Cytotoxic T lymphocyte recognition of HLA-A2 antigens in normal and HLA-Cw3-transgenic mice

HLA class I transgenic mice: development, utilisation and improvement

Classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens are trimeric molecules found on the surface of nucleated cells in all jawed vertebrates. MHC I are recognised by two families of receptors: clonotypic T cell receptors expressed on the surface of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and monomorphic receptors expressed by both natural killer cells and CTLs. The production of MHC I molecules within the cells is a sequential process performed with the help of interacting proteins: proteases, chaperones, transporters and so on. Although largely homologous in their structure, organisation and function, the human and mouse MHC I antigen processing and presentation machineries show fine differences. Transgenesis and 'knockout' or 'knock-in' technologies permit the addition of relevant human genes or the replacement of mouse genes by their human orthologues in order to produce immunologically humanised mice. Such experimental animals are especially relevant for the comparative evaluation of immunotherapies and for the characterisation of MHC I peptide epitopes. This review presents the similarities and differences between mouse and human MHC I antigen processing machinery, and describes the development and utilisation of improving mouse models of human cytotoxic T cell immunity.

The use of human leucocyte antigen class I transgenic mice to investigate human immune function

HLA class I transgenic mice are a powerful research tool which have been used as models for human immune responses. This review describes the generation of the different HLA class I transgenic mice, the techniques used to improve expression of the transgene and use of the transgene product in immune responses. It also illustrates how HLA class I transgenic mice have provided insights into the nature of the allogeneic and xenogeneic response, the generation of CTL responses, the development of autoimmune diseases, and their use for the generation of anti-HLA class I antibodies. Despite these advances, the use of available HLA class I transgenic mice as models for human disease and immune responses has been limited. The development of new transgenic strains incorporating multiple human transgenes may allow the potential of HLA class I transgenic mice to be realised.

Primary alloreactive cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are not commonly restricted by self-HLA class I antigens

To assess the role of HLA Class I molecules in the indirect presentation of alloantigen, we have investigated the fine specificity and MHC restriction of in vitro primary alloreactive cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL), using limiting dilution analysis of CTL precursor frequencies in HLA-mismatched responder-stimulator pairs. By employing split-well analysis of limiting dilution (LD) microcultures and third-party target cells bearing a stimulatory HLA Class I antigen alone or in combination with a single responder HLA antigen, we demonstrate that self-Class I restriction of HLA-A- or HLA-B-specific CTL precursors is not a common feature of the primary in vitro alloresponse. Higher frequencies of alloantigen-specific CTL precursors in the presence of self-HLA antigens were only detected in 5 of 31 limiting dilution assays established from seven different responder-stimulator pairs. In two cases, the higher precursor frequencies could be explained on the basis of Class II-restricted presentation of Class I-derived antigenic peptide and are supported by flow cytometric analysis of HLA antigen expression on target cells. The remaining 3 assays of this type were suggestive of Class I restriction but revealed only marginally higher frequency estimates. All other LD assays revealed lower CTL precursor frequency estimates in the presence of self-HLA Class I antigens. A higher antigen-specific CTLp frequency was not detected when targets shared three HLA Class I antigens with the responder, demonstrating that we had not biased the responses by selecting single HLA antigen-sharing targets in the other assays. Analysis of reactivity against PHA blast targets at the single cell per well level demonstrated that CTL reactive only with the original stimulator comprised the majority of lytic reactions. Heteroclitic CTL (i.e., CTL that recognize single HLA targets only and not the original stimulator) formed only a small fraction of total reactivity. Our results confirm the role of Class II antigens in the indirect presentation of alloantigen in vitro but suggest that HLA Class I antigens play a limited role in this phenomenon.

Xenogeneic iso-skin graft and mixed lymphocyte reaction studies using HLA-DP transgenic mice

To elucidate the cellular responses against xeno-MHC antigens, in vitro mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) and in vivo skin grafting (SG) studies were conducted using HLA-DP transgenic mice (B6-DP mice). Xenogenic iso-(B6-DP to B6 mice) MLC showed positive but much lower responses compared to allo-MLC responses. Nevertheless, B6-DP skin grafts were rejected in a similar time course as allo-skin grafts. To examine mechanisms underlining skin graft rejection, both in vitro cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) responses and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions were tested. The studies showed that DTH but not CTL reactions were involved for the graft rejection. SG was again conducted after the administration of anti-CD4 and/or CD8 monoclonal antibody (mAb). Mice treated with both CD4 and CD8 mAb accepted B6-DP SG for as long as up to 60 days and those treated with either CD4 or CD8 mAb alone rejected skin grafts on its own most of the time (75% in anti-CD4 mAb treated mice, 88.9% in anti-CD8 mAb treated mice), which suggests that the strict T cell restrictions for xeno-DP antigens do not exist. Even in these finally rejected cases, longer median survival time and final rejection time were observed, and in the other mice (25% in anti-CD4 mAb treated, and 11.1% in anti-CD8 mAb treated mice), graft acceptance was found. Therefore, it was suggested that the immunological reactions leading to the graft rejection occurs most efficiently when both T cell subsets are present. The above results indicate that xenogeneic HLA-DP antigens could act as significant transplantation antigens equivalent to alloantigens despite their lower stimulative activity in vitro, and also support the interpretation that DP antigens act like a minor histocompatibility antigen beyond the difference of species. Monomorphic anti-HLA class II antibodies were detected in recipients' sera as early as 2 weeks and even at 6 months, indicating that xeno-MHC antigens are prone to be memorized to B cells. It was concluded that HLA transgenic mice are useful for the investigation of cellular responses across xeno-MHC barriers.

The CD8 coreceptor interaction with the alpha 3 domain of HLA class I is critical to the differentiation of human cytotoxic T-lymphocytes specific for HLA-A2 and HLA-Cw4

The CD8 coreceptor interacts with MHC class I molecules through an acidic loop in the MHC alpha 3 domain. Mutations in this region reduced binding between cells expressing mutant HLA molecules and CHO cells transfected with CD8 alpha chain, with mutations at residue 227 having the greatest effects. This study was undertaken to examine the role of the CD8-HLA interaction in the generation of primary and long-term CTLs. HLA-A*0201 genes (wild type or mutated at residue 227) were transfected into a cell line that lacked expression of HLA-A or B molecules but expressed HLA-Cw4. These cells were used as stimulators for PBLs from a normal donor. Cultures were tested for cytotoxicity at various times thereafter. Transfectants expressing the HLA-A*0201 mutant gene were poor stimulators of primary HLA-A2-specific CTLs. In long-term culture, HLA-Cw4-specific CTLs predominated, indicating that continuous expansion of allogeneic CTLs depends upon an efficient CD8-MHC class I interaction.

An HLA-C-restricted CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte clone recognizes a highly conserved epitope on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gag

A unique epitope on the gag protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), located at amino acid 145 to 150, has been mapped by using a CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) clone. This epitope is highly conserved among 18 HIV-1 strains. The HIV-1 gag-specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I-restricted CD8+ CTL clone was generated from fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells of an HIV-seropositive donor by stimulation with gamma-irradiated allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the presence of an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody and recombinant interleukin-2. This gag-specific CTL clone killed autologous target cells infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus containing the gag gene of HIV-1 and target cells pulsed with an authentic p24gag construct expressed in Escherichia coli. Fine specificity was determined by using a panel of overlapping 30-amino-acid-long synthetic peptides and subsequently using smaller peptides to precisely map the CTL domain on p24. The epitope is on a highly conserved region, and it overlaps with a major B-cell epitope of gag. This CD8+ T-cell epitope is restricted by HLA-Cw3, which has not been previously identified as a restricting element for human CTL responses.

Strong xenogeneic HLA response in transgenic mice after introducing an alpha 3 domain into HLA B27

The pronounced response by mouse T cells to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens of the same species is characterized by a relatively large fraction of responding cells. Responses to MHC class I allelles of other species are, however, generally much weaker. T lymphocytes are positively selected on thymic MHC antigens, resulting in a T-cell repertoire with strong alloreactivity. This has been explained in terms of a mouse T-cell repertoire that is not efficiently selected for recognition of HLA molecules owing to the absence of HLA in mice. Here we show that mice transgenic for HLA mount a T-cell response against allogeneic HLA that is no better than in normal mice. We decided instead to test whether the mouse accessory molecule Lyt-2 on cytotoxic T lymphocytes could interact efficiently with the alpha 3 domain of HLA. To do this, we replaced the alpha 3 domain of HLA-B27 by a murine alpha 3 domain in a gene construct used to produce transgenic mice, and then used the spleen cells from these mice to stimulate normal mouse T cells. Under these conditions cytotoxic T lymphocytes were generated with the same frequency against xenogeneic HLA-B27 determinants as against allogeneic mouse class I antigens. These findings indicate that the normally weak xeno-MHC response is due to the inefficient interaction of the murine Lyt-2 accessory molecule with HLA class I, and not to limitations of the mouse T-cell repertoire.

Different requirements for the regulation of transplantation tolerance induction for allogeneic versus xenogeneic major histocompatibility complex antigens

One way to solve the problem of human donor organ shortage is the use of animal organs. Therefore, it is important to study the T-cell response against xenogeneic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens. In the present study, we have used HLA-B27 transgenic mice in a xenogeneic transplantation model. The results indicate that both transgenic skin transplantation and intravenous (IV) injection of transgenic spleen cells can reverse specific T-cell low responsiveness against the transgenic HLA-B27 antigen into high responsiveness in vivo and in vitro. In contrast, IV injection of spleen cells across an allogeneic H-2 class I disparity results in transplantation tolerance. Thus, despite T-cell low responsiveness against the transgenic HLA-B27 antigen, IV injection of transgenic HLA-B27 disparate lymphocytes does not tolerize, but rather immunizes for the xeno-MHC antigen.

Xenogeneic proliferation and lymphokine production are dependent on CD4+ helper T cells and self antigen-presenting cells in the mouse

We studied proliferation and interleukin 2 production by B6 mouse spleen cells in response to stimulation by irradiated cynomolgus monkey spleen cells and compared the results with responses against whole MHC-disparate allogeneic controls (BALB/c). We found that (a) primary xenogeneic helper responses were absent, whereas primary allogeneic responses were brisk, (b) secondary xenogeneic helper responses were dependent on CD4+ T cells and responder antigen-presenting cells (APCs), whereas allogeneic responses could be mediated by either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells independently and were primarily dependent on the presence of stimulator APCs, and (c) secondary xenogeneic helper responses were blocked by an antibody directed against responder class II MHC molecules. These results suggest that mouse helper T cells recognize disparate xenoantigens as processed peptides in association with self class II MHC molecules, similar to the recognition of nominal antigens and unlike direct allo-recognition.