热休克蛋白HSP70和gp96在抗病毒感染中的作用

热休克蛋白(HSP)是一组在进化上高度保守、具有重要生理功能的蛋白质家族,是生物在应激条件下产生的一种非特异性防御产物,在调节免疫应答和抗病毒反应中起重要作用。现简要介绍HSP70、gp96(HSP96,GRP94)这两种HSP与病毒感染的关系及在抗病毒感染中的作用。     

电转联合热休克蛋白佐剂疫苗引发抗HBV的免疫应答

针对HBV感染的治疗性DNA疫苗虽然具有很好的应用前景,但目前抗病毒效果并不高,表明在病毒长期感染过程中存在免疫抑制机制。以HBV的表面蛋白(HBsAg)和核心蛋白(HBcAg)为DNA疫苗抗原,采用gp96和HSP70作为佐剂联合电转以提高疫苗的活性。将gp96为佐剂的HBsAg/HBcAg DNA疫苗免疫HBV转基因鼠后引发抗原特异性的细胞免疫和体液免疫应答。使用gp96和HSP70佐剂引起Treg下调20%。与没有免疫的小鼠相比,以gp96和HSP70为佐剂的DNA疫苗显著降低血清中病毒S抗原水平和DNA拷贝数,大幅降低小鼠肝脏中HBc的表达。该研究为设计以gp96为佐剂的乙肝治疗性DNA疫苗提供了依据。     

热休克蛋白gp96在恶性肿瘤中的研究进展

热休克蛋白90B1又称为糖蛋白96 (gp96). gp96属于热休克蛋白90家族,是一种高度保守且普遍存在的糖蛋白.作为一种内质网蛋白,gp96在维持内质网稳态、内质网应激、钙稳态等方面起着重要的调控作用,这些调控网络在肿瘤的发生发展过程中起着重要的作用. gp96作为分子伴侣在稳定和激活客户蛋白等方面有众多报道,其中包括HER2、整合素和Toll样受体等多个客户蛋白.大量研究表明,gp96在肝癌、乳腺癌、胃癌等不同类型的肿瘤中高表达,并在肿瘤的生长、侵袭和转移等方面起着重要的作用.本文从gp96的基本结构和功能及其在肿瘤发生发展中的作用等方面进行综述,并着重阐述细胞膜gp96相关的研究进展.最后,重点介绍基于胞膜gp96结构所设计的选择性小分子抑制剂、抗体和多肽等药物在肿瘤靶向治疗中的潜在应用.     

高剂量热休克蛋白gp96通过激活调节性T细胞预防1型糖尿病

旨在以非肥胖糖尿病(Non-obese diabetic,NOD)小鼠为动物模型,研究高剂量昆虫细胞表达的重组热休克蛋白gp96(Recombinant gp96,rgp96)对1型糖尿病(Type 1 diabetes,T1D)的预防作用。以高剂量rgp96免疫NOD小鼠,用血糖仪监测小鼠血糖值,用流式细胞术检测小鼠脾脏CD4~+CD25~+Foxp3~+调节性T细胞(Regulatory T cells,Tregs)亚群频率,然后用一系列体外实验探究高剂量rgp96对Tregs的影响。结果显示高剂量rgp96免疫有效地预防或延缓小鼠T1D发病,免疫诱导Tregs数量明显增加。体外实验发现rgp96蛋白促进Tregs增殖,诱导Foxp3表达上调和IL-10分泌增加。研究结果为开发基于rgp96的新型T1D预防和治疗性疫苗提供了依据。     

N-糖基化修饰对热休克蛋白gp96免疫学功能的影响

文中旨在以N-糖基化位点突变的重组热休克蛋白gp96为对象,研究N-糖基化修饰对其免疫功能的影响。首先利用昆虫表达系统表达野生型和突变型gp96蛋白,并检测其糖基化水平。进一步通过体外和体内实验,利用流式细胞术和酶联免疫吸附试验 (Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay,ELISA) 检测小鼠CD8+IFN-γ+ T细胞亚群和IFN-γ的分泌,查明糖基化对gp96抗原呈递功能的影响,进一步用ATPase试剂盒检测gp96的ATPase活性。最后通过小鼠免疫实验探究糖基化对gp96疫苗佐剂功能和活化流感疫苗特异性T细胞的影响。结果显示,N-糖基化修饰位点突变后,重组gp96蛋白总含糖量下降了27.8%。与野生型重组蛋白相比,突变gp96的抗原呈递能力减弱,同时ATPase活性明显降低。同时与野生型重组gp96相比,突变gp96佐剂活化流感疫苗特异性T细胞水平也明显减少。这些结果表明,N-糖基化修饰参与调节gp96的ATPase活性和抗原呈递功能,进而影响其疫苗佐剂功能,为开发基于gp96的佐剂疫苗提供了依据。     

联合使用低剂量环磷酰胺有效增强热休克蛋白gp96免疫佐剂功能

前期研究发现热休克蛋白gp96作为分子伴侣,能特异结合乙肝病毒(HBV)表位肽,并将结合的多肽交叉呈递给MHCⅠ类分子,从而激活病毒特异性CD8+ T细胞(CTL).在此基础上,研究BALB/c小鼠模型联合低剂量环磷酰胺(cyclophosphamide,CTX)对热休克蛋白gp96免疫佐剂功能的影响.以gp96或其N端片段(N355)与H-2Kd限制的乙肝病毒核心蛋白表位HBcAg87-95作为佐剂联合低剂量CTX免疫BALB/c小鼠.联合使用低剂量CTX的试验组CD8+T细胞、IFN-γ+CD8+T细胞、乙肝抗原特异T细胞比例显著高于未使用CTX的对照组(P＜0.05),且联合使用CTX的试验组CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞(T Regulatory Cells ,Treg)比例显著低于单独使用gp96和N355试验组(P＜0.05),说明低剂量的CTX能特异性抑制Treg从而导致T细胞的增加.以上研究表明联合使用低剂量的环磷酰胺能有效增强gp96免疫佐剂功能,这为进一步优化gp96佐剂疫苗的使用提供了依据.     

热休克蛋白gp96作为抗原载体的研究进展

gp96是存在于真核生物细胞内质网中的分子量约为96kD的热休克蛋白(又称GRP94)。它属于HSP90家族,是胞质HSP90的旁系同源蛋白。研究证实从小鼠肿瘤组织中分离的gp96注射小鼠后,可使小鼠获得针对该肿瘤细胞的特异细胞免疫力。随后发现这种特异性免疫不是由gp96引起,而是由其结合的小肽诱发。gp96受体的发现给这种现象的解释提供了线索。人们提出了多种假说来解释这种现象,其中一些得到了广泛的支持。另外,gp96还参与免疫调节过程。完全了解gp96在免疫系统中的作用机制对开发新型药物如肿瘤和病毒感染治疗性疫苗具有重要意义 。     

小鼠热休克蛋白gp96羧基端片段的克隆、表达及纯化

热休克蛋白(Heat shock protein)gp96(Grp94)是近年来新发现的一类糖蛋白,除了分子伴侣的功能外,现有越来越多的献报道了它在先天性免疫和获得性免疫中的重要作用。gp96可以促进抗原呈递细胞的成熟以及细胞因子的分泌。热休克蛋白抗原肽复合体可以引起特异性的细胞毒T淋巴细胞效应,应用这个特点可以设计抗病毒及抗肿瘤药物。但是gp96全长分子量大,蛋白在大肠杆菌中表达量低,不稳定,难纯化。组织提取的gp96又受组织来源和样品量的限制。对gp96的结构和功能的研究带来困难。克隆并表达了小鼠热休克蛋白gp96的羧基端560．751aa约四分之一长的功能片段,该段包含gp96的一个肽结合区和二聚化位点。将该功能片段在大肠杆菌中进行融合表达,纯化后将融合的片段切掉,并对目的片段进行了分析,结果表明该段可能是形成二聚体密切相关的片段,为进一步研究其结构和功能打下基础。     

小鼠热休克蛋白 gp96羧基端片段的克隆、表达及纯化

休克蛋白（Heat shock protein）gp96(Grp94)是近年来新发现的一类糖蛋白,除了分子伴侣的功能外,现有越来越多的文献报道了它在先天性免疫和获得性免疫中的重要作用。Gp96可以促进抗原呈递细胞的成熟以及细胞因子的分泌。热休克蛋白抗原肽复合体可以引起特异性的细胞毒T淋巴细胞效应,应用这个特点可以设计抗病毒及抗肿瘤药物^［１］。但是gp96全长分子量大,蛋白在大肠杆菌中表达量低,不稳定,难纯化。组织提取的gp96又受组织来源和样品量的限制。对gp96的结构和功能的研究带来困难。克隆并表达了小鼠热休克蛋白gp96的羧基端560751aa约四分之一长的功能片段,该段包含gp96的一个肽结合区和二聚化位点^［２］。将该功能片段在大肠杆菌中进行融合表达,纯化后将融合的片段切掉,并对目的片段进行了分析,结果表明该段可能是形成二聚体密切相关的片段,为进一步研究其结构和功能打下基础。     

体外大量制备新型gp96肿瘤疫苗及其诱导的特异性抗肿瘤免疫应答分析

旨在体外组装酵母菌表达的gp96 (Recombinant gp96,rgp96) 蛋白与B16.F10黑色素瘤抗原,大量制备新型gp96肿瘤疫苗,并研究其诱导的特异性抗肿瘤免疫应答。利用体外组装的rgp96-肿瘤抗原复合物免疫C57BL/6小鼠,并通过酶联免疫斑点实验、细胞因子染色、杀伤实验技术进行分析,结果显示与单纯rgp96或肿瘤抗原免疫组相比,体外组装的rgp96-肿瘤抗原复合物免疫能够显著抑制B16肿瘤的生长,而且能够明显提高肿瘤特异性T细胞活性。rgp96-肿瘤抗原复合物的抗肿瘤免疫活性与从肿瘤组织中提取的gp96接近。研究结果为大量制备新型gp96肿瘤疫苗提供了依据。     

Enhancing the potency of HBV DNA vaccines using fusion genes of HBV-specific antigens and the N-terminal fragment of gp96

BACKGROUND: Many clinical trials show that DNA vaccine potency needs to be greatly enhanced. We have reported that the N-terminal fragment of glycoprotein 96 (gp96) is able to produce an adjuvant effect for production of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-specific peptides. Here, we report a new strategy for HBV DNA vaccine design using a partial gp96 sequence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We linked the N-terminal 1-355aa (N355) of gp96 to HBV genes encoding for structural proteins, the major S and middle S2S envelope proteins and the truncated core HBcAg (1-149aa). ELISPOT, tetramer staining and intracellular IFN-gamma assay were performed to analyze the induced cellular immune responses of our DNA constructs in BALB/c mice and HLA-A2 transgenic mice. The relative humoral immune responses were analyzed in different IgG isotypes. RESULTS: The fusion genes induced 2- to 6-fold higher HBV-specific CD8(+) T cells as compared to the antigens alone. There was an approximate 10-fold decrease in the humoral immune responses with fusion genes based on HBV envelope proteins. Interestingly, the decreased humoral immune responses were not observed when antigens and plasmid encoding N355 were co-delivered. However, an approximate 20-fold higher antibody level was induced when linking N355 to a truncated HBcAg. Immunization by intramuscular injection resulted in predominantly IgG2a antibodies, which indicated that these vaccines preferentially prime Th1 responses. CONCLUSIONS: We constructed highly immunogenic fusions by linking the N-terminal fragment of gp96 to HBV antigens. Our results imply that the N-terminal fragment of gp96 may be used as a molecular adjuvant to enhance the potency of DNA vaccines.     

Vaccination with a DNA vaccine based on human PSCA and HSP70 adjuvant enhances the antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell response and inhibits the PSCA+ tumors growth in mice

BACKGROUND: DNA vaccines have been shown to be an effective approach to induce antigen-specific cellular and humoral immunity. However, the lower immune intensity in clinical trials limits the application of DNA vaccine. Here we intend to develop a new DNA vaccine based on prostate stem-cell antigen (PSCA), which has been suggested as a potential target for prostate cancer therapy, and enhance the DNA vaccine potency with heat shock proteins (HSPs) as adjuvant. METHODS: A series of DNA plasmids encoding human PSCA, human HSP70 and their conjugates was constructed and injected into male mice intramuscularly (i.m.). To evaluate the immune responses and therapeutic efficacy of these plasmids, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted PSCA and HSP70-specific epitopes were predicted and a mouse model with a human PSCA-expressing tumor was constructed. RESULTS: The result showed that mice vaccinated with PSCA-HSP plasmids generated the strongest PSCA-specific CD8+ T-cell immune response, but the CD4+ TH1 and TH2 cell immune responses were similar with those vaccinated with other HSP-adjuvant PSCA plasmids or only PSCA DNA. The immunity of HSP70 was also observed and the mice i.m. injected with PSCA+ HSP mixed plasmids generated the lowest anti-HSP antibodies. Furthermore, these vaccinations inhibited the growth of PSCA-expressing tumors and prolonged mouse survival. CONCLUSIONS: These observations emphasize and extend the potential of the human HSP70 gene as adjuvant for DNA vaccines, and the vaccine based on PSCA and HSP70 is of potential value for treating prostate cancer.     

N-terminally fusion of Her2/neu to HSP70 decreases efficiency of Her2/neu DNA vaccine

DNA vaccines consisted of tumor-associated antigen (TAA) are well suited for immunotherapy against tumor. The construct can contain TAA fused to an appropriate molecule (biologic adjuvant) to improve the efficacy of anti-tumor immune response. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) has been shown to be an excellent candidate, capable of cross-priming TAA by antigen presenting cells leading to a robust T-cell response. However, the relationship between strong T-cell responses and tumor rejection is not always mutually exclusive, for which TAA loss or activation of suppressive mechanisms may occur. HSP70 fused to downstream of Her2/neu as DNA vaccine has been shown to be efficient against Her2-expressing tumors. In this study, we examined if N-terminally fusion of Her2/neu to HSP70 could also improve efficiency of Her2/neu DNA vaccine. Therefore, mice with an established Her2/neu expressing tumor were immunized with DNA vaccine consisting of extracellular and trans-membrane domain (EC+TM) of rat Her2/neu alone or N-terminally fused to HSP70 and immune response was evaluated. Administration of rat Her2/neu led to partial control of tumor progression. Surprisingly, fusion of HSP70 to N-terminal of rat Her2/neu led to tumor progression. Our result proposes that fusion direction of biologic adjuvant is an important consideration when Her2/neu is used.     

Conformational lability of two molecular chaperones Hsc70 and gp96: effects of pH and temperature

Hsc70 and gp96 are two heat shock proteins with molecular chaperone and immune-related activities. The dynamic conformational properties of heat shock proteins appear to play a critical role in their biological activities. In this study, we investigated the effects of pH and temperature on the conformational states of Hsc70 and gp96. The quaternary, tertiary, and secondary structures of both proteins are evaluated by a variety of spectroscopic techniques, including far-UV circular dichroism, Trp fluorescence, ANS fluorescence, and derivative UV absorption spectroscopy. The results are summarized and compared employing an empirical phase diagram approach. Very similar behaviors are seen for both proteins despite their differences in sequence and tertiary structure. Both proteins show substantial conformational lability in responses to the pH and temperature changes of their environment. This study suggests a natural selection for related functional properties through common conformational dynamics rather than immediate structural homology.     

HSP86 and HSP84 exhibit cellular specificity of expression and co-precipitate with an HSP70 family member in the murine testis

This study extends to the protein level our previous observations, which had established the stage and cellular specificity of expression of hsp86 and hsp84 in the murine testis in the absence of exogenous stress. Immunoblot analysis was used to demonstrate that HSP86 protein was present throughout testicular development and that its levels increased with the appearance of differentiating germ cells. HSP86 was most abundant in the germ cell population and was present at significantly lower levels in the somatic cells. By contrast, the HSP84 protein was detected in the somatic cells of the testis rather than in germ cells. The steady-state levels of HSP86 and HSP84 paralleled the pattern of the expression of their respective mRNAs, suggesting that regulation at the level of translation was not a major mechanism controlling hsp90 gene expression in testicular cells. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that a 70-kDa protein coprecipitated with the HSP86/HSP84 proteins in testicular homogenates. This protein was identified as an HSP70 family member by immunoblot analysis, suggesting that HSP70 and HSP90 family members interact in testicular cells. © 1993Wiley-Liss, Inc.