The use of transgenic mice for the production of a human monoclonal antibody specific for human CD69 antigen.

The CD69 antigen is the earliest activation marker expressed on leukocyte surfaces after stimulation and it has been correlated with disease state in a variety of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. We were interested in the generation of a human monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the CD69 antigen. To do this, mice carrying human Ig transgenes (on an inactivated endogenous immunoglobulin H and Igkappa background) were immunized with rat cells transfected with the human CD69 molecule. From over 2000 hybridoma clones generated in different fusions, we were able to obtain a human monoclonal antibody, hAIM-29, which specifically recognizes human CD69 on the surface of activated-human leukocytes. We demonstrate that the antibody is specific for the human CD69 molecule, as shown by double staining with mouse anti-human CD69 antibodies, ELISA, immunoblot and immunoprecipitation studies. Results of additional experiments show that hAIM-29 activates intracellular calcium influx without Ig cross-linking and enhances phorbol myristate acetate-induced cell proliferation in a manner similar to other mouse anti-CD69 antibodies. This report is the first to describe the isolation and characterization of a novel human mAb, hAIM-29, which may have therapeutic potential in diseases associated with the presence of activated cells expressing CD69 antigen.

CD69 downregulates autoimmune reactivity through active transforming growth factor-beta production in collagen-induced arthritis.

CD69 is induced after activation of leukocytes at inflammatory sites, but its physiological role during inflammation remains unknown. We explored the role of CD69 in autoimmune reactivity by analyzing a model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in WT and CD69-deficient mice. CD69-/- mice showed higher incidence and severity of CIA, with exacerbated T and B cell immune responses to type II collagen. Levels of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2, which act as protective agents in CIA, were reduced in CD69-/- mice inflammatory foci, correlating with the increase in the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and RANTES. Local injection of blocking anti-TGF-beta antibodies increased CIA severity and proinflammatory cytokine mRNA levels in CD69+/+ but not in CD69-/- mice. Moreover, in vitro engagement of CD69 induced total and active TGF-beta1 production in Concanavalin A-activated splenocyte subsets, mouse and human synovial leukocytes, and Jurkat stable transfectants of human CD69 but not in the parental CD69 negative cell line. Our results show that CD69 is a negative modulator of autoimmune reactivity and inflammation through the synthesis of TGF-beta, a cytokine that in turn downregulates the production of various proinflammatory mediators.

Cutting edge: association of the motor protein nonmuscle myosin heavy chain-IIA with the C terminus of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in T lymphocytes.

The binding of chemokines to their receptors guides lymphocyte migration. However, the precise mechanism that links the chemotactic signals with the energy and traction force generated by the actomyosin complex of the cell has not been elucidated. Using biochemical approaches and mass spectrometry analysis, we found an association between the C-termini of CXCR4 and CCR5 and the motor protein nonmuscle myosin H chain-IIA. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that this association also occurs between the endogenous molecules in T lymphocytes. As expected, myosin L chain was also associated with CXCR4. Confocal microscopy analysis showed that CXCR4 and motor protein nonmuscle myosin H chain-IIA colocalize at the leading edge of migrating T lymphocytes, together with filamentous actin and myosin L chain. These results provide the first evidence of a biochemical association between chemokine receptors and motor proteins, a mechanosignaling mechanism that may have a key role in lymphocyte migration.

ITAM-based interaction of ERM proteins with Syk mediates signaling by the leukocyte adhesion receptor PSGL-1.

P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1) is a leukocyte adhesion molecule involved in cell tether and rolling on activated endothelium. Our work shows that PSGL-1 associates with Syk. This association is mediated by the actin-linking proteins moesin and ezrin, which directly interact with Syk in an ITAM-dependent manner. PSGL-1 engagement induces tyrosine phosphorylation of Syk and SRE-dependent transcriptional activity. Treatment of cells with the Syk inhibitor piceatannol and overexpression of either a Syk dead kinase mutant or an ITAM-mutated moesin abrogated PSGL-1-induced transcriptional activation. These data unveil a new functional role for the ERMs (ezrin/radixin/moesin) as adaptor molecules in the interactions of adhesion receptors and intracellular tyrosine kinases and show that PSGL-1 is a signaling molecule in leukocytes.