TGIF1 is a negative regulator of MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia.

Members of the TALE (three-amino-acid loop extension) family of atypical homeodomain-containing transcription factors are important downstream effectors of oncogenic fusion proteins involving the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene. A well-characterized member of this protein family is MEIS1, which orchestrates a transcriptional program required for the maintenance of MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia (AML). TGIF1/TGIF2 are relatively uncharacterized TALE transcription factors, which, in contrast to the remaining family, have been shown to act as transcriptional repressors. Given the general importance of this family in malignant hematopoiesis, we therefore tested the potential function of TGIF1 in the maintenance of MLL-rearranged AML. Gene expression analysis of MLL-rearranged patient blasts demonstrated reduced TGIF1 levels, and, in accordance, we find that forced expression of TGIF1 in MLL-AF9-transformed cells promoted differentiation and cell cycle exit in vitro, and delayed leukemic onset in vivo. Mechanistically, we show that TGIF1 interferes with a MEIS1-dependent transcriptional program by associating with MEIS1-bound regions in a competitive manner and that the MEIS1:TGIF1 ratio influence the clinical outcome. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that TALE family members can act both positively and negatively on transcriptional programs responsible for leukemic maintenance and provide novel insights into the regulatory gene expression circuitries in MLL-rearranged AML.

Oncogenic fusion proteins expressed in immature hematopoietic cells fail to recapitulate the transcriptional changes observed in human AML.

Reciprocal chromosomal translocations are observed in one-third of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases. Targeting and understanding the effects of the resulting aberrant oncogenic fusion proteins may help developing drugs against specific leukemic subtypes, as demonstrated earlier by the use of ATRA in acute promyelocytic leukemia. Hematopoietic stem/progenitor (HSPCs) cells transduced with oncogenic fusion genes are regarded as promising in vitromodels of their corresponding AML subtypes. Here, we critically assessed the potential of such in vitro models using an integrative bioinformatics approach. Surprisingly, we found that the gene-expression profiles of CD34+ human HSPCs transformed with the potent oncogenic fusion proteins AML-ETO or MLL-AF9, only weakly resembled those derived from primary AML samples. Hence, our work raises concerns as to the relevance of the use of in vitro transduced cells to study the impact of transcriptional deregulation in human AML.

The effect of Zhangfei on the unfolded protein response and growth of cells derived from canine and human osteosarcomas.

The objective of this study was to determine whether the protein Zhangfei could suppress the unfolded protein response (UPR) and growth of osteosarcoma cells. Dog (D-17) and a human (Saos-2) osteosarcoma cells were infected with adenovirus vectors expressing either Zhangfei or the control protein beta- galactosidase. We monitored cell growth as well as levels of UPR gene transcripts and proteins. We found that Zhangfei suppressed the growth of both D-17 and Saos-2 cells. Zhangfei-expressing D-17 cells displayed large vacuoles containing culture medium and expressed phosphatidylserine on their external surface suggesting that Zhangfei induced macropinocytosis and apoptosis in these cells. While Zhangfei inhibited the growth of both D-17 and Saos-2 cells, it inhibited thapsigargin-induced UPR, as detected by a decrease in transcripts for UPR genes, and HERP and GRP78 proteins, only in D-17 cells, suggesting that the ability of Zhangfei to suppress the UPR and tumour cells growth may not be linked.

CTLs' repertoire shaping in the thymus: a Monte Carlo simulation.

MOTIVATION: The human immune system evolved a multi-layered control mechanism to eliminate self-reactive cells. Of these so-called tolerance induction mechanisms, lymphocytes T education in the thymus gland represents the very first one. This complicated process is not fully understood and quantitative models able to help in this endeavor are lacking. Here, we present a stochastic computational model of the thymus which combines data-driven prediction methods and a novel method based on protein-protein potential measurements for assessing molecular binding among cell receptors, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, and self-peptides. RESULTS: Of all possible specificities of immature T cells entering the thymus, only a small fraction is actually selected for maturation. Monte Carlo simulations of thymocytes selection in the thymus are performed varying the size of the self and a parameter determining the number of encounter with antigen-presenting cells (APCs). We score the fraction of self-reacting thymocytes leaving the thymus as mature naive T cells and show that self-reactivity is only marginally dependent on the number of self-molecules presented by APCs, while it is strongly affected by a parameter proportional to the time spent in the thymus. We study how this measure changes when we vary the number of MHC alleles and found an optimal number not too different from what we have in reality. The main result of this study is more methodological than biological as we show that immunoinformatics data and methods can be used in systemic level simulation of immune processes.

Characterization and activation requirements of bovine lymphocytes acquiring cytotoxic activity after interleukin-2 treatment.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) treatment of cells and generation of non-major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted cytotoxic cells from peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML) was studied. Effector-target conjugate assays demonstrated that bovine PBML bound but did not lyse K562, HL60S and HL60R cells unless activated with IL-2. The magnitude of IL-2-activated killing of tumor cells as well as the magnitude of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity depended on the IL-2 concentration. A short treatment (12-18 h) of effector cells with IL-2 was sufficient for development of cytotoxic activity. Withdrawal of IL-2 from the culture resulted in a reduction of cytotoxic activity that could be restored by further addition of IL-2. Cytotoxic activity of IL-2-activated populations obtained after nylon wool or Sephadex G-10 passage, and Percoll gradient centrifugation of PBML suggests that lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activity in PBML is mainly mediated by a non-adherent lymphocyte lacking markers for B-cells. Positive and negative selection experiments using cell sorting confirmed these findings and demonstrated that the cell responsible for LAK cell activity in cattle belongs to a non-monocyte, non-B, CD2+ lymphocyte population. Furthermore, cytotoxic activity could not be generated in CD2+ populations enriched for cells expressing molecules equivalent to human and murine CD4 and CD8. These findings suggest that effector cells mediating non MHC-restricted cytotoxicity in cattle prevail in a population bearing a CD2+, CD4-, CD8- phenotype and that this population depends on the continuous presence of IL-2 for optimal cytotoxic function.

Immunopotentiation of bovine herpes virus subunit vaccination by interleukin-2.

Cattle were immunized with glycoprotein IV (gIV) from bovine herpes virus-1 (BHV-1). Groups of five animals were then given either 2, 3, 4, or 5 doses of interleukin-2 (IL-2) (0.5 microgram/kg) at 12-hr intervals. Animals that received no IL-2 exhibited specific immune responses that are typical for BHV-1 infection, i.e. enhanced specific cytotoxicity, lymphocyte proliferative responses to gIV, and increased gIV-specific (ELISA) and virus-neutralizing antibodies. Treatment of animals with five doses of IL-2 significantly augmented all of these responses except serum neutralization (P less than 0.05). Furthermore, the dose of IL-2 that was selected did not induce any non-specific responses, i.e. hypergamma-globulinaemia, changes in blood chemistry, increased lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activity, changes in mitogen responsiveness or alterations in the phenotypic profile of circulating lymphocytes. Nor were there any clinical changes associated with IL-2 therapy (e.g. depression, pyrexia, diarrhea). Animals that were treated with less than five doses of IL-2 also exhibited elevated immune responses, but they were not significantly different from untreated immunized controls. Interestingly, animals given five doses of IL-2 responded to minor contaminants present in the gIV preparation. This allows speculation that this dose regimen of IL-2 is not only a potent adjuvant for conventional vaccine immunizing doses, but will also allow the use of minute quantities of antigen for immunization.

Demonstration of the in vitro antiviral properties of bovine lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells.

In cattle, cells with functional characteristics similar to those of natural killer (NK) cells are difficult to detect. However, lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells can be detected readily after in vitro activation of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML) with interleukin-2 (IL-2). In the present study, we demonstrated that IL-2-activated PBML preferentially lyse bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1)-infected cells and that the cell responsible for the lysis copurified with the cell responsible for lysis of K562. The IL-2-activated effector cells were capable of significant reducing virus production. The reduction in virus yield seemed to be by an interferon (IFN)-independent mechanism, as the amount of IFN induced in effector cells by BHV-1 was not altered by the addition of IL-2. Furthermore, enrichment of cytotoxic cells by passage through nylon wool columns removed the capability of PBML to produce IFN in response to the virus. These results suggest that activation of LAK mechanisms in cattle plays a role in controlling virus spread.

Effect of chronic administration of recombinant bovine tumor necrosis factor to cattle.

Cachectin/tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), a protein produced by macrophages upon stimulation, has been implicated as an important mediator of inflammatory processes and of clinical manifestations in chronic infectious diseases. In order to study further the potential role of TNF in infectious diseases, a homologous system was employed in which recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli) derived bovine TNF (rBoTNF) was injected in cattle, either as a single bolus or in a repetitive treatment-regime. No clinical signs were observed, although changes occurred in hematologic and immunologic parameters when less than 0.5 mg of TNF/100 kg body weight was administered twice daily for 18 days. Prolonged treatment with 0.05-0.5 mg/100 kg induced histologic but no gross changes in the kidneys and liver. When doses were increased above 0.5 mg/100 kg, depression, anorexia, cachexia, and diarrhea appeared rapidly. Pathologic changes were apparent in various tissues including liver, kidneys, and lymphoid organs; body fat depots were depleted. Most of these changes appeared to be reversible; return to normal tissue-morphology occurred within 3 weeks of withdrawal of rBoTNF. The clinical and pathologic changes induced by prolonged rBoTNF administration resembled those observed in some chronic parasitic and viral infections of cattle in which macrophage-activation characteristically occur. Our finding may be relevant to the elucidation of the pathogenesis of these and other chronic infections.

A neutrophil-derived antiviral protein: induction requirements and biological properties.

Polymorphonuclear neutrophilic granulocytes (PMN) have been implicated as playing a role in antiviral defense. In addition to having phagocytic and cytotoxic activities, PMN may produce an antiviral substance with interferon (IFN)-like activity. The product, for which the name polyferon (PF) has been coined, is produced upon direct encounter of PMN with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1)-infected bovine cells or membranes thereof. Exposure to purified virus only does not induce PF. The intimate interaction between PMN and the membranes was also revealed by electron microscopy studies. Bovine cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 could also induce PF production by bovine PMN, whereas cells infected with BHV-2, herpes simplex virus type 2, equine herpesvirus 1, bovine respiratory syncytial virus, bovine viral diarrhea virus, or parainfluenza virus 3 were unable to do so. Results obtained in experiments using transfected cells expressing BHV-1 glycoproteins as well as blocking experiments using BHV-1 glycoprotein-monospecific antibodies suggested that a combination of both viral product(s) and host cell factor(s) unique to bovine cells is required for induction of PF production by PMN. PF, which appeared in detectable amounts 12 to 18 h after exposure of PMN to the appropriate inducer, could not be neutralized by antibodies to bovine IFN-alpha, -beta, and -gamma. PF may nevertheless belong to the IFN family of proteins, as indicated by its ability to induce 2',5'-oligoadenyl synthetase in various cell types that are responsive to bovine IFNs and by its antiviral spectrum. It does, however, differ from the other cytokines in most immunological characteristics tested so far, including major histocompatibility complex class II antigen induction, cell migration, and cytotoxicity.

Role of interferon-gamma in inducing cytotoxicity of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes to bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1)-infected cells.

In the present study, the possible role of interferon (IFN)-gamma on the induction of cytotoxic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML) from BHV-1-immune cattle was investigated. Supernatants obtained from BHV-1-immune PBML, stimulated under conditions similar to those required to demonstrate cytotoxicity, contained an antiviral substance capable of inducing 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase activity in MDBK cells and MHC class II antigen expression on epithelial cells. These supernatants also contained IFN-alpha, but were devoid of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-2 biological activities. Further studies during primary infection and hyperimmunization with BHV-1 showed that IFN-gamma production and non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity against BHV-1-infected targets always occurred concomitantly, suggesting that they represent an important part of the detectable CMI responses mounted against this virus. Furthermore, it was also demonstrated that cytotoxicity of PBML against BHV-1-infected cells was reduced with the addition of antibodies to bovine IFN-gamma to the cytotoxic assay. Bovine recombinant IFN-gamma was able to enhance the in vitro cytotoxic activity of PBML from immune cattle, but not from their nonimmune counterparts. This suggests that other factors, in addition to IFN-gamma, may be essential in the development of non-MHC-restricted cytotoxic responses during BHV-1 infection.