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H Hengel

Publications and source records attributed to H Hengel.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Crossrecognition by CD8 T cell receptor alpha beta cytotoxic T lymphocytes of peptides in the self and the mycobacterial hsp60 which share intermediate sequence homology.

Immunization of C57BL/6 mice with the mycobacterial heat shock protein (hsp) 60 in immunostimulating complexes caused the in vivo activation of autoreactive major histocompatibility complex class I (H-2Db)-restricted CD8 T cell receptor (TcR) alpha/beta cells. A CD8 TcR alpha/beta clone with specificity for the mycobacterial hsp60 peptide499-508 was derived from this immunization, which, in addition, recognized syngeneic macrophages which had been stressed by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) stimulation. The stress-induced, self peptide could be extracted from IFN-gamma-stressed macrophages by acid elution, suggesting that the IFN-gamma-induced self peptide is derived from an endogenous protein. Based on our observation that lysis of stressed target cells by this cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clone was specifically inhibited by hsp60-specific antisense oligonucleotides, we used synthetic peptides representing amino acid (aa) sequences of the murine hsp60 for target cell sensitization and identification of the relevant self peptide. Synthetic peptides representing 9-mer to 11-mer aa sequences of the murine hsp60 with asparagine in anchor position 4 or 5 as the minimal requirement for H-2Db binding were tested in CTL assays. The overlapping murine hsp60 peptides162-170/171 were stimulatory at a concentration as low as 10-100 pM. Seven other peptides of the murine hsp60 required intermediate peptide concentrations of 10-100 nM for recognition by the CTL clone. Although the murine and mycobacterial hsp60 peptides recognized by this CTL clone showed only intermediate homology (3 identical and 3 similar aa), our data suggest that endogenous hsp60 itself is the source of self peptide(s) presented by IFN-gamma-stressed macrophages to the cross-reactive CTL clone with promiscuous specificity. This notion is consistent with the idea of hsp as a link between infection and autoimmunity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cytokines restore MHC class I complex formation and control antigen presentation in human cytomegalovirus-infected cells.

CD8+ cytotoxic T cell (CTL) clones with specificity for defined minor and major histocompatibility (H) antigens were used to monitor antigen presentation in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-infected skin fibroblasts. At the immediate early stage of virus replication antigen presentation was intact, but was abolished during the early and late phase. Lack of CTL recognition was not selective for certain antigens but was associated with decreased steady state levels of nascent MHC class I complexes and unassembled MHC class I heavy chains, whereas free beta 2-microglobulin remained abundant. HCMV also affected the stability of both immature endoglycosidase H (Endo H)-sensitive and mature Endo H-resistant MHC class I molecules, suggesting that the virus interferes with antigen presentation at more than one step during maturation of the MHC class I complex. The action of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) lifted the block of MHC class I complex formation by stimulating synthesis, assembly and stability of MHC class I molecules. This resulted in restored antigen presentation provided that cells were exposed to the factors before HCMV infection. Because few MHC molecules suffice for CTL recognition these cytokines compensated for the negative viral effect on the antigen presentation function. Nevertheless, the viral interference with MHC class I complex formation was still active. The data imply that specific cytokines limit the immune evasion potential of HCMV from CD8+ T lymphocyte control.

Antigen Presentation↗

Identification of the mouse cytomegalovirus genomic region affecting major histocompatibility complex class I molecule transport.

Mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) functions expressed at the beginning of the early phase of the viral replication cycle interfere with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricted pathway of antigen presentation (M. J. Reddehase, M. R. Fibi, G. M. Keil, and U. H. Koszinowski, J. Virol. 60:1125-1129, 1986; M. Del Val, K. Münch, M. J. Reddehase, and U. H. Koszinowski, Cell 58:305-315, 1989). Nascent MHC class I heavy chains associate with beta 2-microglobulin and peptide, but the assembled trimolecular complex is retained in the endoplasmatic reticulum/cis-Golgi compartment (M. Del Val, H. Hengel, H. Häcker, U. Hartlaub, T. Ruppert, P. Lucin, and U. H. Koszinowski, J. Exp. Med. 176:729-738, 1992). To locate the responsible genomic region, the cytoplasmic retention of MHC class I molecules after injection of MCMV DNA was tested. The function was mapped to the HindIII E fragment. A recombinant MCMV deletion mutant delta MS94.5 lacking 15.8 kb in HindIII-E was constructed. Restoration of MHC class I molecule maturation and recognition of antigenic peptides by cytolytic T lymphocytes during the first hours of the early phase in mutant virus-infected cells proved the correct location to a 6.8-kb region in the HindIII E fragment. At later stages of the early phase, membrane-resident MHC class I molecules and cytolytic T lymphocyte recognition disappeared in delta MS94.5 mutant virus-infected cells. These results demonstrate that more than one early-gene function of MCMV affects the MHC class I pathway of antigen presentation. The redundant MHC class I-reactive functions target the transport of MHC class I molecules at different steps.

3T3 Cells↗

Prevention of autoimmune lysis by T cells with specificity for a heat shock protein by antisense oligonucleotide treatment.

T lymphocytes with specificity for the bacterial heat shock protein (hsp) 60 recognize stressed host cells, thus possibly promoting pathogenesis of certain infectious and autoimmune diseases. Here, we show that autoimmune destruction of stressed Schwann cells and macrophages by cytotoxic T lymphocytes raised against mycobacterial hsp60 can be inhibited by the use of hsp60-specific antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (A-ODNs). The inhibitory effect of hsp60 A-ODNs was specific because lysis of murine cytomegalovirus-infected host cells by virus-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes was not affected. Immunoblot analysis and immunoprecipitation studies suggest that different forms of stress increase hsp60 synthesis in Schwann cells and that this neosynthesis is reduced by hsp60 A-ODNs. These findings (i) provide evidence for participation of endogenous hsp60 in the recognition of stressed host cells by mycobacterial hsp60-crossreactive T cells and (ii) suggest the feasibility of inhibiting autoimmune reactions by target-cell treatment with specific A-ODNs.

Animals↗

Interferon gamma stimulation modulates the proteolytic activity and cleavage site preference of 20S mouse proteasomes.

The proteasome is a 700-kD multisubunit enzyme complex with several proteolytically active sites. The enzyme complex is involved in both ubiquitin-dependent and -independent protein degradation and may contribute to the processing of antigens presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. Here we demonstrate that treatment of mouse fibroblast cells with 20 U interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) for 3 d induces a change in the proteasome subunit composition and that the beta-type subunit LMP2, which is encoded in the MHC class II region, is incorporated into the enzyme complex. This is paralleled by reduction of the homologous delta-subunit. IFN-gamma stimulation results in a downregulation of the chymotrypsin-like Suc-LLVY-MCA peptide hydrolyzing activity of 20S proteasomes whereas the trypsin-like activity remains unaffected. When tested as a substrate a synthetic 25-mer polypeptide whose sequence covers the antigenic nonapeptide YPHFMPTNL of the MCMV pp89, 20S proteasomes of IFN-gamma-induced cells exhibit altered chymotrypsin-like cleavage site preferences. In the absence of IFN-gamma induction, the naturally processed nonamer peptide that is presented by MHC class I molecules appears as a minor cleavage product. IFN-gamma activation does not result in an increase of the final peptide but results in a different set of peptides. We hypothesize that these peptides represent precursor peptides that can be trimmed to final peptide size.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Late phase inhibition of murine cytomegalovirus replication by synergistic action of interferon-gamma and tumour necrosis factor.

We have shown previously that the antiviral function of CD4+ T lymphocytes against murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) is associated with the release of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). We now demonstrate that IFN-gamma and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) display synergism in their antiviral activity. As little as 2 ng/ml of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha reduced the virus yield by about three orders of magnitude. There was no effect on immediate early (IE) and early (E) gene expression as far as the candidate genes IE1, E1 and those encoding the major DNA-binding protein and the DNA polymerase were concerned. Late gene transcription, assayed by the candidate genes encoding glycoprotein B and the MCMV homologue of ICP 18.5, was blocked and MCMV DNA replication was found to be reduced but not halted. The most prominent finding of the cytokine effect, seen by electron microscopy, was an alteration of nucleocapsid formation. Altogether, the synergism is multifaceted and acts at more than one stage during viral morphogenesis. Because the cytokines clearly do not act at an early stage of infection we conclude that the mode of cytokine activity differs between alpha- and betaherpesviruses.

Animals↗

Restoration of cytomegalovirus antigen presentation by gamma interferon combats viral escape.

An immediate-early protein of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), pp89, elicits an immunodominant and protective major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I Ld-restricted CD8+ T-lymphocyte response. Remarkably, presentation of the naturally processed peptide of pp89, the nonapeptide YPHFMPTNL, is abolished during permissive MCMV infection in vitro. This defect in pp89 presentation is due to the expression of MCMV early gene functions that specifically block the transport of peptide-charged MHC class I complexes to the cell surface (M. Del Val, H. Hengel, H. Häcker, U. Hartlaub, T. Ruppert, P. Lucin, and U. H. Koszinowski, J. Exp. Med. 176:729-738, 1992). Here, we demonstrate that MCMV-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes can reconstitute pp89 presentation in a parakrine fashion. The lymphocytes mediate the restoration of antigen presentation by MCMV-infected cells by releasing gamma interferon (IFN-gamma). IFN-gamma has no effect on synthesis and stability of the viral antigen pp89 nor does it interfere with the expression of viral early genes and their inhibitory effect on MHC class I molecular maturation. IFN-gamma results in a 25-fold increase in the synthesis of MHC class I molecules and a similar increase in the abundance of pp89-derived peptide. Many of the MHC molecules remain retained by the viral effect, but a surplus of MHC molecules escapes the effect and provides the effective surface presentation of the peptide. Adoptive cell transfer studies demonstrate the IFN-gamma dependence of CD8+ T-lymphocyte function in vivo. Altogether, these data reconcile the paradoxical findings of an impaired pp89 presentation in vitro in parallel with pp89-specific CD8+ T-cell protection in vivo. The results also imply a role of IFN-gamma in the T-lymphocyte-mediated control of cytomegalovirus infection. The known propensity of cytomegalovirus to cause serious disease in the immunocompromised host is discussed in the light of these findings.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cytomegalovirus prevents antigen presentation by blocking the transport of peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex class I molecules into the medial-Golgi compartment.

Selective expression of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) immediate-early (IE) genes leads to the presentation by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule Ld of a peptide derived from MCMV IE protein pp89 (Reddehase, M.J., J. B. Rothbard, and U.H. Koszinowski. 1989. Nature (Lond.). 337:651). Characterization of endogenous antigenic peptides identified the pp89 peptide as the nonapeptide 168YPHFMPTNL176 (del Val, M., H.-J. Schlicht, T. Ruppert, M.J. Reddehase, and U.H. Koszinowski. 1991. Cell. 66:1145). Subsequent expression of MCMV early genes prevents presentation of pp89 (del Val, M., K. Münch, M.J. Reddehase, and U.H. Koszinowski. 1989. Cell. 58:305). We report on the mechanism by which MCMV early genes interfere with antigen presentation. Expression of the IE promoter-driven bacterial gene lacZ by recombinant MCMV subjected antigen presentation of beta-galactosidase to the same control and excluded antigen specificity. The Ld-dependent presence of naturally processed antigenic peptides also in nonpresenting cells located the inhibitory function subsequent to the step of antigen processing. The finding that during the E phase of MCMV gene expression the MHC class I heavy chain glycosylation remained in an Endo H-sensitive form suggested a block within the endoplasmic reticulum/cis-Golgi compartment. The failure to present antigenic peptides was explained by a general retention of nascent assembled trimolecular MHC class I complexes. Accordingly, at later stages of infection a significant decrease of surface MHC class I expression was seen, whereas other membrane glycoproteins remained unaffected. Thus, MCMV E genes endow this virus with an effective immune evasion potential. These results also indicate that the formation of the trimolecular complex of MHC class I heavy chain, beta 2-microglobulin, and the finally trimmed peptide is completed before entering the medial-Golgi compartment.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Triggering of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes via CD3-epsilon differs from triggering via alpha/beta T cell receptor. CD3-epsilon-induced cytotoxicity occurs in the absence of protein kinase C and does not result in exocytosis of serine esterases.

The requirement for protein kinase C (PKC) during triggering of murine CD8+ CTL was investigated. To this, CTL were depleted for PKC by pretreatment with PMA. This procedure neither influenced alpha/beta-TCR, CD3-epsilon, CD8, CD2, and lymphocyte function-associated Ag-1 expression, nor CTL-target cell conjugate formation. Although cytolytic effector function of PKC-depleted CTL triggered via alpha/beta-TCR structures was completely inhibited, target cell lysis induced via CD3-epsilon remained unaffected. Furthermore this PKC-independent cytolysis pathway was not associated with the release of serine esterases. Analyses at the clonal level revealed that PKC depletion blocked the cytolytic response of up to 95% of alpha/beta-TCR triggered CTL clones. The data suggest the existence of a distinct signaling pathway triggered via CD3-epsilon that is not associated with exocytosis of serine esterases and probably independent of PKC.

Animals↗

Dissection of signals controlling T cell function and activation: H7, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, blocks induction of primary T cell proliferation by suppressing interleukin (IL)2 receptor expression without affecting IL2 production.

T cell activation induced via cross-linking of the T cell receptor (TcR) stimulates hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol to the second messengers diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3). DAG is necessary for the activation and function of protein kinase C (PKC) which is suggested to play a key role in the cascade of signal transduction when translocated from the cytosol to the cell membrane. In this report, we investigated responses of resting vs. activated Ly-2+ and L3T4+ T lymphocytes in the presence of the PKC inhibitor H7 [1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine]. H7 inhibited the induction of primary T cell proliferation, while interleukin 2 (IL 2) production was fully retained. The effect of the PKC inhibitor on primary T cells depended on the type of ligand interacting with the TcR: increasing doses of concanavalin A or of immobilized anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb), but not of anti-V beta 8 or of anti-TcR alpha/beta mAb, partly overcame the blockade, indicating a differential signaling compared to the former stimuli. The blockade of T cell proliferation by H7 was not due to an inhibition of PKC translocation, but occurred even 4-8 h after T cell induction and correlated with a significant reduction of IL 2 receptor (IL 2R) expression. In contrast, the mRNA levels of IL 2R and the cellular proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-myc were not affected. On activated T cells, H7 neither blocked proliferation nor IL2R expression. Consequently, H7 dissects the signal resulting in T cell proliferation from those governing the triggering of other T cell functions, i.e. IL 2 production, during primary responses of Ly-2+ or L3T4+ murine T lymphocytes.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗

Frequency of herpes simplex virus-specific murine cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors in mitogen- and antigen-driven primary in vitro T cell responses.

The aim of this study was to assess and to compare the frequencies and specificities of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors (CTL-p) in mitogen (concanavalin A)-activated splenic T cells, as well as in antigen-activated splenic T cells of normal nonimmunized mice. In the mitogen-driven system one of 130 T cell blasts developed clonal progenies able to lyse specifically HSV-infected syngeneic targets. In the antigen-driven system HSV-specific CTL-p could be detected in normal lymphocytes provided the stimulator cells used were enriched for dendritic cells and pulsed with high concentrations of heat-inactivated HSV. Depending on the mouse strain used, the frequencies of HSV-specific CTL-p ranged from 1/500 to 1/10,000 in normal mice. Upon antigen priming within local lymph node cells, an increase of frequencies from 1/500 to 1/170 was observed in CBA/Ca mice.

Animals↗