Trafficking of liposomal antigen to the trans-Golgi of murine macrophages requires both liposomal lipid and liposomal protein

Liposome Formulations as Adjuvants for Vaccines

Development of liposome-based formulations as vaccine adjuvants has been intimately associated with, and dependent on, and informed by, a fundamental understanding of biochemical and biophysical properties of liposomes themselves. The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) has a fifty-year history of experience of basic research on liposomes; and development of liposomes as drug carriers; and development of liposomes as adjuvant formulations for vaccines. Uptake of liposomes by phagocytic cells in vitro has served as an excellent model for studying the intracellular trafficking patterns of liposomal antigen. Differential fluorescent labeling of proteins and liposomal lipids, together with the use of inhibitors, has enabled the visualization of physical locations of antigens, peptides, and lipids to elucidate mechanisms underlying the MHC class I and class II pathways in phagocytic APCs. Army Liposome Formulation (ALF) family of vaccine adjuvants, which have been developed and improved since 1986, and which range from nanosize to microsize, are currently being employed in phase 1 studies with different types of candidate vaccines.

Uptake and intracellular processing of PEG-liposomes and PEG-immunoliposomes by kupffer cells in vitro 1 *

Specific targeting of drugs to for instance tumors or sites of inflammation may be achieved by means of immunoliposomes carrying site-specific antibodies on their surface. The presence of these antibodies may adversely affect the circulation kinetics of such liposomes as a result of interactions with cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS), mainly represented by macrophages in liver and spleen. The additional insertion of poly(ethylene glycol) chains on the surface of the immunoliposomes may, however, attenuate this effect. We investigated the influence of surface-coupled rat or rabbit antibodies and of PEG on the uptake of liposomes by rat Kupffer cells in culture with (3)H-cholesteryloleyl ether as a metabolically stable marker. Additionally, we assessed the effects of surface-bound IgG and PEG on the intracellular processing of the liposomes by the Kupffer cells, based on a double-label assay using the (3)H-cholesteryl ether as an absolute measure for liposome uptake and the hydrolysis of the degradable marker cholesteryl-(14)C-oleate as relative measure of degradation. Attachment of both rat and rabbit antibodies to PEG-free liposomes caused a several-fold increase in apparent size. The uptake by Kupffer cells, however, was 3-4 fold higher for the rat than for the rabbit IgG liposomes. The presence of PEG drastically reduced the difference between these liposome types. Uptake of liposomes without antibodies amounted to only about 10% (non-PEGylated) or less (PEGylated) of that of the immunoliposomes. In contrast to the marked effects of IgG and PEG on Kupffer cell uptake, the rate of intracellular processing of the liposomes remained virtually unaffected by the presence of these substances on the liposomal surface. These observations are discussed with respect to the design of optimally formulated liposomal drug preparations, combining maximal therapeutic efficacy with minimal toxicity.

Humoral immune response against epidermal growth factor encapsulated in dehydration rehydration vesicles of different phospholipid composition

We investigated the influence of dehydration-rehydration vesicles (DRV) phospholipid composition and the addition of other components on human recombinant epidermal growth factor (hrEGF) encapsulation efficiency and its release from liposomes. Encapsulation of EGF into DRV composed of phosphatidylcholine with different unsaturation levels was around 20-35%. The best result was obtained with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine: cholesterol (DPPC:Ch) liposomes (35%) corresponding to the lowest hrEGF release during one month of storage. Even with this phospholipid composition, modification of the DRV procedure by including an extrusion step did not improve hrEGF encapsulation efficiency, rendering less stable particles. The inclusion of recombinant P64k from Neisseria meningitidis (rP64k), as such or conjugated to hrEGF, decreased the encapsulation efficiency of the latter protein into DRV or freeze and thaw multilamellar vesicles (FATMLV). The hrEGF release from liposomes could be related to the interaction between this polypeptide and the bilayer, as evidenced by increased carboxyfluorescein release from hrEGF-DRV; less susceptibility to fluorescence quenching by acrylamide in the presence of liposomes; and a measurable decrease of phospholipid phase transition Delta enthalpy (DeltaH). DRV comprising saturated phospholipids (DPPC:Ch or distearoyl phosphatidylcholine [DSPC]:Ch) and containing the conjugate EGF-P64k induced a more efficient immune response against hrEGF than unsaturated phospholipid and alum in terms of total IgG, IgG(2a), and IgG(2b) subclasses and the ability of antibody to inhibit the interaction of the EGF receptor with hrEGF.

Liposome-encapsulated antigens induce a protective CTL response against Listeria monocytogenes independent of CD4+ T cell help

Protection against intracellular pathogens is usually mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Induction of a protective CTL response for vaccination purposes has proven difficult because of the limited access of protein antigens or attenuated pathogens to the MHC class I presentation pathway. We show here that pH-sensitive PE/CHEMS liposomes can be used as a vehicle to efficiently deliver intact proteins for presentation by MHC class I. Mice immunized with listerial proteins encapsulated in such liposomes launched a strong CTL response and were protected against a subsequent challenge with L. monocytogenes. Remarkably, the CTL response was induced independently of detectable CD4(+) T cell help.

Depletion of cellular cholesterol interferes with intracellular trafficking of liposome-encapsulated ovalbumin

Cholesterol is a major constituent of plasma cell membranes and influences the functions of proteins residing in the membrane. To assess the role of cholesterol in phagocytosis and intracellular trafficking of liposomal antigen, macrophages were treated with inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis for various time periods and levels of cholesterol depletion were assessed by thin layer chromatography. In control macrophages, cholesterol was present in the plasma membrane and in intracellular stores, as visualised by staining with the cholesterol-binding compound filipin, whereas macrophages treated with cholesterol inhibitors failed to stain with filipin. However, these macrophages were still capable of phagocytosis as evidenced by their internalisation of fluorescent-labelled bacteria and liposome-encapsulated Texas red labelled-ovalbumin, L(TR-OVA). While fluorescent ovalbumin (OVA) was consistently transported to the Golgi in macrophages incubated with L(TR-OVA), in cells treated with cholesterol inhibitors, OVA remained spread diffusely throughout the cytoplasm. Even though the mean fluorescence intensity of MHC class I molecules on cholesterol inhibitor-treated macrophages was equivalent to that of the control macrophages, the amount of MHC class I-liposomal OVA-peptide complex detected on the cell surface of cholesterol inhibitor-treated macrophages, was only 45.6 +/- 7.4% (n = 4, mean +/- SEM) of control levels after intracellular processing of L(OVA). We conclude that cholesterol depletion does not eliminate phagocytosis or MHC class I surface expression, but does affect the trafficking and consequently the MHC class I antigen-processing pathway.

Human dendritic cells and macrophages exhibit different intracellular processing pathways for soluble and liposome-encapsulated antigens

The intracellular fates of soluble and liposomal antigens in human macrophages and dendritic cells are not well defined. Previous studies using murine macrophages have demonstrated that liposomal antigens can enter the MHC class I pathway. The Golgi complex is a major organelle in this pathway. Phagocytosis of the antigens is followed by translocation of antigen-derived peptides to the trans-Golgi where they can complex with MHC class I molecules. In contrast, soluble antigens are normally processed through the MHC class II pathway. Therefore, in the present study, ovalbumin and a synthetic Ebola peptide were used either in a soluble form or encapsulated in liposomes to investigate the intracellular trafficking and localization of these antigens to the Golgi complex in human macrophages and dendritic cells. While liposome-encapsulated antigens were transported to the trans-Golgi region in 59-78% of macrophages, soluble antigens remained diffuse throughout the cytoplasm with only 3-11% of the macrophages exhibiting trans-Golgi localization. The majority of dendritic cells localized both soluble (Ebola, 75%; ovalbumin, 84%) and liposomal antigens (58% and 65%), and irradiated Ebola virus to the trans-Golgi. These studies demonstrate that the intracellular fate of soluble and liposomal antigens can differ depending upon the antigen-presenting cell.

Efficient delivery of Antennapedia homeodomain fused to CTL epitope with liposomes into dendritic cells results in the activation of CD8+ T cells

The in vivo induction of a CTL response using Antennapedia homeodomain (AntpHD) fused to a poorly immunogenic CTL epitope requires that the Ag is given in presence of SDS, an unacceptable adjuvant for human use. In the present report, we developed a hybrid CTL epitope delivery system consisting of AntpHD peptide vector formulated in liposomes as an alternative approach to bypass the need for SDS. It is proposed that liposomes will prevent degradation of the Ag in vivo and will deliver AntpHD recombinant peptide to the cytosol of APCs. We show in this work that dendritic cells incubated with AntpHD-fused peptide in liposomes can present MHC class I-restricted peptide and induce CTL response with a minimal amount of Ag. Intracellular processing studies have shown that encapsulated AntpHD recombinant peptide is endocytized before entering the cytosol, where it is processed by the proteasome complex. The processed liposomal peptides are then transported to the endoplasmic reticulum. The increase of the CTL response induced by AntpHD-fused peptide in liposomes correlates with this active transport to the class I-processing pathway. In vivo studies demonstrated that positively charged liposomes increase the immunogenicity of AntpHD-Cw3 when injected s.c. in mice in comparison to SDS. Moreover, addition of CpG oligodeoxynucleotide immunostimulatory sequences further increase the CD8+ T cell response. This strategy combining lipid-based carriers with AntpHD peptide to target poorly immunogenic Ags into the MHC class I processing pathway represents a novel approach for CTL vaccines that may have important applications for development of cancer vaccines.

Trafficking of surface-linked and encapsulated liposomal antigens in macrophages: an immunocytochemical study

Liposomal antigens are potent adjuvants of humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Although this property requires as an essential condition a physical association between the antigen and the phospholipid vehicle, the nature of the association, i.e., encapsulation or surface linkage, markedly influences the outcome of the elicited response. Available evidence suggests that macrophages are involved in this fine tuning of the immune response in a manner that is not yet clearly established. It is postulated that this might be related to their capacity to interact differently with surface-linked and encapsulated formulations. Using conalbumin as a model antigen, we address the question by analyzing the movements of encapsulated and surface-linked antigen as well as those of MHC-II molecules in macrophages in a pulse-chase immunoelectron microscopic study carried out over a 24-hr period. The antigen was followed using a polyclonal serum specifically raised against fragmented conalbumin (fCA) that allows the detection of processed antigen and of some MHC-peptide complexes. The results indicate that, in macrophages, the two liposomal formulations affect macrophage morphology in distinct ways and circulate through the various subcellular compartments with different kinetics. On the basis of the overall results, we conclude that surface-linked antigen gains access less readily to the endogenous presentation pathway than encapsulated antigen but can favor a more sustained activation of the immune system through its production of exosome-like structures and its more thorough utilization of the MHC-II pathway.

Proteasome inhibitors block the entry of liposome-encapsulated antigens into the classical MHC class I pathway

Liposome-encapsulated conalbumin (L(conalbumin)) is an antigen that is efficiently phagocytosed by bone marrow-derived macrophages and presented to effector cells as part of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I complex. In this report, we show that the conalbumin component of L(conalbumin) is degraded to small peptide fragments and translocated to the area of the Golgi. Golgi localization is confirmed by co-localization of L(Texas red-conalbumin) (L(TR-conalbumin))with both NBD-ceramide, a lipid Golgi marker, and green fluorescent protein (GFP)-galactosyl transferase, a Golgi resident enzyme. Incubation of the cells with brefeldin A disrupts the Golgi and disperses the TR-conalbumin. Furthermore, when macrophages were incubated with another liposome-encapsulated antigen, L(ovalbumin), ovalbumin peptides were observed in the Golgi area and MHC class I-peptide complexes could be detected on the cell surface by both immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The Golgi localization observed in vitro in cultured macrophages is mirrored by the in vivo uptake and Golgi localization of fluorescent L(conalbumin) in macrophages isolated from the spleen of a mouse injected with L(TR-conalbumin). The accumulation of peptide fragments in the Golgi is inhibited by the addition of the proteasome inhibitors, lactacystin and MG-132, demonstrating the role of the proteasome in this activity. In addition, when macrophages or a macrophage-derived cell line, are incubated with liposome-enccapsulated antigens and used as target cells in a cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) assay, the CTLs recognize the processed peptide-MHC complexes and kill the cells. In contrast, specific lysis of target cells by CTLs is inhibited when the target cells are first incubated with lactacystin. These results suggest that uptake and processing of L(antigen) follows the classical MHC class I pathway.

Delivery of lipids and liposomal proteins to the cytoplasm and Golgi of antigen-presenting cells. mangala.rao@na.amedd.army.mil

Liposomes have the well-known ability to channel protein and peptide antigens into the MHC class II pathway of phagocytic antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and thereby enhance the induction of antibodies and antigen-specific T cell proliferative responses. Liposomes also serve as an efficient delivery system for entry of exogenous protein and peptide antigens into the MHC class I pathway and thus are very efficient inducers of cytotoxic T cell responses. Soluble antigens that are rendered particulate by encapsulation in liposomes are localized both in vacuoles and in the cytoplasm of bone marrow-derived macrophages. Utilizing fluorophore-labeled proteins encapsulated in liposomes we have addressed the question of how liposomal antigens enter the MHC class I pathway. After phagocytosis of the liposomes, the fluorescent liposomal protein and liposomal lipids enter the cytoplasm where they are processed by the proteasome complex. The processed liposomal protein is then transported via the TAP complex into the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex. Both the liposomal lipids and the liposomal proteins appear to follow the same intracellular route and they are processed as a protein-lipid unit. In the absence of a protein antigen (empty liposomes), there is no organelle-specific localization of the liposomal lipids. In contrast, when a protein is encapsulated in these liposomes, the distribution of the liposomal lipids is dramatically affected and the liposomal lipids localize to the trans-Golgi area. Localization of the protein in the trans-Golgi area requires liposomal lipids. Similarly, for the localization of liposomal lipids in the trans-Golgi area, there is an obligatory requirement for protein. Therefore, the intracellular trafficking patterns of liposomal lipids and liposomal protein are reciprocally regulated. Presence of both liposomal lipids and liposomal protein in the trans-Golgi therefore facilitates the entry of liposomal antigens into the MHC class I pathway. It is also possible that liposomal lipids are presented to T cells via the recently described CD1 pathway for lipid antigens. Because liposome-formulated vaccines have the potential to stimulate antibody as well as cellular immune responses to protein and lipid components, this approach could prove to be extremely useful in designing vaccine strategies.