Differential up-regulation of H-2D versus H-2K class I major histocompatibility expression by interferon-gamma: evidence against a trans-acting allele-specific factor

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes to endogenous mouse retroviruses and mechanisms of retroviral escape

Mouse retrovirus-induced lymphoma/leukemia and immunodeficiency are useful models for analogous human diseases. Both ecotropic (mouse tropic) and recombinant retroviruses, including the polytropic mink cytopathic focus-inducing type, have been studied for disease pathogenesis and as targets for humoral and cellular immunity, particularly cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses. For AKR/Gross murine leukemia viruses (MuLV) we have defined an immunodominant CTL epitope in the p 15E transmembrane anchor envelope protein and three minor/subdominant epitopes. Evidence is presented for retroviral escape from CTL by selection following genetic recombination and point mutation both within and outside CTL epitope sequences, and via endogenous retrovirus-infected cell downregulation of the generation of anti-AKR/Gross MuLV CTL. As demonstrated in vivo in naturally occurring non-responder strains by adoptive transfer, and in vitro by cell-mixing experiments, a central non-responsiveness mechanism appears to be peripheral inhibition mediated by infected cells expressing MHC-presented viral peptides. Such inhibition requires Fas expression by antiviral T cells; occurs upon TCR-mediated recognition of virus-infected, Fas ligand-expressing "veto" cells; and apparently leads to an antigen-specific form of activation-induced cell death of T cells. In the LP-BM5 MuLV isolate that causes murine AIDS (MAIDS) retroviral variation also leads to CTL escape--the BM5-helper virus has altered forms of the immunodominant and two minor/subdominant epitopes. In contrast, a novel immunodominant CTL epitope is recognized by MAIDS resistant, but not MAIDS-susceptible, strains. This epitope is uniquely encoded in an alternative translational reading frame of the viral gag gene. It also appears that the LP-BM5 MuLV have co-opted the cells of the immune system for retroviral pathogenesis--CD40/CD40L (CD154) interactions are required both for the initiation and progression of MAIDS.

Interferon-alpha/beta, pentoxifylline, and caffeine synergize with interferon-gamma to induce major histocompatibility complex class I expression on a constitutively class I-negative murine tumor cell line

The constitutively class I-negative tumor cell line, Kgv, expresses H-2Dk in response to interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), but not in response to IFN-alpha/beta, tumor necrosis factor, or lymphotoxin. H-2Dk expression was not induced on Kgv cells by the methylxanthines, pentoxifylline (PTX) and caffeine, which modulate class I expression on cells that constitutively express class I molecules. Treatment of Kgv cells with either IFN-alpha/beta, PTX, caffeine, or dibutyryl cAMP and a concentration of IFN-gamma insufficient by itself to induce Dk expression resulted in the induction of Dk expression. Since PTX and caffeine are cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitors, it is possible that the effects of PTX, caffeine, and dibutyryl cAMP involve a cAMP-dependent mechanism. We conclude that concentrations of IFN-gamma insufficient to induce Dk expression on Kgv cells may be capable of rendering the Dk gene responsive to signals that, in the absence of IFN-gamma treatment, have no effect on Dk expression.

Introduction of the H-2Dk gene into a class I-negative tumor cell line confers interferon-gamma inducibility upon the silent endogenous H-2Kk gene

Kgv cells do not constitutively express class I mRNA or protein. Interferon (IFN)-gamma, but not IFN-alpha/beta, induces H-2Dk expression. IFN does not induce H-2Kk expression. We examined constitutive and IFN-inducible class I expression on Kgv cells stably transfected with genomic clones of H-2Kk or H-2Dk and on somatic cell hybrid lines constructed between Kgv cells and constitutively class I-positive cells of a distinguishable H-2 haplotype. Our results suggest that both the lack of constitutive class I expression and the inability of IFN-alpha/beta to induce class I expression on Kgv cells are primarily due to cis-regulatory mechanisms. However, stable introduction of the H-2Dk gene into Kgv cells conferred IFN-gamma inducibility upon the silent endogenous H-2Kk gene. Therefore, the failure of IFN-gamma to induce H-2Kk expression on Kgv cells is due, at least in part, to a trans-regulatory mechanism.