The N-termini of bacterial lipoproteins are acylated with a (S)-(2,3-bisacyloxypropyl)cysteinyl residue. Lipopeptides derived from lipoproteins activate innate immune responses by engaging Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), and are highly immunostimulatory and yet without apparent toxicity in animal models. The lipopeptides may therefore be useful as potential immunotherapeutic agents. Previous structure-activity relationships in such lipopeptides have largely been obtained using murine cells and it is now clear that significant species-specific differences exist between human and murine TLR responses. We have examined in detail the role of the highly conserved Cys residue as well as the geometry and stereochemistry of the Cys-Ser dipeptide unit. (R)-diacylthioglycerol analogues are maximally active in reporter gene assays using human TLR2. The Cys-Ser dipeptide unit represents the minimal part-structure, but its stereochemistry was found not to be a critical determinant of activity. The thioether bridge between the diacyl and dipeptide units is crucial, and replacement by an oxoether bridge results in a dramatic decrease in activity.

No abstract

The role of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the pathogenesis of Gram-negative septic shock is well established. The corresponding proinflammatory and immunostimulatory molecule(s) on the Gram-positive bacteria is less well understood, and its identification and characterization would be a key prerequisite in designing specific sequestrants of the Gram-positive endotoxin(s). We report in this paper the comparison of NF-kappaB-, cytokine- and chemokine-inducing activities of the TLR2 ligands, lipoteichoic acid (LTA), peptidoglycan (PGN), and lipopeptides, to LPS, a prototype TLR4 agonist, in murine macrophage cell-lines as well as in human blood. In murine cells, di- and triacyl liopopeptides are equipotent in their NF-kappaB inducing activity relative to LPS, but elicit much lower proinflammatory cytokines. However, both LPS and the lipopeptides potently induce the secretion of a pattern of chemokines that is suggestive of the engagement of a TLR4-independent TRIF pathway. In human blood, although the lipopeptides induce p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation and CD11b upregulation in granulocytes at ng/ml concentrations, they do not elicit proinflammatory cytokine production even at very high doses; LTA, however, activates neutrophils and induces cytokine secretion, although its potency is considerably lower than that of LPS, presumably due to its binding to plasma proteins. We conclude that, in human blood, the pattern of immunostimulation and proinflammatory mediator production elicited by LTA parallels that of LPS.

Toll-like receptor 2-agonistic lipopeptides typified by S-[2,3-bis(palmitoyloxy)-(2RS)-propyl]-R-cysteinyl-S-serine (PAM2CS) compounds are potential vaccine adjuvants. In continuation of previously reported structure-activity relationships on this chemotype, we have determined that at least one acyl group of optimal length (C16) and an appropriately orientated ester carbonyl group is essential for TLR2-agonistic activity. The spacing between one of the palmitoyl ester carbonyl and the thioether is crucial to allow for an important H-bond, which observed in the crystal structure of the lipopeptide:TLR2 complex; consequently, activity is lost in homologated compounds. Penicillamine-derived analogues are also inactive, likely due to unfavorable steric interactions with the carbonyl of Ser 12 in TLR2. The thioether in this chemotype can be replaced with a selenoether. Importantly, the thioglycerol motif can be dispensed with altogether, and can be replaced with a thioethanol bridge. These results have led to a structurally simpler, synthetically more accessible, and water-soluble analogue possessing strong TLR2-agonistic activities in human blood.

Just as the prescient comment by Gaston Ramon was relegated to the last footnote of his 1926 paper, 1 so has research on the mechanisms of action of adjuvants, until recently, languished as parenthetical annotations and addenda in the archives of immunology and vaccine development. Ramon defined immunological adjuvants as "substances used in combination with a specific antigen that produced a more robust immune response than the antigen alone." Interestingly enough, he was referring to his empirical findings that the addition of bread crumbs, tapioca, saponin and 'starch oil' to antigenic preparations greatly enhanced antibody responses to diphtheria or tetanus. 2 A year later, the adjuvanticity of aluminum salts (primarily phosphate and hydroxide) was discovered by Glenny and coworkers. 3 In the 83 years that have elapsed, the repertoire of investigational adjuvants has grown to encompass a very wide range of materials, 4 but aluminum salt-based mineral salts (generically, and incorrectly, termed "alum") have remained the only adjuvants currently approved by the FDA. Aluminum salts have enjoyed a good safety record, but they are weak adjuvants for antibody induction and induce a T helper-2 (T H 2)-skewed, rather than a T helper-1 (T H 1) response. 5,6 Furthermore, not only are aluminum salts ineffective at inducing cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) or mucosal IgA antibody responses, but also have a propensity to induce IgE responses, which have been associated with allergic reactions in some subjects. 5,6 Very recent reports implicate the Nalp3 inflammasome, a component of the innate immune response, as the effector limb of alum-associated adjuvanticity. [7][8][9] In 1962, Dresser observed that injection of purified soluble proteins not only failed to stimulate an immune response, but tolerized animals unless a bacterial extract was admixed with the protein immunogen. 10 This led him to redefine adjuvanticity as "a property of a substance which can act as a physiological switch, directing at least some immunologically competent cells to respond by making antibody rather than by becoming immunologically paralyzed by the antigen," 11 confirming Johnson's earlier observations that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria exerted potent adjuvant properties, 12 and perhaps paved the way for the subsequent discovery of the wide range of microorganism-derived adjuvants. 13 TLRs are pattern recognition receptors present on diverse cell types that recognize specific molecular patterns present in molecules that are broadly shared by pathogens but distinguishable from host molecules, collectively referred to as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). 14,15 There are 10 TLRs in the human genome;

N-acyl-γ-glutamyl-diaminopimelic acid is a prototype ligand for Nod1. We report a detailed SAR of C 12 -γ-D-Glu-DAP. Analogues with glutaric or γ-aminobutyric acid replacing the glutamic acid show greatly attenuated Nod1-agonistic activity. Substitution of the meso-diaminopimelic (DAP) acid component with monoaminopimelic acid, L-or D-lysine, or cadaverine also results in reduced activity. The free amine on DAP is crucial. However, the N-acyl group on the D-glutamyl residue can be substituted with N-alkyl groups with full preservation of activity. The free carboxylates on the DAP and Glu components can also be esterified, resulting in more lipophilic, but active analogues. Transcriptomal profiling showed a dominant upregulation of IL-19, IL-20, IL-22, and IL-24, which may explain the pronounced Th2-polarizing activity of these compounds, and also implicate cell signaling mediated by TREM-1. These results may explain the hitherto unknown mechanism of synergy between Nod1-and TLR-agonists, and are likely to be useful in designing vaccine adjuvants.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors that recognize specific molecular patterns present in molecules that are broadly shared by pathogens, but are structurally distinct from host molecules. The TLR7-agonistic imidazoquinolines are of interest as vaccine adjuvants given their ability to induce pronounced Th1-skewed humoral responses. Minor modifications on the imidazoquinoline scaffold result in TLR7-antagonistic compounds which may be of value in addressing innate immune activation-driven immune exhaustion observed in HIV. We describe the syntheses and evaluation of TLR7 and TLR8 modulatory activities of dimeric constructs of imidazoquinoline linked at the C2, C4, C8, and N1-aryl positions. Dimers linked at the C4, C8 and N1-aryl positions were agonistic at TLR7; only the N1-aryl dimer with a 12-carbon linker was dual TLR7/8 agonistic. Dimers linked at C2 position showed antagonistic activities at TLR7 and TLR8; the C2 dimer with a propylene spacer was maximally antagonistic at both TLR7 and TLR8.

Toll-like receptor (TLR)-7 agonists show prominent immunostimulatory activities. The synthesis of a TLR7-active N1-(4-aminomethyl)benzyl substituted imidazoquinoline 5d served as a convenient precursor for the covalent attachment of fluorophores without significant loss of activity. Fluorescence microscopy experiments show that the fluorescent analogues are internalized and distributed in the endosomal compartment. Flow cytometry experiments using whole human blood show differential partitioning into B, T, and natural killer (NK) lymphocytic subsets, which correlate with the degree of activation in these subsets. These fluorescently-labeled imidazoquinolines will likely be useful in examining the trafficking of TLR7 in immunological synapses.