Lymphoid CEM Cells Research Articles

EWI-2 and EWI-F Link the Tetraspanin Web to the Actin Cytoskeleton through Their Direct Association with Ezrin-Radixin-Moesin Proteins

EWI-2 and EWI-F, two members of a novel subfamily of Ig proteins, are direct partners of tetraspanins CD9 (Tspan29) and CD81 (Tspan28). These EWI proteins contain a stretch of basic charged amino acids in their cytoplasmic domains that may act as binding sites for actin-linking ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins. Confocal microscopy analysis revealed that EWI-2 and EWI-F colocalized with ERM proteins at microspikes and microvilli of adherent cells and at the cellular uropod in polarized migrating leukocytes. Immunoprecipitation studies showed the association of EWI-2 and EWI-F with ERM proteins in vivo. Moreover, pulldown experiments and protein-protein binding assays with glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins containing the cytoplasmic domains of EWI proteins corroborated the strong and direct interaction between ERMs and these proteins. The active role of ERMs was further confirmed by double transfections with the N-terminal domain of moesin, which acts as a dominant negative form of ERMs, and was able to delocalize EWIs from the uropod of polarized leukocytes. In addition, direct association of EWI partner CD81 C-terminal domain with ERMs was also demonstrated. Functionally, silencing of endogenous EWI-2 expression by short interfering RNA in lymphoid CEM cells augmented cell migration, cellular polarity, and increased phosphorylation of ERMs. Hence, EWI proteins, through their direct interaction with ERM proteins, act as linkers to connect tetraspanin-associated microdomains to actin cytoskeleton regulating cell motility and polarity.

Gene expression profile of human lymphoid CEM cells sensitive and resistant to glucocorticoid-evoked apoptosis

Three closely related clones of leukemic lymphoid CEM cells were compared for their gene expression responses to the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (Dex). All three contained receptors for Dex, but only two responded by undergoing apoptosis. After a time of exposure to Dex that ended late in the interval preceding onset of apoptosis, gene microarray analyses were carried out. The results indicate that the expression of a limited, distinctive set of genes was altered in the two apoptosis-prone clones, not in the resistant clone. That clone showed altered expression of different sets of genes, suggesting that a molecular switch converted patterns of gene expression between the two phenotypes: apoptosis-prone and apoptosis-resistant. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that altered expression of a distinctive network of genes after glucocorticoid administration ultimately triggers apoptosis of leukemic lymphoid cells. The altered genes identified provide new foci for study of their role in cell death.

Inhibition of HIV-1 in cell culture by oligonucleotide-loaded nanoparticles.

To investigate the potential use of polymeric nanoparticles for the delivery of antisense oligonucleotides in HIV-1-infected cell cultures. Phosphorothioate oligonucleotides were encapsulated into poly (D,L-lactic acid) nanoparticles. Two models of infected cells were used to test the ability of nanoparticles to deliver them. HeLa P4-2 CD4+ cells, stably transfected with the beta-galactosidase reporter gene, were first used to evaluate the activity of the oligonucleotides on a single-round infection cycle. The acutely infected lymphoid CEM cells were then used to evaluate the inhibition of the viral production of HIV-1 by the oligonucleotides. The addition to infected CEM cells of nanoparticles containing gag antisense oligonucleotides in the nanomolar range led to strong inhibition of the viral production in a concentration-dependent manner. Similar results were previously observed in HeLa P4-2 CD4+ cells. Nanoparticle-entrapped random-order gag oligonucleotides had similar effects on reverse transcription. However, the reverse transcriptase activity of infected cells treated with nanomolar concentrations of free antisense and random oligonucleotides was not affected. These results suggest that poly (D,L-lactic acid) nanoparticles may have great potential as an efficient delivery system for oligonucleotides in HIV natural target cells, i.e., lymphocytic cells.

Effect of mannosylated derivatives on HIV-1 infection of macrophages and lymphocytes.

We previously demonstrated that gp120/160 (Env) of HIV-1 interact in a carbohydrate-specific manner with mannosyl/N-acetylglucosaminyl derivatives and that HIV-1LAI infection of monocytic U937 and lymphoid CEM cells was inhibited by CD4-free Concanavalin A-reactive glycopeptides from U937 cells. We report here that the natural glycoproteins bovine fetuin and asialofetuin, human orosomucoid and alpha-fetoprotein, and mannan, which all specifically interact with Env, inhibited infection of primary macrophages by macrophage-tropic HIV-1 strains, whereas dextran had no such effect. This activity was conserved if fetuin, asialofetuin, or orosomucoid were heat-treated, which rules out the role of their three-dimensional structure. Orosomucoid and mannan partially inhibited Env binding to macrophages but not to U937 or CEM cells. This indicates that Env does not bind in the same manner to primary macrophages and to immortalized CD4+ cells, and that orosomucoid and mannan act at CD4-independent stages of virus binding to macrophages. Mannan also inhibited Env binding to surface glycopeptides obtained after trypsin treatment of macrophages. Furthermore, orosomucoid and fetuin interacted with, and they inhibited the binding of a V3 loop B clade consensus peptide to several macrophage membrane proteins, including two 36 and 42 kDa proteins. These data indicate that these glycoproteins interfere with post-binding events during HIV-1 infection of primary macrophages. In contrast, the compounds did not affect infection of U937 or CEM cells by T-cell tropic HIV-1LAI nor infection of peripheral blood lymphocytes by HIV-1LAI or HIV-1(Ba-L). Thus, carbohydrate-specific inhibition of HIV infection depends on the cell type more than on the viral strain, and differences in the glycan structure of cell-type-specific cofactors may be important for HIV entry into cells.

Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus infection of CD4+ cells by CD4-free glycopeptides from monocytic U937 cells.

We have previously demonstrated that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope glycoproteins have specific carbohydrate-binding properties for mannosyl/N-acetylglucosaminyl residues presented at high density on a carrier in vitro. Here, we investigated whether HIV envelope glycoprotein gp120 was able to interact with surface membrane carbohydrates of CD4+ cells by means of such lectin-carbohydrate interactions. CD4-free tryptic glycopeptides, prepared from the membrane of CD4+ monocytic U937 cells and partially purified by ConA-agarose affinity chromatography, could be eluted by mannan but not by methyl-alpha-mannose or methyl-alpha-glucose, which strongly suggests that they displayed oligomannosidic structures. These glycopeptides bound in a mannosyl-specific manner to radiolabeled recombinant gp120. Deglycosylation with N-glycanase which, as expected, strongly diminished binding of the glycopeptides to concanavalin A also abolished their interaction with gp120. In addition, the glycopeptides inhibited HIV infection of both U937 and CD4+ lymphoid CEM cells when preincubated with the virus. These findings indicate that, independently of the binding to CD4, mannosyl structures on CD4+ cells may play a role through lectin-carbohydrate interactions in envelope glycoprotein binding to a putative coreceptor(s) of HIV.

Effect of anti-HIV 2′-β-fluoro-2′,3′-dideoxynucleoside analogs on the cellular content of mitochondrial DNA and on lactate production

Many dideoxynucleosides that are effective against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) also are potent inhibitors of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) synthesis, and the resulting mtDNA decrease could be responsible for the delayed clinical toxicity sometimes observed with these drugs. The following compounds have been examined for their toxicity to human lymphoid CEM cells, and their ability to suppress mtDNA content: 2′,3′-dideoxycytidine (ddC), 2′,3′-dideoxyadenosine (ddA), 2′,3′-dideoxyinosine (ddI) and 2′,3′-dideoxyguanosine (ddG); and their 2′-β-fluoro analogs; β-F-ddC, β-F-ddA, β-F-ddI and β-F-ddG. Two other fluoro analogs, 5-F-ddC and 2′-β,5-di-F-ddC were also examined. The ratio of C-IC 50 (concentration that inhibited cell growth by 50%) to mt-IC 50 (concentration that inhibited mtDNA synthesis by 50%) was determined for each compound. The rank-order of this ratio was ddC > 5-F-ddC ⪢ ddA > ddI > ddG > β-F-ddC βF-ddA > β-F-ddG with the highest ratios indicating the greatest potential for delayed toxicity. In comparison with ddC, β-F-ddC and β-F-ddA were 5,000 and 22,000 times less potent, respectively, in suppressing cellular mtDNA content, while their anti-HIV potencies were decreased only modestly relative to their unfluorinated parent compounds. β-F-ddI and 2′-β,5-di-F-ddC produced neither cellular toxicity nor mtDNA suppression at concentrations of 500 and 1000 μM, respectively. Lactic acid, the product of compensatory glycolysis that results from the inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, was measured after cells were treated with these compounds. There appears to be a concentration-related correlation between the increase of lactic acid and the extent of mtDNA inhibition for the compounds examined.

Decrease of Heat Shock Protein 27/28 with Heat Stress in HTLV-I-Transformed Cells

We have previously reported an increase of human T-lymphotropic leukemia/lymphoma virus type I (HTLV-I) replication after heat treatment of MT-2 cells, an HTLV-I-transformed human lymphoid cell line. In this study, we investigated the effect of heat stress on the expression of Hsp27/28 in MT-2 cells. In contrast with previous studies of other cell types, a decrease of Hsp27/28 expression in MT-2 cells and an increase of Hsp70 family proteins in both MT-2 and uninfected lymphoid CEM cells were found following heat treatment at 42°C. Furthermore, heat treatment resulted in an early rapid increase in the phosphorylated form of Hsp27/28 in both MT-2 and CEM cells. The results suggest that early post-translational phosphorylation of HSP27/28 could be a determinant of the ability of MT-2 cells to survive hyperthermia.

A monoclonal antibody directed to sulfatide inhibits the biding of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein to macrophages but not their infections by the virus

We show here that human immunodeficiency virus HIV) envelope glycoproteins (gp160/ gp120) bind to sulfatide and galactosyl ceramide. By immunofluorescence labeling with monoclonal antibody (mAb) A2B5, specific for ganglioside/sulfatide, we detect negatively charged glycolipids on CD4 + cells of the macrophages lineage and lymphocytes. Labeling of monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) with mAb A2B5 was reproducibly found in 29 healthy donors, independently of the culture method and duration up to 11 days. The binding of the mAb to neuraminidase-treated MDM was uncharged relative to control cells, but mAb binding decreased after arylsulfatase treatment, which indicates that MDM membrane sulfatide is its major ligand. Preincubating MDM with the mAb partially (40–60%) but significantly inhibited the binding of HIV-1 lai radiolabeled recombinant gp160 to the cell. Similarly, the mAb entailed limited (32%) but significant inhibition of gp160 binding to cells of the monocytic U937 line but no to lymphoid CEM cells. However, mAb A2B5 did not inhibit the infection of CEM nor of U937 cells by HIV-1 lai strain, nor of MDM by monocytotrophic HIV-1 bal . Thus, although may be involved in the binding of HIV env glycoprotein to MDM or monocytic U937 cells, this does not play a significant role in HIV infection of these CD4 + cells.

Lectin—Carbohydrate Interactions and Infectivity of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1)

The aim of this study was to determine whether mannosyl-specific lectins, especially Concanavalin A (ConA), may bridge HIV-1 env glycoproteins to cell membranes to increase virus binding to its targets, and to what extent this lectin-carbohydrate interaction can modify HIV-1 infectivity for monocytic compared with lymphoid cells. Monocytic U937 and lymphoid CEM cells, which both express surface mannose, were utilized. Whether first incubated with env glycoprotein or with the cells, lectins bound both to the cells and to radiolabeled recombinant gp160 (rgp160). Thus, they enhanced rgp160 adsorption to the cells in a methyl-alpha-mannose inhibitable manner. ConA did not appear to bind to the V1 domain of CD4 at the U937 cell surface since Leu3a binding was not blocked in the presence of ConA, nor was recombinant CD4 retained on a ConA-agarose affinity matrix. Moreover, enhanced rgp160 binding to the cells was CD4 independent, since it was not modified by preincubating the cells with Leu3a. Finally, ConA did not inhibit the binding of CD4-IgG3 chimeric molecules to virions immobilized on nitrocellulose membrane, which argues against the possibility that it interferes with the interaction of gp120 and CD4. However, both when incubated with the virus or with the cells and despite mediating enhanced binding of env glycoprotein, ConA neutralized HIV-1 infectivity for monocytic U937 as well as for lymphoid CEM cells. In this respect, ConA behaves like neutralizing antibodies which do not interfere with CD4 binding of gp120 but rather with some later event that leads to virus entry. These findings obtained with plant lectins may be of relevance in vivo, inasmuch as endogenous mannosyl-binding proteins, which are known to function as opsonins, have been reported to inhibit in vitro infection by HIV-1.

Effect of the Calcium Channel Blocker Verapamil on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication in Lymphoid Cells

Cell signaling events are known to affect human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication. Treatment of lymphoid CEM cells with the calcium channel blocker verapamil (25-75 microM) enhanced HIV-1 expression in acute, whole virus infection experiments, despite lowering intracellular calcium levels, ablating the acute rise in intracellular calcium normally seen with infection, and lengthening the doubling time of cell replication. Verapamil had no effect on cell surface CD4 expression. Transfection of CEM cells with plasmids containing the HIV-1 long terminal repeat linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene showed that verapamil enhanced expression of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat in a dose-dependent fashion. This effect was abolished by mutations in the binding sites for nuclear factor kappa-B. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays confirmed that verapamil induced nuclear factor kappa-B activity in CEM cells. Thus, verapamil, in high concentrations, can potentiate HIV-1 replication in lymphoid cells, and this effect may be mediated by induction of nuclear factor kappa-B.

The herpes simplex virus immediate-early protein, ICP4, is required to potentiate replication of human immunodeficiency virus in CD4+ lymphocytes

The interaction of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) was investigated in an acute whole-virus coinfection system. CD4+ lymphoid CEM cells were infected with HIV-1 and, 24 h later, superinfected with HSV-1 (strain KOS) or HSV mutants possessing defined deletions in genes specifying the immediate-early transcriptional regulatory proteins ICP0, ICP4, or ICP27. Marked potentiation of HIV replication was demonstrated with the KOS strain, the ICP0 mutant, and the ICP27 mutant, but not with the ICP4 mutant, indicating that ICP4 is essential and ICP0 and ICP27 are nonessential for this effect. These studies demonstrate that HSV can be a potent stimulator of HIV replication and gene expression in coinfected CD4+ cells through the activity of the HSV regulatory protein ICP4.