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Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263
| Abstract |
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| Introduction |
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We have demonstrated in a phase I/II clinical trial that administration of anti-Id mAb MK2-23, which mimics the HMW-MAA determinant defined by mAb 763.74, induced a HMW-MAA-specific Ab response that was associated with a statistically significant survival prolongation of patients with melanoma (8). This observation suggested that HMW-MAA-specific Abs are likely to exert an inhibitory effect on HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells, leading to an improvement in the clinical course of the disease. Consistent with this possibility, HMW-MAA-specific mAbs have been shown to inhibit the growth of human melanoma cells implanted in SCID mice (9). However, the mechanism(s) underlying these observations have not been well defined.
In a previous study, we have demonstrated that P763.74, which also mimics the HMW-MAA determinant recognized by mAb 763.74, elicited HMW-MAA-specific immune responses in mice (10). However, the ability of the elicited Abs to inhibit HMW-MAA-mediated functions could not be investigated in that study because of the practical difficulties in obtaining sufficient amounts of Abs from the immunized mice. Therefore, in the present study, we have chosen to use rabbits for the following reasons: 1) a greater quantity of serum can be obtained for functional assays; 2) rabbits express a homologue of HMW-MAA with an antigenic profile and tissue distribution similar to those in humans (11); and 3) rabbits represent an outbred host population. We have immunized rabbits sequentially with peptide P763.74 and with HMW-MAA+ Colo38 cells, because this prime-boost strategy has been demonstrated previously to markedly enhance the HMW-MAA-specific Ab response in mice (10). We have tested whether HMW-MAA-specific Abs exert an effect on HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells via 1) immunological mechanisms, such as Ab-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) or complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and/or 2) nonimmunological mechanisms, such as inhibition of one or more HMW-MAA-mediated cellular functions.
| Materials and Methods |
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Cultured HMW-MAA+ Colo38 and MV3 human melanoma cells, HMW-MAA M14 clone 5 (M14#5) human melanoma cells (provided by Dr. J. B. McCarthy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN), and HMW-MAA LG2 human B-lymphoid cells were maintained at 37°C in a 5% CO2 atmosphere in RPMI 1640 medium (Tissue Culture Media Facility, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY) supplemented with 10% FCS (BioWhittaker). The M14#5/HMW-MAA cells, which express HMW-MAA following transfection of M14#5 cells with a pcDNA3.1+ plasmid containing the HMW-MAA cDNA, were maintained as described above with the additional supplementation of 0.4 mg/ml G418 (Promega). Human PBMC were isolated from heparinized blood of a healthy donor by differential centrifugation on a Ficoll-Paque (Amersham Biosciences) density gradient, according to the manufacturers instructions.
Abs and complement
HMW-MAA-specific mAb 763.74, 100-kDa MAA-specific mAb 376.96, HLA class I Ag-specific mAb TP25.99, GD3 ganglioside-specific mAb R24, anti-Id mAb MK2-23 (which mimics the determinant recognized by mAb 763.74), and anti-Id mAb T8-203 (which mimics the determinant recognized by HLA-A2, A24, A28-specific mAb CR11-351) were developed and characterized as described previously (12, 13, 14, 15, 16). mAbs were purified from ascitic fluid by sequential ammonium sulfate and caprylic acid precipitation (17). HRP-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG Abs were purchased from Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories. FITC-labeled F(ab')2 of goat anti-rabbit IgG Abs were purchased from BD Pharmingen. Human serum was obtained from whole blood of a healthy donor and used as the source of human complement.
Synthetic peptides
HMW-MAA peptide mimic P763.74 (QCTGPNVATNCR; isolated as described previously; Ref. 10) and control peptide Delta225239 (GDQIPKFAVATLPPA; derived from the human proteasome subunit Delta) were synthesized by the Molecular Genetics Instrumentation Facility (University of Georgia, Athens, GA). Peptides used for immunization were conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) (Pierce) as described previously (10).
Animals
Five-month-old female New Zealand white rabbits were purchased from Covance Research Products and maintained under specific pathogen-free conditions in the animal core facility at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Experiments were conducted under an animal protocol approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Immunization of rabbits
Rabbits (two per group) were immunized intradermally (i.d.) at 3-wk intervals with KLH-conjugated peptides. Five hundred µg of each conjugated peptide was mixed 1/1 (v/v) with CFA for priming and with IFA for subsequent injections. Rabbits were boosted with an i.d. injection of HMW-MAA+ Colo38 cells or HMW-MAA LG2 cells (5 x 106 cells/rabbit) on day 132. Rabbits were bled on day 0, and 1 wk following each immunization. Total IgG were isolated from rabbit sera using HiTrap Protein A HP columns (Amersham Biosciences), according to the manufacturers instructions. The purity of the IgG was determined by SDS-PAGE and Coomassie brilliant blue staining.
Binding assays
The binding assays to assess the reactivity of sera with peptides and cells were performed as described previously (16, 18). The Ab titer was defined as the highest serum dilution which resulted in 50% of maximal binding of serum to peptides or cells. The inhibition assay to determine the ability of sera to inhibit binding of mAb to HMW-MAA was performed by incubating diluted sera (range 1/10 to 1/160) with HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells (1 x 105/well) at 4°C for 2 h. Cells were then washed and incubated with biotinylated HMW-MAA-specific mAb 763.74 at 4°C for an additional 1 h. Bound Abs were detected by incubation with HRP-streptavidin (HRP-SA; Fisher Scientific).
The inhibition assay to determine the expression of the Id recognized by mAb MK2-23 in the Ag combining site of HMW-MAA-specific rabbit Abs was performed by incubating purified rabbit IgG (6 µg/ml) with mAb MK2-23 (0.085 µM) at 4°C for 1 h. The mixture was then transferred to wells containing HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells (1 x 105/well), and incubation was continued at 4°C for an additional 1 h. Cells were then washed with 0.5% BSA in PBS, and bound Abs were detected by incubation with HRP-conjugated goat anti-rabbit Ig Abs at 4°C for 1 h.
The results of the inhibition assays are expressed as percent inhibition of the binding of a selected Ab to the target Ag. It was calculated using the formula: % inhibition = (OD450 in the absence of inhibitor OD450 in the presence of inhibitor)/OD450 in the absence of inhibitor) x 100.
Flow cytometry analysis
Flow cytometry analysis of cells stained with Abs was performed as described (19). Briefly, 5 x 105 cells were incubated for 1 h on ice with purified rabbit IgG (2 µg/100 µl in 1% BSA in PBS). Cells were then washed twice with 0.5% BSA in PBS and incubated for an additional 30 min on ice with FITC-labeled F(ab')2 of goat anti-rabbit IgG Abs. Following two washes, cells were fixed in 2% paraformaldehyde (Sigma-Aldrich) and analyzed with a FACScan flow cytometer (BD Biosciences) using Cell Quest software (BD Biosciences).
Immunochemical assays
Cells labeled with 125I (Na125I; Amersham Biosciences) by the lactoperoxidase method (20) were solubilized in Triton X-100-containing lysis buffer (50 mM Tris-HCl, 1 mM EDTA, 150 mM NaCl, 0.5% Triton X-100, 1 mM PMSF, 1 µg/ml leupeptin, 1 µg/ml pepstatin, and 1 µg/ml aprotinin (pH 7.4)). Indirect immunoprecipitation, SDS-PAGE, and autoradiography were performed following the methodology described previously (21).
Ab-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) assays
The ADCC and CDC assays were performed as described (22, 23) with minor modifications. Briefly, target cells were labeled for 1 h at 37°C with Na2[51Cr]O4, plated in 96-well plates (Costar) at 1 x 104 cells/well, and incubated with 3 µg/well purified rabbit IgG or mAb 763.74 for 30 min at room temperature. Cells were then washed with serum-free RPMI 1640 medium and incubated for 4 h at 37°C with human PBMC for ADCC or human serum for CDC. Supernatants were harvested, and the radioactivity was counted in a gamma counter (Packard Cobra II Auto
Model 5002; PerkinElmer). Both assays were performed in triplicates, and the percentage of specific cytotoxicity was calculated using the formula: percentage of cytotoxicity = (experimental cpm spontaneous cpm)/(maximum cpm spontaneous cpm) x 100. The spontaneous 51Cr release was <25% of maximum 51Cr release.
Cell spreading assay
HMW-MAA+ MV3 melanoma cells were cultured in serum-free RPMI 1640 medium overnight. On the second day, cells were incubated for 1 h at 37°C with purified rabbit IgG (20 µg/ml in RPMI 1640 medium with 1% BSA) and seeded on cover slips that were coated with 2 µg/cm2 type I collagen. After a 1-h incubation at 37°C, cells were fixed with 2% paraformaldehyde (Sigma-Aldrich) and stained with rhodamine-phalloidin (Molecular Probes). The extent of cell spreading was assessed by using a fluorescence microscope (KS300; Zeiss).
Cell migration and Matrigel invasion assays
The cell migration and invasion assays were performed in 24-well Transwell plates (Costar 3422; Corning) as described (24, 25), with the following modifications: For the migration assay, the bottom surfaces of the Transwell membranes were precoated overnight at 4°C with fibronectin (20 µg/ml in serum-free RPMI 1640 medium). For the Matrigel invasion assay, the upper chambers of the Transwell plates were precoated for 4 h at 37°C with Matrigel (1 mg/ml in serum-free RPMI 1640 medium). HMW-MAA+ MV3 melanoma cells were cultured in serum-free RPMI 1640 medium overnight. On the second day, cells were incubated for 40 min at 37°C with purified rabbit IgG (20 µg/ml in RPMI 1640 medium containing 1% BSA). Treated MV3 cells were seeded in the upper chambers of 24-well Transwell plates. The lower chambers of the Transwell were filled with 600 µl of culture medium (RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% FCS) containing 5 µg/ml fibronectin as an adhesive substrate. Following incubation for 8 h (migration assay) or 20 h (Matrigel invasion assay) at 37°C, the Transwells were stained with the HEMA 3 stain set solution (Fisher Scientific). Cells on the top of the Transwells were scraped off with a cotton swab, and the remaining cells were enumerated under a light microscope (TE300; MVI) by two investigators in a blinded fashion, based on four randomly chosen high-power fields.
Statistical analysis
The statistical significance of differences among the results obtained was analyzed using the two-tailed, unpaired Student t test. A difference was considered statistically significant when the p value was <0.05.
| Results |
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Rabbits were immunized with peptide P763.74 on days 0, 21, 42, 63, 84, and 105. Sera were harvested 7 days after each immunization and tested in binding assays for the induction of Abs reacting with the immunizing peptide and with HMW-MAA+ Colo38 melanoma cells. The P763.74-specific Ab response was detected in sera harvested as early as day 28 (post second immunization; titer >1000), and the peptide-specific Ab titer increased following each subsequent immunization with peptide P763.74 (Fig. 1A). In contrast, no reactivity of the immune sera with HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells was detected, even when the sera were harvested 1 wk following the sixth immunization (Fig. 2). Boosting with Colo38 cells on day 133 significantly (p < 0.05) increased the level of Abs reacting with HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells. In contrast, sera from rabbits immunized with control peptide Delta225239 and boosted with Colo38 cells did not react with HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells (Fig. 2), even though the same sera reacted with the immunizing peptide Delta225239 (Fig. 1B).
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To determine whether IgG isolated from rabbits sequentially immunized with peptide P763.74 and Colo38 cells mediate cell-dependent lysis of HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells, M14#5/HMW-MAA cells were incubated with purified rabbit IgG and human PBMC isolated from a healthy donor. The extent of lysis was
37 and 20% at E:T ratios of 100:1 and 4:1, respectively (Fig. 6A). The level of lysis mediated by purified rabbit IgG is significantly higher than that mediated by IgG isolated from rabbit preimmune sera and from rabbits sequentially immunized with peptide P763.74 and LG2 cells or with control peptide Delta225239 and Colo38 cells (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Interestingly, the level of lysis mediated by purified rabbit IgG also is significantly higher than that mediated by mAb 763.74 (p < 0.05). The cell lysis is HMW-MAA specific, because no lysis was detected when the parental HMW-MAA M14#5 cells were used as target cells in ADCC assays performed with purified rabbit IgG (Fig. 6B).
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Inhibition of HMW-MAA+ melanoma cell spreading on type I collagen by IgG isolated from rabbits sequentially immunized with peptide P763.74 and HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells
HMW-MAA+ MV3 melanoma cells were incubated with purified rabbit IgG and then seeded on type I collagen precoated cover slips for 1 h before fixation and fluorescence staining. Under these experimental conditions, cells did not firmly attach and/or spread extensively on the collagen surface, as indicated by the lack of cellular processes (Fig. 7A). The extent of inhibition of cell spreading on collagen was similar to that in the presence of HMW-MAA-specific mAb 763.74 (Fig. 7E). In contrast, no inhibition of cellular spreading was detected when cells were incubated under the same experimental conditions with IgG isolated from preimmune sera (Fig. 7B) and from rabbits sequentially immunized with peptide P763.74 and LG2 cells (Fig. 7C), or with the control peptide Delta225239 and Colo38 cells (Fig. 7D).
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To determine whether HMW-MAA-specific Abs isolated from rabbits sequentially immunized with peptide P763.74 and Colo38 cells inhibit HMW-MAA-dependent melanoma cell migration, HMW-MAA+ MV3 melanoma cells were incubated with purified rabbit IgG and then seeded in the top chambers of a Transwell plate. Cells were stained after 8 h of incubation, and those on the bottom surface of the Transwells were enumerated. The migration of melanoma cells was significantly inhibited in the presence of IgG isolated from rabbits sequentially immunized with peptide P763.74 and Colo38 cells (p < 0.05 for all comparisons; Fig. 8, C and G). This level of inhibition was similar to that achieved by incubating MV3 cells with the HMW-MAA-specific mAb 763.74 (Fig. 8F). In contrast, no inhibition of cell migration was detected when the melanoma cells were incubated with IgG isolated from preimmune sera (Fig. 8A) and from rabbits immunized with peptide P763.74 only (Fig. 8B), with peptide P763.74 and LG2 cells (Fig. 8D), or with control peptide Delta225239 and Colo38 cells (Fig. 8E).
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| Discussion |
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Consistent with our previous findings in mice (10), peptide P763.74 elicited two major Ab populations in rabbits: one subset reacts with only the immunizing peptide, and the other one reacts with the immunizing peptide and cross-reacts with HMW-MAA. The generation of a significant population of HMW-MAA-specific Abs could be achieved only after boosting with HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells in rabbits that were primed with peptide P763.74. These findings parallel the results obtained by other investigators using TAA mimics in several carbohydrate TAA systems (27, 28, 29). They are likely to reflect the affinity maturation and/or expansion of an existing Ab population of HMW-MAA-specific Abs that results from our prime-boost strategy. Therefore, both immunization components are required for the generation of an effective HMW-MAA-specific Ab response.
We have previously established that peptide P763.74, isolated by panning a phage display peptide library with mAb 763.74, and anti-id mAb MK2-23, elicited with mAb 763.74, each mimic the HMW-MAA epitope recognized by HMW-MAA-specific mAb 763.74 (10, 13). Several lines of evidence suggest that peptide P763.74 and mAb MK2-23 are likely to mimic the same or overlapping region(s) of the HMW-MAA epitope defined by mAb 763.74 and to bind to the same or spatially overlapping region(s) of the mAb 763.74 Ag-combining site. First, peptide P763.74 inhibited the binding of mAb 763.74 to mAb MK2-23 (data not shown). Second, as with the Ab responses elicited by anti-Id mAb MK2-23 (30), Abs elicited in rabbits by our prime-boost strategy inhibited the ability of HMW-MAA-specific mAb 763.74 to bind to HMW-MAA+ cells. Lastly, both Ab populations, or at least part of them, express the Id recognized by anti-Id mAb MK223 in their Ag binding site (30), suggesting that the two immunogens stimulate the same or similar Ab-producing clones.
IgG isolated from rabbits sequentially immunized with peptide P763.74 and Colo38 melanoma cells effectively mediated the lysis of HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells in an ADCC assay. This finding is consistent with the findings by Wagner et al. (23) that HMW-MAA-specific Abs elicited in rabbits by a peptide mimic of the epitope recognized by HMW-MAA-specific mAb 225.28S mediated a low level of ADCC of melanoma cells. However, in our study, the rabbit IgG did not mediate CDC of HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells, despite the fact that 1) the target M14 melanoma cells are sensitive to CDC (31), 2) human complement is efficiently activated by rabbit IgG (32, 33), and 3) the same human serum mediated CDC of the same melanoma cells using the GD3 ganglioside-specific mAb R24, a known complement-fixing mAb (Ref. 26 and data not shown). The lack of CDC mediated by IgG from sera of rabbits sequentially immunized with peptide P763.74 and HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells resembles the properties of HMW-MAA-specific mAb that we have tested previously (12). In addition, these findings parallel the observations of Ragupathi et al. (22), who noted that Abs recognizing either carbohydrate or peptide epitopes of mucin molecules were not effective in mediating CDC of target cells due to the large and relatively rigid biochemical structure of mucins. Although HMW-MAA is not considered a mucin, it is likely that the large (>250 kDa) and highly glycosylated nature of HMW-MAA may impose similar constraints on the ability of Abs to mediate CDC of HMW-MAA+ target cells.
We also have demonstrated in the present study that, in addition to mediating immunological functions, IgG isolated from rabbits sequentially immunized with peptide P763.74 and Colo38 melanoma cells inhibited several HMW-MAA-dependent cellular functions, including spreading, migration, and Matrigel invasion. HMW-MAA and NG2, the rat ortholog of HMW-MAA, have been recently demonstrated to play important roles in intracellular signal cascades important for cellular adhesion, spreading, and invasion (2, 3, 5). In addition, some HMW-MAA-specific mAbs have been demonstrated to interfere with the signal transduction networks triggered by interactions between HMW-MAA and the ECM. The HMW-MAA-specific Abs generated in rabbits by our immunization strategy mediated the blockade of HMW-MAA-dependent cellular functions. It is likely that this inhibitory effect is caused by interference of the interaction between HMW-MAA and ECM components as a result of binding by HMW-MAA-specific Abs. Because the polyclonal Ab population elicited by peptide P763.74 is directed to the HMW-MAA epitope defined by mAb 763.74, our findings suggest that the portion of HMW-MAA that includes this epitope is important for the interaction of HMW-MAA with ECM components and for HMW-MAA-mediated melanoma cell functions. Consistent with this possibility, we have shown that mAb 763.74 can inhibit the same panel of HMW-MAA-dependent cellular functions. These findings are corroborated by the observations that some of the in vitro biological features of mimotope-induced Abs are similar to those of the mAbs used to isolate the mimotope (34).
Although a direct comparison cannot be made between the effects mediated by murine mAb 763.74 and the rabbit polyclonal IgG elicited by immunization, the polyclonal Ab response appears to have the advantage that it can potentially recruit multiple effector mechanisms. In contrast, HMW-MAA-specific mAbs appear to be ineffective in recruiting immunological effector mechanisms but may still inhibit HMW-MAA-mediated cellular functions. We have not determined whether the same or different subsets of rabbit IgG are responsible for the immunological and nonimmunological effects on HMW-MAA-bearing target cells. However, it may be possible that there are subsets of rabbit IgG that recruit 1) predominantly immunological effector functions; 2) both immunological and nonimmunological effector functions; or 3) predominantly nonimmunological effector functions.
Our findings support the possibility that HMW-MAA-specific Abs elicited by immunization with HMW-MAA mimics may act in vivo by blocking the ability of HMW-MAA to interact with collagen and other ECM components. Functional inhibition may occur in addition to the recruitment of FcR-bearing cells and/or complement to HMW-MAA+ melanoma cells. If our interpretation is correct, several mechanisms can account for the association between survival prolongation and development of HMW-MAA-specific Abs in melanoma patients immunized with HMW-MAA mimics.
| Acknowledgments |
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| Disclosures |
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| Footnotes |
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1 This study was supported by Public Health Service Grants P01 CA89480 and R01 CA105500 awarded by the National Cancer Institute, Department of Health and Humas Services, and by a grant from the Harry J. Lloyd Charitable Trust. ![]()
2 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Soldano Ferrone, Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263. E-mail address: soldano.ferrone{at}roswellpark.org ![]()
3 Abbreviations used in this paper: HMW-MAA, high molecular weight-melanoma associated Ag; ADCC, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity; CDC, complement-dependent cytotoxicity; ECM, extracellular matrix; KLH, keyhole limpet hemocyanin; TAA, tumor-associated Ag; i.d., intradermally; TMB, tetramethylbenzidine. ![]()
Received for publication December 21, 2005. Accepted for publication February 27, 2006.
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