Stimulation of cells of the macrophage lineage is a crucial step in the sensing of yeasts by the immune system. Glycans present in both Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell walls have been shown to act as ligands for different receptors leading to different stimulating pathways, some of which need receptor co-involvement. However, among these ligand-receptor couples, none has been shown to discriminate the pathogenic yeast C. albicans. We explored the role of galectin-3, which binds C. albicans β-1,2 mannosides. These glycans are specifically and prominently expressed at the surface of C. albicans but not on S. cerevisiae. Using a mouse cell line and galectin-3-deleted cells from knockout mice, we demonstrated a specific enhancement of the cellular response to C. albicans compared with S. cerevisiae, which depended on galectin-3 expression. However, galectin-3 was not required for recognition and endocytosis of yeasts. In contrast, using PMA-induced differentiated THP-1, we observed that the presence of TLR2 was required for efficient uptake and endocytosis of both C. albicans and S. cerevisiae. TLR2 and galectin-3, which are expressed at the level of phagosomes containing C. albicans, were shown to be associated in differentiated macrophages after incubation with this sole species. These data suggest that macrophages differently sense C. albicans and S. cerevisiae through a mechanism involving TLR2 and galectin-3, which probably associate for binding of ligands expressing β-1,2 mannosides specific to the C. albicans cell wall surface.

The expression of CD33, a restricted leukocyte antigen considered specific for myeloid lineage, has been studied extensively on lymphoid cells. We demonstrated that wide subsets of mitogen- or alloantigen-activated human T and natural killer (NK) cells express CD33 at protein and nucleic acid levels. CD33+ and CD33- T and NK cell populations showed identical surface expression of activation markers such as CD25, CD28, CD38, CD45RO, or CD95. Myeloid and lymphoid CD33 cDNA were identical. However, lymphoid CD33 protein had lower molecular weight, suggesting cell type-specific, post-translational modifications. Additionally, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot analysis showed an unknown CD33 isoform (CD33m) expressed on all CD33+ cell lines or T cell clones tested. CD33m was identical to CD33 (CD33M) in the signal peptide, the immunoglobulin (Ig) domain C2, the transmembrane, and the cytoplasmic regions but lacked the extracellular ligand-binding variable Ig-like domain encoded by the second exon. CD33m mRNA was mostly detected on NKL and myeloid cell lines but poorly expressed on B cell lines and T lymphocytes. The CD33m extracellular portion was successfully expressed as a soluble fusion protein on transfected human cells, suggesting a functional role on cell membranes. Cross-linking of CD33 diminished the cytotoxic activity of NKL cells against K562 and P815 target cells, working as an inhibitory receptor on NK cells. These data demonstrate that CD33 expression is not restricted to the myeloid lineage and could exist as two different splicing variants, which could play an important role in the regulation of human lymphoid and myeloid cells.

Structural studies of cell wall components of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans have demonstrated the presence of ␤-1,2-linked oligomannosides in phosphopeptidomannan and phospholipomannan. During C. albicans infection, ␤-1,2-oligomannosides play an important role in host/pathogen interactions by acting as adhesins and by interfering with the host immune response. Despite the importance of ␤-1,2-oligomannosides, the genes responsible for their synthesis have not been identified. The main reason is that the reference species Saccharomyces cerevisiae does not synthesize ␤-linked mannoses. On the other hand, the presence of ␤-1,2-oligomannosides has been reported in the cell wall of the more genetically tractable C. albicans relative, P. pastoris. Here we present the identification, cloning, and characterization of a novel family of fungal genes involved in ␤-mannose transfer. Employing in silico analysis, we identified a family of four related new genes in P. pastoris and subsequently nine homologs in C. albicans. Biochemical, immunological, and structural analyses following deletion of four genes in P. pastoris and deletion of four genes acting specifically on C. albicans mannan demonstrated the involvement of these new genes in ␤-1,2-oligomannoside synthesis. Phenotypic characterization of the strains deleted in ␤-mannosyltransferase genes (BMTs) allowed us to describe the stepwise activity of Bmtps and acceptor specificity. For C. albicans, despite structural similarities between mannan and phospholipomannan, phospholipomannan ␤-mannosylation was not affected by any of the CaBMT1-4 deletions. Surprisingly, depletion in mannan major ␤-1,2-oligomannoside epitopes had little impact on cell wall surface ␤-1,2-oligomannoside antigenic expression.

We have tested the usefulness of several commercial anti-CD33 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to determine the expression and localization of the two CD33 isoforms on several hematopoietic cell lines. The expression of the isoform CD33m, a CD33 transmembrane splice variant lacking the ligand-binding V immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domain, was detected by RT-polymerase chain reaction, western blot, confocal microscopy and flow cytometry on the membrane of several human cell types. CD33m was only detected by the anti-CD33 mAb HIM3-4 on the cell surface, whereas WM53, P67.6, 4D3, HIM3-4, WM54, D3HL60.251 or MY9 detected the CD33M isoform, indicating that HIM3-4 is the only mAb recognizing CD33 C(2) Ig domain. Accordingly, HIM3-4 binding to CD33 did not interfere with the binding of other antibodies against the CD33 V-domain. P67.6 mAb interfered with recognition by the rest of antibodies specific for the V domain. HIM3-4 staining could be increased after the sialidase treatment of all CD33(+) cells. However, this increase was stronger in activated T cells, suggesting a CD33 masking state in this cell population. Confocal microscopy analysis of CD33m HEK 293T-transfected cells revealed that this protein is expressed on the cell membrane and also detected in the Golgi compartment. CD33 is constitutively located outside the lipid raft domains, whereas cross-linked CD33 is highly recruited to this signaling platform. The unique ability of HIM3-4 mAb to detect the masking state of CD33 on different cell lineages makes it a good tool to improve the knowledge of the biological role of this sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectin.

The inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-A (TNF-A) is present in the dermal and epidermal layers of normal skin [Kilgus, O., Payer, E., Schreiber, S., Elbe, A., Strohal, R. & Stingl, G. (1993) J. Invest. Dermatol. 100, 674Ϫ680]. Its local concentrations are modified by several stimuli, including wound healing and ultraviolet irradiation. Moreover, TNF-A inhibits melanogenesis in normal melanocytes [Swope, V., Abdel-Malek, Z., Kassem, L. & Norlund, J. (1991) J. Invest. Dermatol. 96, 180Ϫ 185], and is, therefore, a potential autocrine/paracrine regulator of pigmentation. We have analyzed the mechanisms of this effect using B16/F10 melanoma cells as a model. Nanomolar concentrations of TNF-A inhibit the tyrosine hydroxylase and dopa oxidase activities of B16/F10 melanocytes, to less than 30% control levels, without effects on tyrosinase-related protein 2/dopachrome tautomerase (TRP2/DCT). The 50% inhibition was obtained at 1 nM TNF-A and 48 h treatment. The effect of TNF-A was noticeable after 6 h treatment, and maximal after 24 h. This inhibition is explained by decreased intracellular levels of tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP1), but not of TRP2/DCT as detected by Western blotting. Northern-blot experiments showed that the inhibitory effect is partially explained by a reduced accumulation of the corresponding mRNAs, that dropped to about 50% of control values (48 h treatment, 5 nM TNF-A). Moreover, the tyrosine hydroxylase and dopa oxidase activities decreased more rapidly in TNF-A-treated cells than in control cells, under conditions of inhibition of protein synthesis. This suggests a TNF-mediated reduction of tyrosinase half-life. However, the possibility of an inhibitory post-translational modification of the enzyme induced by TNF cannot be ruled out. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of TNF-A on tyrosinase and TRP-1 results from combined effect on mRNA levels and enzymatic activity or protein stability.Keywords : melanogenesis ; tyrosinase; tyrosinase-related protein; tumor-necrosis factor A; epidermal melanocytes.Mammalian melanin pigmentation is a complex event asso-arising by the spontaneous decarboxylation of dopachrome. As ciated with specialized cells, the melanocytes (Hearing and opposed to this spontaneous pathway, another melanocyte-spe- King, 1993; Prota, 1992). At least three structurally related en-cific protein, TRP-2, also called DCT, catalyzes the non-decarzymatic proteins are involved in the melanogenic pathway boxylative rearrangement of L-dopachrome to 5,6-dihydroxyin- (Fig. 1). The first two reactions of the pathway are catalyzed by dole-2-carboxylic acid, (Aroca et al., 1990; Leonard et al., tyrosinase (monophenol monooxygenase), a copper-containing, 1988). This indolic o-diphenol is oxidized by TRP-1 to an unmembrane-bound glycoprotein preferentially found in special-stable o-quinone that undergoes further polymerization reactions ized organelles, the melanosomes. These two reactions are the to yield melanin (Jiménez-Cervantes et al., 1994; Kobayashi et rate-limiti...

Current evidence suggests that melanogenesis is controlled by epidermal paracrine modulators. We have analyzed the effects of transforming growth factor-␤1 (TGF-␤1) on the basal melanogenic activities of B16/F10 mouse melanoma cells. TGF-␤1 treatment (48 h) elicited a concentration-dependent decrease in basal tyrosine hydroxylase and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (Dopa) oxidase activities, to less than 30% of the control values but had no effect on dopachrome tautomerase activity (TRP-2). The inhibition affected to similar extents the Dopa oxidase activity associated to tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1) and tyrosinase. This inhibition was noticeable between 1 and 3 h after the addition of the cytokine, and maximal after 6 h of treatment. The decrease in the enzymatic activity was paralleled by a decrease in the abundance of the TRP-1 and tyrosinase proteins. TGF-␤1 mediated this effect by increasing the rate of degradation of tyrosinase and TRP-1. Conversely, after 48 h of treatment, the expression of the tyrosinase gene decreased only slightly, while TRP-1 and TRP-2 gene expression was not affected. An increased rate of proteolytic degradation of TRP-1 and tyrosinase seems the main mechanism accounting for the inhibitory effect of TGF-␤1 on the melanogenic activity of B16/F10 cells.Melanin pigmentation in mammals is a highly regulated and complex event occurring within specialized cells, the melanocytes (1-3). The pathway starts by two reactions catalyzed by tyrosinase (monophenol monooxygenase, EC 1.14.18.1), the hydroxylation of L-tyrosine to L-Dopa, 1 and the oxidation of LDopa to dopaquinone. In the absence of thiolic compounds, dopaquinone evolves spontaneously to L-dopachrome, and then to melanin. Two other enzymes, TRP-1 and TRP-2, have been shown to participate in the process. TRP-2, also called DCT (EC 5.3.2.3.), catalyzes the non-decarboxylative rearrangement of L-dopachrome to 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (4 -6). This stable diphenol is oxidized by TRP-1 to an unstable oquinone that undergoes further polymerization reactions to yield melanin (7,8). Moreover, other melanosomal proteins such as pmel 17 could also be involved in the control of the distal melanogenic reactions (9, 10). Tyrosinase itself could also participate in other oxidative steps, thus enhancing the polymerization rate of melanogenic intermediates (11,12).Due to the high reactivity of the melanogenic intermediates, melanogenesis is confined in specialized organelles called melanosomes. Epidermal melanization involves not only the synthesis of the pigment but also the transfer of melanized melanosomes to the keratinocytes surrounding the dendritic processes of melanocytes. Thus, melanocytes are in intimate physical and functional contact with other epidermal cells, which could contribute to the control of the melanogenic status of melanocytes through the secretion of several cytokines and paracrine factors. In keeping with this view, the skin contains a variety of chemical messengers with the potential to affect the prolifer...

No abstract

This review focuses on new findings about the inflammatory status involved in the development of human liver cirrhosis induced by the two main causes, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and chronic alcohol abuse, avoiding results obtained from animal models. When liver is faced to a persistent and/or intense local damage the maintained inflammatory response gives rise to a progressive replacement of normal hepatic tissue by non-functional fibrotic scar. The imbalance between tissue regeneration and fibrosis will determine the outcome toward health recovery or hepatic cirrhosis. In all cases progression toward liver cirrhosis is caused by a dysregulation of mechanisms that govern the balance between activation/homeostasis of the immune system. Detecting differences between the inflammatory status in HCV-induced vs alcohol-induced cirrhosis could be useful to identify specific targets for preventive and therapeutic intervention in each case. Thus, although survival of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis seems to be similar to that of patients with HCV-related cirrhosis (HCV-C), there are important differences in the altered cellular and molecular mechanisms implicated in the progression toward human liver cirrhosis. The predominant features of HCV-C are more related with those that allow viral evasion of the immune defenses, especially although not exclusively, inhibition of interferons secretion, natural killer cells activation and T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. On the contrary, the inflammatory status of alcohol-induced cirrhosis is determined by the combined effect of direct hepatotoxicity of ethanol metabolites and increases of the intestinal permeability, allowing bacteria and bacterial products translocation, into the portal circulation, mesenteric lymph nodes and peritoneal cavity. This phenomenon generates a stronger pro-inflammatory response compared with HCV-related cirrhosis. Hence, therapeutic intervention in HCV-related cirrhosis must be mainly focused to counteract HCV-immune system evasion, while in the case of alcohol-induced cirrhosis it must try to break the inflammatory loop established at the gut-mesenteric lymph nodes-peritoneal-systemic axis.