The endogenous Mr 34,000 galactoside-binding lectin (L-34) is found at elevated levels in a wide variety of neoplastic cells and correlative evidence suggests that it is involved in tumor metastasis in vivo and in transformation in vitro. We demonstrate here that introduction of recombinant L-34 into tumorigenic, weakly metastatic UV-2237-cl-15 fibrosarcoma cells results in an increased incidence of experimental lung metastases in syngeneic and nude mice. Transfection of normal BALB/c-A31 cloned fibroblasts with functional L-34 results in acquisition of anchorage-independent growth and in morphological transformation in vitro but not in tumorigenicity in vivo. These results provide direct evidence that the cellular expression of L-34 is associated with some aspects of transformation and with metastasis, but not with tumorigenicity per se.

We recently reported that soluble 60-kDa heat shock protein (HSP60) can directly activate T cells via TLR2 signaling to enhance their Th2 response. In this study we investigated whether HSP60 might also activate B cells by an innate signaling pathway. We found that human HSP60 (but not the Escherichia coli GroEL or the Mycobacterial HSP65 molecules) induced naive mouse B cells to proliferate and to secrete IL-10 and IL-6. In addition, the HSP60-treated B cells up-regulated their expression of MHC class II and accessory molecules CD69, CD40, and B7-2. We tested the functional ability of HSP60-treated B cells to activate an allogeneic T cell response and found enhanced secretion of both IL-10 and IFN-γ by the responding T cells. The effects of HSP60 were found to be largely dependent on TLR4 and MyD88 signaling; B cells from TLR4-mutant mice or from MyD88 knockout mice showed decreased responses to HSP60. Care was taken to rule out contamination of the HSP60 with LPS as a causative factor. These findings add B cells to the complex web of interactions by which HSP60 can regulate immune responses.

Adjuvant arthritis (AA) is an autoimmune disease inducible in rats involving T cell reactivity to the mycobacterial 65-kDa heat shock protein (HSP65). HSP65-specific T cells cross-reactive with the mammalian 60-kDa heat shock protein (HSP60) are thought to participate in the modulation of AA. In this work we studied the effects on AA of DNA vaccination using constructs coding for HSP65 (pHSP65) or human HSP60 (pHSP60). We found that both constructs could inhibit AA, but that pHSP60 was more effective than pHSP65. The immune effects associated with specific DNA-induced suppression of AA were complex and included enhanced T cell proliferation to a variety of disease-associated Ags. Effective vaccination with HSP60 or HSP65 DNA led paradoxically to up-regulation of IFN-γ secretion to HSP60 and, concomitantly, to down-regulation of IFN-γ secretion to the P180-188 epitope of HSP65. There were also variable changes in the profiles of IL-10 secretion to different Ags. However, vaccination with pHSP60 or pHSP65 enhanced the production of TGFβ1 to both HSP60 and HSP65 epitopes. Our results support a regulatory role for HSP60 autoreactivity in AA and demonstrate that this control mechanism can be activated by DNA vaccination with both HSP60 or HSP65.

Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice develop insulitis and diabetes through a process involving autoimmunity to the 60-kDa heat shock protein (HSP60). Treatment of NOD mice with HSP60 or with peptides derived from HSP60 inhibits this diabetogenic process. We now report that NOD diabetes can be inhibited by vaccination with a DNA construct encoding human HSP60, with the pcDNA3 empty vector, or with an oligonucleotide containing the CpG motif. Prevention of diabetes was associated with a decrease in the degree of insulitis and with down-regulation of spontaneous proliferative T cell responses to HSP60 and its peptide p277. Moreover, both the pcDNA3 vector and the CpG oligonucleotide induced specific Abs, primarily of the IgG2b isotype, to HSP60 and p277, and not to other islet Ags (glutamic acid decarboxylase or insulin) or to an unrelated recombinant Ag expressed in bacteria (GST). The IgG2b isotype of the specific Abs together with the decrease in T cell proliferative responses indicate a shift of the autoimmune process to a Th2 type in treated mice. These results suggest that immunostimulation by bacterial DNA motifs can modulate spontaneous HSP60 autoimmunity and inhibit NOD diabetes.

Adjuvant arthritis (AA) is induced by immunizing Lewis rats with Mycobacterium tuberculosis suspended in adjuvant. The mycobacterial 65-kDa heat shock protein (HSP65) contains at least one epitope associated with the pathogenesis of AA: T cell clones that recognize an epitope formed by aa 180–188 of HSP65 react with self-cartilage and can adoptively transfer AA. Nevertheless, vaccination with HSP65 or some of its T cell epitopes can prevent AA by a mechanism that seems to involve cross-reactivity with the self-60-kDa HSP60. We recently demonstrated that DNA vaccination with the human hsp60 gene can inhibit AA. In the present work, we searched for regulatory epitopes using DNA vaccination with HSP60 gene fragments. We now report that specific HSP60 DNA fragments can serve as effective vaccines. Using overlapping HSP60 peptides, we identified a regulatory peptide (Hu3) that was specifically recognized by the T cells of DNA-vaccinated rats. Vaccination with Hu3, or transfer of splenocytes from Hu3-vaccinated rats, inhibited the development of AA. Vaccination with the mycobacterial homologue of Hu3 had no effect. Effective DNA or peptide vaccination was associated with enhanced T cell proliferation to a variety of disease-associated Ags, along with a Th2/3-like shift (down-regulation of IFN-γ secretion and enhanced secretion of IL-10 and/or tumor growth factor β1) in response to peptide Mt176–190 (the 180–188 epitope of HSP65). The regulatory response to HSP60 or its Hu3 epitope included both Th1 (IFN-γ) and Th2/3 (IL-10/tumor growth factor β1) secretors. These results show that regulatory mechanisms can be activated by immunization with relevant self-HSP60 epitopes.

A peptide of the human 60-kDa heat-shock protein (hsp60), designated p277, was found to be useful as a therapeutic agent to arrest the autoimmune process responsible for diabetes in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. The effectiveness of peptide treatment was associated with the induction of peptide-specific antibodies of the IgG1 but not of the IgG2a isotype, suggesting the possibility that a Th2-type response may have been induced. We now report that the effectiveness of p277 treatment is associated with the transient activation of anti-p277 splenic T-cells that produce the Th2 cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-10. The Th2 response to p277 was associated with reduced Th1-type autoimmunity to hsp60 and to two other target antigens associated with diabetes: GAD and insulin. The Th2 shift appeared to be relatively specific; spontaneous T-cell reactivity to a bacterial antigen peptide remained in the Th1 mode in the p277-treated mice. Moreover, treatment with the bacterial peptide did not induce a change in cytokine profile, and it did not affect progression of the disease. Thus, effective peptide treatment of the diabetogenic process associated with the induction of antibodies may be explained by selective and transient activation of Th2 autoimmune reactivity.

No abstract

A galactoside-binding lectin (hL-31) containing a collagen-like sequence was identified in human tumor cells. It was found to be the homologue of the IgE-binding protein, the macrophage cell-surface Mac-2 antigen, and the murine CBP35, RL-29, and mL-34 lectins. Here we report on the expression in Escherichia coli and functional analysis of recombinant hL-31 (rhL-31). The rhL-31 was purified in one step through an asialofetuin affinity column. The rhL-31 was reactive to anti-lectin antibodies and retained its lactose-dependent hemagglutination of trypsin-treated glutaraldehyde-fixed rabbit erythrocytes. The rhL-31 elutes from an affinity column as a 31-kDa monomer and undergoes homodimerization at relatively high protein concentrations, comparable to those used to mediate hemagglutination. Electron microscopy showed that the rhL-31 appears as a Y-shaped structure. Lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination of murine tumor cell-surface proteins followed by collagenase treatment revealed that the lectin is probably a peripheral membrane protein whereby both the amino and the carboxy termini are exposed on the outer cell membrane. These results point to the membrane disposition and orientation of the lectin and suggest a mechanism for a structure-function relationship of lectin activity.