Leukemia virus-induced immunosuppression: reversal by subcellular factors

Modulation of the immunosuppressive activity of CKS-17, a synthetic retroviral envelope peptide, by muramyl dipeptide

CKS-17, a heptadecapeptide corresponding to a region highly conserved in retroviral transmembrane proteins is known to be immunosuppressive both in vitro and in vivo when conjugated to a carrier protein. Here we examined the effect of the synthetic adjuvant muramyl dipeptide (MDP) on the immunosuppressive properties of CKS-17-BSA in vitro. MDP was found to abrogate CKS-17-BSA-induced inhibition of both IgM plaque-forming cell responses and antitetanus toxin IgG secretion by BALB/c mouse spleen cells immunized in vivo and in vitro by sheep red blood cells and tetanus toxoid, respectively. In contrast, the CKS-17-BSA suppression of concanavalin A-induced splenocyte proliferation was not abrogated by MDP. The data suggest that muramyl peptides could be useful as immunoadjuvants for vaccines against retrovirus-associated immunosuppressive diseases.

A synthetic peptide homologous to retroviral transmembrane envelope proteins depresses protein kinase C mediated lymphocyte proliferation and directly inactivated protein kinase C: a potential mechanism for immunosuppression

CKS-17, an immunosuppressive peptide homologous to certain retroviral transmembrane envelope protein, has been shown to inhibit lymphocyte proliferation in response to mitogens or alloantigens when covalently attached to bovine serum albumin (CKS-17-BSA). To define its site of action, we determined if CKS-17 conjugated to human serum albumin (CKS-17-HSA) could block the direct activation of lymphocytes by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) or by a synthetic diacylglycerol, dioctanoylglycerol (DiC8). CKS-17-HSA inhibited lymphocyte proliferation in response to PMA and ionomycin in a dose-dependent manner with up to 88% inhibition occurring with 15 microM CKS-17-HSA. The conjugated peptide also inhibited the proliferation of lymphocytes in response to DiC8 and ionomycin by up to 57% at 15 microM CKS-17-HSA. Based on these findings we investigated the effect of CKS-17-HSA on the activity of protein kinase C (PKC), an enzyme directly activated by PMA and DiC8. PKC was isolated chromatographically from the cytosol of human neutrophils or the human lymphoblastoid cell line Jurkat. CKS-17-HSA caused a dose-dependent enzyme inhibition with a concentration giving half-maximal inhibition (IC50) of ca.3 microM and greater than 95% inhibition at 15 microM CKS-17-HSA. Inhibition of PKC by the conjugated peptide was not reversed by increasing concentrations of Ca2+, Mg2+, phosphatidylserine, diolein, or adenosine triphosphate (ATP), indicating that the conjugated peptide did not function as a chelator or competitive inhibitor. In contrast to its effects on PKC, CKS-17-HSA did not inhibit the activity of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP)-dependent protein kinase (PK-A) nor the calcium and phospholipid-independent form of PKC (PK-M). Moreover the peptide inhibited in vivo PKC activity in cytosol of intact cells and in membrane of PMA-stimulated cells. These results suggest that the inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation by CKS-17-HSA may be due to the direct inactivation of PKC.

Human retrovirus-related synthetic peptides inhibit T lymphocyte proliferation

Immunosuppression frequently accompanies infections with the human retroviruses HTLV-1 and HIV. Previous studies have shown that UV-inactivated and detergent-disrupted preparations of either virus can produce immune dysfunction in vitro although the active component of such preparations has not yet been identified. We now report that synthetic peptides corresponding to a conserved sequence within the transmembrane envelope proteins of both HTLV-1 (CS-1) and HIV (CS-3) are capable of suppressing the in vitro proliferative responses of human T lymphocytes to mitogenic or allogeneic stimulation. CS-1 inhibits proliferation in response to stimulation by anti-CD3 antibody by up to 57% a concentration of 3 nmol per culture well. CS-3 inhibits by up to 49% at a similar concentration. CS-1 and CS-3 inhibit two-way mixed leukocyte culture reactions by 81 and 88%, respectively, at the 3 nmol per well concentration. The inhibition by such human retrovirus-related peptides appears to be T cell-specific in that B cell proliferation in response to stimulation with anti-IgG is not affected by the CS-3 peptide. The release of such immunosuppressive peptides may thus play a role in the pathogenesis of human exogenous retroviral disease such as AIDS.

Inhibition of normal human natural killer cell activity by human immunodeficiency virus synthetic transmembrane peptides

The inhibitory effect on normal natural killer (NK) cell activity of two synthetic peptides corresponding to amino acid sequences 735-752 and 846-860, respectively, as deduced from the amino acid sequences of HTLV-IIIB gp160, was assessed. Sequences 735-752 and 846-860 correspond to regions located within the HIV transmembrane gp41, the carboxy terminus of HIV gp160. These two synthetic peptides have been shown previously to suppress the mitogen- and alloantigen-induced normal human lymphocyte blastogenic responses. Peptides 735-752 and 846-860 conjugated to protein carriers exerted a significant inhibition on the normal NK cell activity assayed against K562 tumor target cells in an in vitro 51Cr-release cytoltoxicity assay. At variance, control peptides similarly conjugated had no effect on NK activity. Addition of exogenous recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2) resulted in a partial restoration of the suppression of NK cell activity exerted by both peptides. Binding experiments indicated that peptides 735-752 and 846-860 did not affect the formation of effector cell-target cell conjugates, suggesting inhibitory effect(s) subsequent to the formation of the lytic complex as one potential mechanism of the observed NK suppression. These results suggest that peptides 735-752 and 846-860 homologous to sequences within the HIV transmembrane gp41 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of the defective NK cell activity observed in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Virus-induced immunosuppression

Infection with a variety of viruses results in the suppression of the host's immune system. Several mechanisms thought to be responsible for this effect are discussed: infection and alteration of lymphocytes and macrophages, production of soluble suppressor factors, and the induction of suppressor cells. The clinical significance of virus-induced immunosuppression is also discussed.

Inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation by a synthetic peptide homologous to retroviral envelope proteins

The retroviral transmembrane envelope protein p15E is immunosuppressive in that it inhibits immune responses of lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages. A region of p15E has been conserved among murine and feline retroviruses; a homologous region is also found in the transmembrane envelope proteins of the human retroviruses HTLV-I and HTLV-II and in a putative envelope protein encoded by an endogenous C-type human retroviral DNA. A peptide (CKS-17) was synthesized to correspond to this region of homology and was examined for its effects on lymphocyte proliferation. CKS-17 inhibited the proliferation of an interleukin-2-dependent murine cytotoxic T-cell line as well as alloantigen-stimulated proliferation of murine and human lymphocytes. Four other peptides, representing different regions of virus proteins, were inactive. These results suggest that the immunosuppressive portion of retroviral transmembrane envelope proteins may reside, at least in part, in a-conserved sequence represented by the CKS-17 peptide.

Role of antibody response helper factors in immunosuppressive effects of friend leukemia virus

The primary antibody response of BALB/c splenocytes to sheep erythrocytes in vitro was suppressed by infection with Friend leukemia virus (FLV), with the response capacity decreasing with increasing duration of infection. The acquisition of normal antibody responses was amplified by macrophage-produced antibody response helper factor(s). FLV-infected mice were treated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide to induce the release of these helper factors into the serum. Similar to the loss of antibody response capacity by their splenocytes, the FLV-infected mice progressively lost the ability to produce helper factors in response to lipopolysaccharide. In vitro cultures of FLV-infected cells also showed a depressed ability to produce helper factor activity both spontaneously and in response to lipopolysaccharide stimulation. The reconstitution of normal levels of exogenous helper factors to FLV-infected splenocytes restored the antibody response to normal or even elevated levels. These studies indicate that the mechanism for suppression of antibody responses by FLV involves the depression of antibody response helper factor production.

Immunomodulation by small molecular weight bacterial products

Microbial products are known immunomodulators. Endotoxins derived from gram negative bacteria both enhance and suppress a wide variety of immune responses in vivo and in vitro, depending upon dose, concentration, form, and time of exposure. Studies in this laboratory have shown that a small molecular weight polysaccharide derivative from endotoxin has strong immunomodulatory effects, both in vivo and in vitro, similar to intact LPS. Injection of PS into mice or addition to normal mouse spleen cell cultures results in enhanced responses similar to that observed with LPS as well as with lipoteichoic acid derived from gram positive bacteria. The immunomodulatory activity, both in vivo and in vitro, was related to development of soluble serum factors, most likely interleukins. Similar soluble mediators were observed in vivo since post endotoxin or post LTA serum, when added in small quantities to normal mouse spleen cell cultures, mediated enhanced antibody responses. Normal spleen cell cultures exposed to these materials also released soluble mediators into the supernatants which enhanced the antibody response of normal spleen cell cultures. These observations support the view that similar to larger molecular weight cell wall components, small molecular weight substances such as polysaccharide derivatives, despite lack of toxicity share related mechanisms of enhancing immune responses.