|
|
||||||||
R in Human Dendritic Cells Controls Cross-Presentation of Antigen-Antibody Complexes1
,
* Research Division, Hospital for Special Surgery,
Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, and
Immunology Program, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10021
| Abstract |
|---|
|
|
|---|
R) expressed in dendritic cells (DCs) influence the initiation of Ab-mediated immunity. Dynamic variations in Fc
R expression allow DCs to adjust their capacity to capture Ab-opsonized Ag. The current paradigm predicts a progressive decline in Fc
R-mediated phagocytic function upon DC maturation. Surprisingly, we find that expression of the phagocytic receptor Fc
RIIa is preserved in immature and mature DCs at comparable levels with macrophages. Moreover, phagocytosis of antigenic peptides directed to Fc
RIIa on DCs leads to dramatic increases in Ag cross-presentation and T cell activation. In immature DCs, high expression of inhibitory Fc
RIIb correlates with decreased uptake and cross-presentation of Ab-Ag complexes. In contrast, engagement of Fc
RIIb is not associated with changes in cross-presentation in mature DCs. We provide evidence that Fc
RIIb expression is patently reduced in mature DCs, an effect that is modulated by treatment with cytokines. The regulated expression of activating and inhibitory Fc
Rs in DCs emerges as a critical checkpoint in the process of Ag uptake and cross-presentation | Introduction |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Fc
R are important triggers of DC activation. Signaling through Fc
R requires Abs as ligands, revealing the main function of these receptors as mediators of adaptive immune responses. Human DCs express several types of Fc
R (1, 2, 3). Fc
RI expressed on DCs consist of the IgG-binding
-chain and the ITAM-bearing
-chains. DCs constitutively express Fc
RIIa and Fc
RIIb, which share similar extracellular domains, but contain distinct cytoplasmic domains that mediate positive and negative signaling (4, 5). Fc
RIIa are phagocytic receptors that facilitate internalization of IgG-containing immune complexes. Fc
RIIb inhibit DC function by virtue of the intracellular ITIM. Blockade of Fc
RIIb is required for efficient induction of immunity to Ab-coated cells, underscoring the role of Fc
RIIb as a negative modulator of DC function (4).
In view of the role of Fc
R as regulators of DC function, we analyzed the kinetics of expression of activating and inhibitory Fc
R during DC maturation. Fc
RI, which are highly expressed in monocytes and macrophages (Ma), were down-regulated at early stages of DC differentiation. Low levels of Fc
RI expression persisted on both immature (iDCs) and mature DCs (mDCs). Fc
RIIa were expressed at comparable levels throughout DC differentiation, including the mature stages. Fc
RIIb were found to be highly expressed in iDCs and were down-regulated following maturation of DCs with either TNF-
or a mixture containing inflammatory cytokines TNF-
, IL-1
, IL-6, and PGE2. The expression of Fc
RIIa and Fc
RIIb was induced in mDCs by treatment with IL-10 and IL-13, indicating that the expression of Fc
RII isoforms in these cells can be modulated by cytokine treatment.
DCs acquire exogenous Ag by phagocytosis and cross-present antigenic peptides in association with MHC class I molecules to cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes (6, 7). Interaction of Ab-Ag complexes with Fc
R influences the ability of DCs to present Ag to T lymphocytes (8, 9). Selective engagement of activating or inhibitory Fc
Rs has the potential to induce differences in the efficiency of Ag cross-presentation. Targeting influenza antigenic peptides in DCs through activating Fc
Rs overcame the need for full DC maturation, and induced dramatic increases in IFN-
-producing influenza-specific CD8+ T cells. Engagement of inhibitory Fc
RIIb limited phagocytosis and decreased TNF-
production by DCs, leading to reduced expansion of memory T lymphocytes. The present study characterizes the dynamic regulation of Fc
Rs during DC maturation and identifies factors that change the balance of Fc
R in human DCs subsequently affecting the initiation of adaptive immune responses.
| Materials and Methods |
|---|
|
|
|---|
The HLA-A*0201-restricted immunodominant influenza A matrix peptide (MP) system was used to stimulate influenza-specific memory CD8+ T cells (10, 11). The 9-mer core MP (GILGFVFTL) and a 17-mer peptide (TKGILGFVFTLTVPSER) containing N- and C-terminal flanking residues were used as antigenic peptides. MP-specific polyclonal antiserum was obtained by immunization of rabbits with 17-mer and showed reactivity with 9-mer and 17-mer MP in immunoblots (see Fig. 3Ad). F(ab')2 of MP-specific rabbit IgG were obtained by pepsin digestion using ImmunoPure F(ab')2 preparation kit (Pierce). Fab of mouse anti-Fc
RIIa mAb, clone IV.3, and F(ab')2 of anti-Fc
RI, clone 22.2, and anti-Fc
RII, clone 7.3 were purchased from Medarex and Research Diagnostics, respectively. Mouse anti-Fc
RII mAb, clone FLI8.26 was purchased from Research Diagnostics. The rabbit polyclonal Abs reacting specifically with Fc
RIIa (260) or Fc
RIIb (Fc
RIIB/IC) used for Western blotting were previously described (12, 13).
|
Leukopheresed PBMC (
810 x 108/sample) were isolated from HLA-A*0201-positive healthy donors by sedimentation over Ficoll-Hypaque (Pharmacia Biotech). T cell-enriched and monocyte-enriched fractions were separated by rosetting with sheep RBC treated with
23,6,8-neuraminidase (Calbiochem). T cells were frozen in liquid nitrogen and thawed after 6 days and incubated with autologous DC in ELISPOT and Pro5 pentamer-staining assays.
DCs were differentiated from monocyte-enriched fractions in culture by treatment with cytokines (all purchased from R&D Systems unless otherwise specified). iDC were differentiated from monocytes in 6 day cultures in complete medium (RPMI 1640 medium, 1% HEPES, 1% glutamax, and 1% penicillin-streptomycin) supplemented with 1% human plasma, 1000 U/ml GM-CSF, and 10 ng/ml IL-4. mDC were obtained from iDC cultured on day 5 with cytokine mixture consisting of 10 ng/ml TNF-
, 10 ng/ml IL-1
, 1000 U/ml IL-6, and 1 µg/ml PGE2 (Sigma-Aldrich) for 24 h. Macrophages were obtained by culturing adherent monocytes (6 x 106cells/well) in 6-well plates with complete medium plus 5% pooled AB human serum PHS (Pel-Freeze Clinical Systems) supplemented with 1000 µg/ml recombinant human GM-CSF. For modulation of Fc
R expression, iDC and mDC cultures were supplemented with 50 ng/ml IL-13, 25 ng/ml IL-10 (PeproTech), or IL-13 plus IL-10 for 24 h.
Evaluation of receptor expression and Fc
R-mediated phagocytosis by flow cytometry
For evaluation of Fc
R expression, DCs were incubated with FITC-labeled anti-Fc
R mAbs (clones 22.2, IV.3, and 7.3). Membrane expression of CD14, MHC class I (MHC-I), HLA-DR, CD80, CD83, CD86, CD40 was detected with FITC-labeled specific mAbs (BD Pharmingen).
A flow cytometric assay using erythrocytes labeled with the lipophilic dye PKH26 (Sigma-Aldrich) and coupled with biotin/avidin to F(ab')2 of anti-Fc
R mAb was used to determine the attachment and phagocytosis of specific probes through Fc
R (14). Briefly, Fab of anti-Fc
RII clone IV.3, F(ab')2 of anti-Fc
R mAb (clones 22.2 and 7.3), and F(ab')2 of anti-MP rabbit polyclonal Abs were biotinylated with EZlink-sulfo-NHS-LC-biotin (Sigma-Aldrich). Ox erythrocytes (E) were biotinylated with sulfo-N- hydroxysuccimide-biotin (Sigma-Aldrich) and saturated with streptavidin (Roche Diagnostics). Biotin-streptavidin-coated erythrocytes were opsonized with biotinylated anti-Fc
R mAb and with biotinylated F(ab')2 of anti-MP rabbit polyclonal Abs, followed by incubation with 100 µM 9-mer or 17-mer MP for 1 h. MP-Fc
R-specific probes were labeled with PKH26. iDCs and mDCs (5 x 105 cell/ml) were incubated with MP-Fc
R-specific fluorescent probes (1.25 x 107 erythrocytes/ml) at 37°C for 20 min. For assessment of phagocytosis, noninternalized probes were then lysed and the uptake of PKH26-labeled MP-Fc
R-specific probes was measured by flow cytometry using a FACScan (BD Immunocytometry Systems) equipped with a standard optical filter set. The PKH26 fluorescence was detected in the FL2 channel and displayed on a logarithmic scale. The phagocytic index (PI) was calculated by multiplying the percentage of DCs containing PKH26+ probes and the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of PKH26+ probes/100 cells.
For assessment of attachment, 5 x 105 DCs/ml and 1 x 106 PKH26-labeled erythrocytes/ml coated with biotinylated fragments of IV.3 (E-IV.3) or 7.3 (E-7.3) were centrifuged at 44 x g for 3 min at 4°C, followed by incubation on ice for 5 min (14). The percentage of cells having attached PKH26-labeled probes on the surface was determined by flow cytometry.
Immunofluorescence microscopy
Following phagocytosis of MP-Fc
R-specific probes, DC (50,000 cells/condition) were cytospun at 800 rpm for 5 min with Cytospin 2 (Shandon) onto Charged Superfrost slides (VWR Scientific). Slides were fixed with cold acetone for 5 min at 20°C and permeabilized with 0.1% saponin for 15 min. Slides were blocked with 2% BSA-PBS for 15 min, incubated with rabbit anti-MP Abs and Alexa-546-conjugated goat anti-rabbit and costained with 7.3-FITC or IV.3-FITC for 1 h at room temperature. Slides were examined with fluorescent microscope (Leica).
Real-time PCR
Total RNA was isolated with the RNeasy kit (Qiagen). cDNA was synthesized from 1 µg of total RNA with random hexamers (Invitrogen Life Technologies). Real-time PCR was conducted with the SYBR Green PCR Supermix (PerkinElmer) and the iQ MultiColor Real-Time PCR Detection System (Bio-Rad), according to manufacturers instructions. The PCR consisted of one cycle at 94°C for 3 min, followed by 40 cycles at 94°C for 30 s and 54°C for 30 s. The following primer pairs were used for amplification: Fc
RIIA forward, 5'-GACTACGGATACCCAAATGTC-3' and Fc
RIIA reverse, 5'-AAGCCAGCAGCAGCAAAA-3'; Fc
RIIB2 forward, 5'-GGGATGATTGTGGCTGTG-3' and Fc
RIIB2 reverse, 5'-ATTAGTGGGATTGGCTGAA-3'; and GAPDH forward, 5'-CAACGGATTTGGTCGTATT-3' and GAPDH reverse, 5'-GATGGCAACAATATCCACTT-3'. During amplification, absorption readings measured the relative amount of amplicon produced in each cycle. This data was used to make a relative determination of gene expression under each experimental condition. All PCR assays were done in triplicate and the data were pooled.
Immunoprecipitation and Western blotting
DC (5 x 106/ml) were solubilized in 1% Nonidet P-40 lysis buffer and immunoprecipitated for 2 h at 4°C with anti-Fc
RII mAb (FLI8.26) coupled to protein G-Sepharose beads. The immunoprecipitates (20 µg/sample) were separated by SDS-PAGE on 9% polyacrylamide gels and subsequently transferred to nitrocellulose. Blots were incubated for 1 h at room temperature with the polyclonal rabbit anti-Fc
RIIb (Fc
RIIb/IC) or anti-Fc
RIIa (Ab 260) Abs, washed, and incubated with HRP-conjugated donkey anti-rabbit Abs (final dilution 1/3000). The reaction was developed using the ECL Enhanced Western blotting detection kit (Amersham Biosciences).
Production of TNF-
by DC after incubation with Fc
R-specific probes
DC (5 x 106/ml) were cocultured in 5 ml of polypropylene tubes with probes opsonized with mAbs IV.3, 7.3, or no Ab, at 1:25 E:T ratios for 18 h at 37°C. Cell-free supernatants were collected and samples were frozen at 70°C. Production of TNF-
was determined by sandwich ELISA (R&D Systems). OD values were determined by spectrophotometer at 405 nm.
IFN-
production measured by ELISPOT assay
Following uptake of MP-Fc
R-specific probes or direct infection with influenza virus, iDC and DC (4 x 104/well) were incubated with autologous T cells (2 x 105/well) for 4044 h at 37°C in 96-well ELISPOT plates (Millipore) coated overnight with 5 µg/ml of the anti-IFN-
mAb clone mAb-1-D1K (Mabtech). DCs infected with influenza virus A (PR8/34; Charles River Laboratories; SPAFAS) or pulsed with 100 µM soluble influenza MPs were used as control. Wells without T cells served as negative control. Wells were washed four times with PBS containing 0.05% Tween 20 (Sigma-Aldrich) followed by incubation for 2 h with 1 µg/ml biotin conjugated anti-IFN-
mAb clone 7B6-1 (Mabtech). Plates were washed four times in PBS with 0.1% Tween 20, stained with the Vectastain Elite kit (Vector Laboratories), and developed with stable diaminobenzidine (Invitrogen Life Technologies). Spots representing the IFN-
-releasing T cells were counted with a stereomicroscope and reported as spot-forming cells (SFC)/105 cells.
Detection of MP-specific T cells by Pro5 pentamer staining
MP-specific T cells were stained with Pro5 Pentamer (Proimmune), following the manufacturers instruction. DC probed with MP-Fc
R-specific erythrocytes were incubated with autologous T cells for 4044 h at 37°C as described for the ELISPOT assay. Cells were harvested and resuspended in 50 µl of PBS, incubated with 2 µl of unlabeled MP-specific Pro5 pentamer for 15 min at room temperature, and then stained with 8 µl of Pro5 Fluorotag and FITC-conjugated anti-human CD8 mAb for 20 min. The cells were washed, fixed in 2.5% paraformaldehyde, and analyzed by flow cytometry.
| Results |
|---|
|
|
|---|
R expression occur during DC maturation
Down-regulation of phagocytic receptors upon DC maturation supports the view that phagocytic function is abandoned following Ag uptake, while Ag-presenting function is gained (15). Indeed, a decline in Fc
R expression in DCs was found to be associated with reduced ability to engulf IgG-coated particles (1). Yet, phagocytosis of particulate Ag through Fc
R is known to occur in DCs and is associated with increased Ag presentation (16, 17).
To address this apparent contradiction, we revisited the expression and function of Fc
R in DCs. We analyzed the pattern of Fc
R expression during the process of maturation of monocyte-derived human DCs. Flow cytometric analysis using anti-Fc
RI mAb (22.2-FITC) indicated that iDC and mDCs have decreased levels of Fc
RI expression compared with Ma (5.8 ± 0.9 and 5.4 ± 0.9 vs 52.9 ± 2.3) (Fig. 1A). Fc
RII expression was assessed with two anti-Fc
RII mAbs (IV.3 and 7.3). mAb IV.3 exhibits high binding to activating Fc
RIIa and has low interaction with Fc
RIIb (black histograms, Fig. 1A, inset). In contrast, mAb 7.3 exhibits preferential binding to Fc
RIIb, while maintaining interaction with Fc
RIIa (gray histograms, Fig. 1A, inset) (18). Staining with IV.3-FITC resulted in similar MFIs on iDC (51.8 ± 2.9) and mDC (56.7 ± 3.9) suggesting that, Fc
RIIa expression is sustained at comparable levels at early and advanced stages of DC maturation (Fig. 1A). The staining intensity of IV.3-FITC was moderately higher on Ma (80.4 ± 4.4) than on DCs. The expression of Fc
RIIb on circulating DCs (4, 5) and cultured DCs (5) assessed with specific anti-Fc
RIIb mAbs was recently reported. We performed surface staining with 7.3-FITC mAb on DCs and explored potential differences in binding at distinct DC maturation stages. The intensity of staining with 7.3-FITC was higher on iDC compared with mDCs matured with the cytokine mixture (112.8 ± 32.7 vs 51.7 ± 10.6) (Fig. 1A). The reduced binding of 7.3 mAb to mDC was associated with increased expression of HLA-DR, CD86, CD83, and CD40 (Fig. 1B), suggesting that Fc
RIIb expression was down-regulated concomitantly with the induction of phenotypic markers of DC maturation.
|
RIIA and Fc
RIIB RNA transcripts in human DCs at distinct maturation stages by RT-PCR (Fig. 1C, left panel) (12) and real-time PCR (Fig. 1C, right panel). iDCs generated in culture with GM-CSF and IL-4 predominantly expressed Fc
RIIB transcripts (Fig. 1C, left and right panel). Fc
RIIB transcripts were undetectable or low in DCs matured with either TNF-
alone (DCTNF) or with the mixture of inflammatory cytokines (mDC). Fc
RIIA transcripts were down-regulated following maturation of DCs with TNF-
(Fig. 1C, left panel), but persisted in mDCs cultured with inflammatory cytokine mixture (Fig. 1C, right panel). Semiquantitative real-time PCR indicated skewing in the ratio of Fc
RIIA/Fc
RIIB in favor of Fc
RIIB transcripts in iDCs (Fig. 1C, right panel). In contrast, the ratio of Fc
RIIA/Fc
RIIB transcripts was increased in mDCs as a result of reduced Fc
RIIB expression (Fig. 1C, right panel).
To determine whether the differential expression of Fc
RIIA and Fc
RIIB transcripts during DC maturation is reflected at the protein level, we analyzed Fc
RIIa and Fc
RIIb by Western blotting (Fig. 1D). Lysates obtained from Ma, iDCs, and mDCs were immunoprecipitated with pan-Fc
RII mAb clone FLI8.26 that binds both Fc
RIIa and Fc
RIIb (12, 19). The immunoprecipitated proteins were run on SDS-PAGE followed by immunoblotting with specific Abs raised against the intracellular domain of Fc
RIIa (260) and Fc
RIIb (Fc
RIIB/IC), respectively (18). Lysates obtained from A375 melanoma cells transfected with rFc
RIIA (IIA), Fc
RIIB2 (IIB2), or vector only (NT) indicate the specificity of the immunoblotting Abs (Fig. 1D). Fc
RIIa protein was highly expressed in Ma and was also present in iDCs and mDCs (Fig. 1D). Inhibitory Fc
RIIb were the predominant Fc
R isoforms expressed at the immature DC stage. mDCs showed lower expression of Fc
RIIb protein compared with iDC (Fig. 1D). Collectively, these results reveal dynamic changes in Fc
R expression that occur in the process of DC maturation.
Phagocytosed Ag is cross-presented with higher efficiency in comparison with soluble Ag (20, 21). It is therefore important to assess the ability of DCs to capture and internalize antigenic particles through phagocytic receptors. Isolated blood DCs have the ability to mediate phagocytosis through Fc
RI and Fc
RII (2). We assessed the phagocytic capacity of Fc
RI and Fc
RIIa in iDC and mDC generated in culture. There was a 10-fold decrease in Fc
RI-mediated phagocytosis of E-22.2 probes in iDCs compared with Ma (33.8 ± 3.9 vs 361.7 ± 28.4) that was further reduced in mDC (19.5 ± 2.8) (Fig. 2A). Phagocytosis of E-IV.3 probes was only moderately decreased in iDCs and mDCs compared with Ma (107.3 ± 10.7 and 96.2 ± 13.3 vs 127.0 ± 13.4), indicating that phagocytosis via Fc
RIIa is preserved during DC maturation. Both iDCs and mDCs showed higher Fc
RIIa-mediated phagocytosis of E-IV.3 probes compared with phagocytosis of E-22.2 probes mediated through Fc
RI (Fig. 2A). Interestingly, despite low Fc
RI expression in DCs, CD86 expression was higher after phagocytosis of E-22.2 probes compared with E-IV.3 probes in both iDCs and mDCs (Fig. 2B). This finding is in agreement with other reports indicating that signaling through the Fc
RI-associated
-chain induces a mature phenotype in DCs (6).
|
R initiates the inhibitory signaling cascade leading to down-regulation of cellular functions (22). With the identification of Fc
RIIb expression on DCs (23, 4, 5), we sought to dissect the role of this receptor in phagocytosis. We analyzed attachment and phagocytosis of PKH26-labeled E-IV.3 and E-7.3 by flow cytometry (Fig. 2C). The level of IV.3 and 7.3 mAb on the probes was verified with FITC-conjugated rabbit anti-mouse IgG. In all experiments, the E-7.3 probe was matched to E-IV.3 probe as far as amount of Ab coated onto the probes. At equivalent concentrations of IV.3 and 7.3 mAb used to coat the probe (example using 4 ng mAb/probe), the percentage of iDCs with E-7.3 probes attached to the surface was similar to the percentage of iDCs with attached E-IV.3 probes, while the percentage of iDCs that had internalized E-7.3 probes was lower than the percentage of iDCs that had internalized E-IV.3 probes (Fig. 2C). The internalization of E-7.3 probes was lower than the internalization of E-IV.3 probes in Ma, iDCs, and mDCs (36.8 ± 11.6 vs127.0 ± 13.4, 43.2 ± 15.7 vs107.3 ± 10.7, and 41.3 ± 22.6 vs 96.2 ± 13.3), suggesting that engagement of Fc
RIIb is associated with decreased phagocytosis (Fig. 2, A, C, and D). In prior studies, we found that cross-linking of surface receptors on monocytes with 7.3 mAbs was associated with phosphorylation of the ITIM motif of Fc
RIIb, suggesting that 7.3 mAb mediates inhibitory signaling (18). The marked decrease in phagocytosis of E-7.3 probes compared with E-IV.3 probes suggests that phagocytosis of Ab-opsonized particles can be altered by cross-linking of Fc
RIIa and Fc
RIIb.
TNF-
is an essential cytokine required for the maturation of DCs. Maturation of DCs following autocrine production of TNF-
has been described following viral infection (24). In human and mouse monocytes/Ma, the production of TNF-
is differentially regulated by activating and inhibitory Fc
R (18, 25). We investigated the production of TNF-
by iDCs following phagocytosis of E-IV.3 and E-7.3 probes. TNF-
production was measured by ELISA in iDC placed in culture for 48 h with E-IV.3, E-7.3, and erythrocytes with no Ab as control (Fig. 2E). There was a marked induction in TNF-
production by iDCs incubated with IV.3 probes as compared with erythrocytes not coated with Abs (3.2 ± 2.1-fold induction). The production of TNF-
was significantly lower after incubation of iDCs with E-7.3 probes (1.25 ± 0.9-fold induction, p < 0.02) in comparison with E-IV.3 probes. We did not detect major differences in the membrane expression of MHC-I, HLA-DR, CD80, CD86, CD40, and CD83 following incubation of E-IV.3 probes compared with E-7.3 probes, suggesting that the differences in TNF-
production were not associated with major phenotypic changes.
We assessed the roles of Fc
RIIa and Fc
RIIb in the internalization of antigenic probes coupled with the immunodominant influenza MP and opsonized with anti-Fc
R mAbs. E-MP-IV.3 and E-MP-7.3 probes were made with biotinylated MP and with fragments of IV.3 or 7.3 mAbs, as described in Materials and Methods (Fig. 3A, ac). Phagocytosis assessed by flow cytometry revealed reduced internalization of PKH26-labeled E-MP-7.3 probes by iDCs and mDCs compared with PKH26-labeled E-MP-IV.3 probes (Fig. 3B, ad). Internalization of MP probes was detected by immunofluorescence staining with MP-specific polyclonal rabbit antiserum. Higher numbers of MP-positive particles were detected in immunofluorescence microscopy when MP was delivered by E-MP-IV.3 probes as compared with E-MP-7.3 probes in mDCs (Fig. 3B, e and f), suggesting that Fc
RIIb acts as a negative regulator of Ag uptake in mature DCs.
Fc
RIIb deficiency is associated with increased phagocytosis and increased proinflammatory cytokine production, suggesting a role for Fc
RIIb as a negative regulator of innate immune functions (25, 26). Our results indicate that by establishing molecular constraints that hamper internalization of IgG-opsonized Ag and the autocrine action of TNF-
in DCs, Fc
RIIb has the potential to restrain adaptive immune responses.
Cross-presentation of Ab-Ag complexes is dependent on Fc
R expression on DCs
Peptides derived from phagocytosed Ag are presented by DCs with increased efficiency (20, 27). DCs that acquire Ag by phagocytosis elicit Ag-specific CD8+ T cell immunity (7, 10, 28). Phagocytically active Fc
R are expressed in blood DCs and targeting Ag to these receptors increases the efficiency of T cell activation (29). As DCs express both activating and inhibitory Fc
R, their relative expression likely influences the cross-presentation of Ab-complexed Ag (4, 9).
We tested the ability of human DCs from HLA-A*0201 healthy donors to elicit IFN-
production by influenza-specific memory T cells in a well-characterized antigenic system for Ag presentation and CD8+ T cell activation (11). The HLA-A*0201-restricted 9-aa MP (GILGFVFTL) and a 17-aa peptide (TKGILGFVFTLTVPSER) containing additional N- and C-terminal flanking residues present in the influenza virus sequence were used as antigenic peptides. The 9-mer and 17-mer peptides were coupled to Fc
R-specific phagocytic probes (as shown in Fig. 3A). Ma, iDC, and mDC from HLA-A*0201 were used to stimulate IFN-
-production by autologous T cells in the ELISPOT assay. Despite their high ability to phagocytose antigenic probes via Fc
R, Ma were completely ineffective in cross-presentation (data not shown). iDC and mDC from HLA-A*0201 donors infected with replicating influenza A strain PR/8/34 induced high IFN-
spot formation and served as positive control (Fig. 4A). Incubation of iDC or mDC with soluble MP peptides elicited relatively low numbers of IFN-
-producing CD8+ T cells (Fig. 4A). MP peptides directed via Fc
RI and Fc
RIIa in iDC induced dramatic increases (20-fold induction for Fc
RI and 50-fold induction for Fc
RIIa) in IFN-
-producing memory T cells as compared with soluble peptides (Fig. 4A). The number of IFN-
-producing memory T cells was higher when MP was delivered through Fc
RIIa compared with Fc
RI in iDC (141.1 ± 15.6 vs 65.1 ± 13.9 SFC/105 T cells). In mDCs, internalization of Ag through activating Fc
R further amplified cross-presentation and activation of Ag-specific T cells. There was a marked increase (up to 25-fold for 9-mer and up to 7-fold for 17-mer) in IFN-
-spot-forming T cells by mDCs when the antigenic peptides were coupled to Fc
RI- and Fc
RII-specific probes, as compared with soluble MP (355.5 ± 70.0 and 400.3 ± 97.1 vs 55.7 ± 8.1 and 54.3 ± 4.3 SFC/105 T cells, p < 0.05). The cross-presentation of MP probes directed through either Fc
RI or Fc
RIIa in mDCs was similar (Fig. 4A). These results point out the novel observation that cross-presentation by mDCs can be enhanced when Ag is given by the route of activating Fc
R.
|
RIIb in cross-presentation, we quantified IFN-
-producing T cells stimulated with DCs incubated with E-MP-7.3 probes. Cross-linking of Fc
RIIb in iDC was associated with a 50% reduction in the number of IFN-
-producing T cells compared with E-MP-IV.3 probes (Fig. 4B, left panel). Interestingly, no decrease in cross-presentation was detected following cross-linking of Fc
RIIb by E-MP-7.3 probes in mDC (Fig. 4B, right panel). The percentages of influenza-specific memory CD8+ T cells after incubation with DCs loaded with E-MP-IV.3 probes and E-MP-7.3 probes evaluated by MP-specific HLA-A*0201 pentamer binding were analogous with the results obtained in ELISPOT (Fig. 4C). The delivery of E-MP-IV.3 probes compared with soluble MP into iDCs and mDCs determined clonal expansion illustrated by a marked increase in the percentage of Pro5 MHC pentamer-binding CD8+ T cells (Fig. 4C). The percentage of double-positive CD8+ and Pro5 MHC pentamer-binding T cells was reduced by 34.7 ± 0.42%, p < 0.01 when Fc
RIIb was cross-linked with E-MP-7.3 probes compared with E-MP-IV.3 in iDCs (Fig. 4C). In mDCs, phagocytosis of E-MP-7.3 probes was associated with reduced expansion of MP-specific CD8+ cells by 15.8 ± 2.1%, p < 0.01 as compared with E-MP-IV.3 probes (Fig. 4C).
The regulation of Fc
R expression by cytokines enables the adaptation of Fc
R-bearing cells to changes in the microenvironment. Induction of Fc
RI by IFN-
in iDCs leading to augmented uptake of Ab-opsonized antigenic particles has been documented (30). Likewise, inhibitory Fc
RIIb are subject to regulation by cytokines. Prior work showed that treatment with IL-4/IL-13 and IL-10 leads to the up-regulation of inhibitory Fc
RIIb in human monocytes (12, 18). Moreover, IL-10 mediates transcriptional activation of the Fc
RIIB promoter in monocytic cells (18).
We tested whether IL-13 and IL-10 have the ability to modulate the expression of Fc
RIIa and Fc
RIIb isoforms in mDCs. The expression of both Fc
RIIA and Fc
RIIB RNA transcripts was up-regulated in mDCs by overnight treatment with IL-10, whereas IL-13 did not significantly change the expression of either transcript (Fig. 5A). The combined treatment of IL-13 plus IL-10 significantly increased Fc
RIIA transcript expression (Fig. 5A). Elevated expression of Fc
RIIa protein in Western blots using Fc
RIIa-specific Abs was observed following IL-10 treatment (Fig. 5B). Up-regulation of Fc
RIIb in mDCs by IL-13 plus IL-10 was detected at protein level in Western blots using Fc
RIIb-specific Abs (Fig. 5B). The Fc
RIIa/Fc
RIIb protein ratio evaluated by densitometry was increased after IL-10 treatment, whereas the combined treatment of IL-13 plus IL-10 decreased the Fc
RIIa-Fc
RIIb protein ratio (Fig. 5B). Increased IV.3-FITC binding to mDCs suggested higher Fc
RIIa surface expression following treatment with IL-10 (Fig. 5C). Increased 7.3-FITC binding to mDCs suggested higher Fc
RIIb surface expression following treatment with IL-10 and IL-13 plus IL-10 (Fig. 5C). Reduced expression of MHC-I and -II, CD80, and CD86 after treatment of mDCs with IL-10 and IL-13 suggested reversal to a less mature phenotype (Fig. 5D).
|
R in DCs.
|
| Discussion |
|---|
|
|
|---|
R during DC maturation critically influences the cross-presentation of Ag-Ab complexes. Our findings corroborate the requirement for activating Fc
RI and Fc
RIIa for efficient induction of CD8+ T cell immunity and verify the role of inhibitory Fc
RIIb as negative regulators of cross-presentation. Alterations in Fc
R expression affect DC function primarily at the level of Ag uptake. The rapid and marked decline in Fc
RI expression explains the overall reduction in Fc
R-mediated phagocytic function associated with DC maturation. In contrast to Fc
RI, we find that expression of Fc
RIIa is preserved at immature and mature stages of DC differentiation, as is the ability to effectively capture Ag via Fc
RIIa-mediated phagocytosis. Unexpectedly for mature DC, acquisition of Ag by Fc
RI- and Fc
RIIa-mediated phagocytosis had far superior ability to activate Ag-specific CD8+ T cells. This property may enable mature DCs to boost T cell responses against IgG-opsonized Ag in tissues and at sites of immune complex deposition.
Recent reports have revealed a role for Fc
RIIa in Ag presentation mediated by plasmacytoid DCs (31, 32). Ag-specific T cell responses were detected only in patients who mounted a humoral response following immunization, pointing out the critical role of Ag-specific Abs in the uptake and presentation of exogenous Ag in vivo (32). Moreover, Fc
RIIa on plasmacytoid DCs is believed to enable the uptake of DNA-containing Ab complexes present in the serum of systemic lupus erythematosus patients and the induction of Ag-specific T cell responses (31). Our results suggest an essential function for Fc
RIIa expressed on monocyte-derived DCs in the cross-presentation of Ab-opsonized exogenous Ag to CD8+ T cells. These findings underscore the role of Fc
RIIa on DCs in the regulation of adaptive immune responses driven by self or foreign Ag-specific T cells.
Fc
RIIb receptors were recently defined as important negative regulators of DC activation and function (4, 5). Interestingly, we detected high expression of Fc
RIIb in iDC, whereas in mDCs Fc
RIIb were markedly down-regulated. Differences in expression levels of Fc
RIIb at various stages of DC maturation point out the versatile nature of Ab-Ag complex interactions with DCs. The efficient delivery of Ag coupled to Fc
RII-specific Abs is expected to enhance naive and recall responses by T cells. Our study shows that, when Fc
RIIb is expressed, its engagement by Ab-Ag complexes can result in inhibition of DC activation and Ag uptake. Various targeting Abs directed against the extracellular domain of Fc
RII display differential binding to Fc
RIIa and Fc
RIIb, thus influencing the functional outcome (4, 5). As targeting Ags to phagocytic receptors on DCs is regarded as a promising approach to modulate immunity or tolerance, our findings shed new light on the function of Fc
R in DC function.
In search of factors that modify Fc
R expression, we found that IL-10 modulated the expression of Fc
RIIa and Fc
RIIb in DCs. Our results suggest that IL-10 increased the ratio of Fc
RIIa vs Fc
RIIb on mDCs, an effect that could lead to enhanced uptake of Ag-Ab complexes. IL-10 is regarded as an immunoregulatory cytokine that limits autoimmune reactions (33, 34). Unexpectedly, patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed enhanced responsiveness to immune complex stimulation following treatment with IL-10 (35), an effect that could be explained by increased Fc
RIIa-mediated uptake of immune complexes. In autoimmune diseases associated with elevated IL-10 serum levels, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, increased uptake of DNA-Ab complexes through Fc
RIIa by DCs could stimulate autoreactive T cells and lead to amplification of the autoimmune reaction (31).
Genetic differences in the binding affinity of IgG subclasses by DCs from donors bearing the Fc
RIIa H/H131 and Fc
RIIaR/R131 variants (36, 37, 38) associate with changes in the activation and function of DCs (5). Genetic alterations in the promoter of the human FCGR2B gene that correlate with altered gene expression (39, 40) may influence the activation state of DCs and their responsiveness to immune complex stimulation. Given that Fc
R with opposing function are often coexpressed on DCs, selective targeting of Ag to activating or inhibitory Fc
R is a complex task. Further dissection of acquired and genetic factors involved in the regulation of Fc
R will add to our understanding of Ab-mediated Ag uptake in human DCs and will advance current strategies to reprogram the activation of T cells.
| Acknowledgments |
|---|
RIIa- and Fc
RIIb-specific Abs, and Matthew Albert for help at the start of the project. | Disclosures |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| Footnotes |
|---|
1 This work was supported by grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (RO1 AR049765 and R21 AR050643), the Lupus Research Institute, and the Arthritis Foundation (to L.P.). This investigation was conducted in a facility constructed with support from Research Facilities Improvement Program Grant Number C06-RR12538-01 from the National Center for Research Resources, NIH. ![]()
2 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Luminita Pricop, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021. E-mail address: PricopL{at}hss.edu ![]()
3 Abbreviations used in this paper: DC, dendritic cell; Ma, macrophage; iDC, immature DC; mDC, mature DC; MP, matrix peptide; MHC-I, MHC class I; PI, phagocytic index; MFI, mean fluorescence intensity; SFC, spot-forming cell. ![]()
Received for publication February 8, 2006. Accepted for publication October 2, 2006.
| References |
|---|
|
|
|---|
. J. Exp. Med. 179: 1109-1118.
R-mediated phagocytosis by human blood dendritic cells. J. Immunol. 157: 541-548. [Abstract]
RII expression and aberrant tumour necrosis factor
production by mature dendritic cells from patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Ann. Rheum. Dis. 63: 1556-1563.
receptor enables human dendritic cell maturation with IL-12p70 production and immunity to antibody-coated tumor cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 2910-2915.
receptor-mediated induction of dendritic cell maturation and major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted antigen presentation after immune complex internalization. J. Exp. Med. 189: 371-380.
receptors on dendritic cells. J. Exp. Med. 195: 1653-1659.
Rs on human monocytes by Th1 and Th2 cytokines. J. Immunol. 166: 531-537.
RIIB is differentially expressed during B cell maturation and in B-cell lymphomas. Br. J. Haematol. 124: 55-62. [Medline]
R-specific probes. J. Immunol. Methods 205: 55-65. [Medline]
R (monocyte/macrophage)-specific immunogens. J. Immunol. 149: 3477-3481. [Abstract]
Rs on dendritic cells. J. Immunol. 173: 4058-4065.
receptors in human monocytes. J. Leukocyte Biol. 77: 767-776.
RIIb in human monocytic cells. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 5082-5089.
RII expression, which has clear functional consequences. Ann. Rheum. Dis. 64: 1737-1743.
-dependent maturation of local dendritic cells is critical for activating the adaptive immune response to virus infection. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98: 12162-12167.
RII. Curr. Biol. 10: 227-230. [Medline]
RI-targeted fusion proteins result in efficient presentation by human monocytes of antigenic and antagonist T cell epitopes. J. Clin. Invest. 98: 2001-2007. [Medline]
RI (CD64) expressed on human blood dendritic cells. J. Immunol. 158: 3090-3098. [Abstract]
RII-mediated uptake. J. Exp. Med. 203: 1629-1635.
receptor expression on monocytes and responsiveness to immune complex stimulation. J. Rheumatol. 30: 648-651.
receptor II is critical for human IgG2 binding. J. Immunol. 147: 1338-1343. [Abstract]
receptor IIA and Fc
receptor IIIB. Independent mechanisms for differences in human phagocyte function. J. Clin. Invest. 89: 1274-1281. [Medline]
RIIA: a Q to K127 change confers unique IgG binding properties to the R131 allelic form of the receptor. Blood 91: 656-662.
RIIb alters receptor expression and associates with autoimmunity. I. Regulatory FCGR2B polymorphisms and their association with systemic lupus erythematosus. J. Immunol. 172: 7186-7191. This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
J. L. Ellsworth, N. Hamacher, B. Harder, K. Bannink, T. R. Bukowski, K. Byrnes-Blake, S. Underwood, C. Oliver, K. S. Waggie, C. Noriega, et al. Recombinant Soluble Human Fc{gamma}R1A (CD64A) Reduces Inflammation in Murine Collagen-Induced Arthritis J. Immunol., June 1, 2009; 182(11): 7272 - 7279. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. Berntzen, J. T. Andersen, K. Ustgard, T. E. Michaelsen, S. A. Mousavi, J. D. Qian, P. E. Kristiansen, V. Lauvrak, and I. Sandlie Identification of a High Affinity Fc{gamma}RIIA-binding Peptide That Distinguishes Fc{gamma}RIIA from Fc{gamma}RIIB and Exploits Fc{gamma}RIIA-mediated Phagocytosis and Degradation J. Biol. Chem., January 9, 2009; 284(2): 1126 - 1135. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S.-W. Qiao, K. Kobayashi, F.-E. Johansen, L. M. Sollid, J. T. Andersen, E. Milford, D. C. Roopenian, W. I. Lencer, and R. S. Blumberg Dependence of antibody-mediated presentation of antigen on FcRn PNAS, July 8, 2008; 105(27): 9337 - 9342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. Boonnak, B. M. Slike, T. H. Burgess, R. M. Mason, S.-J. Wu, P. Sun, K. Porter, I. F. Rudiman, D. Yuwono, P. Puthavathana, et al. Role of Dendritic Cells in Antibody-Dependent Enhancement of Dengue Virus Infection J. Virol., April 15, 2008; 82(8): 3939 - 3951. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. J. Brownlie, K. E. Lawlor, H. A. Niederer, A. J. Cutler, Z. Xiang, M. R. Clatworthy, R. A. Floto, D. R. Greaves, P. A. Lyons, and K. G.C. Smith Distinct cell-specific control of autoimmunity and infection by Fc{gamma}RIIb J. Exp. Med., April 14, 2008; 205(4): 883 - 895. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
I. M. Olazabal, N. B. Martin-Cofreces, M. Mittelbrunn, G. Martinez del Hoyo, B. Alarcon, and F. Sanchez-Madrid Activation Outcomes Induced in Naive CD8 T-Cells by Macrophages Primed via "Phagocytic" and Nonphagocytic Pathways Mol. Biol. Cell, February 1, 2008; 19(2): 701 - 710. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. N. Forthal, G. Landucci, J. Bream, L. P. Jacobson, T. B. Phan, and B. Montoya Fc{gamma}RIIa Genotype Predicts Progression of HIV Infection J. Immunol., December 1, 2007; 179(11): 7916 - 7923. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |