CpG-containing Oligodeoxynucleotides Research Articles

CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides induce TNF-α and IL-6 production but not degranulation from murine bone marrow-derived mast cells

Mast cells are sentinel cells critical to the initiation of innate immune and inflammatory responses, particularly at mucosal surfaces. To fulfill this function they can be activated by several pathogen-associated stimuli to produce cytokines with or without concurrent degranulation. We examined the ability of immunostimulatory DNA sequences including CpG motifs, which are found in increased quantities in bacterial DNA, to activate mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (mBMMC). Mast cells were treated with a range of doses of CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides or control oligodeoxynucleotides without CpG within their sequence. There was a dose-dependent increase in the production of both interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) by mast cells treated with the CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides. The cytokine levels induced were directly related to the number of CpG within a given length of sequence. Treatment with oligonucleotides containing 3CpG induced an eightfold increase in TNF production over control incubated mast cells. Other cytokines, including granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-4, interferon-gamma, and IL-12 were not induced by oligonucleotide treatment. Neither CpG containing oligodeoxynucleotides nor control oligodeoxynucleotides induced degranulation of mast cells. Bacterial DNA from Escherichia coli also induced IL-6 from mBMMC but neither calf thymus DNA nor methylase-treated E. coli DNA had such an effect. Examination of the uptake of Texas red-labeled CpG and non-CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides revealed that they were both similarly taken up by the mBMMC. These results have important implications for the mechanism by which mast cells respond to bacteria and for the potential role of mast cells in DNA vaccination.

Response of porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells to CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides

Exposure to bacterial DNA generates a “danger signal” that stimulates cellular elements of the mammalian immune system to proliferate and/or secrete cytokines. Stimulation is critically dependent on hexameric motifs that contain an unmethylated CpG dinucleotide: these are commonly found in bacterial but not vertebrate DNA. Different motifs are optimally stimulatory in different species. This work examines whether oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing CpG motifs stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells from pigs. Results show that pigs respond to CpG ODN by proliferating and secreting IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α. By screening a large panel (>100) of ODNs, the palindromic hexamer ‘ATCGAT’ was identified as being optimally active in all animals examined ( N=10). These findings are the first to establish the immunostimulatory activity of CpG ODN in pigs, and suggest that the therapeutic uses envisioned for these ODNs (as vaccine adjuvants and immunoprotective agents) may be applicable to husbandry animals.

Accessible 5′-end of CpG-containing Phosphorothioate Oligodeoxynucleotides is essential for immunostimulatory activity

In our ongoing efforts to decipher the sequence and structural requirements in the flanking region of the CpG motif in phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides (PS-oligos), we have examined the requirement of free 5′- and 3′-ends of PS-oligos on immune stimulation. Our model studies using 3′–3′-linked (containing two free 5′-ends) and 5′–5′-linked (containing two free 3′-ends) CpG-containing PS-oligos demonstrate that immunostimulatory activity is significantly reduced when the 5′-end of the PS-oligo is not accessible, rather than the 3′-end, suggesting that the 5′-end plays a critical role in immunostimulatory activity.

CpG oligonucleotides are potent adjuvants for the activation of autoreactive encephalitogenic T cells in vivo.

The mechanism of action of microbial adjuvants in promoting the differentiation of autoimmune effector cells remains to be elucidated. We demonstrate that CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) can completely substitute for heat-killed mycobacteria in the priming of encephalitogenic myelin-reactive T cells in vivo. The adjuvanticity of the CpG ODN was secondary to their direct ability to induce IL-12 or to act synergistically with endogenous IL-12 to promote Th1 differentiation and encephalitogenicity. T cells primed in the absence of CpG with Ag and IFA alone appeared to be in a transitional state and had not undergone differentiation along a conventional Th pathway. Unlike Th2 cells, they expressed low levels of the IL-12R beta 2 subunit and retained the ability to differentiate into encephalitogenic effectors when reactivated in vitro under Th1-polarizing conditions. These results support the use of CpG ODN as adjuvants but also suggest that they could potentially trigger autoimmune disease in a susceptible individual.

Gene-based vaccines.

The development of vaccines is one of the best examples of the impact of biomedical advances upon human health. But, despite the successes, such as the elimination of smallpox from the planet, there remain a number of diseases for which we have no vaccines, and which infect and often kill millions of people each year (see Table 1). These diseases include those due to newly emerging pathogens such as HIV, as well as ancient scourges such as tuberculosis, where, although there is a vaccine, a better one is needed. A look at the new technologies being used to develop vaccines will be presented here.

Site of chemical modifications in CpG containing phosphorothiate oligodeoxynucleotide modulates its immunostimulatory activity

Phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides containing CpG motifs have immunostimulatory activity. Appropriate substitution of deoxynucleosides in the flanking region of CpG-containing phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides with 2′- O-methylribonucleosides results in significant decreases or increases in their immunostimulatory activities. The results provide insights in how to chemically modify phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides containing CpG motifs to suppress or enhance their immunostimulatory activity for different therapeutic uses.

Cutting Edge: Bacterial DNA and LPS Act in Synergy in Inducing Nitric Oxide Production in RAW 264.7 Macrophages

LPS is well recognized for its potent capacity to activate mouse macrophages to produce NO, an important inflammatory mediator in innate host defense. We demonstrate here that, although inducing little NO alone, DNA from both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria synergizes with subthreshold concentrations of LPS (0.3 ng/ml) to induce NO in cultures of RAW 264.7 macrophages. The effects of the DNA are mimicked by synthetic CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides but not by non-CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides. This synergistic activity is not inhibited by neutralizing Abs against IFN. Preincubation of macrophages with DNA for 8-24 h suppresses subsequent synergistic macrophage responses to DNA/LPS, whereas prolonged pretreatment with LPS enhances synergy. RT-PCR analysis indicates that the mRNA levels of the inducible NO synthase gene are also coordinately suppressed or induced. These findings indicate that temporally controlled, synergistic interactions exist between microbial DNA and LPS in the induction of macrophage NO via enhanced inducible NO synthase gene expression.

The inhibitory role of CpG immunostimulatory motifs in cationic lipid vector-mediated transgene expression in vivo.

We have previously reported that intravenous administration of cationic lipid-protamine-DNA complexes (LPD) induces production of large quantities of proinflammatory cytokines that are toxic and cause inhibition of transgene expression. Cytokine induction appears to be mediated by the unmethylated CpG sequences since methylation of plasmid DNA significantly decreases the cytokine levels. In this study, the inhibitory role of CpG in lipid-mediated gene transfer was further investigated using chemically well-defined, CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs). Injection (intravenous) of ODNs formulated in LPD into mice triggered production of proinflammatory cytokines including interferon gamma and TNF-alpha. The potency of CpG-containing ODNs in cytokine induction was affected by its flanking sequences and was significantly reduced when CpG was methylated. Preinjection of ODN-containing LPD led to inhibition of transgene expression in lungs after a subsequent injection of LPD containing plasmid expression vector with luciferase gene. The degree of inhibition correlated with the levels of ODN-triggered cytokines. Finally, intraperitoneal injection of dexamethasone suppressed LPD-induced cytokine production, and led to significantly higher levels of transgene expression on both first and second injection. These studies suggest that mutation of potent CpG motifs in plasmid DNA together with the use of immune suppression agent may represent an effective approach to improve cationic lipid-mediated gene transfer to the lung.

Immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides promote protective immunity and provide systemic therapy for leishmaniasis via IL-12- and IFN-gamma-dependent mechanisms.

Resistance to murine leishmaniasis correlates with development of a CD4(+) T helper 1 (Th1)-predominant immune response. To determine whether immunostimulatory CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN), known to promote a Th1 immune response, could provide protection from Leishmania infection, CpG-ODN and freeze-thawed (F/T) Leishmania major were coinjected intradermally into susceptible BALB/c mice. A Leishmania-specific Th1-predominant immune response was induced, and 40% of animals were protected from subsequent challenge with infectious organisms, with 0% protection of animals injected with F/T Leishmania organisms and PBS, F/T organisms and control ODN, or F/T organisms alone. More striking protection (65-95%) was seen in mice first infected with intact Leishmania organisms and then injected with CpG-ODN, either at the site of infection or at a remote site. To determine whether the therapeutic protection provided by CpG-ODN depended on IL-12 and IFN-gamma production, both IFN-gamma-deficient BALB/c mice and BALB/c mice treated with neutralizing anti-IL-12 mAb were first inoculated with Leishmania and then treated with either CpG-ODN, ODN, or PBS. None of these IFN-gamma-deficient mice survived (0/20, 0/20, and 0/20 respectively). Furthermore, neutralization of IL-12 completely abolished the therapeutic protection provided by CpG-ODN (0/20 mice surviving). We conclude that immunostimulatory DNA sequences likely exert systemic effects via IL-12 and IFN-gamma-dependent mechanisms and hold considerable promise as both vaccine adjuvants and potential therapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of leishmaniasis.

CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides co-stimulate primary T cells in the absence of antigen-presenting cells.

CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN) act as powerful adjuvant during in vivo induction of T cell responses. While CpG-ODN directly activate antigen-presenting cells (APC) and thus exert an extrinsic activity on T cells, it is unclear whether they directly affect T cells (intrinsic activity). Here we analyze the effects of CpG-ODN on T cells in an APC-free cell culture. We report that CpG-ODN co-stimulate T cells provided they were triggered via their TCR. CpG-ODN induced IL-2 production, IL-2 receptor expression and thus proliferation. Proliferation was blocked by cyclosporin A or anti-IL-2 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) but not by anti-IL-4 mAb. Moreover, CpG-co-stimulated T cells differentiated into cytolytic T lymphocytes in vitro. Of note, IL-2-driven growth of primed T cells was not affected by CpG-ODN. Co-stimulation was also operative in T cells from CD28-/- mice and in TCR-transgenic T cells stimulated with peptide. CpG-ODN-mediated co-stimulation of T cells in vitro may thus explain part of the potent adjuvant effects of CpG-ODN in vivo.

Immunostimulatory CpG motifs trigger a T helper-1 immune response to human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) gp 160 envelope proteins.

Bacterial DNA sequences containing unmethylated CpG motifs have recently been proposed to exhibit immunostimulatory effects on B-, T- and NK cells, leading to the induction of humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. In the present study we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of a CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG ODN) to the HIV-1 gp 160 envelope (Env) protein in the BALB/c mouse model. Priming and boosting of mice with gp 160 adsorbed to aluminium hydroxide (Alum) induced a typical T helper-2 (Th2)-dominated immune response with high titers of gp 160-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 isotypes but a weak IgG2a response. Specifically re-stimulated splenocytes from these mice predominantly secreted interleukin (IL)-5 but only minute amounts of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) upon specific re-stimulation. In contrast, a boost immunisation of gp 160/Alum primed mice with a gp 160/Alum/CpG combination resulted in a seven times higher production of IgG2a antibodies, without affecting the titers of IgG1 isotypes. Furthermore, approximately 10-fold increased levels of IFN-gamma, but significantly reduced amounts of IL-5, were secreted from gp 160-restimulated splenic cells. A further greater than 30-fold increase in the levels of specific IgG2a responses and a substantially elevated secretion of IFN-gamma were observed when the mice received gp160/Alum/CpG combinations for priming and boost injections. Thus, CpG ODNs are useful as an adjuvant to induce a typical Th0/Th1 response to HIV gp 160 proteins. However, despite the induction of a more Th1-like immune response, gp 16O/Alum/CpG combinations were not sufficient to prime an Env-specific cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) response.

Activation of Cutaneous Dendritic Cells by CpG-Containing Oligodeoxynucleotides: A Role for Dendritic Cells in the Augmentation of Th1 Responses by Immunostimulatory DNA

Genetic vaccination depends at least in part on the adjuvant properties of plasmids, properties that have been ascribed to unmethylated CpG dinucleotides in bacterial DNA. Because dendritic cells (DC) participate in the T cell priming that occurs during genetic vaccination, we reasoned that CpG-containing DNA might activate DC. Thus, we assessed the effects of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN) on Langerhans cell (LC)-like murine fetal skin-derived DC (FSDDC) in vitro and on LC in vivo. Treatment with CpG ODN as well as LPS induced FSDDC maturation, manifested by decreased E-cadherin-mediated adhesion, up-regulation of MHC class II and costimulator molecule expression, and acquisition of enhanced accessory cell activity. In contrast to LPS, CpG ODN stimulated FSDDC to produce large amounts of IL-12 but only small amounts of IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Injection of CpG ODN into murine dermis also led to enhanced expression of MHC class II and CD86 Ag by LC in overlying epidermis and intracytoplasmic IL-12 accumulation in a subpopulation of activated LC. We conclude that immunostimulatory CpG ODN stimulate DC in vitro and in vivo. Bacterial DNA-based vaccines may preferentially elicit Th1-predominant immune responses because they activate and mobilize DC and induce them to produce large amounts of IL-12.

CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides as new generation adjuvants in DNA and protein vaccines

CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides as new generation adjuvants in DNA and protein vaccines

Therapeutic applications of CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides.

Therapeutic applications of CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides.

Mixed backbone oligonucleotides: improvement in oligonucleotide-induced toxicity in vivo.

Mixed backbone oligonucleotides: improvement in oligonucleotide-induced toxicity in vivo.

Activation of skin-derived dendritic cells by CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides(ODN) with immunostimulatory activity

Activation of skin-derived dendritic cells by CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides(ODN) with immunostimulatory activity

Unmethylated CpG‐containing oligodeoxynucleotides inhibit apoptosis in WEHI 231 B lymphocytes induced by several agents: evidence for blockade of apoptosis at a distal signalling step

Certain oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) containing cytosine followed by guanosine (CpG) protect B cells from apoptosis, and induce B-cell proliferation and cytokine production. We investigated the effect of phosphorothioate CpG-containing ODNs (5'-ATAATCGACGTTCAAGCAAG-3' or 5'-TCCATGACGTTCCTGACGTT-3') and control ODNs (which did not contain CpG) on apoptosis and cell growth in WEHI 231 murine B lymphoma cells. Anti-surface (alpha-s)IgM antibody induces 40-60% DNA degradation and growth arrest of WEHI 231 cells in 24 h. Both of these effects were substantially reversed by 30 ng/ml CpG-ODN added up to 8 hr after alpha-sIgM. Control ODNs not containing the CpG motif were without effect. We explored various hypotheses to account for these effects. The phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, inhibits apoptosis induced by alpha-sIgM, but the anti-apoptotic effect of CpG-ODN was not affected by inhibitors of protein kinase C, indicating that CpG-ODN does not act via protein kinase C. CpG-ODN inhibited apoptosis and growth arrest induced by C2- and C8-ceramide, sphingomyelinase and an intracellular Ca2+ pump inhibitor thapsigargin, indicating that inhibition is not mediated via suppression of the ceramide cycle or suppression of Ca2+ mobilization. CpG-ODN partially inhibited apoptosis induced by okadaic acid, a protein phosphatase inhibitor, and by menadione, a free radical generator. CpG-ODN also inhibited apoptosis and growth arrest induced by ultraviolet-irradiation, glucocorticoid, vinca alkaloids, and doxorubicin. CpG-ODN significantly protected cells from DNA fragmentation induced by alpha-sIgM in the presence of cycloheximide, but cycloheximide itself induces apoptosis which was unaffected by CpG-ODN. These results suggest that CpG-ODNs powerfully modulate the process by which immune cells are committed to death or proliferation by a mechanism acting on distal cell signalling events. CpG-ODNs may be able to decrease immunosuppression in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy.