The Journal of Immunology, 1999, 163: 2500-2507.
Copyright © 1999 by The American Association of Immunologists
Induction of Allograft Tolerance in the Absence of Fas-Mediated Apoptosis1
Xian Chang Li2,*,
Yongsheng Li2,*,
Ingrid Dodge*,
Andrew D. Wells
,
Xin Xiao Zheng*,
Laurence A. Turka
and
Terry B. Strom3,*
*
Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Division of Immunology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215; and
Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Abstract
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Using certain immunosuppressive regimens, IL-2 knockout (KO) mice,
in contrast to wild-type (wt) controls, are resistant to the induction
of allograft tolerance. The mechanism by which IL-2 regulates allograft
tolerance is uncertain. As IL-2 KO mice have a profound defect in
Fas-mediated apoptosis, we hypothesized that Fas-mediated apoptosis of
alloreactive T cells may be critical in the acquisition of allograft
tolerance. To definitively study the role of Fas in the induction of
transplantation tolerance, we used Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr
mice as allograft recipients of islet and vascularized cardiac
transplants. Alloantigen-stimulated proliferation and apoptosis of
Fas-deficient cells were also studied in vivo. Fas mutant
B6.MRL-lpr (H-2b) mice rapidly rejected
fully MHC-mismatched DBA/2 (H-2d) islet allografts and
vascularized cardiac allografts with a tempo that is comparable to wt
control mice. Both wt and B6.MRL-lpr mice transplanted
with fully MHC-mismatched islet allografts or cardiac allografts can be
readily tolerized by either rapamycin or combined costimulation
blockade (CTLA-4Ig plus anti-CD40L mAb). Despite the profound
defect of Fas-mediated apoptosis, Fas-deficient T cells can still
undergo apoptotic cell death in vivo in response to alloantigen
stimulation. Our study suggests that: 1) Fas is not necessarily
essential for allograft tolerance, and 2) Fas-mediated apoptosis is not
central to the IL-2-dependent mechanism governing the acquisition of
allograft tolerance.
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Introduction
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Tolerance
to self Ags is established primarily in the thymus by deletion of
autoreactive T cells through negative selection (1, 2).
Similarly, tolerance to fully MHC-mismatched allografts and even
xenografts can be achieved by creation of mixed hematopoietic
chimerism, where deletion of donor-specific alloreactive T cells in the
thymus is a principle mechanism through which tolerance is induced
(3). Thus, it is generally believed that deletional
mechanisms leading to allograft tolerance provide the most robust form
of tolerance in transplantation. Is a deletional process involved in
the establishment of peripheral allograft tolerance in the absence of
immune system ablation and reconstitution? The answer remains
enigmatic.
Recently, we have used rapamycin and others used costimulation blockade
treatment to demonstrate that IL-2 is not required for rejection
(4). In fact, IL-2 can be required for tolerance induction
(5, 6). The precise mechanisms by which IL-2 regulates
tolerance induction remain unknown. T cells in wild-type
(wt)4 and IL-2
knockout (KO) mice express comparable levels of CTLA-4 upon
activation (our unpublished observations), which has been shown
to be critical for induction of peripheral tolerance
(7). In stark contrast to wt mice, IL-2 KO mice exhibit a
profound defect in Fas-mediated apoptosis, despite normal expression of
Fas upon T cell activation (8). As IL-2 is absolutely
required for priming activated T cells to undergo Fas-mediated
apoptosis (9), it has been suggested that the failure of
tolerance induction in IL-2 KO mice may be due to impaired Fas-mediated
deletion of activated alloreactive T cells. This hypothesis is
reinforced by the finding that cotransplantation of syngeneic myoblasts
genetically engineered to express Fas ligand with islets allograft
leads to long-term allograft survival, and T cell apoptosis induced by
the Fas ligand-expressing myoblasts is the principle mechanism of
long-term engraftment (10). Moreover, systemic
administration of macrophages genetically constructed to express high
levels of Fas ligand into allogeneic recipients promotes rapid
apoptosis of alloreactive T cells, leading to Ag-specific T cell
tolerance (11). George et al. (12) recently
demonstrated, in a bone marrow-induced skin allograft tolerance model,
that: 1) expression of Fas ligand by donor bone marrow cells is
critical for tolerance induction; and 2) apoptosis of alloreactive T
cells is essential in the establishment of tolerant status in this
model.
To definitively study whether Fas expression is an absolute requirement
for the induction and maintenance of IL-2-dependent allograft tolerance
that occurs with rapamycin or costimulation treatment, we studied the
allograft response in Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice as
transplant recipients. We also investigated the alloantigen-driven T
cell proliferation and activation-induced cell death (AICD) in vivo. We
found that: 1) allograft tolerance can be induced in the absence of Fas
expression, 2) alloantigen-activated and Fas-deficient T cells can
still undergo apoptotic cell death in vivo, and 3) Fas-mediated
apoptosis is not central to IL-2-dependent acquisition of allograft
tolerance.
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Materials and Methods
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Animals
Eight- to ten-week-old male DBA/2 (H-2d)
mice, B6.MRL+/+ wt (H-2b),
and Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr/lpr mice
(H-2b) were obtained from the Jackson Laboratory
(Bar Harbor, ME).
Islet cell transplantation
Islet transplantation was performed as described previously
(13). Briefly, pancreatic islets were isolated from donor
DBA/2 (H-2d) mice via collagenase digestion and
subsequent ficoll gradient centrifugation method. Crude islets
300400(300400) were transplanted under the renal capsule into wt mice
(H-2b) and Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice
(H-2b) rendered diabetic by a single i.p.
injection of streptozotocin (225 mg/kg; Sigma, St. Louis, MO).
Allograft function was monitored by sequential blood glucose
measurements. Primary graft function was defined as blood glucose
levels under 200 mg/dl on day 3 posttransplantation, and graft
rejection was defined as a rise in blood glucose levels exceeding 300
mg/dl following a period of primary graft function.
Vascularized heterotopic cardiac transplantation
Heterotopic cardiac transplantation was performed
(14). Briefly, cardiac grafts from DBA/2 donors were
prepared by ligating the pulmonary veins and the superior vena cava.
The grafts were harvested by dividing and excising the aorta and the
pulmonary artery. The cardiac grafts were then transplanted into
recipient mice by suturing donor aorta and donor pulmonary artery end
to side to the recipients abdominal aorta and vena cava,
respectively. Graft function was monitored every other day following
transplantation by transabdominal palpation and scored on a scale of 1
to 4, based on the strength and the rate of impulses. Graft rejection
was defined by a complete cessation of palpable beat and confirmed by
direct visualization upon laprotomy.
Reagents and tolerizing protocols
Rapamycin was kindly provided by Dr. Suren Sehgal (Wyeth-Ayerst,
Princeton, NJ) and prepared in carboxymethylcellulose (Sigma), as
recommended by the company. Murine CTLA-4Ig was constructed and
expressed in our laboratory as previously described (15).
A B cell hybridoma producing MR1 (IgG2a) hamster anti-mouse CD40L
mAb was obtained from American Type Culture Collection (Manassas, VA).
The hybridoma cells were grown in serum free UltraCulture medium
(BioWhittaker, Walkersville, MD). MR1 mAb was purified using protein G
columns (Sigma).
Treatment with rapamycin consisted of 0.2 mg/kg/day i.p. for the first
3 days after transplantation, followed by every other day for 14 days.
Combined costimulation blockade treatment consisted of CTLA-4Ig at 0.25
mg i.p. on posttransplant day 2 and anti-CD40L mAb at 0.2 mg i.p.
on posttransplant days 0, 2, and 4.
Analysis of Fas expression
Splenic leukocytes were prepared from wt control mice and Fas
mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice. In some experiments, cells were
activated with anti-CD3 (2 µg/ml, 145-2C11; PharMingen, San
Diego, CA) in vitro for 3 days. Cells were stained with a PE-conjugated
anti-mouse Fas Ab (Jo-2, PharMingen) on ice for 20 min,
followed by washing the cells twice in PBS/0.5% BSA. An
isotype-matched hamster IgG2a (PharMingen) was used in the staining as
a control. Cell were then analyzed with FACSort (Becton Dickinson,
Mountain View, CA). Results are presented in histograms.
Analysis of AICD
AICD in vitro was analyzed by annexin V staining
(16). Briefly, splenic leukocytes (2 x
106/ml) prepared from wt and Fas mutant
B6.MRL-lpr mice were activated with anti-CD3 (2 µg/ml,
145-2C11; PharMingen) in vitro for 3 days. Viable T cell blasts were
isolated using Lympholyte-M medium (Cedarlane, Ontario, Canada) and
then cultured on anti-Fas (Jo-2; PharMingen)-coated plates for
8 h. Cells cultured on control hamster IgG-coated plates were used
as a control. Cells were harvested, stained with PE-conjugated annexin
V (PharMingen) on ice for 15 min, and analyzed by FACSort (Becton
Dickinson).
Tracking of 5-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester
(CFSE)-labeled lymphocytes in vivo
Spleens and lymph nodes from wt and B6.MRL-lpr mice
were harvested and single cell suspension prepared in HBSS by gently
pressing the tissue through a fine metal mesh. RBC were lysed by
hypotonic shock. Lymphocytes were washed and resuspended in serum-free
HBSS at 1 x 107/ml for labeling with a
tracking fluorochrome CFSE (CFDASE; Molecular Probes, Portland, OR), as
previously described (17, 18). Briefly, CFDASE was
dissolved in DMSO, and an aliquot was added into the cell suspension at
a final concentration of 5 µM. Cells were incubated at room
temperature for 6 min, and the labeling was terminated by the addition
of one-tenth of the volume of FCS. Cells were then washed twice in cold
RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% FCS and resuspended in HBSS for
i.v. injection.
CFDASE is a lipophilic chemical that can passively diffuse into the
plasma membrane of living cells, where it is converted to a green
fluorochrome CFSE by esterase hydrolysis. CFSE forms stable complex
with cellular proteins and cannot diffuse out of the cells. As cells
divide, CFSE segregates equally between two daughter cells. Thus, the
fluorescent intensity of CFSE halves consecutively with each cell
division, allowing precise monitoring of the mitotic activity of cells
in vivo (17, 18).
DBA/2 mice were lethally irradiated (1000 rad) with a GammaCell
(Ontario, Canada) irradiator immediately before i.v. injection of
CFSE-labeled lymphocytes. Each mouse then received 46 x
107 labeled cells via the penile vein. Mice were
sacrificed 23 days after i.v. injection of labeled lymphocytes,
spleens were harvested from host mice, and a single cell suspension was
prepared. The cellular pattern of proliferation in vivo, as reflected
by distinct CFSE profile, was analyzed by flow cytometry. Data were
collected and analyzed by gating onto the CFSE-positive cells.
Analysis of cell divisions and apoptosis of alloreactive T
cells in vivo
CFSE-labeled cells (46 x
107/mouse) from wt and B6.MRL-lpr mice
were injected i.v. into lethally irradiated DBA/2 hosts. Splenic
leukocytes from the host mice were prepared 2 days later. Cells were
stained with a biotinylated anti-mouse CD4 mAb (GK1.5; PharMingen)
on ice for 20 min, followed by staining with streptavidin-CyChrome
(PharMingen) and PE-conjugated annexin V on ice for 15 min. Cells were
washed twice in annexin labeling buffer. Proliferation and apoptotic
cell death of CD4+ T cells in each distinct cell
division were analyzed by flow cytometry. Data were collected and
analyzed by gating onto
CD4+CFSE+ cells.
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Results
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To study the allograft response in the absence of Fas expression,
we transplanted fully MHC-mismatched DBA/2 (H-2d)
islet allografts into Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr
(H-2b) mice and compared the rejection with that
of wt control (H-2b) recipients. As shown in
Table I
, wt control mice rejected DBA/2
islet allografts with a mean survival time (MST) of 13 days
(n = 5), and Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice
rejected the DBA/2 islet allografts with an MST of 11 days
(n = 7). Histological examination of rejecting islet
allografts in B6.MRL-lpr mice on posttransplant day 8
revealed dense mononuclear infiltration, which was essentially
identical to that observed in wt control recipients (data not shown).
Thus, expression of Fas by transplant recipients is not required for
the execution of allograft rejection.
To probe the amenability of Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice to
IL-2-dependent allograft tolerance, we treated allograft recipients
with rapamycin (0.2 mg/kg/day) starting on the day of transplantation
for 14 days. Treatment with rapamycin, a potent blocker of growth
factor signals required for optimal T cell proliferation
(19), does not lead to allograft tolerance in IL-2 KO mice
(5). In keeping with our previous report
(20), rapamycin is remarkably effective in producing
long-term allograft survival, and all rapamycin-treated wt control mice
experienced permanent engraftment of DBA/2 islets (MST > 100
days, n = 4). Interestingly, treatment of
B6.MRL-lpr recipients with rapamycin also induced long-term
islet allograft survival (MST > 100 days, n = 6)
(Table I
).
Nephrectomy of the left kidney (the islet allografts were placed under
the renal capsule) in three B6.MRL-lpr recipients 100 days
after transplantation led to a sharp rise in the blood glucose levels,
demonstrating that euglycemia was maintained by the islet allografts.
Each of the three nephrectomized mice accepted a second DBA/2 islet
allograft without any immunosuppression (Fig. 1
), indicating a state of stable
allograft tolerance.

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FIGURE 1. Induction of allograft tolerance in rapamycin-treated
B6.MRL-lpr recipients. Nephrectomy of the islet
graft-bearing kidney in three B6.MRL-lpr recipients 100
days after transplantation led to a sharp rise of blood glucose levels.
Each of the three nephrectomized recipient mice accepted a second DBA/2
islet allograft without any immunosuppression.
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To determine whether the susceptibility to tolerance induction in Fas
mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice is unique to rapamycin, we treated
recipient mice with combined CTLA-4Ig and anti-CD40L mAb, a
powerful tolerizing therapy, as previously reported (20, 21). As shown in Table I
, combined CTLA-4Ig and anti-CD40L
treatment produced permanent islet allograft survival in both wt and
Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice (MST > 100 days,
n = 36).
To prove that tolerance induction in Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr
mice is not restricted to the islet allografts, vascularized DBA/2
(H-2d) cardiac allografts were transplanted into
Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice (H-2b) and
treated with rapamycin. As shown in Table II
, untreated B6.MRL-lpr mice
rejected the DBA/2 cardiac allografts with a MST of 13 days
(n = 3) with no marked difference, compared with wt
control mice (MST = 13 days, n = 3). Similar to
our finding in the islet model, treatment with rapamycin produced
long-term cardiac allograft survival in both wt and Fas mutant
B6.MRL-lpr recipient mice (MST > 100 days,
n = 35).
To confirm that Fas is truly defective in the B6.MRL-lpr
mice used in the present study, we first stained for Fas expression on
resting or anti-CD3-activated splenocytes. In contrast to cells
from wt control mice, resting and anti-CD3-activated splenocytes
from Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice did not express Fas (Fig. 2
). Furthermore, anti-CD3-activated T
cells from B6.MRL-lpr mice failed to undergo apoptotic cell
death when cultured on anti-Fas-coated plates. In contrast,
apoptotic cell death was readily induced with the anti-Fas mAb in
activated T cells from wt mice (Fig. 3
).

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FIGURE 2. Expression of Fas by splenic leukocytes from wt control mice and Fas
mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice analyzed by FACS.
A, Resting splenic leukocytes. B,
Anti-CD3-activated splenic leukocytes.
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FIGURE 3. Fas-mediated apoptosis of activated T cells in vitro. Splenic
leukocytes from wt and Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice were
stimulated with anti-CD3 (2C11, 2 µg/ml) for 3 days. Activated T
cells were isolated and further cultured on anti-Fas-coated plates
(Jo-2, 2 µg/ml) for 8 h. Apoptotic cell death was analyzed by
annexin V staining. Cells cultured on control hamster IgG were included
as a control.
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Clearly, Fas-mediated apoptosis is neither required for rejection nor
required for induction of allograft tolerance occurring with rapamycin
or costimulation blockade treatment. To probe the possible mechanism of
Fas-independent allograft tolerance, we administered high doses of
IL-2/Fc (5 µg i.p. daily for 10 days), a long-lived IL-2 and IgGFC
fusion protein (t1/2 > 24
h, as compared with few min for native IL-2) (22), into 3
Fas mutant lpr recipients 100 days after cardiac
transplantation. This course of IL-2/Fc can successfully abolish
tolerance induction with costimulation blockade (22). As
shown in Fig. 4
, systemic IL-2/Fc failed
to provoke cardiac allograft rejection, suggesting that the tolerant
status is unlikely to be maintained by IL-2-sensitive T cell
anergy.

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FIGURE 4. IL-2/Fc failed to provoke cardiac allograft rejection in
rapamycin-tolerized Fas mutant lpr recipients. IL-2/Fc
was given i.p. at 5 µg/daily for 10 days starting on posttransplant
day 100.
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As peripheral T cell deletion can occur in Fas mutant mice and
activated T cells from lpr mice can undergo apoptotic cell
death upon cross-linking of their TCR in vitro with anti-CD3
(23), we wondered if AICD occurs in B6.MRL-lpr
recipient mice in response to alloantigen stimulation. To probe this
possibility, we first assessed the proliferation capacity of
donor-specific alloreactive cells in rapamycin-tolerized
B6.MRL-lpr recipient mice and compared that with
untreated B6.MRL-lpr controls. Splenocytes from tolerized
B6.MRL-lpr mice (120 days after islet transplantation) and
from control mice were labeled with CFSE and injected into irradiated
donor strain DBA/2 hosts. As cells that proliferate to donor
alloantigen in vivo can be precisely followed through analysis of their
CFSE profiles, the magnitude and tempo of cell proliferation in
tolerized allograft recipients and in untreated control mice can be
directly compared (17, 18). This analysis provides a
relative index of Ag-induced T cell activation under defined
experimental conditions. As shown in Fig. 5
, CFSE-labeled lymphocytes from control
B6.MRL-lpr mice proliferated vigorously in
irradiated DBA/2 hosts. Seven discrete generations of cell
proliferation were observed 2 days after cell transfer. By day 3, the
majority of the alloreactive cells have divided seven to eight times.
In contrast, lymphocytes from rapamycin-tolerized lpr mice
showed minimal proliferation in vivo in response to the donor
alloantigens, indicating a decreased frequency of proliferating
alloreactive cells in response to the donor alloantigens in vivo in
tolerized recipients.

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FIGURE 5. Analysis of donor-specific alloreactive lymphocytes in vivo in
tolerized B6.MRL-lpr recipient mice. Splenocytes from
control B6.MRL-lpr mice and rapamycin-tolerized
B6.MRL-lpr mice were labeled with CFSE and injected into
irradiated DBA/2 hosts. Cell proliferation was analyzed by the
fluorescent profiles of CFSE-labeled cells.
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Does a Fas-independent pathway of AICD exist in vivo? To precisely
follow apoptosis of Fas-deficient lymphocytes in vivo in response to
alloantigen stimulation, we stained CFSE-labeled
CD4+ B6.MRL-lpr T cells with
PE-conjugated annexin V after recovery from DBA/2 hosts. Annexin V
binds to cell membrane-associated phosphatidylserine, which is
restricted to the interior side of the cell membrane in living cells
and is exposed to the exterior side of cell membrane in the early
stages of apoptotic cell death. As shown in Fig. 6
, seven distinct generations of
CFSE-labeled CD4+ T cells were identified 2 days
after i.v. injection of B6.MRL-lpr cells into irradiated
DBA/2 mice. Each generation of T cells was then gated and analyzed for
apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, the percentage of annexin
V-positive cells increased with each cell division. In the undivided
mother cell generation, <12% of the cells were annexin V-positive. In
the sixth generation, however, >47% of the cells were positive for
annexin V staining. Analysis of CFSE-labeled CD4+
T cells from wt control mice showed a similar pattern of annexin V
staining profile (Fig. 7
). This finding
suggests that T cells become increasingly susceptible to apoptotic cell
death with each wave of proliferation, despite the lack of Fas
expression.

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FIGURE 6. Proliferation and apoptosis of Fas-deficient T cells in vivo in
response to alloantigen. Splenic lymphocytes from
B6.MRL-lpr mice were labeled with CFSE and injected i.v.
into irradiated DBA/2 hosts. Two days later, spleens from DBA/2 hosts
were harvested and single cell suspension prepared. Cells were
then stained with CyChrome-anti-CD4 and PE-annexin V. Proliferation and
apoptosis of CFSE-labeled CD4+ T cells among distinct
generations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Representative data of
five experiments are shown.
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FIGURE 7. Proliferation and apoptosis of wt T cells in vivo in
response to alloantigen. Splenic lymphocytes from wt control mice were
labeled with CFSE and injected i.v. into irradiated DBA/2 hosts. Two
days later, spleens from DBA/2 hosts were harvested and single cell
suspension prepared. Cells were then stained with CyChrome-anti-CD4 and
PE-annexin V. Proliferation and apoptosis of CFSE-labeled
CD4+ T cells among distinct generations were analyzed by
flow cytometry. Representative data of three experiments are
shown.
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Discussion
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The execution of AICD via Fas is of fundamental
importance in the homeostasis of the immune system, especially in the
periphery. Indeed, functional defect of Fas-mediated apoptosis in the
presence of certain background genes leads to lymphoproliferative
disorders and autoimmunity as manifested in Fas mutant lpr
and Fas ligand mutant gld mice (24). In certain
models, Fas-triggered apoptosis of activated T cells has been suggested
to be a key mechanism in the induction of allograft tolerance
(10, 25). Our interest in the possibility that
Fas-mediated apoptosis may play a central role in the acquisition of
peripheral allograft tolerance was kindled by the inability of our lab
using rapamycin (5) and others using costimulation
blockade (6) to achieve allograft tolerance in IL-2 KO
mice. IL-2 KO mice have a gross defect in Fas-mediated apoptosis and
others have emphasized the importance of Fas in allograft tolerance in
certain models (10, 25). Is Fas-triggered apoptosis of
alloreactive T cells a prerequisite for the acquisition of peripheral
allograft tolerance? In the present study, we have demonstrated, by
using two distinct transplantation models (nonvascularized islet
allografts and vascularized cardiac allografts), that Fas-mediated
apoptosis is not essential in the acquisition of transplantation
tolerance, as permanent engraftment of fully MHC-mismatched islet cell
allografts and vascularized cardiac allografts can be readily induced
in the Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice by two different
tolerizing protocols (rapamycin and combined costimulation blockade).
The tolerability of Fas mutant mice to allografts is remarkably similar
to wt control mice (Tables I and II). Fas is truly defective in
B6.MRL-lpr recipient mice used in the present study, as
lymphocytes from these mice do not express Fas, regardless of the
activation status of the cells, and activated T cells from
lpr mice failed to undergo Fas-triggered apoptosis in vitro
(Figs. 2
, 3
). In addition, Fas expression by recipient mice is not
required for robust T cell activation and the execution of acute
allograft rejection. The Fas/Fas ligand interaction is one of the
pathways in the execution of CTL functions; however, the absence of Fas
has no apparent effect on the tempo of acute allograft rejection.
Since the elucidation of a critical role of Fas/Fas ligand in
conferring the immune privilege in the anterior chamber of the eyes and
the testis (25, 26), there has been great interest in
constructing Fas ligand-expressing allografts as a mean to promote
allograft tolerance by killing graft-infiltrating Fas-positive T cells.
Clearly, high levels of Fas ligand expression by the parenchymal cells
of the testis and anterior chamber of the eyes are required for
conferring the immune privileged status of these organs (25, 26). Elegant studies using Fas mutant and Fas ligand mutant mice
have also demonstrated that transplantation of allogeneic, or even
xenogeneic, tissues that express high levels of Fas ligand into the
testis or the anterior chamber of the eye prevented rejection of these
tissues, while tissues from Fas ligand mutant mice were rapidly
rejected (25). While Fas/Fas ligand interaction is clearly
critical in the tolerant status in some situations, our study suggests
that expression of Fas by recipient lymphocytes is not a prerequisite
for the induction and maintenance of peripheral allograft tolerance.
Yet, Fas/Fas ligand interactions play a minimal role in preventing
allograft rejection outside of the immune-privileged sites
(27). Apparently, the unique local microenvironment of
immune-privileged sites, aside from the expression of Fas ligand, must
also play an active role in conferring the tolerant status. Indeed,
induction of Ag-specific tolerance in the privileged sites is often
associated with production of high levels of immunoregulatory
cytokines, such as TGF-ß (28). Thus, the mechanisms
underlying immune privilege and the role of Fas/Fas ligand in the
induction of tolerant status other than the privileged sites warrant
further study.
Another key finding of our study is that the Fas-mediated apoptosis is
not central to the IL-2-dependent mechanisms governing the acquisition
of allograft tolerance. Interestingly, the phenotype of Fas mutant
B6.MRL-lpr mice and IL-2 KO mice share several common
attributes. Both strains of mice develop lymphoproliferative disorders,
autoimmunity, and accumulation of T cells with activated phenotype in
the periphery (24, 29). The critical role of IL-2 for the
functional integrity of Fas is further underscored by the finding that
Fas-triggered apoptosis of activated T cells requires active IL-2
priming (9). Although the precise mechanism by which IL-2
regulates Fas-mediated AICD remains to be firmly defined, a recent
study suggested that IL-2 can down-regulate the expression of cellular
Fas-associated death domain-like IL-1-converting enzyme (FLICE)
inhibitory protein (FLIP) (30). Structurally, FLIP has two
death effector domains (DED) and a caspase 8-like domain
(31). FLIP can dimerize with Fas-associated death domain
protein (FADD) and/or caspase 8 via DED-DED interaction, which prevents
the recruitment of death effector caspases down stream of FADD
(31). Thus, in the absence of IL-2, FLIP is believed to be
expressed at high levels, and therefore, FADD cannot recruit key
caspases to execute AICD upon ligand binding (30, 31).
Despite the intimate association of IL-2 with the functional integrity
of Fas, it is fascinating that allograft tolerance can be readily
induced in Fas mutant B6.MRL-lpr mice, whereas IL-2 KO mice
are totally resistant to the induction of allograft tolerance (5, 6). This finding raises intriguing questions about the precise
nature of IL-2-dependent processes that govern the acquisition of
peripheral allograft tolerance.
We still favor the possibility that IL-2-regulated apoptotic events may
be required for the acquisition of peripheral allograft tolerance. It
has been shown that delivery of IL-2 into Fas mutant lpr
mice through a recombinant viral vector can induce deletion of
autoreactive T cells and remission from autoimmunity (32).
In the present study, we also clearly show that Fas-deficient
lymphocytes can still undergo AICD in vivo in response to alloantigen
stimulation, and this type of AICD appears to be cell cycle-dependent
(Fig. 6
). IL-2-regulated AICD, a critical component of immune
regulation, is not confined to the Fas pathway. The Fas/Fas ligand
interaction is a part, but certainly not the entirety, of this network.
For example, IL-2 KO mice have a defect in superantigen-triggered AICD
that is Fas-independent (our unpublished observation). Although defects
in Fas or Fas ligand are permissive for autoimmunity, most Fas- or Fas
ligand-defective mouse strains do not suffer from overt autoimmunity.
Our study further illustrates the limitations of Fas/Fas
ligand-triggered apoptosis in determining peripheral allograft
tolerance, as defective expression of Fas did not lead to a precipitous
decline in AICD or inability to tolerance induction. Clearly, IL-2
influences multiple aspects of T cell apoptosis. The apoptotic pathways
are extremely redundant and complex, at least five distinct death
receptors have been identified (Fas, TNF receptor type I, DR3, DR4, and
DR5), and each can mediate apoptotic cell death (33).
Alternatively, IL-2 may be required for the generation of regulatory
cells that are essential to contain the alloreactivity to the
allografts. In the absence of IL-2 during a critical stage of immune
activation, a key regulatory process may not be developed by allograft
recipients, and therefore, acquisition of allograft tolerance may prove
to be extremely difficult. These possibilities are being actively
pursued in the lab.
 |
Footnotes
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|---|
1 1.This work was supported by Grant 1-1999-16 from the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International (to X.C.L.) and the National Institutes of Health Grants PO1 AI/GF 4152 (to L.A.T. and T.B.S.) and RO1 AI42298 (to T.B.S.). 
2 X.C.L. and Y.L. contributed equally to this work. 
3 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Terry B. Strom, Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, P.O. Box 15707, RN380, Boston, MA 02215. E-mail address: 
4 Abbreviations used in this paper: wt, wild-type; KO, knockout; AICD, activation induced cell death; CFSE, 5-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester; MST, mean survival time. 
Received for publication March 12, 1999.
Accepted for publication June 14, 1999.
 |
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