Allicin-induced suppression of Mycobacterium tuberculosis 85B mRNA in human monocytes

Despite of encountering a robust immune response, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) successfully survives and persists in the human host. We investigated the early regulation of MTB 85B gene by allicin in MTB-infected human monocytes. During the first 24h of infection, levels of both MTB 85B intracellular mRNA and secreted protein were significantly down-regulated by allicin in a dose-dependent manner, which was mediated by inhibition of glutathione and NF-kappaB pathway. Allicin-induced MTB 85B suppression correlated with suppression of TNF-alpha released from infected monocytes. The allicin-induced up-regulation of glutathione and IFN-gamma with simultaneous decrease in TNF-alpha supports the anti-inflammatory property of allicin by elicitation of protective immune response. Thus, allicin may prove to be valuable in the containment of MTB and therefore be useful as an adjunct in treatment of tuberculosis.     

Infection biology of a novel alpha-crystallin of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Acr2

Heat shock proteins assist the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) but also provide a signal to the immune response. The gene most strongly induced by heat shock in MTB is Rv0251c, which encodes Acr2, a novel member of the alpha-crystallin family of molecular chaperones. The expression of acr2 increased within 1 h after infection of monocytes or macrophages, reaching a peak of 18- to 55-fold by 24 h. Inhibition of superoxide action reduced the intracellular increase in acr2. Despite this contribution to the stress response of MTB, the gene for acr2 appears dispensable; a deletion mutant (Deltaacr2) was unimpaired in log phase growth and persisted in IFN-gamma-activated human macrophages. Acr2 protein was strongly recognized by cattle with early primary Mycobacterium bovis infection and by healthy MTB-sensitized people. Within the latter group, those with recent exposure to infectious tuberculosis had, on average, 2.6 times the frequency of Acr2-specific IFN-gamma-secreting T cells than those with more remote exposure (p = 0.009). These data show that, by its up-regulation early after entry to cells, Acr2 gives away the presence of MTB to the immune response. The demonstration that there is infection stage-specific immunity to tuberculosis has implications for vaccine design.     

Plant‐derived recombinant immune complexes as self‐adjuvanting TB immunogens for mucosal boosting of BCG

Progress with protein‐based tuberculosis (TB) vaccines has been limited by poor availability of adjuvants suitable for human application. Here, we developed and tested a novel approach to molecular engineering of adjuvanticity that circumvents the need for exogenous adjuvants. Thus, we generated and expressed in transgenic tobacco plants the recombinant immune complexes (RICs) incorporating the early secreted Ag85B and the latency‐associated Acr antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, genetically fused as a single polypeptide to the heavy chain of a monoclonal antibody to Acr. The RICs were formed by virtue of the antibody binding to Acr from adjacent molecules, thus allowing self‐polymerization of the complexes. TB‐RICs were purified from the plant extracts and shown to be biologically active by demonstrating that they could bind to C1q component of the complement and also to the surface of antigen‐presenting cells. Mice immunized with BCG and then boosted with two intranasal immunizations with TB‐RICs developed antigen‐specific serum IgG antibody responses with mean end‐point titres of 1 : 8100 (Acr) and 1 : 24 300 (Ag85B) and their splenocytes responded to in vitro stimulation by producing interferon gamma. 25% of CD4+ proliferating cells simultaneously produced IFN‐γ, IL‐2 and TNF‐α, a phenotype that has been linked with protective immune responses in TB. Importantly, mucosal boosting of BCG‐immunized mice with TB‐RICs led to a reduced M. tuberculosis infection in their lungs from log₁₀ mean = 5.69 ± 0.1 to 5.04 ± 0.2, which was statistically significant. We therefore propose that the plant‐expressed TB‐RICs represent a novel molecular platform for developing self‐adjuvanting mucosal vaccines.     

从大容量噬菌体抗体库中筛选抗Acr蛋白人源单链抗体

目的:从天然的大容量噬菌体抗体库中筛选特异的抗结核分枝杆菌晶体蛋白( alpha-crystallin Acr)的人源抗体.方法:以结核分枝杆菌Acr蛋白包被免疫管,通过对噬菌体抗体库进行4轮“吸附-洗脱-扩增”的过程从大容量抗体库中筛选特异性抗结核分枝杆菌Acr蛋白的抗体,并对可变区序列进行了测序分析.将特异性的噬菌体抗体感染HB2151菌,经IPTG诱导表达,制备了抗结核分枝杆菌Acr蛋白的可溶性单链抗体;对其序列和抗原结合活性进行分析鉴定.结果:经过4轮筛选,获得了43个与结核分枝杆菌Acr蛋白结合的阳性克隆,其中29个特异结合的克隆;测序分析有26不同的可变区片段;通过可溶性单链抗体(scFv)表达筛选到14株特异性结合Acr蛋白的可溶性单链抗体克隆;经过基因测序,分析了可变区基因的亚群.成功制备了可溶性单链抗体.Westren blotting分析证实筛选的人源单链抗体能与天然蛋白结合.结论:利用单链大容量抗体库获得抗结核分枝杆菌Acr蛋白的噬菌体抗体并且成功制备抗结核分枝杆菌Acr天然蛋白的可溶性单链抗体,为今后的研究和应用奠定基础.     

Dodecameric structure of the small heat shock protein Acr1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Small heat shock proteins are a ubiquitous and diverse family of stress proteins that have in common an alpha-crystallin domain. Mycobacterium tuberculosis has two small heat shock proteins, Acr1 (alpha-crystallin-related protein 1, or Hsp16.3/16-kDa antigen) and Acr2 (HrpA), both of which are highly expressed under different stress conditions. Small heat shock proteins form large oligomeric assemblies and are commonly polydisperse. Nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry showed that Acr2 formed a range of oligomers composed of dimers and tetramers, whereas Acr1 was a dodecamer. Electron microscopy of Acr2 showed a variety of particle sizes. Using three-dimensional analysis of negative stain electron microscope images, we have shown that Acr1 forms a tetrahedral assembly with 12 polypeptide chains. The atomic structure of a related alpha-crystallin domain dimer was docked into the density to build a molecular structure of the dodecameric Acr1 complex. Along with the differential regulation of these two proteins, the differences in their quaternary structures demonstrated here supports their distinct functional roles.     

Th2-type immune response observed in healthy individuals to sonicate antigen prepared from the most prevalent Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain with single copy of IS6110

Different Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains operate different immune evasion strategies for their survival in the host. This mainly depends on the virulence of the strain and the host immune responses. The most virulent strains are actively involved in the transmission, widely spread in the community and induce differential immune responses. We evaluated the immune response of a sonicate antigen prepared from one predominant strain (S7) from M. tuberculosis harbouring a single copy of IS6110. Significant lymphoproliferative response against purified protein derivative from tubercle bacillus (PPD) and H37Rv antigens was observed in PPD positive normal individuals and tuberculosis patients. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) levels against these antigens were significantly increased in normal individuals but not in tuberculosis patients. The antigen S7 showed marginal T-cell proliferation but did not induce IFN-gamma secretion in both groups. Conversely, it induced significantly high levels of cytokine interleukin 4 (IL-4) in normal individuals. The macrophage cytokines, IL-12 and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), did not show S7 antigen specific stimulation. The intracellular cytokine further confirmed an increase in IL-4(+)/CD4+ T-cells and a decrease in IFN-gamma(+)/CD4+ T-cells upon stimulation. The antibody response showed an increase in IgG and IgA levels against this antigen in normal individuals. These observations suggest that antigen S7 modulates the immune response towards T helper cell type 2 by suppressing T helper cell type 1 protective immune response in PPD positive normal individuals. We speculate that some components of this sonicate antigen are associated with immunosuppressive response.     

Effect of TNF-alpha on human osteosarcoma cell line Saos2--TNF-alpha regulation of bone sialoprotein gene expression in Saos2 osteoblast-like cells

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a major mediator of inflammatory response in many diseases. It inhibits bone formation and stimulates bone resorption. To determine the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of gene expression of osteoblast-like cells, we analyzed the effects of TNF-alpha on the human osteosarcoma cell line Saos2. We used RT-PCR to examine the effects of TNF-alpha on bone sialoprotein (BSP), core binding factor a1 (Cbfa1), osterix, alpha 1 (I) collagen, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cathepsin B, cathepsin L and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). TNF-alpha (10ng/ml) increased BSP, IL-6 and COX-2 mRNA levels after 3h, reaching maximal levels at 12 h. Cbfa1 mRNA levels increased after 3 h, but decreased by 24 h. Osterix, cathepsin B, cathepsin L and TIMP-1 mRNA levels did not change after stimulation with TNF-alpha. On the other hand, alpha 1 (I) collagen mRNA expression was suppressed by TNF-alpha at 24 h. Transient transfection analyses were performed using chimeric constructs of the rat BSP gene promoter linked to a luciferase reporter gene. TNF-alpha (10 ng/ml) had no effect on the promoter activities of BSP transfected into Saos2 cells. The results of gel mobility shift assays using radiolabeled double-stranded cAMP response element (CRE) and FGF2 response element (FRE) oligonucleotides in the proximal promoter of the rat BSP gene showed increased binding of nuclear proteins at 6 h. Gel mobility shift assays with radiolabelled COX-2-CRE and COX-2-NF kappa B oligonucleotides revealed an increase in the binding of nuclear proteins from TNF-alpha-stimulated Saos2 cells. These studies, therefore, showed that TNF-alpha indirectly increased BSP expression, and that it could be mediated through COX-2 and Cbfa1 expression in Saos2 osteoblast-like cells.     

Specific role of phosphodiesterase 4B in lipopolysaccharide-induced signaling in mouse macrophages

Cyclic nucleotide signaling functions as a negative modulator of inflammatory cell responses, and type 4 phosphodiesterases (PDE4) are important regulators of this pathway. In this study, we provide evidence that only one of the three PDE4 genes expressed in mouse peritoneal macrophages is involved in the control of TLR signaling. In these cells, LPS stimulation of TLR caused a major up-regulation of PDE4B but not the paralogs PDE4A or PDE4D. Only ablation of PDE4B impacted LPS signaling and TNF-alpha production. TNF-alpha mRNA and protein were decreased by >50% in PDE4B-/-, but not in PDE4A-/- or PDE4D-/- macrophages. The PDE4 selective inhibitors rolipram and roflumilast had no additional inhibitory effect in macrophages deficient in PDE4B, but suppressed the TNF-alpha response in the other PDE4 null cells. The inhibition of TNF-alpha production that follows either genetic ablation or acute inhibition of PDE4B is cAMP-dependent and requires protein kinase A activity. However, no global changes in cAMP concentration were observed in the PDE4B-/- macrophages. Moreover, ablation of PDE4B protected mice from LPS-induced shock, suggesting that altered TLR signaling is retained in vivo. These findings demonstrate the highly specialized function of PDE4B in macrophages and its critical role in LPS signaling. Moreover, they provide proof of concept that a PDE4 inhibitor with subtype selectivity retains useful pharmacological effects.     

The stress-responsive chaperone alpha-crystallin 2 is required for pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis has two members of the alpha-crystallin (Acr) family of molecular chaperones. Expression of Acr1 is induced by exposure to hypoxia or nitric oxide and is associated with bacterial persistence in a non-replicating state. Expression of Acr2 is induced by heat shock, oxidative stress, and uptake by macrophages. We have shown that Acr2 continues to be expressed at a high level during both acute and chronic infection in the mouse model, with an increased ratio of acr2:acr1 mRNA in the persistent phase. Deletion of the acr2 gene resulted in a decrease in the resistance of M. tuberculosis to oxidative stress but did not impair growth in mouse bone marrow macrophages. There was no difference in bacterial load in mice infected with an acr2 deletion mutant, but a marked alteration in disease progression was evident from reduced weight loss over a prolonged infection. This correlated with reduced recruitment of T-cells and macrophages to the lungs of mice infected with the acr2 mutant and reduced immune-related pathology. These findings demonstrate that both alpha-crystallins contribute to persistent infection with M. tuberculosis and suggest that manipulation of acr expression can influence the host response to infection.     

IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha are involved in urushiol-induced contact hypersensitivity in mice

Contact hypersensitivity (CHS) is a cutaneous T-cell-mediated immunological reaction to applied haptens. Activated antigen-specific T cells release several cytokines and chemokines followed by the recruitment of inflammatory cells and skin damage. CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells have been involved in the establishment of previously described CHS. In this study, we investigated the induction of CHS by urushiol in mice. Maximum swelling in mouse ears was elicited 24 h after challenge with urushiol on day 9 of sensitization. IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) mRNA were expressed after challenge of the antigen in urushiol-sensitized mice, but not in unsensitized mice. IFN-gamma knockout (KO) mice and TNF-alpha KO mice failed to elicit CHS with urushiol. Contact hypersensitivity and expressions of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IP-10 mRNA were markedly suppressed in CD4+ and CD8+ cell-depleted mice. These results suggest that IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and possibly IP-10, play a critical role in CHS induced by urushiol, depending on both CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells.     

Down-regulation of liver and heart specific fatty acid binding proteins by endotoxin and cytokines in vivo.

Fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) are abundantly present in tissues that actively metabolize fatty acids (FA). While their precise physiological function is not known, FABPs have been shown to play a role in the uptake and/or utilization of FA within the cell. FA metabolism is markedly altered during the host response to infection and inflammation. Previous studies have demonstrated that endotoxin or bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enhances hepatic FA synthesis and re-esterification while inhibiting FA oxidation in liver, heart and muscle. Now, we have examined the in vivo effects of LPS and cytokines on FABPs in liver (L-FABP), heart and muscle (H-FABP). Syrian hamsters were injected with LPS, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and the mRNA and protein content for L-FABP and H-FABP were analyzed. 16 h after administration, LPS (100 microg/100 g body weight) produced a 72% decrease in L-FABP mRNA levels in liver and this effect was sustained for 24 h. LPS also produced a 41% decrease in the protein content of L-FABP in liver after 24 h of treatment. TNF-alpha and IL-1beta decreased L-FABP mRNA levels in liver by 30 and 45%, respectively. LPS decreased H-FABP mRNA levels in skeletal muscle by 60% and in heart by 65%. LPS also produced a 49% decrease in H-FABP protein content in muscle. Neither TNF-alpha nor IL-1beta had any significant effect on H-FABP mRNA expression in heart and muscle. Taken together, these results indicate that LPS decreases FABP mRNA and protein levels in liver, heart and muscle, tissues that normally utilize FA as their primary fuel, whereas the inhibitory effect of cytokines is limited to the liver. The LPS-induced decrease in L-FABP and H-FABP may be an additional mechanism contributing to the decrease in FA oxidation that is associated with the host response to infection and inflammation.     

Recombinant BCG coexpressing Ag85B, ESAT-6 and mouse-IFN-gamma confers effective protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in C57BL/6 mice

In this study, the protective efficacy of a novel recombinant bacille Calmette Géurin (BCG) strain (rBCG-AEI) expressing fusion protein the antigen 85B (Ag85B)- the 6-kDa early secreted antigen target (ESAT-6)-IFN-gamma against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv in mice was evaluated. The immunogenicity study showed that rBCG-AEI could induce higher specific antibody titers and significantly increase cellular immune response than BCG, or rBCG-A strain (expressing Ag85B), or rBCG-AE strain (expressing fusion protein Ag85B-ESAT-6). The protective experiment demonstrated that rBCG-AEI could confer similar or even better protective efficacy against M. tuberculosis infection compared with others in organ bacterial loads, lung histopathology and net weight gain or loss. The results suggested that rBCG-AEI is a potential candidate for further study.     

The Ag85B protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis may turn a protective immune response induced by Ag85B-DNA vaccine into a potent but non-protective Th1 immune response in mice

Clarifying how an initial protective immune response to tuberculosis may later loose its efficacy is essential to understand tuberculosis pathology and to develop novel vaccines. In mice, a primary vaccination with Ag85B-encoding plasmid DNA (DNA-85B) was protective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection and associated with Ag85B-specific CD4+ T cells producing IFN-gamma and controlling intramacrophagic MTB growth. Surprisingly, this protection was eliminated by Ag85B protein boosting. Loss of protection was associated with a overwhelming CD4+ T cell proliferation and IFN-gamma production in response to Ag85B protein, despite restraint of Th1 response by CD8+ T cell-dependent mechanisms and activation of CD4+ T cell-dependent IL-10 secretion. Importantly, these Ag85B-responding CD4+ T cells lost the ability to produce IFN-gamma and control MTB intramacrophagic growth in coculture with MTB-infected macrophages, suggesting that the protein-dependent expansion of non-protective CD4+ T cells determined dilution or loss of the protective Ag85B-specific CD4+ induced by DNA-85B vaccination. These data emphasize the need of exerting some caution in adopting aggressive DNA-priming, protein-booster schedules for MTB vaccines. They also suggest that Ag85B protein secreted during MTB infection could be involved in the instability of protective anti-tuberculosis immune response, and actually concur to disease progression.     

Involvement of stomach ghrelin and hypothalamic neuropeptides in tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced hypophagia in mice

This study aimed to clarify the interaction of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), an anorexigenic cytokine, with ghrelin, an orexigenic peptide secreted by the stomach lining, and hypothalamic neuropeptides in the regulation of food intake in mice. The peripheral administration of TNF-alpha dose-dependently decreased the 24-h cumulative food intake compared with the administration of saline. Reduced food intake was observed at 6 h and 24 h. The same TNF-alpha treatment significantly decreased the plasma level of ghrelin at 6 h and 24 h after treatment compared with the control levels. These changes were accompanied by a significant reduction in the expression of ghrelin mRNA in the stomach at 24 h after treatment. TNF-alpha treatment also resulted in a significant increase in expression of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA and a significant decrease in expression of agouti-related protein (AGRP) mRNA in the hypothalamus at 6 h after treatment. Finally, the pre-administration of ghrelin, reversed the TNF-alpha-induced hypophagia in mice at 6 and 24 h. Taken together, these findings suggest that hypothalamic POMC and AGRP and stomach ghrelin may be involved in TNF-alpha-induced hypophagia in mice.     

Protection against murine tuberculosis by an attenuated recombinant Salmonella typhimurium vaccine strain that secretes the 30-kDa antigen of Mycobacterium bovis BCG

A recombinant (r-) Salmonella typhimurium aroA vaccine that secretes the naturally secreted protein of Mycobacterium bovis strain BCG, Ag85B, by means of the HlyB/HlyD/TolC export machinery (termed p30 in the following) was constructed. In contrast to r-S. typhimurium control, oral vaccination of mice with the r-S. typhimurium p30 construct induced partial protection against an intravenous challenge with the intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, resulting in similar vaccine efficacy comparable to that of the systemically administered attenuated M. bovis BCG strain. The immune response induced by r-S. typhimurium p30 was accompanied by augmented interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels produced by restimulated splenocytes. These data suggest that the HlyB/HlyD/TolC-based antigen delivery system with attenuated r-S. typhimurium as carrier is capable of inducing an immune response against mycobacterial antigens.     

三重表达肺结核DNA疫苗在细胞水平的检测

目的 检测共表达siRNA、抗原基因与hIL-12的新型肺结核DNA疫苗在人胚肾293细胞中表达。方法 在已构建含有靶向抗调亡基因Mcl-1L的siRNA、结核分枝杆菌抗原基因Ag85B-ESAT6 (PVAE)、hIL-12的新型肺结核DNA疫苗pVAX-siRNA-PVAE-IL-12基础之上,将抗原基因与增强型绿色荧光蛋白（EGFP）基因融合,得到真核表达重组质粒pVAX1-siRNA-PVAE-EGFP-hIL12。并将siRNA单元用靶向EGFP基因的siEGFP代替,得到pVAX1-siEGFP-PVAE-EGFP-hIL12重组表达载体。用重组质粒转染人胚肾细胞293,分别观察融合抗原基因与siEGFP的表达。以ELISA测定培养细胞上清中hIL-12的表达。结果 经酶切鉴定和测序证实肺结核DNA疫苗改造成功。转染细胞中检测到绿色荧光,证实抗原表达。对照组检测到siEGFP的表达。转染48 h后检测出细胞上清中hIL-12的量为1571.63 pg/mL;72 h后检测出细胞上清中hIL-12的量为2392.25pg/mL。结论 已构建的肺结核质粒DNA疫苗能在真核细胞中有效表达siRNA、抗原基因与hIL-12。为进一步研究该DNA疫苗抗肺结核的免疫治疗和基因治疗效果打下基础。     

Regulation of A2B adenosine receptor functioning by tumour necrosis factor a in human astroglial cells

Low-affinity A2B adenosine receptors (A2B ARs), which are expressed in astrocytes, are mainly activated during brain hypoxia and ischaemia, when large amounts of adenosine are released. Cytokines, which are also produced at high levels under these conditions, may regulate receptor responsiveness. In the present study, we detected A2B AR in human astrocytoma cells (ADF) by both immunoblotting and real-time PCR. Functional studies showed that the receptor stimulated adenylyl cyclase through Gs proteins. Moreover, A2B ARs were phosphorylated and desensitized following stimulation of the receptors with high agonist concentration. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) treatment (24- h) increased A2B AR functional response and receptor G protein coupling, without any changes in receptor protein and mRNA levels. TNF-alpha markedly reduced agonist-dependent receptor phosphorylation on threonine residues and attenuated agonist-mediated A2B ARs desensitization. In the presence of TNF-alpha, A2B AR stimulation in vitro induced the elongation of astrocytic processes, a typical morphological hallmark of in vivo reactive astrogliosis. This event was completely prevented by the selective A2B AR antagonist MRS 1706 and required the presence of TNF-alpha. These results suggest that, in ADF cells, TNF-alpha selectively modulates A2B AR coupling to G proteins and receptor functional response, providing new insights to clarify the pathophysiological role of A2B AR in response to brain damage.