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The role of signals transduced via Fc gamma RIIIA in the modulation of the proliferative potential of NK cells has been investigated. Fc gamma R stimulation does not induce NK cell proliferation, and inhibits that induced by IL-2, but not by IL-12, as measured by [3H]TdR incorporation, without affecting entrance or progression through cell cycle. The inhibitory effect depends, at least in part, on induced apoptosis of the cells, detected by both light and electron microscopy examination. Fc gamma R stimulation induces apoptosis only in NK cells that have been previously activated by IL-2: this occurs within 3 h from receptor stimulation and is independent from de novo receptor-induced RNA or protein synthesis, but requires receptor-induced activation of protein tyrosine kinases and extracellular Ca2+ influx. IL-2 induces accumulation of c-myc mRNA in NK cells, and treatment of the cells with c-myc antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides during the IL-2 stimulation phase inhibits the susceptibility to Fc gamma RIIIA-induced cell death, indicating that the induction of sustained levels of this proto-oncogene is necessary for the phenomenon. Thus, a two-step model is suggested for the Fc gamma R-induced apoptosis in IL-2 activated NK cells: the first step involves induced expression of c-myc, and possibly other permissive factors, upon IL-2 prestimulation; the second depends directly on the stimulation of the receptor, independently of additional gene induction. The evidence presented here suggests a mechanism of control of NK cell expansion at the latest stages of Ab-dependent immune responses.

In this paper, we characterize the antigen recognized by the monoclonal antibody B73.1 and the modification occurring at the membrane of the positive cells after interaction with the antibody. The B73.1-defined antigen is a protein of 50,000 to 72,000 daltons that is sensitive to pronase but not to trypsin treatment. B73.1 antibody, and its F(ab')2 fragment, directly block, at high concentrations, the binding of IgG antibody-sensitized erythrocytes to the Fc receptors (FcR) of a subpopulation of lymphocytes and neutrophils. B73.1 antibody dissociates rapidly from the positive cells, but concomitant modulation of both B73.1 antigen and FcR is induced when cells are incubated in the continuous presence of antibody or when B73.1 antibody is cross-linked at the cell membrane with an anti-mouse immunoglobulin antiserum. Reaction of lymphocytes with immune complexes also induces modulation of both FcR and B73.1 antigen, without affecting the expression of other antigens on the positive cells. The possibility that the antigen is internalized and digested by the cell after reaction with the antibody is discussed. B73.1 antibody inhibits antibody-dependent cytotoxicity mediated by lymphocytes (K cells) and neutrophils, whereas it does not affect spontaneous cytotoxicity of NK cells. These results suggest the B73.1-defined antigen might be the FcR or a structure closely related to it on K/NK cells.

In this work T-enriched lymphocyte populations (obtained from Ig-anti-Ig-Degalancoated columns) were studied for their surface markers, especially for Fc and complement receptors, before and after a pulse-PHA-stimulation. It has been demonstrated that activated T lymphocytes express on their surface both of these markers in high percentage. The hypothesis is discussed that B and T lymphocytes differ only with regard to the presence of surface immunoglobulins or the ability of forming spontaneous rosettes. On the contrary the other surface markers may probably be expressed when needed functionally by the cells.

At least two distinct HLA-DR+ cell subsets lacking surface markers specific for B cells, monocytes or other known lineages are present in human peripheral blood. One subset is non-adherent to plastic, produces interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) when incubated with cytomegalovirus-infected target cells and provides an accessory function required for natural killer (NK) cell-mediated lysis of such cells. These non-adherent HLA-DR+ cells express the surface antigen recognized by antibody anti-D44 and do not stimulate mixed leucocyte reaction (MLR). The other HLA-DR+ cell subset is loosely adherent to plastic, produces only minimal levels of IFN-alpha when incubated with cytomegalovirus-infected target cells and does not provide the accessory function required for NK cell-mediated lysis of such cells. These HLA-DR+ cells stimulate a strong MLR, do not express D44 antigen and meet the criteria of dendritic cells (DC) morphologically and functionally.

CTL and NK cells produce a cytolytic pore-forming protein (perforin, cytolysin) localized in their cytoplasmic granules. These cytotoxic cells are resistant to killing mediated by other lymphocytes and by purified perforin. A membrane factor, known as homologous restriction factor (HRF), has been suggested to confer protection to different cell types against both C- and perforin-mediated lysis. The granules of human large granular lymphocytes have been reported to contain, in addition to perforin, a soluble HRF activity that can be eluted from anion-exchange columns at 115 mM NaCl. Here, we report that a soluble HRF activity is absent in the granules or the cytosol of murine CTL and human NK cells. Our data indicate that the inhibition attributed to HRF could be explained by exogenous EDTA added during granule fractionation. EDTA was shown to bind to Mono Q and to elute at 90 to 120 mM NaCl. A second perforin-inhibitory activity was also eluted from such a column. However, it was present in preparations obtained not only from CTL and NK cells, but also from some perforin-susceptible tumor cell lines, indicating that it has nonrestricted distribution and suggesting that it is probably irrelevant to the perforin-protection mechanism. Our results argue against a role for soluble granule HRF or other soluble factors in mediating resistance of cytotoxic lymphocytes against perforin-mediated lysis.

The responses of lymphocytes to IL-2 and IL-12, involving proliferation, differentiation, and cytokine production, are only partially overlapping, and may depend on induced differential expression of specific sets of genes. Using reverse-transcription PCR differential display, we isolated an mRNA species expressed in IL-2- but not IL-12-stimulated NK cells. This was identified as the mRNA encoding the transcription factor egr-1, which is expressed with fast kinetics in T and NK cells upon IL-2, but not IL-12, stimulation. Analysis of the accumulation of mRNA-encoding members of the AP-1 transcription factor family demonstrated that c-fos and junB are also expressed upon stimulation of NK and T cells with IL-2, but not IL-12, whereas expression of c-jun and junD is not modified by either cytokine. Accordingly, increased AP-1 DNA-binding activity and AP-1-dependent transcriptional activity were detected exclusively in IL-2-stimulated cells. Analysis of the expression of genes reported to regulate cytokine-induced proliferation demonstrated that both IL-2 and IL-12 induce c-myc mRNA accumulation in NK and T cells, whereas only IL-2 induces bcl-2 expression. Our data provide the first demonstration that IL-12-mediated activation of T and NK cells does not involve expression of members of the immediate-early activation genes family (egr-1, c-fos, and junB), AP-1 transcriptional activity, or bcl-2 expression. This indicates that functional differences observed in IL-2- and IL-12-stimulated cells may depend, at least in part, on differential gene regulation.

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK, also known as mitogen-activated protein kinases) are serine-threonine kinases transducing signals elicited upon ligand binding to several tyrosine kinase-associated receptors. We have reported that ERK2 phosphorylation and activation follows engagement of the low affinity receptor for the Fc portion of IgG (CD16) on NK cells, and is necessary for CD16-induced TNF-α mRNA expression. Here, we analyzed the involvement of ERK in NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity and IFN-γ expression induced upon stimulation with targets cells, coated or not with Abs. Our data indicate that, as with immune complexes, ERK2 phosphorylation occurs in human primary NK cells upon interaction with target cells sensitive to granule exocytosis-mediated spontaneous cytotoxicity, and that this regulates both target cell- and immune complex-induced cytotoxicity and IFN-γ mRNA expression. A specific inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase reduced both spontaneous and Ab-dependent cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner involving, at least in part, inhibition of granule exocytosis without affecting effector/target cell interaction and rearrangement of the cytoskeleton proteins actin and tubulin. Involvement of ERK in the regulation of Ca2+-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity was confirmed, using a genetic approach, in primary NK cells infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding an ERK inactive mutant. These data indicate that the biochemical pathways elicited in NK cells upon engagement of receptors responsible for either spontaneous or Ab-dependent recognition of target cells, although distinct, utilize ERK as one of their downstream molecules to regulate effector functions.

When a group of 104 aged subjects was screened for autoimmune reactions, positive reactions for the rheumatoid factor and/or autoantibodies (ANA, anti-thyroid, PCA, anti-smooth muscle, anti-mitochondria) were recorded in 40.4%. Immunological functions were studied in 32 positive aged subjects, 32 age- and sex-matched negative controls, and 32 young subjects. Some differences attributable to the process of aging were quite evident, such as a depression in the percentage of E rosette forming peripheral lymphocytes and in their response to PHA, and an increase in the percentage of IgG-bearing peripheral lymphocytes and in the serum levels of IgA and three complement fractions (C'3, C'4, and C'3-PA). No clear-cut picture was noted when autoimmunity-positive and -negative, aged subjects were compared. However, some differences between sexes suggest that autoimmune reactions are linked to a depressed T cell function mainly in males, whereas the reverse is true for females.

Perforin and granzymes are proteins thought to play a relevant role in cell-mediated cytotoxicity. These molecules are constitutively expressed in NK cells and their level of expression in cytotoxic T lymphocytes is regulated by several cytokines. We analyzed the mechanisms by which cytokines and cellular ligands known to modulate NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity affect the expression of the mRNA encoding granzyme A and B and perforin in NK cells. Our data indicate that IL-2 and IL-12 induce increased accumulation of both perforin and, to a higher degree, granzyme B mRNA. In contrast, binding of target cells or immune complexes up-regulates expression of granzyme B mRNA without altering that of perforin. Results of in situ hybridization experiments confirm that mRNA for both molecules are expressed at low levels in most NK cells, and that both are induced to accumulate by the two cytokines in the majority of the cells. The mechanisms by which IL-2 and IL-12 regulate expression of the two molecules are, in part, distinct: both cytokines increase the transcriptional rate of the encoding genes, whereas only IL-2 acts also at a post-transcriptional level to increase the stability of their mRNA.

Following stimulation with adenosine diphosphate (ADP), collagen, or arachidonic acid, unstirred human platelet suspensions bind 125I- fibrinogen in a reaction that reaches completion within 30 min. Scatchard analysis of these binding data reveals two sets of binding sites with all 3 agents: a high affinity site (Kd 0.029–0.045 microM) binding 1000–1600 fibrinogen molecules per platelet, and a lower affinity site (Kd 1.2–2.0 microM) binding 46,000–76,000 fibrinogen molecules per platelet. At a concentration of apyrase that inhibited ADP-induced fibrinogen binding by greater than 85%, fibrinogen binding induced by collagen and arachidonic acid was only partially affected. This suggests that fibrinogen binding induced by collagen or arachidonic acid does not require released ADP. We isolated a monoclonal antibody, B59.2, which precipitated the glycoprotein IIb- IIIa complex from solubilized platelet membranes. Binding of labeled antibody to platelets before or after exposure to ADP, collagen, or arachidonic acid showed a single class of approximately 22,000 binding sites with Kd 0.019 microM. Binding of B59.2 was complete within 1 min and was not inhibited by EDTA. Preincubation of platelet suspensions with a 2.1 microM concentration of B59.2 caused inhibition of secretion and aggregation, but not of thromboxane-B2 synthesis, in response to 1 microgram/ml collagen, 40 microM arachidonic acid, or 4 microM ADP, concentrations of aggregating agents that produced complete aggregation and secretion in the absence of B59.2. At this concentration of B59.2, fibrinogen binding to stimulated platelets was inhibited by approximately 45%-55%. These data demonstrate that collagen and arachidonic acid can expose fibrinogen binding sites independently of released ADP; and that the glycoprotein IIb-IIIa complex is involved in secretion, aggregation, and fibrinogen binding, but not in thromboxane synthesis occurring in response to collagen, arachidonic acid, or ADP.