Aristides G. Eliopoulos

Differential regulation of vitamin D receptor and its ligand in human monocyte-derived dendritic cells

The functions of dendritic cells (DCs) are tightly regulated such that protective immune responses are elicited and unwanted immune responses are prevented. 1α25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α25(OH)2D3) has been identified as a major factor that inhibits the differentiation and maturation of DCs, an effect dependent upon its binding to the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR). Physiological control of 1α25(OH)2D3 levels is critically dependent upon 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1α-hydroxylase (1αOHase), a mitochondrial cytochrome P450 enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of inactive precursor 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) to the active metabolite 1α25(OH)2D3. Using a human monocyte-derived DC (moDC) model, we have examined the relationship between DC VDR expression and the impact of exposure to its ligand, 1α25(OH)2D3. We show for the first time that moDCs are able to synthesize 1α25(OH)2D3 in vitro as a consequence of increased 1αOHase expression. Following terminal differentiation induced by a diverse set of maturation stimuli, there is marked transcriptional up-regulation of 1αOHase leading to increased 1αOHase enzyme activity. Consistent with this finding is the observation that the development and function of moDCs is inhibited at physiological concentrations of the inactive metabolite 25(OH)D3. In contrast to 1αOHase, VDR expression is down-regulated as monocytes differentiate into immature DCs. Addition of 1α25(OH)2D3 to moDC cultures at different time points indicates that its inhibitory effects are greater in monocyte precursors than in immature DCs. In conclusion, differential regulation of endogenous 1α25(OH)2D3 ligand and its nuclear receptor appear to be important regulators of DC biology and represent potential targets for the manipulation of DC function.

Activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway by Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein 1 coregulates interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 production.

The Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is a pleiotropic protein the activities of which include effects on gene expression and cell transformation, growth, and death. LMP1 has been shown to induce nuclear factor (NF)-κB and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase/AP-1 activities in target cells, and in this study we demonstrate that LMP1 also engages the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade, leading to activation of the transcription factor ATF2. Mutational analysis of the LMP1 cytoplasmic COOH terminus revealed that p38 activation occurs from both the tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor (TRAF)-interacting, membrane-proximal COOH-terminal activating region (CTAR)1 domain (amino acids 186–231) and the extreme tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated death domain (TRADD) binding CTAR2 region (amino acids 351–386). Because LMP1 also engages signaling on the NF-κB axis through CTAR1 and CTAR2, we have examined whether these two pathways are overlapping or independent. We have found that inhibition of p38 by the highly specific inhibitor SB203580 did not affect NF-κB binding activity. Conversely, although the metabolic inhibitor D609 blocked NF-κB activation, it did not impair the ability of LMP1 to signal on the p38 axis, suggesting that these two LMP1-mediated pathways are primarily independent. Divergence of signals must, however, occur downstream of TRAF2 as a dominant negative TRAF2 mutant that blocks LMP1-induced NF-κB activation also inhibited p38 signaling. In addition, we have found that p38 inhibition significantly impaired LMP1-mediated interleukin-6 and -8 expression. Thus, p38 may play a significant cooperative role in regulating at least some of the pleiotropic activities of LMP1.

Activation of the cJun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway by the Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1).

Expression of the oncogenic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded Latent Membrane Protein 1 (LMP1) activates signalling on the NF-κB axis through two distinct domains in the cytoplasmic C-terminus of the protein, namely CTAR1 (aa 187–231) and CTAR2 (aa 351–386). Whilst this effect is responsible for some of the functional consequences of LMP1 expression, additional LMP1-mediated signalling pathways may exist which contribute to the pleiotropic activities of this protein. In this study we provide evidence of a kinase cascade being activated by LMP1. Thus, we demonstrate that stable or transient expression of the LMP1 prototype from B95.8 in cells of epithelial or B cell origin activates the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK, also known as the stress-activated protein kinase, SAPK) pathway, an effect which was found to be mediated through CTAR2 but not CTAR1. LMP1 from the Cao viral strain or LMP1 homologues from the simian EBV naturally infecting baboons and rhesus monkeys were also able to activate JNK. This phenomenon translates to induction of AP-1, a transcription factor which is readily activated by growth factors and mitogens. Interestingly, an LMP1/CD40 chimaera comprising of the N-terminus and transmembrane domain of LMP1 and the cytoplasmic tail of CD40 which shares a common TRAF binding motif with CTAR1, effectively induced JNK. As NF-κB and JNK are co-activated in LMP1-expressing cells, we investigated whether the two pathways are overlapping or independent. We have found that inhibition of NF-κB by metabolic inhibitors or a constitutively active mutated IκBα does not impair the ability of LMP1 to signal on the JNK axis. Conversely, whilst a dominant negative mutated SEK (JNKK) inhibited LMP1-induced JNK activation, it did not affect NF-κB suggesting that these two LMP1-mediated pathways are divergent.

Consensus guidelines for the detection of immunogenic cell death

Apoptotic cells have long been considered as intrinsically tolerogenic or unable to elicit immune responses specific for dead cell-associated antigens. However, multiple stimuli can trigger a functionally peculiar type of apoptotic demise that does not go unnoticed by the adaptive arm of the immune system, which we named “immunogenic cell death” (ICD). ICD is preceded or accompanied by the emission of a series of immunostimulatory damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) in a precise spatiotemporal configuration. Several anticancer agents that have been successfully employed in the clinic for decades, including various chemotherapeutics and radiotherapy, can elicit ICD. Moreover, defects in the components that underlie the capacity of the immune system to perceive cell death as immunogenic negatively influence disease outcome among cancer patients treated with ICD inducers. Thus, ICD has profound clinical and therapeutic implications. Unfortunately, the gold-standard approach to detect ICD relies on vaccination experiments involving immunocompetent murine models and syngeneic cancer cells, an approach that is incompatible with large screening campaigns. Here, we outline strategies conceived to detect surrogate markers of ICD in vitro and to screen large chemical libraries for putative ICD inducers, based on a high-content, high-throughput platform that we recently developed. Such a platform allows for the detection of multiple DAMPs, like cell surface-exposed calreticulin, extracellular ATP and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), and/or the processes that underlie their emission, such as endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy and necrotic plasma membrane permeabilization. We surmise that this technology will facilitate the development of next-generation anticancer regimens, which kill malignant cells and simultaneously convert them into a cancer-specific therapeutic vaccine.

Epstein-Barr Virus Latent Membrane Protein 1 (LMP1) Activates the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Pathway to Promote Cell Survival and Induce Actin Filament Remodeling

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is an integral membrane protein that functions as a constitutively activated member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family. Whereas LMP1 has been shown to activate the NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, these effects alone are unable to account for the profound oncogenic properties of LMP1. Here we show that LMP1 can activate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), a lipid kinase responsible for activating a diverse range of cellular processes in response to extracellular stimuli. LMP1 was found to stimulate PI3K activity inducing phosphorylation and subsequent activation of Akt, a downstream target of PI3K responsible for promoting cell survival. Treatment of LMP1-expressing cells with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 resulted in decreased cell survival. The tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor-binding domain of LMP1 was found to be responsible for PI3K activation. The ability of LMP1 to induce actin stress-fiber formation, a Rho GTPase-mediated phenomenon, was also dependent on PI3K activation. These data implicate PI3K activation in many of the LMP1-induced phenotypic effects associated with transformation and suggests that this pathway contributes both to the oncogenicity of this molecule and its role in the establishment of persistent EBV infection.

Epstein – Barr virus-encoded LMP1 and CD40 mediate IL-6 production in epithelial cells via an NF-κB pathway involving TNF receptor-associated factors

Expression of the Epstein – Barr virus (EBV) transforming LMP1 in B cells activates the transcription factor NF-κB and induces phenotypic changes through two distinct domains in the cytoplasmic C-terminus of the protein. The aa 187 – 231 domain of LMP1, which is important for growth transformation, binds tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor (TRAF) 1 and TRAF3 and this interaction mediates subsequent signalling events. The TRAFs also associate with CD40, a member of the TNFR family, which upon ligation activates NF-κB and induces phenotypic changes similar to those mediated by LMP1. This study demonstrates that LMP1 expression in carcinoma cell lines and SV40-transformed keratinocytes results in induction of the pleiotropic cytokine interleukin 6 (IL6), an effect which is also observed upon CD40 ligation. The mechanism by which either LMP1 expression or CD40 ligation induces IL6 production was found to be NF-κB-dependent. Mutational analysis identified domains in the C-terminus of LMP1 which are important for NF-κB activation and IL6 secretion. LMP1 and CD40 share a common PxQxT core TRAF binding motif and mutations in or adjacent to this sequence impaired the ability of LMP1 or CD40 to induce NF-κB activation and IL6 secretion. The importance of TRAF interactions in mediating these effects was confirmed using dominant negative TRAF2 and TRAF3 mutants which also identified differences in the signalling events mediated by the two NF-κB activating domains of LMP1. A20, an anti-apoptotic protein which interacts with TRAF2 and blocks CD40-mediated NF-κB activity, also blocked NF-κB and IL6 secretion in LMP1-transfected epithelial cells. These results suggest that LMP1 regulates IL6 production in epithelial cells in a manner similar to CD40 ligation and implicate TRAFs as common mediators in the transduction of signals generated via the CD40 and LMP1 pathways. As a role for IL6 in regulating epithelial cell growth has previously been suggested, the control of IL6 secretion via the CD40 and LMP1 pathways may have implications for the growth of both normal and transformed epithelial cells.

Induction of COX-2 by LPS in macrophages is regulated by Tpl2-dependent CREB activation signals

Macrophage activation by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) promotes the secretion of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), and of secondary mediators, such as leukotrienes and prostaglandins (PGs). Mice lacking the gene encoding the serine/threonine protein kinase Tpl2/Cot produce low levels of TNF‐α in response to LPS because of an ERK‐dependent post‐transcriptional defect, and they are resistant to LPS/D‐galactosamine‐induced endotoxin shock. In this study we demonstrate that prostaglandin E2 and its regulatory enzyme, COX‐2, are also targets of Tpl2‐transduced LPS signals in bone marrow‐derived mouse macrophages. Thus, LPS‐stimulated Tpl2−/− macrophages express low levels of COX‐2 and PGE2, compared with wild‐type Tpl2+/+ cells. The ability of Tpl2 to regulate COX‐2 expression depends on ERK signals that activate p90Rsk and Msk1, which in turn phosphorylate CREB, a key regulator of COX‐2 transcription. These data identify physiological targets of Tpl2 signaling downstream of ERK and further implicate Tpl2 in the pathophysiology of inflammation.

CD40 Induces Apoptosis in Carcinoma Cells through Activation of Cytotoxic Ligands of the Tumor Necrosis Factor Superfamily

ABSTRACT CD40, a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor (TNFR) family member, conveys signals regulating diverse cellular responses, ranging from proliferation and differentiation to growth suppression and cell death. The ability of CD40 to mediate apoptosis in carcinoma cells is intriguing given the fact that the CD40 cytoplasmic C terminus lacks a death domain homology with the cytotoxic members of the TNFR superfamily, such as Fas, TNFR1, and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptors. In this study, we have probed the mechanism by which CD40 transduces death signals. Using a trimeric recombinant soluble CD40 ligand to activate CD40, we have found that this phenomenon critically depends on the membrane proximal domain (amino acids 216 to 239) but not the TNFR-associated factor-interacting PXQXT motif in the CD40 cytoplasmic tail. CD40-mediated cytotoxicity is blocked by caspase inhibitors, such as zVAD-fmk and crmA, and involves activation of caspase 8 and caspase 3. Interestingly, CD40 ligation was found to induce functional Fas ligand, TRAIL (Apo-2L) and TNF in apoptosis-susceptible carcinoma cells and to up-regulate expression of Fas. These findings identify a novel proapoptotic mechanism which is induced by CD40 in carcinoma cells and depends on the endogenous production of cytotoxic cytokines and autocrine or paracrine induction of cell death.

CD40 and epithelial cells: across the great divide

The widespread expression of CD40 in normal epithelial cells and carcinoma cells suggests that this receptor has important, additional influences beyond that of regulating immune responses. Here, Lawrence Young and colleagues discuss the effect of CD40 ligation on epithelial cells and consider the role of this pathway in the pathogenesis and treatment of carcinomas.

Tpl2 transduces CD40 and TNF signals that activate ERK and regulates IgE induction by CD40

Macrophages from Tpl2 knockout (Tpl2−/−) mice exhibit a defect in ERK activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This impairs the nucleocytoplasmic transport of the tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) mRNA and prevents the induction of TNF‐α by LPS. As a result, Tpl2−/− mice are resistant to LPS/D‐galactosamine‐induced shock. We demonstrate that Tpl2 is essential for ERK signals transduced by members of the TNF receptor superfamily, such as CD40 and the TNF receptor 1. Thus, ERK activation was impaired in Tpl2−/− B cells and macrophages stimulated with agonistic CD40 antibody or TNF‐α, whereas the induction of other mitogen‐activated protein kinases, such as JNK and p38, and the activation of NF‐κB were unaffected. Tpl2 was recruited to a CD40/TRAF6 complex in response to CD40 stimulation. Moreover, TRAF6, which when overexpressed activates ERK, failed to do so in Tpl2−/− cells. The selective signaling defect resulting from the inactivation of Tpl2 allowed us to demonstrate that CD40‐mediated ERK activation contributes to immunoglobulin production but is not essential for B‐cell proliferation.