• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.264-274
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• 2013

The unrestricted population of $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ regulatory T (Treg) cells, which have been known to control the expression of autoimmune diseases and protective immunity to inflammatory reactions, has led to greater appreciation of functional plasticity. Detecting and/or isolating Ag-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs at the single cell level are required to study their function and plasticity. In this study, we established and compared both MHC class II tetramer and intracellular CD154 staining, in order to detect $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Treg specific for foreign Ag in acute and chronic infections with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Our results revealed that MHC class II tetramer staining showed a lower detection rate of LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+$ T cells because most of MHC class II tetramers were unbound and unstable when combined staining was performed with intracellular cytokines. In contrast, intracellular CD154 staining was revealed to be easier and simple for detecting LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+$ T cells, compared to MHC class II tetramer staining. Subsequently, we employed intracellular CD154 staining to detect LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs using $Foxp3^{GFP}$ knock-in mouse, and found that LCMV $GP_{66-77}$-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs and polyclonal $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Tregs showed differential expansion in mice infected with LCMV Arms or Cl13 at acute (8 and 13 days pi) and chronic phases (35 days pi). Therefore, our results provide insight into the valuable use of intracellular CD154 staining to detect and characterize foreign Ag-specific $CD4^+Foxp3^+$ Treg in various models.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1955-1964
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• 2007

A recent report showed that analysis of CD154 expression in the presence of the secretion inhibitor Brefeldin A (Bref A) could be used to assess the entire repertoire of antigen-specific $CD4^+\;T$ helper cells. However, the capacity of intracellular CD154 expression to identify antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cells has yet to be investigated. In this study, we compared the ability of intracellular CD154 expression to assess antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cells with that of accepted standard assays, namely intracellular cytokine IFN-${\gamma}$ staining (ICS) and MHC class I tetramer staining. The detection of intracellular CD154 molecules in the presence of Bref A reflected the kinetic trend of antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cell number, but unfortunately showed less sensitivity than ICS and tetramer staining. However, ICS levels peaked and saturated 8 h after antigenic stimulation in the presence of Bref A and then declined, whereas intracellular CD154 expression peaked by 8 h and maintained the saturated level up to 24 h post-stimulation. Moreover, intracellular CD154 expression in antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cells developed in the absence of $CD4^+\;T$ cells changed little, whereas the number of IFN-${\gamma}$-producing $CD8^+\;T$ cells decreased abruptly. These results suggest that intracellular CD154 could aid the assessment of antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cells, but does not have as much ability to identify heterogeneous $CD4^+\;T$ helper cells. Therefore, the combined analytical techniques of ICS and tetramer staining together with intracellular CD154 assays may be able to provide useful information on the accurate phenotype and functionality of antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cells.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2004

Background: Minor histocompatibility HY antigen, as a transplantation antigen, has been known to cause graft rejection in MHC (major histocompatibility complex) matched donor-recipient. The aim of our study is to investigate the role of male antigen (HY) disparity on MHC matched pancreatic islet transplantation and to examine the mechanism of the immune reaction. Methods: Pancreatic islets were isolated and purified by collagen digestion followed by Ficoll gradient. The isolated islets of male C57BL6/J were transplanted underneath the kidney capsule of syngeneic female mice rendered diabetic with streptozotocine. Blood glucose was monitored for the rejection of engrafted islets. After certain period of time, tail to flank skin transplantation was performed either on mouse transplanted with HY mismatched islets or on sham treated mouse. The rejection was monitored by scoring gross pathology of the engrafted skin. Results: HY mismatched islets survived more than 300 days in 14 out of 15 mice. The acceptance of second party graft (male B6 islets) and the rejection of third party graft (male BALB/c islets) in these mice suggested the tolerance to islets with HY disparity. B6 Skin with HY disparity was rejected on day $25{\pm}7$. However, HY mismatched skin transplanted on the mice tolerated to HY mismatched islets survived more than 240 days. Tetramer staining in these mice indicated the CTL recognizing MHC Db/Uty was not deleted or anergized. Conclusion: The islet transplantation across HY disparity induced tolerance to HY antigen in C57BL6 mouse, which in turn induced tolerance to HY mismatched skin, which otherwise would be rejected within 25 days. The MHC tetramer staining suggested the underlying mechanisms would not be clonal deletion or anergy.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.2184-2191
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• 2016

The time-consuming and high-cost preparation of soluble peptide-major histocompatibility complexes (pMHC) currently limits their wide uses in monitoring antigen-specific T cells. The single-chain trimer (SCT) of peptide-${\beta}2m$-MHC class I heavy chain was developed as an alternative strategy, but its gene fusion is hindered in many cases owing to the incompatibility between the multiple restriction enzymes and the restriction endonuclease sites of plasmid vectors. In this study, overlap extension PCR and one-step cloning were adopted to overcome this restriction. The SCT gene of the $OVA_{257-264}$ peptide-$(GS_4)_3-{\beta}2m-(GS_4)_4-H-2K^b$ heavy chain was constructed and inserted into plasmid pET28a by overlap extension PCR and one-step cloning, without the requirement of restriction enzymes. The SCT protein was expressed in Escherichia coli, and then purified and refolded. The resulting $H-2K^b/OVA_{257-264}$ complex showed the correct structural conformation and capability to bind with $OVA_{257-264}$-specific T-cell receptor. The overlap extension PCR and one-step cloning ensure the construction of single-chain MHC class I molecules associated with random epitopes, and will facilitate the preparation of soluble pMHC multimers.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2005

Background: DNA vaccination represents an anticipated approach for the control of numerous infectious diseases. Used alone, however, DNA vaccine is weak immunogen inferior to viral vectors. In recent, heterologous prime-boost vaccination leads DNA vaccines to practical reality. Methods: We assessed prime-boost immunization strategies with a DNA vaccine (minigene, $gB_{498-505}$ DNA) and recombinant vaccinia virus $(vvgB_{498-505})$ expressing epitope $gB_{498-505}$ (SSIEF ARL) of CD8+ T cells specific for glycoprotein B (gB) of herpes simplex virus (HSV). Animals were immunized primarily with $gB_{498-505}$ epitope-expressing DNA vaccine/recombinant vaccinia virus and boosted with alternative vaccine type expressing entire Ag. Results: In prime-boost protocols using vvgBw (recombinant vaccinia virus expressing entire Ag) and $vvgB_{498-505}$, CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity was induced maximally at both acute and memory stages if primed with vvgBw and boosted with $vvgB_{498-505}$ as evaluated by CTL activity, intracellular IFN-staining, and MHC class I tetramer staining. Similarly $gB_{498-505}$ DNA prime-gBw DNA (DNA vaccine expressing entire Ag) boost immunization elicited the strongest CD8+ T cell responses in protocols based on DNA vaccine. However, the level of CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity induced with prime-boost vaccination using DNA vaccine expressing epitope or entire Ag was inferior to those based on vvgBw and $vvgB_{498-505}$. Of particular interest CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity was optimally induced when $vvgB_{498-505}$ was used to prime and gB DNA was used as alternative boost. Especially CD7+ T cell responses induced by such protocol was longer lasted than other protocols. Conclusion: These facts direct to search for the effective strategy to induce optimal CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity against cancer and viral infection.