Novel tools for functional analysis of CD11c: activation-specific, activation-independent, and activating antibodies

A Comprehensive Atlas of Immunological Differences Between Humans, Mice, and Non-Human Primates

Animal models are an integral part of the drug development and evaluation process. However, they are unsurprisingly imperfect reflections of humans, and the extent and nature of many immunological differences are unknown. With the rise of targeted and biological therapeutics, it is increasingly important that we understand the molecular differences in the immunological behavior of humans and model organisms. However, very few antibodies are raised against non-human primate antigens, and databases of cross-reactivity between species are incomplete. Thus, we screened 332 antibodies in five immune cell populations in blood from humans and four non-human primate species generating a comprehensive cross-reactivity catalog that includes cell type-specificity. We used this catalog to create large mass cytometry universal cross-species phenotyping and signaling panels for humans, along with three of the model organisms most similar to humans: rhesus and cynomolgus macaques and African green monkeys; and one of the mammalian models most widely used in drug development: C57BL/6 mice. As a proof-of-principle, we measured immune cell signaling responses across all five species to an array of 15 stimuli using mass cytometry. We found numerous instances of different cellular phenotypes and immune signaling events occurring within and between species, and detailed three examples (double-positive T cell frequency and signaling; granulocyte response to Bacillus anthracis antigen; and B cell subsets). We also explore the correlation of herpes simian B virus serostatus on the immune profile. Antibody panels and the full dataset generated are available online as a resource to enable future studies comparing immune responses across species during the evaluation of therapeutics.

Visualization of integrin molecules by fluorescence imaging and techniques

Integrin molecules are transmembrane αβ heterodimers involved in cell adhesion, trafficking, and signaling. Upon activation, integrins undergo dynamic conformational changes that regulate their affinity to ligands. The physiological functions and activation mechanisms of integrins have been heavily discussed in previous studies and reviews, but the fluorescence imaging techniques -which are powerful tools for biological studies- have not. Here we review the fluorescence labeling methods, imaging techniques, as well as Förster resonance energy transfer assays used to study integrin expression, localization, activation, and functions.

Transglutaminase 2 programs differentiating acute promyelocytic leukemia cells in all-trans retinoic acid treatment to inflammatory stage through NF-κB activation

Differentiation syndrome (DS) is a life-threatening complication arising during retinoid treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Administration of all-trans retinoic acid leads to significant changes in gene expression, among the most induced of which is transglutaminase 2, which is not normally expressed in neutrophil granulocytes. To evaluate the pathophysiological function of transglutaminase 2 in the context of immunological function and disease outcomes, such as excessive superoxide anion, cytokine, and chemokine production in differentiated NB4 cells, we used an NB4 transglutaminase knock-out cell line and a transglutaminase inhibitor, NC9, which inhibits both transamidase- and guanosine triphosphate-binding activities, to clarify the contribution of transglutaminase to the development of potentially lethal DS during all-trans retinoic acid treatment of APL. We found that such treatment not only enhanced cell-surface expression of CD11b and CD11c but also induced high-affinity states; atypical transglutaminase 2 expression in NB4 cells activated the nuclear factor kappa (κ)-light-chain-enhancer of the activated B-cell pathway, driving pathogenic processes with an inflammatory cascade through the expression of numerous cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1. NC9 decreased the amount of transglutaminase 2, p65/RelA, and p50 in differentiated NB4 cells and their nuclei, leading to attenuated inflammatory cytokine synthesis. NC9 significantly inhibits transglutaminase 2 nuclear translocation but accelerates its proteasomal breakdown. This study demonstrates that transglutaminase 2 expression induced by all-trans retinoic acid treatment reprograms inflammatory signaling networks governed by nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B-cell activation, resulting in overexpression of TNF-α and IL-1β in differentiating APL cells, suggesting that atypically expressed transglutaminase 2 is a promising target for leukemia treatment.

CD11c/CD18 Signals Very Late Antigen-4 Activation To Initiate Foamy Monocyte Recruitment during the Onset of Hypercholesterolemia

Recruitment of foamy monocytes to inflamed endothelium expressing VCAM-1 contributes to the development of plaque during atherogenesis. Foamy CD11c(+) monocytes arise in the circulation during the onset of hypercholesterolemia and recruit to nascent plaque, but the mechanism of CD11c/CD18 and very late Ag-4 (VLA-4) activation and cooperation in shear-resistant cell arrest on VCAM-1 are ill defined. Within 1 wk of the onset of a Western high-fat diet (WD) in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice, an inflammatory subset of foamy monocytes emerged that made up one fourth of the circulating population. These cells expressed ∼3-fold more CD11c/CD18 and 50% higher chemokine receptors than nonfoamy monocytes. Recruitment from blood to a VCAM-1 substrate under shear stress was assessed ex vivo using a unique artery-on-a-chip microfluidic assay. It revealed that foamy monocytes from mice on a WD increased their adhesiveness over 5 wk, rising to twice that of mice on a normal diet or CD11c(-/-) mice fed a WD. Shear-resistant capture of foamy human or mouse monocytes was initiated by high-affinity CD11c, which directly activated VLA-4 adhesion via phosphorylated spleen tyrosine kinase and paxillin within focal adhesion complexes. Lipid uptake and activation of CD11c are early and critical events in signaling VLA-4 adhesive function on foamy monocytes competent to recruit to VCAM-1 on inflamed arterial endothelium.

On-chip phenotypic analysis of inflammatory monocytes in atherogenesis and myocardial infarction

Monocyte recruitment to inflamed arterial endothelium initiates plaque formation and drives progression of atherosclerosis. Three distinct monocyte subsets are detected in circulation (CD14(++)CD16(-), CD14(++)CD16(+), and CD14(+)CD16(++)), and each may play distinct roles during atherogenesis and myocardial infarction. We studied a range of subjects that included otherwise healthy patients with elevated serum triglyceride levels to patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction. Our objective was to correlate an individual's risk with the activation state of each monocyte subset as a function of changes in adhesion receptor expression using flow cytometric quantitation of integrins and l-selectin membrane expression. A microfluidic-based laboratory-on-a-chip was developed to quantify the adhesion efficiency of monocytes sheared in whole blood on vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, while characterizing adhesion receptor expression and topography on captured monocytes. CD14(++)CD16(+) monocytes adhered with sevenfold higher efficiency than other subsets, and in patients with myocardial infarction the capture efficiency of this subset was double that for healthy subjects. In patients with hypertriglyceridemia, this increase in monocyte adhesion was attributable to CD14(++)CD16(+) uptake of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and subsequent signaling via a Phospholipase C-dependent mechanism to increase CD11c expression, very late antigen-4 function, and integrin coclustering within focal adhesive sites on vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. In summary, we introduce a unique laboratory-on-a-chip method for quantifying the activation state of monocyte subsets. These experiments reveal that CD11c/CD18 is an inducible integrin whose expression correlates with a monocyte inflammatory state in subjects at risk for atherogenesis and in patients with myocardial infarction.

CD11c/CD18 expression is upregulated on blood monocytes during hypertriglyceridemia and enhances adhesion to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1

OBJECTIVE

Atherosclerosis is associated with monocyte adhesion to the arterial wall that involves integrin activation and emigration across inflamed endothelium. Involvement of β(2)-integrin CD11c/CD18 in atherogenesis was recently shown in dyslipidemic mice, which motivates our study of its inflammatory function during hypertriglyceridemia in humans.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Flow cytometry of blood from healthy subjects fed a standardized high-fat meal revealed that at 3.5 hours postprandial, monocyte CD11c surface expression was elevated, and the extent of upregulation correlated with blood triglycerides. Monocytes from postprandial blood exhibited an increased light scatter profile, which correlated with elevated CD11c expression and uptake of lipid particles. Purified monocytes internalized triglyceride-rich lipoproteins isolated from postprandial blood through low-density lipoprotein-receptor-related protein-1, and this also elicited CD11c upregulation. Laboratory-on-a-chip analysis of whole blood showed that monocyte arrest on a vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) substrate under shear flow was elevated at 3.5 hours and correlated with blood triglyceride and CD11c expression. At 7 hours postprandial, blood triglycerides decreased and monocyte CD11c expression and arrest on VCAM-1 returned to fasting levels.

CONCLUSIONS

During hypertriglyceridemia, monocytes internalize lipids, upregulate CD11c, and increase adhesion to VCAM-1. These data suggest that analysis of monocyte inflammation may provide an additional framework for evaluating individual susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.

Grading the commercial optical biosensor literature-Class of 2008: 'The Mighty Binders'

Optical biosensor technology continues to be the method of choice for label-free, real-time interaction analysis. But when it comes to improving the quality of the biosensor literature, education should be fundamental. Of the 1413 articles published in 2008, less than 30% would pass the requirements for high-school chemistry. To teach by example, we spotlight 10 papers that illustrate how to implement the technology properly. Then we grade every paper published in 2008 on a scale from A to F and outline what features make a biosensor article fabulous, middling or abysmal. To help improve the quality of published data, we focus on a few experimental, analysis and presentation mistakes that are alarmingly common. With the literature as a guide, we want to ensure that no user is left behind.