Functions of the proteasome in antigen presentation.
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
K L Rock
Publications and source records attributed to K L Rock.
Peptidase activities of proteasomes are differentially regulated by the major histocompatibility complex-encoded genes for LMP2 and LMP7.
Recent studies have implicated proteasomes in the generation of the antigenic peptides that are presented on major histocompatibility complex class I molecules to T lymphocytes. Interferon gamma modifies the subunit composition of proteasomes and causes changes in their peptidase activities that should favor the production of peptides with hydrophobic or basic carboxyl termini (i.e., the types found on major histocompatibility complex class I molecules). It has been proposed that these changes in peptidase activity are due to incorporation into proteasomes of the major histocompatibility complex-encoded subunits LMP2 and -7, which are induced by interferon gamma. Here we show by gene transfection into lymphoblasts or HeLa cells that LMP7 increases the capacity (Vmax) of 20S and 26S proteasomes to cleave peptides after hydrophobic and basic residues without affecting hydrolysis after acidic residues. These changes depended on the amount of LMP7 subunits incorporated into proteasomes. Transfection of LMP2 reduced cleavage of peptides after acidic residues, increased hydrolysis after basic residues, and did not affect the hydrophobic activity. Since the activity of the total proteasome population changed after incorporation of only small amounts of LMP2 or -7, these subunits must cause major alterations in peptidase activity. Thus, their expression can account for the changes in proteasome activity induced by inteferon gamma, and these findings lend further support to the proposed roles of LMPs in altering the nature of the peptides generated for antigen presentation.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Inhibitors of the proteasome block the degradation of most cell proteins and the generation of peptides presented on MHC class I molecules.
Reagents that inhibit the ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway in cells have not been available. Peptide aldehydes that inhibit major peptidase activities of the 20S and 26S proteasomes are shown to reduce the degradation of protein and ubiquitinated protein substrates by 26S particles. Unlike inhibitors of lysosomal proteolysis, these compounds inhibit the degradation of not only abnormal and short-lived polypeptides but also long-lived proteins in intact cells. We used these agents to test the importance of the proteasome in antigen presentation. When ovalbumin is introduced into the cytosol of lymphoblasts, these inhibitors block the presentation on MHC class I molecules of an ovalbumin-derived peptide by preventing its proteolytic generation. By preventing peptide production from cell proteins, these inhibitors block the assembly of class I molecules. Therefore, the proteasome catalyzes the degradation of the vast majority of cell proteins and generates most peptides presented on MHC class I molecules.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Extracellular matrix-induced stimulation of a CD4-8- thymic T cell line.
PBK101 was a thymic T cell line of AKR/J origin that expressed Thy 1, CD44, IL-2R, and VLA-4 antigens but not CD4, CD8, or the TCR/CD3 complex. PBK101 was initially isolated growing together with adherent thymic stromal cells. The proliferation of PBK101 ceased when it was cultured in the absence of stromal cells and its proliferation was stimulated when stromal cells were added back to the culture. PBK101 cells were also stimulated when cocultured with peritoneal exudate cells (PEC). These responses appeared to require contact between PBK101 and the cellular stimulators. The stimulatory activity of the thymic stromal cell line remained in culture wells after the cellular elements were removed by mild trypsinization or detergent extraction indicating that a stimulatory molecule(s) was associated with extracellular matrix (ECM). The activity of the ECM was resistant to high salt extraction, acetic acid, and strong denaturants but was sensitive to treatment with trypsin, heat (80 degrees C), and, if cells were treated with a lathyragen, 4 M guanidine-HCl plus 2 mM dithiothreitol (DTT). The extracellular matrix produced by some other fibroblast cell lines was nonstimulatory. Stimulation of PBK101 by ECM was not inhibited by monoclonal anti-VLA4 or polyclonal anti-fibronectin antisera. Purified extracellular matrix proteins (laminin, collagen, fibronectin, and vitronectin) were either nonstimulatory or only marginally stimulated PBK101 cells. These results suggested that a potentially novel molecule(s) present in the extracellular matrix of a thymic stromal cell line and on the surface of other cellular elements stimulated a thymic T cell line of immature phenotype. The potential role of extracellular matrix-associated molecules in normal T cell development is discussed.
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Presentation of exogenous antigens by macrophages: analysis of major histocompatibility complex class I and II presentation and regulation by cytokines.
There is an antigen presenting cell (APC) in the lymphoid organs capable of presenting exogenous antigen (Ag) with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. This study was initiated to isolate clones of these APC to definitively establish their phenotype and to further study their properties. Murine bone marrow macrophages (BM M psi) were immortalized by overexpression myc and raf oncogenes. Five BM M psi cell lines were generated that are phagocytic and expressed at their surface M psi differentiation Ag. All five cell lines processed and presented exogenous ovalbumin (OVA) with MHC class I molecules. They all presented OVA-linked to a phagocytic substrate 10(2)-10(4)-fold more efficiently than soluble Ag. Clonal isolates of two of the M psi cell lines had an identical phenotype and functional properties as the uncloned lines. These results definitively establish that M psi are APC with the capacity of presenting exogenous Ag with MHC class I molecules. Interferon (IFN)-gamma interleukin-4, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor and lipopolysaccharide either alone or in combination induced little or no augmentation and in some cases decreased presentation of exogenous OVA with MHC class I. In contrast, all of M psi activating factors increased MHC class I expression. Moreover, IFN-gamma increased the presentation of cytosolic OVA, demonstrating differences between the presentation of cytosolic Ag versus exogenous Ag with MHC class I. Finally, some lines constitutively processed and presented exogenous OVA with MHC class II while others only presented after stimulation with IFN-gamma. These results demonstrate that the pathways involved in the presentation of exogenous Ag with MHC class I and class II are independently regulated and that a cloned cell is capable of presenting exogenous Ag through both pathways.
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Altered peptidase and viral-specific T cell response in LMP2 mutant mice.
MHC class I molecules present peptides generated by processing of endogenously synthesized proteins to CD8+ T lymphocytes. Recently, large proteolytic complexes, termed proteasomes, were implicated in antigen processing. Two proteasomal subunits, LMP2 and LMP7, are encoded within the MHC class II region, but their precise role in antigen processing is unknown. We have generated mice that harbor a disruption in their LMP2 gene. Proteasomes purified from spleen and liver of these mutant mice exhibit altered peptidase activities, and antigen-presenting cells showed reduced capacity to stimulate a T cell hybridoma specific for H-2Db plus a nucleoprotein epitope of an influenza A virus. The mutant mice have reduced (60%-70% of wild type) levels of CD8+ T lymphocytes and generate 5- to 6-fold fewer influenza nucleoprotein-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors. These findings indicate that LMP2 influences antigen processing.
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A role of Ly-6A.2 in T lymphocyte activation and development.
Ly-6A.2 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein expressed on the plasma membrane of T lymphocytes. The precise function of this molecule is not known. A role of Ly-6A.2 in T cell signaling is discussed.
Antigens, CD↗
Gamma-interferon and expression of MHC genes regulate peptide hydrolysis by proteasomes.
The presentation of intracellular proteins to the immune system requires their degradation to small peptides that then become associated with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. The generation of these peptides may involve the 20S or 26S proteasome particles, which contain multiple proteolytic activities including distinct sites that preferentially cleave small peptides on the carboxyl side of hydrophobic, basic or acidic residues. Degradation of most cell proteins requires their conjugation to ubiquitin before hydrolysis by the 26S proteasome. This large complex contains the 20S proteasome as its proteolytic core. This ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway is implicated in MHC class I presentation. gamma-Interferon (gamma-IFN), a stimulator of antigen presentation, induces a subclass of proteasomes that contain two MHC-encoded subunits, LMP2 and 7 (refs 5-10). Here we show that gamma-interferon alters the peptidase activities of the 20S and 26S proteasomes without affecting the rates of breakdown of proteins or of ubiquitinated proteins. By enhancing the expression of MHC genes, gamma-IFN increases the proteasomes' capacity to cleave small peptides after hydrophobic and basic residues but reduces cleavage after acidic residues. Moreover, proteasomes of mutants lacking LMP subunits show decreased rates of cleavage after hydrophobic and basic residues. Thus, gamma-IFN and expression of these MHC genes should favour the production by proteasomes of the types of peptides found on MHC class I molecules, which terminate almost exclusively with hydrophobic or basic residues.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
A role for the ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway in MHC class I-restricted antigen presentation.
The degradation of most cellular proteins starts with their covalent conjugation with ubiquitin. This labels the proteins for rapid hydrolysis to oligopeptides by a (26S) proteolytic complex containing a (20S) degradative particle called the proteasome. Some system in the cytosol also generates antigenic peptides from endogenously synthesized cellular and viral proteins. These peptides bind to newly synthesized class I major histocompatibility complex molecules in the endoplasmic reticulum and peptide/class I complexes are then transported to the cell surface for presentation to cytotoxic T cells. How these peptides are produced is unknown, although a modification that promotes ubiquitin-dependent degradation of a viral protein enhances its presentation with class I13 and indirect evidence suggests a role for proteolytic particles closely resembling and perhaps identical to the proteasome. Using cells that exhibit a temperature-sensitive defect in ubiquitin conjugation, we report here that non-permissive temperature inhibited class I-restricted presentation of ovalbumin introduced into the cytosol, but did not affect presentation of an ovalbumin peptide synthesized from a minigene. These results implicate the ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway in the production of antigenic peptides.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Efficient major histocompatibility complex class I presentation of exogenous antigen upon phagocytosis by macrophages.
Antigens in extracellular fluids can be processed and presented with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules by a subset of antigen presenting cells (APCs). Chicken egg ovalbumin (Ova) linked to beads was presented with MHC class I molecules by these cells up to 10(4)-fold more efficiently than soluble Ova. This enhanced presentation was observed with covalently or noncovalently linked Ova and with beads of different compositions. A key parameter in the activity of these conjugates was the size of the beads. The APC that is responsible for this form of presentation is a macrophage. These cells internalize the antigen constructs through phagocytosis, since cytochalasin B inhibited presentation. Processing of the antigen and association with MHC class I molecules appears to occur intracellularly as presentation was observed under conditions where there was no detectable release of peptides into the extracellular fluids. When injected in vivo in C57BL/6 mice, Ova-beads, but not soluble Ova, primed CD4- CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Similar results were obtained in BALB/c mice immunized with beta-galactosidase-beads. The implications of these findings for development of nonliving vaccines that stimulate CTL immunity are discussed.
Animals↗
A mutant antigen-presenting cell defective in antigen presentation expresses class II MHC molecules with an altered conformation.
Ag presentation by APC to class II MHC-restricted T cells involves a sequence of events: 1) intracellular processing of protein Ag into immunogenic peptides, 2) specific binding of peptides to class II MHC molecules, and then 3) transport of the MHC-peptide complexes to the plasma membrane. The critical event in the activation of T cells by APC is the recognition of MHC-associated antigenic determinants by the TCR/CD3 complex. In this report we describe the isolation and characterization of a mutant APC with a defect in an intracellular process that results in its inability to form MHC-peptide complexes for recognition by T cells. The mutant APC cannot present many different protein Ag with both I-A and I-E molecules but is able to present processing-independent peptides. The functional defect in the mutant APC is not caused by either a decrease in expression or a structural mutation in class II MHC molecules. Further, there is no mutation in the invariant chain (li) and it displays a normal kinetics of association and dissociation from the class II MHC molecules during biosynthesis. Although the mutation is not in the genes encoding for the class II MHC molecules or li, the mutant APC expresses class II MHC molecules with distinct serological epitopes suggestive of an altered conformation. Pulse-chase experiments suggest that a conformational difference between I-Ad molecules of wild-type and mutant cells occurs after the class II molecules exit from the endoplasmic reticulum but while they are still associated with li. The mutant cell produces few compact (SDS-resistant) class II heterodimers. This mutant APC provides a tool for studying the cell biology of Ag processing and presentation.
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Peptide-priming of cytolytic T cell immunity in vivo using beta 2-microglobulin as an adjuvant.
CTL recognize oligopeptides bound to MHC class I molecules. Immunization of animals with antigenic peptides has often failed to stimulate CTL responses. We confirm that immunizations with several peptides, including natural and optimally active antigenic sequences, do not prime cytotoxic immunity in mice. However, immunization with peptides together with human beta 2-microglobulin primes Ag-specific CTL. Priming is observed when animals receive injections either i.v. with ex vivo peptide/beta 2-microglobulin-pulsed cells or s.c. with an admixture of peptide and beta 2-microglobulin. beta 2-Microglobulin promotes the priming of CTL immunity if it is added with peptide, but not if it is added after cells are exposed to peptide. Synthetic peptides and mixtures of peptides from enzymatically cleaved Ag are immunogenic. When a tryptic digest of OVA or the synthetic peptide (OVA258-276) are used as immunogens, the CTL that respond recognize the endogenously processed epitope presented by an OVA-transfected target cell. The peptide + beta 2-microglobulin-primed CTL are CD4-CD8+ and are class I MHC restricted. Using the immunization protocol with beta 2-microglobulin, we have primed CTL responses with peptides from OVA, Sendai virus, and vesicular stomatitis virus. These results may explain previous failures to prime CTL with peptides in vivo and provide a novel approach for developing peptide-based vaccines for viral diseases.
Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
Characterization of antigen-presenting cells that present exogenous antigens in association with class I MHC molecules.
Exogenous Ag in the extracellular fluids do not gain access to the class I Ag-presenting pathway in most cells. However, there is an APC resident in spleen that can process and present exogenous Ag in association with class I molecules. We characterize the phenotype of this cell. This APC is of low buoyant density, is adherent to Sepharose and glass, and expresses both class II molecules and FcR. This phenotype identifies this APC as a macrophage. Resident, peptone- and thioglycolate-induced peritoneal macrophages also display this Ag-presenting activity. Analysis with CTL clones suggest that this Ag-presenting pathway may be active in only a subset of macrophages. A similar Ag-presenting activity is also present in dendritic cell-enriched populations from spleen although we cannot rule out the possible involvement of contaminating macrophages. In contrast, B and T cells that are resident in spleen and LPS blasts are unable to present exogenous Ag in association with class I molecules. The presentation of exogenous OVA with class I molecules is not inhibited by the inhibitors of thiol proteases, leupeptin, and antipain. The presence of gelonin, a ribosomal inactivating protein, in the extracellular fluids inhibits the ability of these APC to present exogenous OVA. Under identical conditions, gelonin does not inhibit Con A-stimulated T cell proliferation, or LPS-stimulated B cell proliferation and Ag presentation. These results are discussed in relation to the potential pathways through which an Ag in the extracellular fluids is presented with MHC class I molecules.
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Role of proteasomes in antigen presentation.
Recent studies have demonstrated that the proteasome, in addition to functioning in the complete degradation of cell proteins, is the source of most antigenic peptides presented to the immune system on major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-class I molecules. In this process, intracellular and viral proteins are degraded in the cytosol to 8- to 9-amino acid fragments, which are then transported into the endoplasmic reticulum, where they become associated with MHC-class I molecules and are thus delivered to the cell surface. A variety of evidence has shown that the proteasome and ATP-ubiquitin-dependent pathway are critical in this process: (1) In cells, selective inhibitors of proteasome function inhibit the bulk of protein degradation and thus prevent the generation of peptides necessary for class I presentation and the appearance of MHC on the cell surface. (2) Mutations that block ubiquitin conjugation prevent the generation of an antigenic peptide. (3) Modifications that lead to rapid degradation of a protein by the ubiquitin pathway enhance antigen presentation. (4) gamma-Interferon (gamma-IFN) induces new proteasome subunits, LMP2 and LMP7, encoded in the MHC region that are incorporated in place of constitutive proteasome subunits. Their incorporation does not affect rates of protein breakdown but causes changes in peptidase activities, i.e. they increase rates of cleavage after basic and hydrophobic residues and decrease cleavage after acidic residues. Transfections of cells with LMP2 or LMP7 cause similar changes in these peptidase activities as are caused by gamma-IFN. These modifications in peptidase activities should enhance the production of those types of peptides which are preferentially transported into endoplasmic reticulum and selectively bound to MHC-class I molecules.
Adenosine Triphosphate↗
Analysis of the association of peptides of optimal length to class I molecules on the surface of cells.
The association of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules on the surface of cells with synthetic antigenic peptides of eight or nine amino acid residues was examined. Peptides were synthesized that correspond to the antigenic sequences from ovalbumin and influenza nucleoprotein believed to be naturally processed and presented by cells with Kb and Db MHC class I molecules, respectively. Consistent with the results of others, these peptides were 10(3)-10(5) times more active in stimulating specific T cells as compared to peptides of longer sequences. When cells are incubated with these peptides at less than 0.01-0.1 microM, the association of the peptides with class I molecules is dependent on (i) the reassociation of free beta 2-microglobulin from the extracellular fluids, (ii) a process that requires cells to be metabolically active, or (iii) stabilization of class I heterodimers by chemical crosslinking. In contrast, when cells are incubated with these peptides at greater than 0.1-1.0 microM, the peptides associate with class I molecules in the absence of exogenous beta 2-microglobulin, energy, or chemical crosslinking. Antigen competition experiments suggest that the class I molecules that bind peptides offered at high concentration become only transiently receptive to binding peptide. The concentration of peptides required for presentation to T cells under these conditions corresponds to those that stabilize Kb molecules on the surface of RMA-S mutant cells in the absence of exogenous beta 2-microglobulin. These results support the concept that the receptivity of class I molecules on cells is determined by the dissociation of beta 2-microglobulin from MHC class I that lacks bound peptides.
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Heterogeneity in antigen processing by different types of antigen-presenting cells. Effect of cell culture on antigen processing ability.
The ability of normal B cells, peritoneal macrophages, and splenic APC to process and present OVA to a panel of T-T hybridomas with different specificities was investigated. In all cases, B cells were less efficient than unfractionated splenocytes in presenting OVA or its peptides. However, when the presentation of native Ag was compared to the presentation of peptides, it was obvious that there were marked differences in the ability of these two APC populations to generate different epitopes from OVA. Leupeptin inhibits the processing of selected epitopes from native OVA differently when it was presented by spleen cells or B cells, suggesting that these two APC populations differ in their protease content. The effect of in vitro culture on the ability of splenic and peritoneal APC to process OVA was also investigated. Native OVA presentation by macrophages and spleen cells was affected by in vitro culture, more for some epitopes than for other epitopes. In contrast, presentation of exogenous peptides by paraformaldehyde-fixed APC was either not affected by previous culturing for 3 days, or very much improved. Altogether, these data demonstrate that different epitopes on the same protein may be independently and differentially processed by B cells and spleen cells. Furthermore, the precise peptides that are produced may vary with the physiologic state of the APC.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Serum proteases alter the antigenicity of peptides presented by class I major histocompatibility complex molecules.
Any effect of serum on the antigenicity of peptides is potentially relevant to their use as immunogens in vivo. Here we demonstrate that serum contains distinct proteases that can increase or decrease the antigenicity of peptides. By using a functional assay, we show that a serum component other than beta 2-microglobulin enhances the presentation of ovalbumin peptides produced by cyanogen bromide cleavage. Three features of this serum activity implicate proteolysis: it is temperature dependent, it results in increased antigenicity in a low molecular weight peptide fraction, and it is inhibited by the protease inhibitor leupeptin. Conversely, presentation of the synthetic peptide OVA-(257-264) is inhibited by serum. This inhibition is unaffected by leupeptin but is blocked by bestatin, a protease inhibitor with distinct substrate specificities. Implications for peptide-based vaccine design and immunotherapy are discussed.
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Diversity in MHC class II ovalbumin T cell epitopes generated by distinct proteases.
It is generally accepted that a limited number of T cell epitopes are generated by APC from an immunogenic protein. To ascertain the number of determinants on OVA recognized in the context of the H-2s haplotype, we generated 19 T-T hybridomas against OVA and H-2s and we synthesized 46 overlapping peptides spanning the entire protein. Eighteen T-T hybrids were stimulated by eight different peptides. The peptide recognized by one T cell hybrid was not identified. The effect of four protease inhibitors on the processing and presentation of OVA by the LS.102.9 B cell hybridoma seemed to implicate several groups of proteases in the processing of this Ag. Alkylation of cysteine residues with iodoacetic acid showed in a few cases a dramatic decrease in the capacity of OVA to stimulate T-T hybrids recognizing cysteine-free peptides. In contrast, two T-T hybrids recognizing cysteine containing peptides were not affected by the alkylation, suggesting that alkylation inhibited the processing of OVA without affecting peptide interaction with class II MHC molecules. These data demonstrate that the repertoire of peptides generated by APC from OVA is not limited to one or few immunodominant peptides, and results from the activity of several endopeptidases and/or exopeptidases. In addition, the structure of the Ag (native or denatured) was shown to affect the efficiency with which different epitopes are generated.
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