switching to produce different classes of Abs with varying effector functions. The mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is activated during this process, and disrupting mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) in B cells impairs class switching by a poorly understood mechanism. In particular, it is unclear which mTORC1 downstream substrates control this process. In this study, we used an in vitro murine model in which the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin, when added after a B cell has committed to divide, suppresses class switching while preserving proliferation. Investigation of mTORC1 substrates revealed a role for eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and eIF4E-binding proteins in class switching. Mechanistically, we show that genetic or pharmacological disruption of eIF4E binding to eIF4G reduced cap-dependent translation, which specifically affected the expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase protein but not Aicda mRNA. This translational impairment decreased Ab class switching independently of proliferation. These results uncover a previously undescribed role for mTORC1 and the eIF4E-binding proteins/eIF4E axis in activation-induced cytidine deaminase protein expression and Ab class switching in mouse B cells, suggesting that cap-dependent translation regulates key steps in B cell differentiation.

IL2 is required for functional maturation of regulatory T cells.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs), specified by the expression of transcription factor Foxp3, operate Foxp3-dependent programs to maintain self-tolerance. In addition to Foxp3, other tissue-specific transcription factors are also required by Tregs to control the corresponding immune responses like follicular Tregs which express both Foxp3 and Bcl6 controlling germinal center reactions. Here, we show that Interleukin 2 (IL2) is required for the optimal expression of T helper type 1 (Th1) transcription factor T-box 21 (Tbx21, T-bet) in Tregs. The expression levels of CXCR3 and T-bet were reduced in IL2 deficient Tregs. Furthermore, IL2 deficient Treg cells failed to control the proliferation of CD4+ T cells in vitro and could not prevent the progression of colitis characterized by Th1 immune responses. Taken together, our data suggest that IL2 is essential for the functional maturation of Tregs including the optimal suppressive activity and the expression of tissue-specific transcription factors like T-bet.

Vitamin C enhances the expression of IL17 in a Jmjd2-dependent manner.

Previously, we reported that vitamin C facilitates the CpG demethylation of Foxp3 enhancer in CD4＋Foxp3＋ regulatory T cells (Tregs) by enhancing the activity of a DNA demethylase ten-eleven-translocation (Tet). However, it is not clear whether vitamin C affects other helper T cell lineages like T helper type 17 (Th17) cells which are related with Tregs. Here, we show that the expression of interleukin-17A (IL17) increases with the treatment of vitamin C but not with other antioxidants. Interestingly, the upregulation of IL17 was not accompanied by DNA demethylation in Il17 promoter and was independent of Tet enzymes. Rather, vitamin C reduced the trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me3) in the regulatory elements of the Il17 locus, and the effects of vitamin C were abrogated by knockdown of jumonji-C domain-containing protein 2 (jmjd2). These results suggest that vitamin C can affect the expression of IL17 by modulating the histone demethylase activity. [BMB Reports 2017; 50(1): 49-54].

DNA Demethylation of the Foxp3 Enhancer Is Maintained through Modulation of Ten-Eleven-Translocation and DNA Methyltransferases.

Stable expression of Foxp3 is ensured by demethylation of CpG motifs in the Foxp3 intronic element, the conserved non-coding sequence 2 (CNS2), which persists throughout the lifespan of regulatory T cells (Tregs). However, little is known about the mechanisms on how CNS2 demethylation is sustained. In this study, we found that Ten-Eleven-Translocation (Tet) DNA dioxygenase protects the CpG motifs of CNS2 from re-methylation by DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts) and prevents Tregs from losing Foxp3 expression under inflammatory conditions. Upon stimulation of Tregs by interleukin-6 (IL6), Dnmt1 was recruited to CNS2 and induced methylation, which was inhibited by Tet2 recruited by IL2. Tet2 prevented CNS2 re-methylation by not only the occupancy of the CNS2 locus but also by its enzymatic activity. These results show that the CNS2 methylation status is dynamically regulated by a balance between Tets and Dnmts which influences the expression of Foxp3 in Tregs.

Vitamin C Facilitates Demethylation of the Foxp3 Enhancer in a Tet-Dependent Manner.

Demethylation of CpG motifs in the Foxp3 intronic element, conserved noncoding sequence 2 (CNS2), is indispensable for the stable expression of Foxp3 in regulatory T cells (Tregs). In this study, we found that vitamin C induces CNS2 demethylation in Tregs in a ten-eleven-translocation 2 (Tet2)-dependent manner. The CpG motifs of CNS2 in Tregs generated in vitro by TGF-ß (iTregs), which were methylated originally, became demethylated after vitamin C treatment. The conversion of 5-methylcytosin into 5-hydroxymethylcytosin was more efficient, and the methyl group from the CpG motifs of Foxp3 CNS2 was erased rapidly in iTregs treated with vitamin C. The effect of vitamin C disappeared in Tet2(-/-) iTregs. Furthermore, CNS2 in peripheral Tregs in vivo, which were demethylated originally, became methylated after treatment with a sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter inhibitor, sulfinpyrazone. Finally, CNS2 demethylation in thymic Tregs was also impaired in Tet2(-/-) mice, but not in wild type mice, when they were treated with sulfinpyrazone. Collectively, vitamin C was required for the CNS2 demethylation mediated by Tet proteins, which was essential for Foxp3 expression. Our findings indicate that environmental factors, such as nutrients, could bring about changes in immune homeostasis through epigenetic mechanisms.

Down-regulation of Tet2 prevents TSDR demethylation in IL2 deficient regulatory T cells.

Stable expression of Foxp3 in regulatory T (Treg) cells is dependent on both intrinsic factors like epigenetic changes (demethylation) of Treg cell specific demethylation region (TSDR) and environmental cues like inflammations. Interleukin-2 (IL2) was reported to be one of the cytokines that give signals to Foxp3 stability but the underlying mechanism is still elusive. Here we show that IL2 and epigenetic changes in foxp3 locus are closely connected through tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (Tet2) and, together help Treg cells to express Foxp3 stably. TSDR in foxp3 locus was not demethylated and Foxp3 expression was labile in IL2 deficient Treg cells, which was not restored by recombinant IL2, but correlated with the down-regulation of Tet2. Tet2 was up-regulated by TCR signaling and IL2 had a minimal effect. Rather, IL2 seemed to maintain the high level of Tet2 indirectly. Furthermore, over-expression of Tet2 restored TSDR demethylation in IL2 deficient Treg precursors. Collectively, our results suggest that up-regulation of Tet2 is required for Foxp3 stability and IL2 is required to maintain the high level of Tet2 during the thymic Treg development.

Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase is Involved in the Release of High Mobility Group Box 1 Via the Interferon-ß Signaling Pathway.

Previously, we have reported that high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a proinflammatory mediator in sepsis, is released via the IFN-ß-mediated JAK/STAT pathway. However, detailed mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we dissected upstream signaling pathways of HMGB1 release using various molecular biology methods. Here, we found that calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase, CaMK) is involved in HMGB1 release by regulating IFN-ß production. CaMK inhibitor, STO609, treatment inhibits LPS-induced IFN-ß production, which is correlated with the phosphorylation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). Additionally, we show that CaMK-I plays a major role in IFN-ß production although other CaMK members also seem to contribute to this event. Furthermore, the CaMK inhibitor treatment reduced IFN-ß production in a murine endotoxemia. Our results suggest CaMKs contribute to HMGB1 release by enhancing IFN-ß production in sepsis.

Bacterial endotoxin induces the release of high mobility group box 1 via the IFN-beta signaling pathway.

Sepsis is a devastating condition characterized by a systemic inflammatory response. Recently, high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) was identified as a necessary and sufficient mediator of the lethal systemic inflammation caused by sepsis. However, despite its clinical importance, the mechanism of HMGB1 release has remained to be elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that the IFN-beta-mediated JAK/STAT pathway is essential for LPS or Escherichia coli-induced HMGB1 release, which is dependent on Toll/IL-1R domain-containing adapter-inducing IFN-beta adaptor. Additionally, we show that NO acts as a downstream molecule of the IFN-beta signaling. Furthermore, the JAK inhibitor treatment as well as the STAT-1 or IFN-beta receptor deficiency reduced HMGB1 release in a murine model of endotoxemia. Our results suggest that HMGB1 release in sepsis is dependent on the IFN-beta signaling axis; thus, therapeutic agents that selectively inhibit IFN-beta signaling could be beneficial in the treatment of sepsis.

Expression pattern of immunoproteasome subunits in human thymus.

The expression pattern of immunoproteasomes in human thymus has not been analyzed but may have important consequences during thymic selection. Here we examined the expression patterns of immunoproteasome subunits in fetal and adult thymic tissues by immunohistochemistry and found that all three subunits are expressed in both cortical and medullary stromal cells. These data suggest that thymic selection in human can be affected by peptide repertoires generated by immunoproteasomes.

CD99 activates T cells via a costimulatory function that promotes raft association of TCR complex and tyrosine phosphorylation of TCR zeta.

We investigated the co-stimulatory role of a cell-surface protein, CD99. Co-ligation of CD99 and suboptimal CD3 induced T-cell activation to a level comparable to that obtained with optimal CD3 or CD3+CD28. We also noted concomitant enhancement of the earliest T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling events. In addition, co-ligation of CD99 and CD3 led to translocation of TCR complexes into the lipid raft, without concomitant migration of CD99 to the raft, and consequent enhancement of TCR zeta-mediated signal 1. These data demonstrate the unique properties of CD99 co-stimulation that distinguish this molecule from CD28 and other raft-resident co-stimulatory factors.

Delayed allograft rejection by the suppression of class II transactivator.

(CIITA) down-modulation on allograft rejection. To inhibit the function of CIITA, we constructed a series of CIITA mutants and found one exhibiting the dominant-negative effect on the regulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expression. To test whether the CIITA dominant-negative mutant reduces immunogenicity, CIITA-transfected melanoma cells were injected into allogeneic host and assessed for immune evading activity against host immune cells. We demonstrated that the CIITA dominant-negative mutant allowed tumor nodules to develop earlier in the lung than control by this tumor challenge study. Furthermore, skin grafts deficient for CIITA also survived longer than wild-type in allogeneic hosts. Both the tumor challenge and skin graft studies suggest the inhibition of CIITA molecules in donor tissue would be beneficial to the control of allo-response.

Involvement of lymphocytes in dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis.

AIM: To investigate the roles of lymphocytes in the development of dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. METHODS: Using various doses of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), we induced colitis in wild-type B6 control and Rag-1 knockout (H-2b haplotype) mice, and evaluated the colitis in terms of symptomatic and histologic parameters, such as weight loss, survival, severity of diarrhea, shortage of colon length and histological changes. Symptomatic parameters were checked daily and histological changes were scored. RESULTS: Although development of colitis in Rag-1 knockout mice treated with high dose (5%) of DSS was comparable to that in B6 control mice, colitis progression was much more tolerable in Rag-1 knockout mice compared to than in B6 mice treated with low dose (1.5%) DSS. Symptomatic parameters as well as histopathologic changes were improved in Rag-1 knockout mice. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the presence of lymphocytes contributes to colitis progression at low dose of DSS stimulation. Lymphocytes may play roles as an aggravating factor in DSS-induced colitis.

Cloning, genomic organization, alternative transcripts and expression analysis of CD99L2, a novel paralog of human CD99, and identification of evolutionary conserved motifs.

Human CD99 (MIC2) is a 32 kDa cell surface protein and its encoding gene is localized to the pseudoautosomal regions of both Xp and Yp chromosomes. Although sequences of several genes such as human PBDX and MIC2R are known to be related to that of CD99, the murine counterpart of CD99 has not been reported. Here we have identified a novel CD99 mouse paralog, named as CD99L2 (CD99 antigen-like 2), and its human, rat and zebrafish genes. Unlike the rapidly evolved CD99 gene, these CD99L2 genes were highly conserved among those species. However, the genomic organization of human and mouse CD99L2 genes showed a difference in their exon numbers possibly due to exon duplication during evolution. In addition, comparative analysis of the cDNA sequences identified the presence of variants in the region around the exons 3 and 4 even within a species due to a differential splicing event, resulting in species-specific patterns in their transcripts. As determined by in situ hybridization analysis, the CD99L2 gene appeared to be expressed particularly high in neuronal cells despite its ubiquitous distribution. The highly expression on neuronal cells without any variations between species reflects a dominant role of this molecule during neural development. Amino acid sequence alignment revealed five putative functional regions highly conserved between CD99L2 and CD99, indicating a close relationship between the two genes. Moreover, human and mouse CD99L2 were located on their X chromosomes, respectively, whereas the zebrafish mic2l1 gene was in the LG7 chromosome. These observations support the inference that the evolutionary conserved gene, CD99L2, originated from a common ancestor gene of CD99, and its high conservation among species implies at least some essential function.

The enhanced reactivity of endogenous biotin-like molecules by antigen retrieval procedures and signal amplification with tyramine.

In diagnostic pathology and immunocytochemical research, immunohistochemical techniques using the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase system have played an extremely valuable role. This system, based on the high affinity of streptavidin for biotin, may, however, provoke false positive results because of endogenous streptavidin-binding sites in human tissues. With the advent of the antigen retrieval procedure and signal amplification method, this problem can be serious enough to cause mistakes in interpreting immunohistochemical staining results. Therefore, we examined the distribution of endogenous biotin-like molecules in various human tissues and the influence of various antigen retrieval procedures with or without signal amplification using biotinylated tyramine to reveal these biotin-like activities. We observed that endogenous biotin-like molecules were present in a wide range of tissues, and their activity was markedly enhanced by employing antigen retrieval procedures or signal amplification. Furthermore, the extent to which the activity of endogenous biotin-like activities was enhanced depended on the kinds of antigen retrieval procedures and signal amplification employed. Pressure cooking and tyramine amplification with microwave heating showed the highest activities. These results show that the antigen retrieval procedures and signal amplification with tyramine can enhance the activity of endogenous biotin or biotin-like molecules as well as antigenicity, which can be a pitfall in the interpretation of immunohistochemical data.

Mutations of the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene in CD99-deficient BJAB cell line.

Hodgkin's disease (HD) is a lymphoid neoplasm characterized by a low frequency of malignant giant tumor cells, known as Hodgkin's and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells. Sequence analysis of the immunoglobulin heavy chain hypervariable region (IgH V) genes of HRS cells revealed multiple nucleotide substitutions, indicating somatic mutations, and suggested that HRS cells originate from germinal center B cells or their progeny. We previously reported that CD99-antisense transfected B cell lines led to the generation of cells with a HRS phenotype. Because it is considered that HRS cells in HD carry somatic mutations of the IgH genes, we assume that somatic mutation may take place in the IgH genes of HRS-like cells which do not express CD99. Here we report that CD99 downregulated BJAB cell line has several mutations in IgH V genes. The frequency of mutation was 5.2 x 10(-4) mut.bp(-1) out of total sequenced cell clones. On the contrary, control vector transfected BJAB cell line or CD99 downregulated IM9 cell line did not show any mutations on single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and sequence analysis. We expect that the analysis of the mutation pattern of the CD99-deficient BJAB cell line might be the basis for the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanism that regulate somatic mutation and B cell selection.