Interleukin 2 regulates immune interferon (IFN gamma) production by normal and suppressor cell cultures

A Lyt-2+ lymphocyte is responsible for immune interferon (IFN gamma) production in mitogen-stimulated mouse spleen cell cultures. A Lyt-1+ helper cell is required for the induction of IFN gamma. Interleukin 2 (IL 2) can specifically replace the Lyt 1 cell requirement. IL 2 will also abrogate suppressor cell inhibition of IFN gamma production. IFN gamma production appears to be regulated by a dynamic interaction between helper cells (source of IL 2), suppressor cells (absorption of IL 2?) and IFN gammna-producer cells.     

Participation of macrophages in enhanced in vitro immune interferon (IFN gamma) production with mouse spleen cells

IFN gamma production in cultures of spleen cells obtained from mice sensitized with TH69, a live Streptococcus faecalis preparation, was examined to determine how macrophages participate. It was demonstrated that sensitized spleen macrophages participated in enhanced IFN gamma production by T cells at an early stage (0-6 hr) of incubation, and that this production is mainly dependent on Ia-bearing macrophages In the reconstitution experiments where different combinations of spleen macrophages and T cells obtained from mice sensitized with TH69, OK-432, and BCG were used, T cells required that the identity between the sensitizing organisms in vivo and the stimulating organisms in vitro be the same for enhanced IFN gamma production while macrophages did not. Macrophage-mediated production of IFN gamma appears to be genetically restricted because IFN gamma was only produced in cultures where the H-2 region of macrophages and T cells matched. Further examination revealed that for macrophages to participate in enhanced IFN gamma production, first contact between cycloheximide-treated macrophages and T cells was required. Second, enhanced IFN gamma production occurred when culture supernatants of macrophages obtained from sensitized spleen cells were added to T cells. However, the addition of culture supernatant obtained from sensitized peritoneal macrophages resulted in inhibition of IFN gamma production. These results clearly showed the crucial role of macrophages in enhanced IFN gamma production by spleen T cells in vitro.     

Characterization of immune type interferon (IFN gamma)-induced cytoplasmic protein kinase activity in mouse L cells

Mouse immune interferon (IFNγ) induced double-stranded RNA-independent protein kinase activity in the cytoplasmic fraction of mouse L cells as measured against a histone substrate. Chromatographic purification separated the activity into three distinct kinases of molecular weights of approximately 100K (kinase I), 70K (kinase II), and 70K (kinase III). Partially purified IFNγ was as effective as crude in inducing protein kinase activity. Induction was blocked by treatment of IFNγ with specific anti-IFNγ antibody or by treatment of the L cells with actinomycin D. Kinase II activity was different from that of kinases I and III in that it showed Ca-dependence in the absence of Mg²⁺, was inhibited in activity by the SH binding agent N-ethylmaleimide, and could use the cellular enzymes RNase A and hexokinase as substrates. The described protein kinases could play an important role in mediation of IFNγ effects, particularly where phosphorylated enzyme substrates were shown to have altered activity.     

Interleukin 2 regulation of mitogen induction of immune interferon (IFN gamma) in spleen cells and thymocytes

Interleukin 2 (IL 2) or T-cell growth factor induced the production of immune interferon (IFN_γ) in C57B1/6 mouse spleen cell cultures, and enhanced mitogen-induced IFN_γ production in both spleen cells and thymocytes. Staphylococcal enterotoxin A, but not phytohemagglutinin P (PHA-P), induced IFN_γ production in thymocytes. IL 2 enhanced this production by almost 12-fold, while having no effect on the negative response to PHA-P. The IFN activity was shown to be IFN_γ by neutralization with specific antiserum. A strict correlation between IL 2 induction or enhancement of IFN_γ production and cell proliferation was not observed, probably indicating that non-IFN-producing cells also proliferated in the presence of IL 2. The data indicate that IL 2 can both induce IFN_γ and modulate mitogen induction of IFN_γ.     

Construction, purification, and characterization of new interferon gamma (IFN gamma) inhibitor proteins. Three IFN gamma receptor-immunoglobulin hybrid molecules.

Three efficient mouse interferon gamma (MoIFN gamma) inhibitors were constructed, which consist of the MoIFN gamma receptor (MoIFN gamma R) extracellular portion and constant domains of immunoglobulin (Ig) molecules. These are: 1) the constant domain of the mouse kappa chain, 2) the hinge region and the constant domains 2 and 3 of the mouse gamma 2a chain, and 3) the hinge region and the constant domains 2 and 3 of the human gamma 3 chain. The hybrid molecules were expressed in the mouse myeloma cell line J558L and recovered from the supernatants of cell cultures in one purification step. The proteins MoIFN gamma R-M gamma 2a and MoIFN gamma R-H gamma 3 form homodimers, whereas MoIFN gamma R-M kappa is a monomer. All three constructs inhibit the binding of radiolabeled MoIFN gamma to its receptor on L1210 cells. They are biologically active in vitro, neutralizing the action of MoIFN gamma in an antiviral activity assay. The fusions of Ig regions to the soluble MoIFN gamma R do not decrease the affinity of the binding site for the ligand. MoIFN gamma R-M kappa has about the same affinity as the soluble MoIFN gamma R and the cell surface receptor of L1210 cells in situ, which are also monomers, whereas the dimers MoIFN gamma R-M gamma 2a and MoIFN gamma R-H gamma 3 display a 5-10-fold higher affinity for MoIFN gamma than the monomeric molecules. This is best documented in the efficacy of the inhibitors to antagonize the antiviral activity of MoIFN gamma, as the dimeric constructs are about 10 times more active than MoIFN gamma R-M kappa and the soluble MoIFN gamma R. The hybrid constructs can be used as high efficiency MoIFN gamma inhibitors in mouse models of several pathological states in humans, where IFN gamma is thought to play a disease-promoting role.     

Studies on the functional site on staphylococcal enterotoxin A responsible for production of murine gamma interferon

To identify the functional region(s) associated with induction of gamma interferon on the staphylococcal enterotoxin A molecule, native staphylococcal enterotoxin A molecules and 12 various synthetic peptides corresponding to different regions of entire staphylococcal enterotoxin A were compared to induce gamma interferon production in murine spleen cells. The native staphylococcal enterotoxin A molecule induced gamma interferon production, whereas all of the 12 synthetic peptides did not. Pre-treatment of the murine spleen cells with synthetic peptide A-9 (corresponding to amino acid residues 161-180) significantly inhibited the staphylococcal enterotoxin A-induced gamma interferon production, whereas those with other synthetic peptides did not. When native staphylococcal enterotoxin A was pre-treated with either anti-staphylococcal enterotoxin A serum or anti-peptide sera, anti-staphylococcal enterotoxin A serum and antisera to peptides A-1 (1-20), A-7 (121-140), A-8 (141-160), A-9 (161-180) and A-10 (181-200) inhibited the staphylococcal enterotoxin A-induced gamma interferon production. From these findings, the amino acid residues 161-180 on the staphylococcal enterotoxin A molecule may be an essential region for murine gamma interferon production. Furthermore, the neutralizing epitopes may be also located on regions of amino acid residues 1-20, 121-140, 141-160 and 181-200 on the staphylococcal enterotoxin A molecule.     

Binding of staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) with human splenic lymphocytes

1. The presence of specific binding of [125I]SEA with human splenocytes is established. 2. The association of toxin at 4 C is characterized by saturation, reversibility and a great affinity to a receptor (Kd = 4.0 x 10(-7) M). 3. The number of binding sites on a cell is equal to 6000. 4. At 23 C the binding of labelled toxin with a cell described by a biphasic curve. 5. Priming increases the association of SEA with the splenocytes and correspondingly increases the production level of gamma-interferon.     

Cyclosporin A inhibits the production of gamma interferon (IFN gamma), but does not inhibit production of virus-induced IFN alpha/beta

The effect of cyclosporin A (CsA) on the production of gamma interferon (IFN gamma) versus IFN alpha/beta was studied using mouse and human lymphocytes and fibroblasts. Spleen cells from C57Bl/6 mice produced low but significant levels (40-60 U/ml) of IFN gamma after 2 to 3 days of culture with irradiated DBA spleen cells. The addition of CsA at concentrations as low as 0.1 microgram/ml completely inhibited (less than 10 U/ml) IFN gamma production in these cultures. High levels of IFN gamma (170-1200 U/ml) were produced when either C57Bl/6 spleen cells or Ficoll-Hypaque-purified human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were cultured with the T-cell mitogen staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA). The addition of CsA (0.1 microgram/ml) to these cultures also completely inhibited (less than 10 U/ml) IFN gamma production. This inhibition was shown not to be due to a change in the kinetics of IFN gamma production or to a change in the amount of SEA required for stimulation. IFN gamma production in SEA-stimulated mouse spleen cells was inhibited at 3 days of culture even when CsA was added at 24 or 48 hr postculture initiation. Thus, CsA inhibits IFN gamma production even when early events associated with lymphocyte activation have been allowed to take place. In contrast to IFN gamma production, IFN alpha/beta production by Newcastle disease virus (NDV)-infected mouse and human lymphocytes or fibroblasts was not inhibited by the addition of CsA (1 microgram/ml). CsA also did not block the action of IFN gamma or IFN alpha/beta since addition of CsA (1 microgram/ml) to reference IFN standards had no effect on their antiviral activity. Thus, CsA inhibits the production of IFN gamma by T cells but appears to have no effect on the production of IFN alpha/beta by virus-infected cells or on the antiviral action of already produced IFN gamma and IFN alpha/beta.     

In vitro production of immune interferon (IFN gamma) by murine spleen cells when different sensitizing antigens are used in vivo and in vitro

OK-432, a killed preparation of Streptococcus pyogenes, as well as bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and Corynebacterium parvum are all known to induce immune interferon (IFN gamma) in mice. To examine the mechanisms of IFN gamma induction by OK-432, DDI mice were sensitized with various doses of OK-432, either by a single injection of a 1-mg dose or repeated injections of 0.1-mg doses given intraperitoneally. Spleen cells removed from the mice 7-9 days after the last injection produced high-titered IFN gamma (600-800 IU/ml) in vitro in the presence of 5 micrograms/ml of OK-432. In the absence of OK-432, however, in vitro IFN gamma production of sensitized spleen cells was quite limited. Moreover, when inducers of different antigenic entities such as serologically unrelated Streptococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes, or Con A were added in vitro, instead of OK-432, to the OK-432-sensitized spleen cells, high-titered IFN gamma production also occurred. This may indicate that the signal required by T cells to produce IFN gamma in vitro need not necessarily be the same as that required to sensitize mouse macrophage in vivo. Once sensitized with OK-432, mice spleen cells continued to produce high-titered IFN gamma for more than 3 but less than 5 weeks.     

Human chromosome 21 is necessary and sufficient to confer human IFN gamma responsiveness to somatic cell hybrids expressing the cloned human IFN gamma receptor gene

The human interferon (IFN) gamma receptor cDNA has been stably expressed in human/mouse somatic cell hybrids, which differ in their content of human chromosome 21. Despite high affinity IFN gamma binding-capacity of all receptor transfectants, biological responsiveness to IFN gamma, as determined by enhancement of mouse-MHC class I gene expression, required the presence of chromosome 21. These data suggest complementation of at least two functionally distinct components in order to create a biologically active IFN gamma receptor.     

Synthetic human monoclonal antibodies toward staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) protective against toxic shock syndrome

Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is a potent toxin that can cause toxic shock syndrome and act as a lethal and incapacitating agent when used as a bioweapon. There are currently no vaccines or immunotherapeutics available against this toxin. Using phage display technology, human antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) were selected against SEB, and proteins were produced in Escherichia coli cells and characterized for their binding affinity and their toxin neutralizing activity in vitro and in vivo. Highly protective Fabs were converted into full-length IgGs and produced in mammalian cells. Additionally, the production of anti-SEB antibodies was explored in the Nicotiana benthamiana plant expression system. Affinity maturation was performed to produce optimized lead anti-SEB antibody candidates with subnanomolar affinities. IgGs produced in N. benthamiana showed characteristics comparable with those of counterparts produced in mammalian cells. IgGs were tested for their therapeutic efficacy in the mouse toxic shock model using different challenge doses of SEB and a treatment with 200 μg of IgGs 1 h after SEB challenge. The lead candidates displayed full protection from lethal challenge over a wide range of SEB challenge doses. Furthermore, mice that were treated with anti-SEB IgG had significantly lower IFNγ and IL-2 levels in serum compared with mock-treated mice. In summary, these anti-SEB monoclonal antibodies represent excellent therapeutic candidates for further preclinical and clinical development.     

Engineered acid-stabile human interferon gamma

Loss of anti-viral potency upon pH2-treatment is an inherent feature of interferon (IFN)-gamma. The phenomenon seems to be caused by dissociation of IFN-gamma homodimer into subunits upon acidification and subsequent self-association of monomers into aggregates with reduced activity after neutralization. We demonstrated that acid-stability could be engineered into human IFN-gamma without affecting its specific activity. An artificial intra-monomer disulphide bond E7C/S69C stabilizes the dimeric form of the cytokine, which retained its full bioactivity after exposure to pH2. Acidification did not modify the antigenic structure of IFN-gamma as proved by a panel of mouse anti-human IFNgamma antibodies.     

A DNA Spiegelmer to staphylococcal enterotoxin B

Bacterial staphylococcal enterotoxin B is involved in several severe disease patterns and it was therefore used as a target for the generation of biologically stable mirror-image oligonucleotide ligands, so called Spiegelmers. The toxin is a 28 kDa protein consisting of 239 amino acids. Since the full-length protein is not accessible to chemical peptide synthesis, a stable domain of 25 amino acids was identified as a suitable selection target. DNA in vitro selection experiments were carried out against the equivalent mirror-image D-peptide domain resulting in high affinity D-DNA aptamers. As expected, the corresponding enantiomeric L-DNA Spiegelmer showed comparable binding characteristics to the L-peptide domain. Moreover, the Spiegelmer bound the whole protein target with only slightly reduced affinity. Dissociation constants of both peptide-oligonucleotide complexes were measured in the range of 200 nM, whereas the Spiegelmer binding to the full-length protein was determined at approximately 420 nM. These data demonstrate the possibility to identify Spiegelmers against large protein targets by a domain approach.     

Chlamydial interferon gamma immune evasion influences infection tropism

Chlamydia trachomatis is a human pathogen and Chlamydia muridarum is a mouse pathogen but paradoxically, they share near genomic synteny. The majority of strain-variable genes are located primarily in a hyper-variable region termed the plasticity zone. Tryptophan synthase and cytotoxin are plasticity zone genes unique to the human and murine strains, respectively. Tryptophan synthase is a virulence factor that differentiates C. trachomatis strains into genital and ocular disease pathotypes, whereas cytotoxin(s) is a virulence factor linked to murine infection tropism. Divergence in these loci is strongly correlated with host-specific interferon gamma effector activities, suggesting that these virulence genes have co-evolved with their respective hosts as a primary mechanism to evade innate immunity. These findings have important implications for chlamydial animal modeling studies.     

Poxvirus-encoded gamma interferon binding protein dampens the host immune response to infection

Ectromelia virus (ECTV), a natural mouse pathogen and the causative agent of mousepox, is closely related to variola virus (VARV), which causes smallpox in humans. Mousepox is an excellent surrogate small-animal model for smallpox. Both ECTV and VARV encode a multitude of host response modifiers that target components of the immune system and that are thought to contribute to the high mortality rates associated with infection. Like VARV, ECTV encodes a protein homologous to the ectodomain of the host gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) receptor 1. We generated an IFN-gamma binding protein (IFN-gammabp) deletion mutant of ECTV to study the role of viral IFN-gammabp (vIFN-gammabp) in host-virus interaction and also to elucidate the contribution of this molecule to the outcome of infection. Our data show that the absence of vIFN-gammabp does not affect virus replication per se but does have a profound effect on virus replication and pathogenesis in mice. BALB/c mice, which are normally susceptible to infection with ECTV, were able to control replication of the mutant virus and survive infection. Absence of vIFN-gammabp from ECTV allowed the generation of an effective host immune response that was otherwise diminished by this viral protein. Mice infected with a vIFN-gammabp deletion mutant virus, designated ECTV-IFN-gammabp(Delta), produced increased levels of IFN-gamma and generated robust cell-mediated and antibody responses. Using several strains of mice that exhibit differential degrees of resistance to mousepox, we show that recovery or death from ECTV infection is determined by a balance between the host's ability to produce IFN-gamma and the virus' ability to dampen its effects.     

Effect of preliminary treatment with homologous interferon (priming) on the production of human immune interferon

Pretreatment of the cultures of human peripheral blood leukocytes and splenocytes with the incubation medium of the mitogen-stimulated human lymphoid cells containing various concentrations of lymphokines (including 10 to 1280 units/ml of immune interferon) resulted in increased (by at least 4 times) production of interferon, induced by staphylococcal enterotoxin A, phytohemagglutinin and mitogen from Phytolacca americana (PWM), as well as in intensification of DNA synthesis in the producing cells. A more pronounced specific binding of the inductor labeled with radioactive iodine to the producing cells was also observed.     

Cytokine deviation induced by intrathymic injection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)

We have previously shown that intrathymic (i.t.) injection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) to mice induces both T cell clonal deletion and IL-2-dependent anergy. In the present study, we have used a quantitative RT-PCR to demonstrate that i.t. administration of SEB induced a significant decrease in the levels of the IL-2 and IFN-gamma mRNAs in total splenocytes, from day 7 to day 28 post-injection. I.t. SEB injection also induced a significant increase in the levels both of IL-10 and TGF-beta mRNAs on day 7, leading to a significant enhance in the IL-10 + TGF-beta/IL-2 + IFN-gamma mRNA ratio on days 7 and 28. By contrast, IL-10 and TGF-beta mRNAs were unchanged after intraperitoneal (i.p.) or subcutaneous (s.c.) SEB injections, although both IL-2 and IFN-gamma mRNA levels were decreased. The cytokine mRNA ratio was enhanced on days 7 and 28 after i.p. injection. Interestingly, a cytokine mRNA ratio of a least 10 in favour of IL-10 plus TGF-beta mRNAs was correlated with the hyporesponsive state observed in vitro after i.t. and i.p. injections. Our results clearly demonstrate that i.t. SEB administration induces a switch from Th1-type to Th2-type cytokine expression in the spleen. The deviation from IL-2 plus IFN-gamma towards IL-10 plus TGF-beta expression could be responsible for the immunoregulatory effect exerted upon SEB-reactive T cells, which is characterized by an IL-2-dependent, specific anergy in vitro. Moreover, it highlights the crucial role of the route of SEB injection in the pattern of cytokine expression.     

Neutralization of native human gamma interferon (HuIFN gamma) by antibodies to a synthetic peptide encoded by the 5' end of HuIFN gamma cDNA

A synthetic peptide corresponding to the N-terminal amino acid sequence of human gamma-interferon (HuIFN gamma), based on the cDNA sequence, was used to produce antibodies in rabbits that were reactive with native HuIFN gamma. Antibodies from all immunized rabbits neutralized the antiviral activity of HuIFN gamma. Significant neutralization of other HuIFN and mouse IFN was not observed. The peptide had the sequence Cys-Tyr-Cys-Gln-Asp-Pro-Tyr-Val-Lys-Glu-Ala-Glu-Asn-Leu-Lys-Lys-Tyr-Phe-Asn-Ala ,and was coupled to keyhole limpet hemocyanin by disulfide linkage with the use of cystamine. The specificity of the antibodies produced to the peptide was compared to that of antibodies produced to native HuIFN gamma by neutralization of HuIFN gamma and by reactivity with peptide in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ratio of anti-peptide antibody neutralization of HuIFN gamma vs reactivity with peptide in the ELISA was at least 28-fold lower than for anti-HuIFN gamma antibody. Thus the antibodies to peptide and to HuIFN gamma were directed primarily against different determinants on native HuIFN gamma or the anti-HuIFN gamma antiserum probably contained antibodies to additional determinants. The anti-peptide antibodies should be useful for further characterization and purification of HuIFN gamma.