Constitutive Akt1 signals attenuate B-cell receptor signaling and proliferation, but enhance B-cell migration and effector function

Peptide-directed interference of PD-1/PD-L1 binding increases B lymphocyte function after infectious bursal disease viral infection

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) binding contributes to immune evasion mechanisms responsible for B lymphocyte exhaustion and apoptosis. This facilitates immunosuppression in chronic viral infections, including infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). Our previous study showed that PD-1 and PD-L1 expression increases in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chickens infected with IBDV. However, due to their high production costs and immune-related adverse events, monoclonal antibodies targeting PD-1 or PD-L1 are unsuitable therapeutic agents. Thus, in the current study, we designed peptides with optimized binding sites for PD-1 and investigated their ability to disrupt PD-1/PD-L1 binding and restore B lymphocyte function in vitro. The peptide gCK-16 exhibited a high affinity for PD-1 (KD: 3.37 nM) and effectively inhibited the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction in vitro. Moreover, gCK-16 significantly enhanced B lymphocyte proliferation. Remarkably, gCK-16 treatment abrogated the IBDV-induced upregulation of PD-1/PD-L1, NF-κB activation, and B lymphocyte apoptosis. Additionally, IBDV infection attenuated PI3K/AKT pathway activation in B lymphocytes, while gCK-16 treatment increased immunoglobulin M (IgM) production in IBDV-infected B lymphocytes. Together, these results demonstrate that gCK-16 treatment can potentially enhance B lymphocyte function against IBDV infection, guiding the development of vaccine adjuvants to effectively prevent IBDV-induced avian immunosuppression.

Long-Term Hypoxia Maintains a State of Dedifferentiation and Enhanced Stemness in Fetal Cardiovascular Progenitor Cells

Early-stage mammalian embryos survive within a low oxygen tension environment and develop into fully functional, healthy organisms despite this hypoxic stress. This suggests that hypoxia plays a regulative role in fetal development that influences cell mobilization, differentiation, proliferation, and survival. The long-term hypoxic environment is sustained throughout gestation. Elucidation of the mechanisms by which cardiovascular stem cells survive and thrive under hypoxic conditions would benefit cell-based therapies where stem cell survival is limited in the hypoxic environment of the infarcted heart. The current study addressed the impact of long-term hypoxia on fetal Islet-1+ cardiovascular progenitor cell clones, which were isolated from sheep housed at high altitude. The cells were then cultured in vitro in 1% oxygen and compared with control Islet-1+ cardiovascular progenitor cells maintained at 21% oxygen. RT-PCR, western blotting, flow cytometry, and migration assays evaluated adaptation to long term hypoxia in terms of survival, proliferation, and signaling. Non-canonical Wnt, Notch, AKT, HIF-2α and Yap1 transcripts were induced by hypoxia. The hypoxic niche environment regulates these signaling pathways to sustain the dedifferentiation and survival of fetal cardiovascular progenitor cells.

Suppressive Role of Bam32/DAPP1 in Chemokine-Induced Neutrophil Recruitment

Bam32 (B cell adaptor molecule of 32 kDa) functions in the immune responses of various leukocytes. However, the role of neutrophil Bam32 in inflammation is entirely unknown. Here, we determined the role of Bam32 in chemokine CXCL2-induced neutrophil chemotaxis in three mouse models of neutrophil recruitment. By using intravital microscopy in the mouse cremaster muscle, we found that transmigrated neutrophil number, neutrophil chemotaxis velocity, and total neutrophil chemotaxis distance were increased in Bam32^−/− mice when compared with wild-type (WT) mice. In CXCL2-induced mouse peritonitis, the total emigrated neutrophils were increased in Bam32^−/− mice at 2 but not 4 h. The CXCL2-induced chemotaxis distance and migration velocity of isolated Bam32^−/− neutrophils in vitro were increased. We examined the activation of small GTPases Rac1, Rac2, and Rap1; the levels of phospho-Akt2 and total Akt2; and their crosstalk with Bam32 in neutrophils. The deficiency of Bam32 suppressed Rap1 activation without changing the activation of Rac1 and Rac2. The pharmacological inhibition of Rap1 by geranylgeranyltransferase I inhibitor (GGTI298) increased WT neutrophil chemotaxis. In addition, the deficiency of Bam32, as well as the inhibition of Rap1 activation, increased the levels of CXCL2-induced Akt1/2 phosphorylation at Thr308/309 in neutrophils. The inhibition of Akt by SH-5 attenuated CXCL2-induced adhesion and emigration in Bam32^−/− mice. Together, our results reveal that Bam32 has a suppressive role in chemokine-induced neutrophil chemotaxis by regulating Rap1 activation and that this role of Bam32 in chemokine-induced neutrophil recruitment relies on the activation of PI3K effector Akt.

AKT2 deficiency impairs formation of the BCR signalosome

BACKGROUND

AKT2 is one of the key molecules that involves in the insulin-induced signaling and the development of cancer. In B cells, the function of AKT2 is unclear.

METHODS

In this study, we used AKT2 knockout mice model to study the role of AKT2 in BCR signaling and B cell differentiation.

RESULTS

AKT2 promotes the early activation of B cells by enhancing the BCR signaling and actin remodeling. B cells from AKT2 KO mice exhibited defective spreading and BCR clustering upon stimulation in vitro. Disruption of Btk-mediated signaling caused the impaired differentiation of germinal center B cells, and the serum levels of both sepecific IgM and IgG were decreased in the immunized AKT2 KO mice. In addition, the actin remodeling was affected due to the decreased level of the activation of WASP, the actin polymerization regulator, in AKT2 KO mice as well. As a crucial regulator of both BCR signaling and actin remodeling during early activation of B cells, the phosphorylation of CD19 was decreased in the AKT2 absent B cells, while the transcription level was normal.

CONCLUSIONS

AKT2 involves in the humoral responses, and promotes the BCR signaling and actin remodeling to enhance the activation of B cells via regulating CD19 phosphorylation. Video Abstract.

NMDA-receptor antagonists block B-cell function but foster IL-10 production in BCR/CD40-activated B cells

BACKGROUND

B cells are important effectors and regulators of adaptive and innate immune responses, inflammation and autoimmunity, for instance in anti-NMDA-receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis. Thus, pharmacological modulation of B-cell function could be an effective regimen in therapeutic strategies. Since the non-competitive NMDAR antagonist memantine is clinically applied to treat advanced Alzheimer`s disease and ketamine is supposed to improve the course of resistant depression, it is important to know how these drugs affect B-cell function.

RESULTS

Non-competitive NMDAR antagonists impaired B-cell receptor (BCR)- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced B-cell proliferation, reduced B-cell migration towards the chemokines SDF-1α and CCL21 and downregulated IgM and IgG secretion. Mechanistically, these effects were mediated through a blockade of Kv1.3 and KCa3.1 potassium channels and resulted in an attenuated Ca(2+)-flux and activation of Erk1/2, Akt and NFATc1. Interestingly, NMDAR antagonist treatment increased the frequency of IL-10 producing B cells after BCR/CD40 stimulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-competitive NMDAR antagonists attenuate BCR and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) B-cell signaling and effector function and can foster IL-10 production. Consequently, NMDAR antagonists may be useful to target B cells in autoimmune diseases or pathological systemic inflammation. The drugs' additional side effects on B cells should be considered in treatments of neuronal disorders with NMDAR antagonists.

Postprandial activation of metabolic and inflammatory signalling pathways in human peripheral mononuclear cells

High-fat, high-carbohydrate (HFHC) meals induce an inflammatory response in mononuclear cells (MNC). Here, we studied the interaction between metabolic and inflammatory signalling pathways by the measurement of postprandial effects of three different test meals on intracellular Akt, S6 kinase (S6K)/mammalian target of rapamycin and NF-κB signalling in human MNC. We recruited six healthy, lean individuals. Each individual ingested three different meals in the morning separated by at least 3 d: a HFHC meal; an oral lipid-tolerance test meal; a healthy breakfast. Blood samples were obtained before and 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after ingestion. Plasma insulin and IL-6 levels were measured. Intracellular metabolic and inflammatory signalling pathways were assessed by measuring the phosphorylation of Akt kinase and S6K, the degradation of inhibitory κB-α (IκB-α) protein and the DNA binding activity of NF-κB in MNC. mRNA expression levels of the Akt and NF-κB target genes Mn superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), CC-chemokine-receptor 5 (CCR5), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were measured by quantitative RT-PCR. We found a positive correlation of Akt phosphorylation with NF-κB activation (NF-κB binding activity: r 0·4500, P= 0·0003; IκB-α protein levels: r − 0·5435, P< 0·0001), a negative correlation of plasma insulin levels with NF-κB binding activity (r − 0·3993, P= 0·0016) and a positive correlation of plasma insulin levels with S6K activation (r 0·4786, P< 0·0001). The activation of Akt and pro-inflammatory NF-κB signalling was supported by the up-regulation of the respective target genes MnSOD and CCR5. In conclusion, the present data suggest a postprandial interaction between the metabolic and inflammatory signalling pathways Akt and NF-κB in MNC.

Cryptic collagen IV promotes cell migration and adhesion in myeloid leukemia

Previously, we showed that discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1), a class of collagen-activated receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) was highly upregulated on bone marrow (BM)-derived CD33+ leukemic blasts of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Herein as DDR1 is a class of collagen-activated RTK, we attempt to understand the role of native and remodeled collagen IV in BM microenvironment and its functional significance in leukemic cells. Exposure to denatured collagen IV significantly increased the migration and adhesion of K562 cells, which also resulted in increased activation of DDR1 and AKT. Further, levels of MMP9 were increased in conditioned media (CM) of denatured collagen IV exposed cells. Mass spectrometric liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry QSTAR proteomic analysis revealed exclusive presence of Secretogranin 3 and InaD-like protein in the denatured collagen IV CM. Importantly, BM samples of AML patients exhibited increased levels of remodeled collagen IV compared to native as analyzed via anti-HUIV26 antibody. Taken together, for the first time, we demonstrate that remodeled collagen IV is a potent activator of DDR1 and AKT that also modulates both migration and adhesion of myeloid leukemia cells. Additionally, high levels of the HUIV26 cryptic collagen IV epitope are expressed in BM of AML patients. Further understanding of this phenomenon may lead to the development of therapeutic agents that directly modulate the BM microenvironment and attenuate leukemogenesis.

Distinct roles of Akt1 in regulating proliferation, migration and invasion in HepG2 and HCT 116 cells

Elucidating the effects of genes involved in tumors may improve therapeutic strategies for human cancer. Recently, several studies discovered that Akt1 plays a dual role in mediating cell proliferation, migration and invasion, depending on the cell type. However, the pathophysiological role of Akt1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and colorectal carcinoma cells remains poorly understood. In the present study, we transfected the Akt1-expressing plasmids into the tumor cells that expressed only low levels of Akt1. The migration and invasion abilities were analyzed in 24-well Boyden chambers. The expression of proteins was detected using western blot analysis. Our results demonstrated that overexpression of Akt1 significantly enhanced the proliferation rates and promoted the colony formation in both HepG2 and HCT 116 cells. When treated with wortmannin, the ability to form colonies was significantly attenuated in both cell lines. Of note, enforced expression of Akt1 induced HepG2 cell migration and invasion; by contrast, upregulation of Akt1 expression suppressed the migration and invasion of HCT 116 cells. Subsequent mechanistic investigations revealed that upregulation of Akt1 markedly induced the expression of Bcl-2 and NF-κB in both types of tumor cells. Notably, we observed a similar increase of MMP2, MMP9, HIF1α and VEGF in HCC cells, whereas Akt1 significantly suppressed the expression of these molecules in colorectal carcinoma cells. These data suggest a dual role for Akt1 in tumor cell migration and invasion and highlight the cell type-specific actions of Akt1 kinases in the regulation of cell motility.

Glioma-derived macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) promotes mast cell recruitment in a STAT5-dependent manner

Recently, glioma research has increased its focus on the diverse types of cells present in brain tumors. We observed previously that gliomas are associated with a profound accumulation of mast cells (MCs) and here we investigate the underlying mechanism. Gliomas express a plethora of chemoattractants. First, we demonstrated pronounced migration of human MCs toward conditioned medium from cultures of glioma cell lines. Subsequent cytokine array analyses of media from cells, cultured in either serum-containing or -free conditions, revealed a number of candidates which were secreted in high amounts in both cell lines. Among these, we then focused on macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), which has been reported to be pro-inflammatory and -tumorigenic. Infiltration of MCs was attenuated by antibodies that neutralized MIF. Moreover, a positive correlation between the number of MCs and the level of MIF in a large cohort of human glioma tissue samples was observed. Further, both glioma-conditioned media and purified MIF promoted differential phosphorylation of a number of signaling molecules, including signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5), in MCs. Inhibition of pSTAT5 signaling significantly attenuated the migration of MCs toward glioma cell-conditioned medium shown to contain MIF. In addition, analysis of tissue microarrays (TMAs) of high-grade gliomas revealed a direct correlation between the level of pSTAT5 in MCs and the level of MIF in the medium. In conclusion, these findings indicate the important influence of signaling cascades involving MIF and STAT5 on the recruitment of MCs to gliomas.