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Dwivedi N, Hedberg A, Zheng YY, Neeli I, Satoh M, Morel L, Rekvig OP, Radic M. B Cell Tolerance to Deiminated Histones in BALB/c, C57BL/6, and Autoimmune-Prone Mouse Strains. Front Immunol 2017; 8:362. [PMID: 28424695 PMCID: PMC5371714 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Deimination, a posttranslational modification of arginine to citrulline carried out by peptidylarginine deiminases, may compromise tolerance of self-antigens. Patients with connective tissue autoimmunity, particularly rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or Felty’s syndrome, present with autoantibodies to deiminated histones (dH), which thus form a category of antibodies to citrullinated protein antigens (ACPA). In general, ACPA are a sensitive diagnostic for RA and may form in response to the release of nuclear chromatin (DNA plus dH) from granulocytes, usually referred to as neutrophil extracellular traps. The aim of this study was to examine spontaneously autoimmune mice for autoantibodies and T cell responses to dH. We compared IgG binding to deiminated and non-deiminated histones (nH) by ELISA and Western blotting in spontaneously autoimmune strains of (NZB × NZW) F1 and NZM2410 together with their derivative congenic strains, C57BL/6.Sle1 and C57BL/6.Sle1.Sle3, which display profound autoreactivity against nuclear self-antigens. The splenocyte proliferation against the two antigens was determined in the spontaneously autoimmune (NZB × NZW) F1 strain from which other autoimmune strains used in the study were derived. Immunizations with dH and nH were attempted in BALB/c mice to assess their splenocyte response. Splenocytes from BALB/c mice and from autoimmune mice at the time of conversion to autoimmunity proliferated strongly in response to dH, yet serum IgG from autoimmune (NZB × NZW) F1, NZM2410, and C57BL/6.Sle1.Sle3 mice displayed a remarkable bias against binding to dH. At the time of seroconversion, the antibodies already exhibited preference for nH, and only nH were recovered from circulating immune complexes. Analysis of histone deimination showed constitutive deimination in thymic extracts from C57BL/6 and C57BL/6.Sle1.Sle2.Sle3 triply congenic mice and in spleens of autoimmune triply congenic mice. Our study demonstrates that tolerance mechanisms against dH are intact in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice and continue to be effective in mice with overt autoimmunity to nH. We conclude that, in contrast to human RA and SLE patients, where we frequently observe autoantibodies against dH, autoimmune mice maintain strong tolerance mechanisms to prevent the development of autoantibodies to dH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishant Dwivedi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Annica Hedberg
- Medical Faculty, Department of RNA and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Ying Yi Zheng
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Indira Neeli
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Minoru Satoh
- Department of Clinical Nursing, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Laurence Morel
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ole Petter Rekvig
- Medical Faculty, Department of RNA and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Marko Radic
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
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Bendiksen S, Mortensen ES, Olsen R, Fenton KA, Kalaaji M, Jørgensen L, Rekvig OP. Glomerular expression of large polyomavirus T antigen in binary tet-off regulated transgenic mice induces apoptosis, release of chromatin and initiates a lupus-like nephritis. Mol Immunol 2007; 45:728-39. [PMID: 17719634 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2007.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2007] [Accepted: 07/03/2007] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Binary tetracycline-regulated polyomavirus large T antigen transgenic mice were generated to study immunological tolerance for nucleosomes. Expression of T antigen resulted in binding of the protein to chromatin, and released T antigen-nucleosome complexes from dying cells maintained anti-dsDNA and anti-nucleosome antibody-production by activating autoimmune nucleosome-specific B cells and CD4+ and CD8+ T antigen specific T cells. Glomerular T antigen expression was observed in these mice. Here, we demonstrate that this expression was linked to glomerular cell apoptosis, release of nucleosomes and association of nucleosomes with glomerulus basement membranes, detected as electron dense structures. Immune electron microscopy (IEM) revealed that these structures were glomerular targets for induced anti-dsDNA and anti-T antigen antibodies. Co-localization IEM demonstrated that in vivo-bound auto-antibodies co-localized with experimental monoclonal antibodies to dsDNA and to T antigen. A comparative analysis of glomeruli from nephritic (NZWxNZB)F1 and T antigen expressing transgenic mice revealed deposition of nucleosomes in glomerular capillary and mesangial matrix membranes and binding of anti-nucleosome antibodies in both mice strains. A controlled experimental model that may elucidate the initial events accounting for nucleosome-mediated nephritis has not been available. The transgenic mouse may be important to describe early immunological and cellular events accounting for the enigmatic lupus nephritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Signy Bendiksen
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, University Hospital of Northern Norway, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway
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Rekvig OP, Bendiksen S, Moens U. Immunity and autoimmunity induced by polyomaviruses: clinical, experimental and theoretical aspects. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2006; 577:117-47. [PMID: 16626032 DOI: 10.1007/0-387-32957-9_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this chapter, polyomaviruses will be presented in an immunological context. Principal observations will be discussed to elucidate humoral and cellular immune responses to different species of the polyomaviruses and to individual viral structural and regulatory proteins. The role of immune responses towards the viruses or their proteins in context of protection against polyomavirus induced tumors will be described. One central aspect of this presentation is the ability of polyomaviruses, and particularly large T-antigen, to terminate immunological tolerance to nucleosomes, DNA and histones. Thus, in the present chapter we will focus on clinical, experimental and theoretical aspects of the immunity to polyomaviruses.
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Bendiksen S, Van Ghelue M, Winkler T, Moens U, Rekvig OP. Autoimmunity to DNA and nucleosomes in binary tetracycline-regulated polyomavirus T-Ag transgenic mice. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2005; 173:7630-40. [PMID: 15585891 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.173.12.7630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The mechanism(s) responsible for autoimmunity to DNA and nucleosomes in SLE is largely unknown. We have demonstrated that nucleosome-polyomavirus T-Ag complexes, formed in context of productive polyomavirus infection, activate dsDNA-specific B cells and nucleosome-specific CD4(+) T cells. To investigate whether de novo expressed T-Ag is able to terminate nucleosome-specific T cell tolerance and to maintain anti-dsDNA Ab production in nonautoimmune mice, we developed two binary transgenic mouse variants in which expression of SV40 large T-Ag is controlled by tetracycline, MUP tTA/T-Ag (tet-off), and CMV rtTA/T-Ag (tet-on) mice. Data demonstrate that MUP tTA/T-Ag mice, but not CMV rtTA/T-Ag mice, are tightly controlling T-Ag expression. In MUP tTA/T-Ag transgenic mice, postnatal T-Ag expression activated CD8(+) T cells but not DNA-specific B cells, while immunization with T-Ag and nucleosome-T-Ag-complexes before T-Ag expression resulted in elevated and remarkably stable titers of anti-T-Ag and anti-dsDNA Abs and activation of T-Ag-specific CD4(+) T cells. Immunization of nonexpressing MUP tTA/T-Ag mice resulted in transient anti-T-Ag and anti-dsDNA Abs. This system reveals that a de novo expressed DNA-binding quasi-autoantigen maintain anti-dsDNA Abs and CD4(+) T cell activation once initiated by immunization, demonstrating direct impact of a single in vivo expressed molecule on sustained autoimmunity to DNA and nucleosomes.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibodies, Antinuclear/biosynthesis
- Antibodies, Viral/biosynthesis
- Antigen Presentation/genetics
- Antigens, Viral, Tumor/administration & dosage
- Antigens, Viral, Tumor/biosynthesis
- Antigens, Viral, Tumor/genetics
- Antigens, Viral, Tumor/physiology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Cells, Cultured
- Cytomegalovirus Vaccines/administration & dosage
- Cytomegalovirus Vaccines/immunology
- DNA, Viral/immunology
- Lymphocyte Activation/genetics
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Transgenic
- Nucleosomes/immunology
- Polyomavirus/genetics
- Polyomavirus/immunology
- Simian virus 40/immunology
- Tetracycline/administration & dosage
- Tetracycline/pharmacology
- Trans-Activators/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Signy Bendiksen
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
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González C, Garcia-Berrocal B, Herráez O, Navajo JA, González-Buitrago JM. Anti-nucleosome, anti-chromatin, anti-dsDNA and anti-histone antibody reactivity in systemic lupus erythematosus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 42:266-72. [PMID: 15080558 DOI: 10.1515/cclm.2004.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAnti-nucleosome (anti-chromatin) antibodies play a key role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The objective of the present study was to determine the clinical significance of anti-nucleosome (anti-chromatin) antibodies, anti-dsDNA antibodies and anti-histone antibodies in patients with SLE in relation to patients with positive nuclear antibodies and healthy controls. We measured anti-nucleosome (anti-chromatin) antibodies, anti-dsDNA antibodies and anti-histone antibodies in 70 patients with SLE, 35 antinuclear antibody (ANA)-positive subjects without autoimmune disease and 35 blood donors. All antibodies were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We obtained the receiver operating caracteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) for each autoantibody. Likewise, we obtained the sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative likelihood ratios for each autoantibody. The highest AUC was obtained for anti-nucleosome (0.898) and the lowest AUC for a kit for anti-dsDNA (0.725). Stratification of the control group (ANA-positive subjects without autoimmune disease and blood donors) produced significant changes in the AUCs; all AUCs decreased when ANA-positive patients without autoimmune disease were considered as controls and all AUCs increased when blood donors were considered as controls. These effects were less marked in anti-dsDNA antibodies. We observed discrepancies between kits (anti-nucleosome and anti-chromatin and two for anti-dsDNA). The highest sensitivity for SLE was obtained for anti-nucleosome antibodies (86%) and the highest specificity was obtained for anti-dsDNA antibodies (90%). In conclusion, anti-nucleosome and anti-chromatin kits show different degrees of clinical accuracy due to the cut-off selected by the manufacturer. Once the kits with the best performance and the optimal cut-offs have been selected, anti-nucleosome antibodies and anti-dsDNA antibodies provide similar information in established SLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concepción González
- Servicio de Bioquímica, Laboratorio de Autoinmunidad, Hospital Universitario, Salamanca, Spain
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Abstract
The formation of autoantibodies against chromatin is the main feature of systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE), an autoimmune disease, which is T-cell dependent and autoantigen-driven. Historically, antibodies against dsDNA, one of the components of chromatin, are considered as a hallmark of SLE. However, dsDNA is poorly immunogenic. Nucleosome-specific T helper cells have been identified. These T cells propagate not only nucleosome-specific antibodies, but also anti-dsDNA antibodies. Nucleosomes are formed during apoptosis by cleavage of chromatin, and evidence of disturbed apoptosis has been found especially in certain murine models of lupus. In addition to an increased rate of apoptosis, autoimmunity against chromatin might also result from an impaired phagocytosis of apoptotic material, for which strong evidence has been provided by studies in certain knock-out mice (C1q, SAP, Dnase I). The induction of an immune response to nucleosomes could be enhanced by modifications of histones or DNA during apoptosis, altered presentation by antigen presenting cells or a viral infection. The release of nucleosomes and the formation of anti-chromatin autoantibodies result in formation of complexes, which bind to the glomerular basement membrane via heparan sulfate. This deposition incites glomerulonephritis, the most serious manifestation of SLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- J W C Dieker
- Nephrology Research Laboratory, Nijmegen Center for Molecular Life Sciences, and Division of Nephrology University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Rekvig OP, Nossent JC. Anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies, nucleosomes, and systemic lupus erythematosus: a time for new paradigms? ARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATISM 2003; 48:300-12. [PMID: 12571837 DOI: 10.1002/art.10739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- O P Rekvig
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.
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