Role of p52 (NF-kappaB2) in LPS tolerance in a human B cell line.

Cells of the weakly CD14 positive human B cell line RPMI 8226, clone 1, will mobilize NF-kappaB (p50/p65 and p50/p50) proteins and produce TNF mRNA when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). When such cells are precultured with a low amount of LPS (50-250 ng/ml) for 3 - 4 days followed by a secondary stimulation with a high dose of LPS (1 microg/ml) then the cytokine expression is strongly reduced, i. e. the cells have become tolerant. Western blot analysis of proteins of the NF-kappaB/rel family demonstrates cytoplasmic p50 and p65 for naive B cells plus a low level of p52. While with tolerance induction the pattern of p50 and p65 proteins remains essentially unchanged, the LPS tolerant 8226 cells show a dramatic increase of both p52 protein and its p100 precursor in the cytosol. This p52 is found strongly upregulated in Western blots of extracts from purified nuclei of tolerant cells. Also, gelshift analysis with the -605 kappaB motif of the human TNF 5'-region shows an additional high mobility complex in LPS tolerant cells -a complex that is supershifted with an anti-p52 antibody. Functional analysis with the -1064 TNF 5'-region in front of the luciferase reporter gene demonstrates that transactivation of the TNF promoter is strongly reduced in tolerant cells. Also, overexpression of p52 will suppress activity of TNF promoter reporter gene constructs. Taken together these data show that tolerance to LPS in the human RPMI 8226 B cell line involves upregulation of the p52 (NF-kappaB2) gene, which appears to be instrumental in the blockade of TNF gene expression.

p50 (NF-kappa B1) is upregulated in LPS tolerant P388D1 murine macrophages.

Cells of the murine macrophage cell line P388D1 express cell surface CD14 and respond to LPS (lipopolysaccharide) stimulation with the production of TNF (tumor necrosis factor). When the cells are stimulated with LPS a second time then little TNF is produced, i.e. the cells are tolerant. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrates that this tolerance is not due to a downregulation of the CD14 cell surface receptor. Analysis of proteins binding to the -516 NF-kappa B motif of the murine TNF promoter reveals that constitutive p50p50 and LPS stimulation lead to mobilization of a heterodimer consisting of p65/c-rel. In tolerant cells less of the p65/c-rel heterodimer is mobilized but there is a strong upregulation of p50p50. These data show that tolerance to LPS in murine macrophages may involve a predominance of p50 homodimers.

CD14 is expressed and functional in human B cells.

The human B cell line RPMI 8226 exhibits variable staining with the CD14 antibody My4. We have isolated three stable clones from this line with clones 1 and 2 being My4 positive and clone 3 My4 negative. Similar to previous results in monocytes, immunoprecipitation with the My4 antibody revealed a 54-kDa cell surface molecule, analysis of supernatants showed soluble CD14, and Northern blotting demonstrated a 1.4-kb transcript in clones 1 and 2, but not in clone 3, which suggests that the My4 antibody detects CD14 in clones 1 and 2. This CD14 molecule was functional in that lipopolysaccharide stimulation induced interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 in clones 1 and 2 but not in clone 3. Furthermore, the My4 antibody was capable of blocking these responses at the transcript and protein levels. Finally, peripheral blood B cells were highly purified by cell sorting (> 98% CD19 positive). These cells produced IL-6 in response to lipopolysaccharide, and this response was blocked by anti-CD14 antiserum. Thus, our findings demonstrated that human B cells can express functionally active CD14.

In vitro desensitization to lipopolysaccharide suppresses tumour necrosis factor, interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 gene expression in a similar fashion.

Like blood monocytes, the human monocytic cell line Mono Mac 6 can be stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 1 microgram/ml to produce high levels of cytokines. When Mono Mac 6 cells are stimulated for 4-6 hr at 1 x 10(6)/ml, supernatants contain tumour necrosis factor (TNF) at an average of 60 U/ml and interleukin-6 (IL-6) at an average of 1000 U/ml. IL-1 is not detected in the supernatant, but after three freeze-thaw cycles cell-associated IL-1 can be detected (100 U/ml) and with similar amounts of IL-alpha and -beta. Preculture of Mono Mac 6 cells with LPS at 10 ng/ml for 3 days results in cells refractory to subsequent stimulation by LPS at 1 microgram/ml. In the refractory desensitized cells, production of all three cytokines is down-regulated, with a more than 10-fold reduction in protein production. For all three cytokines, this desensitization appears to be regulated at the transcript level, with a strong reduction in specific mRNA as detected by Northern blot analysis. Furthermore, Mono Mac 6 cells can be stimulated by Staphylococcus aureus (LPS contamination less than 10 pg/ml) to produce cytokines. This type of stimulus is unable to overcome desensitization, in that the secretion of TNF in LPS-precultured Mono Mac 6 cells was 10- to 100-fold lower than in Mono Mac 6 cells without LPS preculture. These data show that desensitization in Mono Mac 6 cells affects all three cytokines tested and that it extends to other activating signals, such as staphylococci.

Differential expression of cytokines in human blood monocyte subpopulations.

Cytokine expression was analyzed in CD14++ regular monocytes and in the novel subset of CD14+/CD16+ small monocytes. Biologic activity for tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and IL-6 in the supernatant of elutriator-enriched, cell sorter-purified small monocytes was about 10-fold lower compared with regular monocytes when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 12 hours. In CD14++ regular monocytes levels were 1,157 U x 10(-3)/mL, 158 U/mL, and 1,337 U/mL for TNF, IL-1, and IL-6, respectively. By contrast, CD14+/CD16+ small monocytes exhibited 137 U x 10(-3)/mL, 14 U/mL, and 60 U/mL for TNF, IL-1, and IL-6, respectively. Additional treatment with interferon-gamma enhanced production of TNF in both subsets, but CD14+/CD16+ small monocytes still exhibited lower levels. Stimulation of the monocyte subsets by platelet-activating factor gave the same pattern of results. Hybridization with 32P-labeled oligonucleotides specific for the respective cytokine messenger RNAs (mRNAs) showed a 10-fold lower prevalence of transcripts for TNF, IL-1, and IL-6, as well. By contrast, the constitutive expression of Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase mRNA was 1.7-fold higher in the CD14+/CD16+ small monocytes. These data indicate that the novel subset of small monocytes is selectively suppressed in the expression of the cytokines TNF, IL-1, and IL-6, suggesting that these cells may comprise a deactivated type of cell. The expression of class II transcripts in the small monocytes is, however, similar to the regular monocytes, and the cell surface expression of class II protein about threefold increased. Thus, the novel subset of small monocytes appears to be a functionally distinct type of cell.

In vitro differentiation of human melanoma cells analyzed with monoclonal antibodies.

Many monoclonal antibodies (MABs) have been produced against cell surface molecules of melanoma cells, and these reagents might help in the definition of stages of differentiation of the normal and the malignant cells. In an attempt to detect MAB-defined determinants that modulate with differentiation, we treated nonpigmented human melanoma cells with the tumor promotor 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) at 16 nM. Differentiation could be induced in all 4 cell lines, as evidenced by growth retardation, development of projections, and induction of melanin or of premelanosomes in the projections as detected by transmission electron microscopy. Of the 9 MAB-defined cell surface antigens, three were shown to modulate with TPA-induced differentiation, as assessed by fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. Antigens detected by MABs 15.75 and 15.95 decreased in every one of the four cells after TPA induction of differentiation. The proteoglycan defined by 225.28S increased slightly in one, showed no change in another, and decreased in the remaining two. These three MAB-defined molecules thus are linked to differentiation and might help in designing a scheme of differentiation of the melanocyte lineage.