Cloning and characterization of a novel NK cell-specific serine protease gene and its functional 5'-flanking sequences

Granzyme M: behind enemy lines

The granule-exocytosis pathway is the major mechanism via which cytotoxic lymphocytes eliminate virus-infected and tumor cells. In this pathway, cytotoxic lymphocytes release granules containing the pore-forming protein perforin and a family of serine proteases known as granzymes into the immunological synapse. Pore-formation by perforin facilitates entry of granzymes into the target cell, where they can activate various (death) pathways. Humans express five different granzymes, of which granzymes A and B have been most extensively characterized. However, much less is known about granzyme M (GrM). Recently, structural analysis and advanced proteomics approaches have determined the primary and extended specificity of GrM. GrM functions have expanded over the past few years: not only can GrM efficiently induce cell death in tumor cells, it can also inhibit cytomegalovirus replication in a noncytotoxic manner. Finally, a role for GrM in lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses has been proposed. In this review, we recapitulate the current status of GrM expression, substrate specificity, functions, and inhibitors.

Orphan granzymes find a home

Cytotoxic lymphocytes are armed with granules that are released in the granule-exocytosis pathway to kill tumor cells and virus-infected cells. Cytotoxic granules contain the pore-forming protein perforin and a family of structurally homologues serine proteases called granzymes. While perforin facilitates the entry of granzymes into a target cell, the latter initiate distinct apoptotic routes. Granzymes are also implicated in extracellular functions such as extracellular matrix degradation, immune regulation, and inflammation. The family of human granzymes consists of five members, of which granzyme A and B have been studied most extensively. Recently, elucidation of the specific characteristics of the other three human granzymes H, K, and M, also referred to as orphan granzymes, have started. In this review, we summarize and discuss what is currently known about the biology of the human orphan granzymes.

Molecular subsets in the gene expression signatures of scleroderma skin

BACKGROUND

Scleroderma is a clinically heterogeneous disease with a complex phenotype. The disease is characterized by vascular dysfunction, tissue fibrosis, internal organ dysfunction, and immune dysfunction resulting in autoantibody production.

METHODOLOGY AND FINDINGS

We analyzed the genome-wide patterns of gene expression with DNA microarrays in skin biopsies from distinct scleroderma subsets including 17 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) with diffuse scleroderma (dSSc), 7 patients with SSc with limited scleroderma (lSSc), 3 patients with morphea, and 6 healthy controls. 61 skin biopsies were analyzed in a total of 75 microarray hybridizations. Analysis by hierarchical clustering demonstrates nearly identical patterns of gene expression in 17 out of 22 of the forearm and back skin pairs of SSc patients. Using this property of the gene expression, we selected a set of 'intrinsic' genes and analyzed the inherent data-driven groupings. Distinct patterns of gene expression separate patients with dSSc from those with lSSc and both are easily distinguished from normal controls. Our data show three distinct patient groups among the patients with dSSc and two groups among patients with lSSc. Each group can be distinguished by unique gene expression signatures indicative of proliferating cells, immune infiltrates and a fibrotic program. The intrinsic groups are statistically significant (p<0.001) and each has been mapped to clinical covariates of modified Rodnan skin score, interstitial lung disease, gastrointestinal involvement, digital ulcers, Raynaud's phenomenon and disease duration. We report a 177-gene signature that is associated with severity of skin disease in dSSc.

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

Genome-wide gene expression profiling of skin biopsies demonstrates that the heterogeneity in scleroderma can be measured quantitatively with DNA microarrays. The diversity in gene expression demonstrates multiple distinct gene expression programs in the skin of patients with scleroderma.

Molecular characterization and expression of a granzyme of an ectothermic vertebrate with chymase-like activity expressed in the cytotoxic cells of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

We have identified the gene coding for a novel serine protease with close similarities to mammalian granzymes from nonspecific cytotoxic cells of a teleost fish Oreochromis niloticus. The genomic organization of tilapia granzyme-1 (TLGR-1) has the signature five-exon-four-intron structure shared by all granzymes and similar hematopoietic Ser proteases. Molecular modeling studies suggested a granzyme-like structure for this protein with four disulfide linkages and two additional Cys residues. The expression of this gene is found to be restricted to cytotoxic cell populations with a low level of constitutive expression when compared to similar granzymes in other teleost species. High levels of transcriptional activation of TLGR-1 with different stimuli suggested that this gene is highly induced during immune reactions. Triplet residues around the active site Ser of TLGR, which determines the primary substrate specificity of granzymes, differ significantly from that of other granzymes. Recombinant TLGR-1 was expressed in the mature and proenzyme forms using pPICZ-alpha vector in the Pichia pastoris expression system. Recombinant TLGR-1 was used to determine the primary substrate specificity of this protease using various synthetic thiobenzyl ester substrates. In vitro enzyme kinetics assays suggested a preference for residues with bulky side chains at the P1 site, indicating a chymase-like activity for this protease. These results indicate the presence of novel granzymes in cytotoxic cells from ectothermic vertebrates.

The orphan granzymes of humans and mice

The granzyme/perforin pathway is a central pathway for lymphocyte-mediated killing in both the innate and adaptive immune systems. This pathway is important in a variety of host defenses, including viral clearance and tumor cell killing, and its dysregulation results in several human and rodent diseases. To date, the majority of reports in this field have concentrated on the functions of granzymes A and B. Recent reports, however, suggest that the non-A/non-B 'orphan' granzymes found in both humans and mice are potentially significant. Although the functions of these orphan granzymes have yet to be fully established, initial data suggests their importance in both immune and nonimmune cells.

High expression of alternative transcript of granzyme M in the mouse retina

We have isolated cDNAs to two transcripts, granzyme M and alternative granzyme M mRNA from the mouse eye. Analysis of genomic DNA revealed these transcripts were derived from alternative transcription initiations. Northern blot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions revealed that both transcripts were expressed in the eye, though the alternative form was the major type. In situ hybridization studies demonstrated that alternative granzyme M mRNA localized exclusively in the photoreceptor cells in the retina and expressed only after the opening of the eye, suggesting that these transcripts are related to the maintenance of the retinal structure or functions of matured photoreceptor cells rather than the development or differentiation of retinal cells.

Dual mechanisms of apoptosis induction by cytotoxic lymphocytes

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells together comprise the means by which the immune system detects and rids higher organisms of virus-infected or transformed cells. Although differing considerably in the way they detect foreign or mutated antigens, these cells utilize highly analogous mechanisms for inducing target cell death. Both types of effector lymphocytes utilize two principal contact-dependent cytolytic mechanisms. The first of these, the granule exocytosis mechanism, depends on the synergy of a calcium-dependent pore-forming protein, perforin, and a battery of proteases (granzymes), and it results in penetration by effector molecules into the target cell cytoplasm and nucleus. The second, which requires binding of FasL (CD95L) on the effector cell with trimeric Fas (CD95) molecules on receptive target cells, is calcium independent and functions by generating a death signal at the inner leaflet of the target cell membrane. Exciting recent developments have indicated that both cytolytic mechanisms impinge on an endogenous signaling pathway that is strongly conserved in species as diverse as helminths and humans and dictates the death or survival of all cells.

Cloning and expression of the recombinant mouse natural killer cell granzyme Met-ase-1

Met-ase-1 is a 30 000 Mr serine protease (granzyme) that was first isolated in the cytolytic granules of rat CD3(-) large granular lymphocytes. We screened a mouse genomic library with rat Met-ase-1 cDNA, and obtained bacteriophage clones that contained the mouse Met-ase-1 gene. The mouse Met-ase-1 gene comprises five exons spanning approximately 5.2 kilobases (kb) and exhibits a similar structural organization to its rat homologue and a family of neutrophil elastase-like serine proteases. Mouse Met-ase-1 mRNA was only detected in total cellular and poly A mRNA of mouse CD3(-) GM1(+) large granular lymphocytes derived from splenocytes stimulated with IL-2 and the mouse NK1.1(+) cell line 4 - 16. Spleen T-cell populations generated by Concanavalin A stimulation and a number of mouse pre-NK and T cell lines did not express mouse Met-ase-1 mRNA. The 5' flanking region of the mouse Met-ase-1 gene also shares considerable regions of identity with the 5' flanking region of the rat Met-ase-1 gene. A 3.3 kb segment of 5' sequence flanking the mouse Met-ase-1 gene was inserted upstream of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene and this construct transiently transfected into a variety of mouse and rat large granular lymphocyte leukemia and T-cell lines. The transcriptional activity of the mouse Met-ase-1 5' flanking region was significant in the RNK-16 large granular lymphocyte leukemia, strongest in the 4 - 16 mouse NK1.1(+) cell line, and weak in several mouse pre-NK cell lines. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction of mouse large granular lymphocyte mRNA was used to derive the full-length coding sequence for mouse Met-ase-1. The predicted hexapropeptide of mouse Met-ase-1 (Asn-6 to Gln-1), was deleted by polymerase chain reaction mutagenesis to enable expression of active mouse Met-ase-1 in mammalian COS-7 cells. Northern blot analysis and protease assays of transfected COS cell lysates against a panel of thiobenzyl ester substrates formally demonstrated that the mouse Met-ase-1 gene encodes a serine proteinase that hydrolyzes substrates containing a long narrow hydrophobic amino acids like methionine, norleucine, and leucine in the P1.