Carlo Laudanna

Getting to the site of inflammation: the leukocyte adhesion cascade updated

Neutrophil recruitment, lymphocyte recirculation and monocyte trafficking all require adhesion and transmigration through blood-vessel walls. The traditional three steps of rolling, activation and firm adhesion have recently been augmented and refined. Slow rolling, adhesion strengthening, intraluminal crawling and paracellular and transcellular migration are now recognized as separate, additional steps. In neutrophils, a second activation pathway has been discovered that does not require signalling through G-protein-coupled receptors and the signalling steps leading to integrin activation are beginning to emerge. This Review focuses on new aspects of one of the central paradigms of inflammation and immunity — the leukocyte adhesion cascade.

Chemokines trigger immediate beta2 integrin affinity and mobility changes: differential regulation and roles in lymphocyte arrest under flow.

Chemokines trigger rapid integrin-dependent lymphocyte arrest to vascular endothelium. We show that the chemokines SLC, ELC, and SDF-1alpha rapidly induce lateral mobility and transient increase of affinity of the beta2 integrin LFA-1. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) activity blocks mobility but not affinity changes and prevents lymphocyte adhesion to ICAM-1 immobilized at low but not high densities, suggesting that mobility enhances the frequency of encounters between high-affinity integrin and ligand but that at higher ligand density affinity changes are sufficient for arrest. Thus, chemokines trigger, through distinct signaling pathways, both a high-affinity state and lateral mobility of LFA-1 that can coordinately determine the vascular arrest of circulating lymphocytes under physiologic conditions.

Regulation of leukocyte recruitment by the long pentraxin PTX3

Pentraxins are a superfamily of conserved proteins involved in the acute-phase response and innate immunity. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a prototypical member of the long pentraxin subfamily, is a key component of the humoral arm of innate immunity that is essential for resistance to certain pathogens. A regulatory role for pentraxins in inflammation has long been recognized, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we report that PTX3 bound P-selectin and attenuated neutrophil recruitment at sites of inflammation. PTX3 released from activated leukocytes functioned locally to dampen neutrophil recruitment and regulate inflammation. Antibodies have glycosylation-dependent regulatory effect on inflammation. Therefore, PTX3, which is an essential component of humoral innate immunity, and immunoglobulins share functional outputs, including complement activation, opsonization and, as shown here, glycosylation-dependent regulation of inflammation.

Evidence of zeta protein kinase C involvement in polymorphonuclear neutrophil integrin-dependent adhesion and chemotaxis.

Classical chemoattractants and chemokines trigger integrin-dependent adhesion of blood leukocytes to vascular endothelium and also direct subsequent extravasation and migration into tissues. In studies of human polymorphonuclear neutrophil responses to formyl peptides and to interleukin 8, we show evidence of involvement of the atypical ζ protein kinase C in the signaling pathway leading to chemoattractant-triggered actin assembly, integrin-dependent adhesion, and chemotaxis. Selective inhibitors of classical and novel protein kinase C isozymes do not prevent chemoattractant-induced neutrophil adhesion and chemotaxis. In contrast, chelerythrine chloride and synthetic myristoylated peptides with sequences based on the endogenous ζ protein kinase C pseudosubstrate region block agonist-induced adhesion to fibrinogen, chemotaxis and F-actin accumulation. Biochemical analysis shows that chemoattractants trigger rapid translocation of ζ protein kinase C to the plasma membrane accompanied by rapid but transient increase of the kinase activity. Moreover, pretreatment with C3 transferase, a specific inhibitor of Rho small GTPases, blocks ζ but not α protein kinase C plasma membrane translocation. Synthetic peptides from ζ protein kinase C also inhibit phorbol ester-induced integrin-dependent adhesion but not NADPH-oxidase activation, and C3 transferase pretreatment blocks phorbol ester-triggered translocation of ζ but not α protein kinase C. These data suggest the involvement of ζ protein kinase C in chemoattractant-induced leukocyte integrin-dependent adhesion and chemotaxis. Moreover, they highlight a potential link between atypical protein kinase C isozymes and Rho signaling pathways leading to integrin-activation.

GDF-15 is an inhibitor of leukocyte integrin activation required for survival after myocardial infarction in mice

Inflammatory cell recruitment after myocardial infarction needs to be tightly controlled to permit infarct healing while avoiding fatal complications such as cardiac rupture. Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)–related cytokine, is induced in the infarcted heart of mice and humans. We show that coronary artery ligation in Gdf15-deficient mice led to enhanced recruitment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) into the infarcted myocardium and an increased incidence of cardiac rupture. Conversely, infusion of recombinant GDF-15 repressed PMN recruitment after myocardial infarction. In vitro, GDF-15 inhibited PMN adhesion, arrest under flow and transendothelial migration. Mechanistically, GDF-15 counteracted chemokine-triggered conformational activation and clustering of β2 integrins on PMNs by activating the small GTPase Cdc42 and inhibiting activation of the small GTPase Rap1. Intravital microscopy in vivo in Gdf15-deficient mice showed that Gdf-15 is required to prevent excessive chemokine-activated leukocyte arrest on the endothelium. Genetic ablation of β2 integrins in myeloid cells rescued the mortality of Gdf15-deficient mice after myocardial infarction. To our knowledge, GDF-15 is the first cytokine identified as an inhibitor of PMN recruitment by direct interference with chemokine signaling and integrin activation. Loss of this anti-inflammatory mechanism leads to fatal cardiac rupture after myocardial infarction.

Molecular mechanisms involved in lymphocyte recruitment in inflamed brain microvessels: critical roles for P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 and heterotrimeric G(i)-linked receptors.

Lymphocyte recruitment into the brain is a critical event in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We developed a novel intravital microscopy model to directly analyze through the skull the interactions between lymphocytes and the endothelium in cerebral venules of mice. No adhesive interactions were observed between lymphocytes and the nonactivated endothelium in the cerebral microcirculation. When brain venules were activated by pretreating mice with TNF-α or LPS, proteolipid protein 139–151 autoreactive T lymphocytes rolled and arrested; notably, only a few peripheral lymph node cells rolled and firmly adhered. Abs anti-P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 and anti-E- and P-selectin blocked tethering and rolling of autoreactive lymphocytes, suggesting that P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1/endothelial selectins are critical in the recruitment of lymphocytes in inflamed brain venules. E- and P-selectin were expressed on cerebral vessels upon in vivo activation and had a patchy distribution during the preclinical phase of active and passive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. LFA-1/ICAM-1 and α4 integrins/VCAM-1 supported rolling, but were not relevant to rolling velocity. Firm arrest was mainly mediated by LFA-1 and ICAM-1. Pretreatment of autoreactive lymphocytes with pertussis toxin blocked integrin-dependent arrest, implicating a requirement for Gi protein-dependent signaling in vessels from nonlymphoid districts. In conclusion, our data unveils the molecular mechanisms controlling the recruitment of autoreactive lymphocytes in inflamed cerebral vessels and suggest new insights into the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammatory diseases of the CNS.

Analyzing biological network parameters with CentiScaPe

Summary: The increasing availability of large network datasets along with the progresses in experimental high-throughput technologies have prompted the need for tools allowing easy integration of experimental data with data derived form network computational analysis. In order to enrich experimental data with network topological parameters, we have developed the Cytoscape plug-in CentiScaPe. The plug-in computes several network centrality parameters and allows the user to analyze existing relationships between experimental data provided by the users and node centrality values computed by the plug-in. CentiScaPe allows identifying network nodes that are relevant from both experimental and topological viewpoints. CentiScaPe also provides a Boolean logic-based tool that allows easy characterization of nodes whose topological relevance depends on more than one centrality. Finally, different graphic outputs and the included description of biological significance for each computed centrality facilitate the analysis by the end users not expert in graph theory, thus allowing easy node categorization and experimental prioritization. Availability: CentiScaPe can be downloaded via the Cytoscape web site: http://chianti.ucsd.edu/cyto_web/plugins/index.php. Tutorial, centrality descriptions and example data are available at: http://profs.sci.univr.it/∼scardoni/centiscape/centiscapepage.php Contact: giovanni.scardoni@gmail.com Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Lymphocyte Crawling and Transendothelial Migration Require Chemokine Triggering of High-Affinity LFA-1 Integrin

Endothelial chemokines are instrumental for integrin-mediated lymphocyte adhesion and transendothelial migration (TEM). By dissecting how chemokines trigger lymphocyte integrins to support shear-resistant motility on and across cytokine-stimulated endothelial barriers, we found a critical role for high-affinity (HA) LFA-1 integrin in lymphocyte crawling on activated endothelium. Endothelial-presented chemokines triggered HA-LFA-1 and adhesive filopodia at numerous submicron dots scattered underneath crawling lymphocytes. Shear forces applied to endothelial-bound lymphocytes dramatically enhanced filopodia density underneath crawling lymphocytes. A fraction of the adhesive filopodia invaded the endothelial cells prior to and during TEM and extended large subluminal leading edge containing dots of HA-LFA-1 occupied by subluminal ICAM-1. Memory T cells generated more frequent invasive filopodia and transmigrated more rapidly than their naive counterparts. We propose that shear forces exerted on HA-LFA-1 trigger adhesive and invasive filopodia at apical endothelial surfaces and thereby promote lymphocyte crawling and probing for TEM sites.

RhoA and ζ PKC Control Distinct Modalities of LFA-1 Activation by Chemokines: Critical Role of LFA-1 Affinity Triggering in Lymphocyte In Vivo Homing

Chemokines regulate rapid leukocyte adhesion by triggering a complex modality of integrin activation. We show that the small GTPase RhoA and the atypical zeta PKC differently control lymphocyte LFA-1 high-affinity state and rapid lateral mobility induced by chemokines. Activation of LFA-1 high-affinity state and lateral mobility is controlled by RhoA through the activity of distinct effector regions, demonstrating that RhoA is a central point of diversification of signaling pathways leading to both modalities of LFA-1 triggering. In contrast, zeta PKC controls LFA-1 lateral mobility but not affinity triggering. Blockade of the 23-40 RhoA effector region prevents induction of LFA-1 high-affinity state as well as lymphocyte arrest in Peyers patch high endothelial venules. Thus, RhoA controls the induction of LFA-1 high-affinity state by chemokines independently of zeta PKC, and this is critical to support chemokine-regulated homing of circulating lymphocytes.

Neutrophils produce biologically active macrophage inflammatory protein-3α (MIP-3α) / CCL20 and MIP-3β / CCL19

Macrophage inflammatory protein‐3α (MIP‐3α) / CCL20 and MIP‐3β / CCL19 are members of the CC chemokine subfamily which exert their effects through specific receptors, CCR6 and CCR7, respectively. Previously, we have reported that human neutrophils have the capacity to produce a number of chemokines, including IL‐8 / CXCL8, GROα / CXCL1, IP‐10 / CXCL10, and MIG / CXCL9. Herein, we show that neutrophils also have the ability to express and release MIP‐3α / CCL20 and MIP‐3β / CCL19 when cultured with either LPS or TNF‐α. We also report that MIP‐3α / CCL20 and MIP‐3β / CCL19 production by LPS‐stimulated neutrophils is negatively modulated by IL‐10. Remarkably, we found that supernatants harvested from stimulated neutrophils not only induced chemotaxis of both immature and mature dendritic cells (DC), but also triggered rapid integrin‐dependent adhesion of CCR6‐ and CCR7‐expressing lymphocytes to purified VCAM‐1 and ICAM‐1, respectively. Importantly, both chemotaxis and rapid integrin‐dependent adhesion were dramatically suppressed by anti‐MIP‐3α / CCL20 and anti‐MIP‐3β / / CCL19 neutralizing antibodies, indicating that MIP‐3α / CCL20 and MIP‐3β / CCL19 present in the supernatants were both biologically active. As these chemokines are primarily chemotactic for DC and specific lymphocyte subsets, the ability ofneutrophils to produce MIP‐3α / CCL20 and MIP‐3β / CCL19 might be significant in orchestrating the recruitment of these cell types to the inflamed sites and therefore in contributing to theregulation of the immune response.