Human leukocyte interferon: relationship between molecular structure and species specificity

Leishmania major infection in humanized mice induces systemic infection and provokes a nonprotective human immune response

Background

Leishmania (L.) species are the causative agent of leishmaniasis. Due to the lack of efficient vaccine candidates, drug therapies are the only option to deal with cutaneous leishmaniasis. Unfortunately, chemotherapeutic interventions show high toxicity in addition to an increased risk of dissemination of drug-resistant parasites. An appropriate laboratory animal based model is still missing which allows testing of new drug strategies in the context of human immune cells in vivo.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Humanized mice were infected subcutaneously with stationary phase promastigote L. major into the footpad. The human immune response against the pathogen and the parasite host interactions were analyzed. In addition we proved the versatility of this new model to conduct drug research studies by the inclusion of orally given Miltefosine. We show that inflammatory human macrophages get infected with Leishmania parasites at the site of infection. Furthermore, a Leishmania-specific human-derived T cell response is initiated. However, the human immune system is not able to prevent systemic infection. Thus, we treated the mice with Miltefosine to reduce the parasitic load. Notably, this chemotherapy resulted in a reduction of the parasite load in distinct organs. Comparable to some Miltefosine treated patients, humanized mice developed severe side effects, which are not detectable in the classical murine model of experimental leishmaniasis.

Conclusions/Significance

This study describes for the first time L. major infection in humanized mice, characterizes the disease development, the induction of human adaptive and innate immune response including cytokine production and the efficiency of Miltefosine treatment in these animals. In summary, humanized mice might be beneficial for future preclinical chemotherapeutic studies in systemic (visceral) leishmaniasis allowing the investigation of human immune response, side effects of the drug due to cytokine production of activated humane immune cells and the efficiency of the treatment to eliminate also not replicating (“hiding”) parasites.

As many as 12 million people suffer from Leishmania (L.) infection worldwide with about one to two million newly infected people every year. Due to the lack of vaccine strategies, the only option is chemotherapeutic intervention which can cause serious side effects. Therefore, new prevention or treatment strategies are urgently needed in addition to an appropriate animal model for testing. We infected humanized mice in the footpad with stationary phase promastigote L. major and analyzed the human innate and adaptive immune response by flow cytometry, histology, and quantitative PCR. Infected macrophages were detectable at the site of infection and in lymphoid organs. Additionally, we were able to measure Leishmania-specific T cell priming in humanized mice. However, these human immune defense mechanisms were not sufficient to prevent systemic spreading and lethality. By the inclusion of Miltefosine, we tested this novel model for its versatility in conducting drug studies. The oral treatment was able to reduce parasitic load but also revealed side effects which are described in humans but not in mice. Therefore, we propose humanized mice as a novel model, which offers the opportunity to study new therapy strategies in chronic leishmaniasis in the context of a human immune system.

Unusual human interferons produced by virus-infected amniotic membranes

Interferon (IFN) induced in the human amniotic membrane contains at least five different molecular species, as shown by analysis in NaDodSO4/polyacrylamide gels after heating and under reducing conditions. Three of the IFN components reported here--migrating at 26, 43, and 80 kilodaltons--are of unusual antigenic structure because they are neutralized to about the same extent by anti-IFN-alpha and anti-IFN-beta antibodies. The 15- to 17-kilodalton species belongs to the IFN-alpha group, while the 21- to 22-kilodalton species, the most frequently detected major peak, is IFN-beta. In addition to their unusual size and antigenic structure, these IFNs could play a role during embryonic development and in the immune tolerance of the mother with regard to the fetus.

Structure and properties of human interferon-alpha from Namalwa lymphoblastoid cells

The chromatographic properties of human interferon-alpha from Namalwa lymphoblastoid cells on Sephadex G-75 are described. The interferons are separated into two groups of four, with apparent molecular weights 19050 and 22000. Some of the latter form dimers at high concentrations. Fractions containing interferon were studied by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. Seven of the components had apparent molecular weights in this system, after reduction, of between 18400 and 20900: one component is probably glycosylated and has an apparent molecular weight of 27500. Amino acid sequences of peptides derived from interferon mixtures were determined and are related to published sequences deduced from the nucleotide sequences of cloned complementary DNA coding for interferon-alpha. The results show that the major interferon-alpha species isolated from Namalwa cells do not undergo C-terminal processing. Amino acid analyses of peptides are presented in Supplementary Publication SUP 50117 (28 pages), which has been deposited with the British Library Lending Division, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies can be obtained on the terms indicated in Biochem. J. (1981) 193, 5.

Isolation of two species of human lymphoblastoid (Namalva) cell-derived interferon that differ in rates of clearance, size, and cell specificity

Chromatography of human lymphoblastoid (Namalva) interferon on blue dextran Sepharose has separated the interferon activity into two species which differ in affinity to the dye Cibacron Blue F3GA. The separated species differ also in rates of clearance from the circulation of mice, size, and specificity toward human and bovine cells. The species retained by the dye manifests a slower clearance rate, is about 20,000 mol. wt., and is equally active on both human fibroblasts FS-11A and bovine cell line MDBK. The unretained species disappears from the circulation at a faster rate, is 16,000 mol. wt., is active on bovine cells, but almost inactive on human cells. It is suggested that a comparative study of the two species may aid in the elucidation of the causes responsible for the rapid clearance or bioinactivation of interferon.

A family of structural genes for human lymphoblastoid (leukocyte-type) interferon

Amino acid sequences of tryptic and chymotryptic peptides from human lymphoblastoid interferon (IFN-alpha) have been determined. The results show that IFN-alpha consists of a family of proteins with at least five different, but homologous, primary structures. There appears to be little, if any, glycosylation of the major components of IFN-alpha.

At least three human type alpha interferons: structure of alpha 2

The sequence of a human leukocyte-derived complementary DNA (cDNA), Hif-2h, which directs the formation in Escherichia coli of a polypeptide, IFN-alpha 1, with interferon (IFN) activity has been described. A second IFN cDNA, Hif-SN206, which also elicits synthesis of a biologically active IFN, IFN-alpha 2, is described in this article. Whereas IFN-alpha 2 is twice as active on human as on bovine cells, IFN-alpha 1 is 10 to 20 times more active on bovine than on human cells. As deduced from the cDNA's, the messenger RNA's for the two IFN's differ in length and in 20 percent of the nucleotides; the mature IFN polypeptides differ in 17 percent of the amino acids. Both IFN-alpha 1 and IFN-alpha 2 differ from the lymphoblastoid IFN described by others. Therefore, at least three different IFN-alpha genes are expressed in man; studies on genomic DNA reveal the presence of at least eight IFN-related genes.

Separation of human leukocyte interferon components by concanavalin A-agarose affinity chromatography and their characterization

Human leukocyte interferon (HL-IF), produced by mixed leukocytes infected with Newcastle disease virus, was resolved into three distinct fractions when chromatographed on concanavalin A-agarose. The major portion (70--75%) of interferon appeared in the breakthrough (BT fraction). The bound interferon (25--30%) was displaced from the column as two peaks: the first was eluted with 0.01 M methyl alpha-D-mannoside, yielding 15-20% of the interferon activity (alpha-MM fraction), and the second by including ethylene glycol (70%) in the eluant, yielding the remaining 5--15% of the interferon (EG fraction). No interferon was retained when HL-IF produced in the presence of glycosylation inhibitors (tunicamycin or 2-deoxy-D-glucose) was chromatographed on concanavalin A-agarose, suggesting that the fraction of interferon retained by this lectin is glycosylated. The three fractions of interferon (BT, alpha-MM, and EG) were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, cross-species antiviral activity, and neutralization by specific antisera. The BT fraction contains exclusively the 16 000 molecular weight component of human leukocyte interferon. The majority of the alpha-MM fraction (90%) is the 21 000 molecular weight component. However, the EG fraction contains the 16 000 and 21 000--23 000 molecular weight components in essentially equal proportions. On the basis of cross-species antiviral activity and neutralization by specific antisera, the BT and alpha-MM fractions are leukocyte-type interferon and the EG fraction seems to be primarily of fibroblast type.