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Biomedical subjects

Markus Hansson

Publications and source records attributed to Markus Hansson.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Neutrophil elastase sorting involves plasma membrane trafficking requiring the C-terminal propeptide.

The primary granules/secretory lysosomes of neutrophils store mature neutrophil elastase (NE) as a luminal protein after proteolytic removal of N-terminal and C-terminal pro-peptides from a proform of NE. The N-terminal pro-peptide prevents premature activation that might be toxic to the cell, but the C-terminal pro-peptide has no defined function. In this study, we investigated the role of the C-terminal pro-peptide in trafficking of NE by expressing, in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells, both wild-type NE and the mutant NE/Delta248-267, which lacks the C-terminal pro-peptide. Both transfected proteins were found to be targeted to secretory lysosomes. In addition, results from antibody ligation and cell-surface biotinylation indicated that proform of NE was targeted to the plasma membrane, and then subjected to endocytosis. The results were supported by the detection of targeting of the proform to the plasma membrane followed by internalization both in RBL cells and normal granulopoietic precursor cells. Targeting of NE to the plasma membrane required the C-terminal pro-peptide as NE/Delta248-267 expressed in RBL cells bypassed plasma membrane trafficking. Our results indicate targeting of a population of NE to the plasma membrane and internalization dependent on the C-terminal NE pro-peptide.

Animals↗

Granule targeting of soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor expressed during granulopoietic maturation in murine bone marrow cells.

In this experiment, we explored the potential of secretory lysosomes of hematopoietic cells to act as vehicles for immunomodulatory protein delivery at an inflammation site. We investigated whether exogenous soluble TNF-receptor 1 (sTNFR1) could be expressed in primary hematopoietic progenitor cells and become targeted for storage and secretion during granulopoietic differentiation. An sTNFR1 construct with a transmembrane domain (tm) and a cytosol sorting signal (Y) taken from CD63, was retrovirally transduced to lineage-negative murine hematopoietic bone marrow stem/progenitor cells. This process was followed by cytokine-driven granulopoietic maturation. The sTNFR1-tm-Y was found to be synthesized in precursor cells and to persist in mature granulocytes and monocytes/macrophages. Immunofluorescence-localization studies showed a granule pattern of sTNFR1-tm-Y in both precursor and mature granulocytes and secretion to phagosomes after ingestion of bacteria. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed co-localization between the sTNFR1-tm-Y and the primary (azurophil) granule marker myeloperoxidase. Collectively, our results demonstrated granule targeting, storage, and secretion of exogenous sTNFR1-tm-Y constitutively expressed during normal granulopoietic differentiation. These findings support the concept of using storage organelles of circulating hematopoietic cells as vehicles for targeting sites of inflammation with immunoregulatory agents.

Animals↗

Biosynthesis, processing, and sorting of human myeloperoxidase.

Exclusively synthesized by normal neutrophil and monocyte precursor cells, myeloperoxidase (MPO) functions not only in host defense by mediating efficient microbial killing but also can contribute to progressive tissue damage in chronic inflammatory states such as atherosclerosis. The biosynthetic precursor, apoproMPO, is processed slowly in the ER, undergoing cotranslational N-glycosylation, transient interactions with the molecular chaperones calreticulin and calnexin, and heme incorporation to generate enzymatically active proMPO that is competent for export into the Golgi. After exiting the Golgi the propeptide is removed prior to final proteolytic processing in azurophil granules, resulting in formation of a symmetric MPO homodimer linked by a disulfide bond. Some proMPO escapes granule targeting and becomes constitutively secreted to the extracellular environment. Although the precise mechanism is unknown, the pro-segment is required for normal processing and targeting, as propeptide-deleted MPO precursor is either degraded or constitutively secreted. Characterizing the molecular consequences of naturally occurring mutations that cause inherited MPO deficiency provides unique insight into the structural determinants of MPO involved in biosynthesis, processing and targeting.

Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic↗

Reactivation of latent Epstein Barr virus infection induces remission of splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes.

Splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes (SLVL) is a rare, slowly progressing, lymphoproliferative disease of B-cell origin. Treatment aimed at cure or remission is limited, and spontaneous remission has not been described. We report on a patient who after 4 years with untreated SLVL developed symptoms of mononucleosis and was found to have reactivation of latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. During recovery from the EBV infection, complete remission from SLVL developed and lasted for 3 years, suggesting that the EBV infection induced an immune response that caused the SLVL remission.

Epstein-Barr Virus Infections↗

Activation of cytotoxic lymphocytes by interferon-alpha: role of oxygen radical-producing mononuclear phagocytes.

A significant part of the therapeutic benefit of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy in malignant diseases and in chronic viral infections is assumed to result from activation of lymphocytes with natural killer (NK) and T cell phenotype. In tumor tissue and in chronically infected tissue, the function and viability of these lymphocytes are frequently impaired. Mononuclear phagocyte (MP)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been proposed to contribute to the lymphocyte suppression in these tissues. Here, we report that three types of human cytotoxic lymphocytes of relevance to immunoactivation by IFN-alpha, CD3epsilon+/8+/56- T cells, CD3epsilon-/56+ NK cells, and CD3epsilon+/56+ NK/T cells became anergic to IFN-alpha induction of the cell-surface activation marker CD69 after exposure to autologous MPs in vitro. In addition to their incapacity to express CD69, cytotoxic lymphocytes acquired features characteristic of apoptosis after incubation with MPs. The lymphocyte apoptosis and nonresponsiveness to IFN-alpha were prevented by two inhibitors of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase-dependent formation of ROS in MPs, histamine dihydrochloride and diphenylene ionodonium, as well as by catalase, a scavenger of ROS. We conclude that MP-derived ROS may negatively affect IFN-alpha-induced immunostimulation and propose that ROS inhibitors or scavengers may be useful to improve lymphocyte activation during treatment with IFN-alpha.

Antigens, CD↗

Sorting soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor for storage and regulated secretion in hematopoietic cells.

Hematopoietic cells contain secretory lysosomes that degranulate at sites of inflammation. We envisage that secretory granules can act as vehicles for targeting inflammatory sites, including malignancies, and thereafter, locally release therapeutically active agents to these sites. Exogenous proteins, such as the soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNFR1), have been shown previously to be targeted to secretory lysosomes [1]. In this work, we asked whether exogenous, secretory lysosome-targeted proteins were subject to regulated secretion. sTNFR1-transmembrane (tm)-cytosol-sorting signal (Y) and sTNFR1-tm-Y-enhanced green fluorescent protein (egfp) were expressed in rat basophilic leukemia cell clones having different secretory capacities. sTNFR1-tm-Y was targeted directly from the Golgi to secretory lysosomes, followed by generation of membrane-free sTNFR1, whose secretion could be triggered by a Ca2+ ionophore or immunoglobulin E receptor activation. In contrast, sTNFR1-tm-Y-egfp was targeted to the plasma membrane and then subjected to endocytosis and presumably, secretory lysosome targeting, as judged by results from antibody ligation and cell-surface biotinylation. Activation of protein kinase C with phorbol ester promoted ectodomain shedding at the cell surface, resulting in sTNFR1 release from sTNFR1-tm-Y-egfp. These results support a concept for using the storage organelles of hematopoietic cells as vehicles for targeting sites of inflammation with therapeutically active agents.

Animals↗

Biosynthesis and sorting of myeloperoxidase in hematopoietic cells.

The neutrophil granulocytes have a critical role in innate immunity through killing of phagocytized microorganisms, in which myeloperoxidase (MPO) participates. MPO is stored in cytoplasmic azurophil lysosome-like granules together with other antibiotic proteins and digestive enzymes. During passage in the secretory pathway pro-MPO is folded, subjected to oligosaccharide modification, and retrieval from constitutive secretion to become targeted to azurophil granules for final processing and storage. Propeptide-deleted MPO precursor was found not to be processed to mature MPO and not to be targeted for storage but instead degraded or secreted. This indicated that the propeptide of the MPO precursor was a prerequisite for the final processing and granule targeting of proMPO. When the MPO propeptide was expressed as a chimera with a normally secretory protein, the ER retention of the chimera was prolonged compared with that of the native protein. Thus, the propeptide of MPO precursor may also mediate the normally long ER-residence of proMPO. Both mature MPO and secreted proMPO contained complex oligosaccharide side chains indicating that proMPO and, thus, mature MPO has passed the medial Golgi stack where complex oligosaccharides are formed, and exited at TGN like other proteins targeted for azurophil granules.

Animals↗

Targeting proteins to secretory lysosomes of natural killer cells as a principle for immunoregulation.

Secretory lysosomes of natural killer (NK) cells combine storage, regulated secretion and lysosomal activity. We asked whether one could target exogenous proteins to the secretory lysosomes of NK-cells for final delivery into a tumor site upon degranulation. cDNAs for both soluble and transmembrane (tm) proteins were expressed in the human YT-Indy NK-cell line. Targeting of a soluble TNF receptor (sTNFR1) was achieved by expressing a cDNA construct with a transmembrane sequence to facilitate ER-export and by incorporating a cytosolic sorting signal (Y) from CD63 to overcome constitutive secretion. The resulting sTNFR1-tm-Y was targeted to secretory lysosomes as confirmed by results from biosynthetic radiolabeling in combination with subcellular fractionation, immunoelectron microscopy, and immunofluorescence microscopy. A soluble sTNFR1 form was generated in the secretory lysosome by endogenous proteolytic activity. Expression of exogenous normally secretory non-membrane proteins, such as alpha1-microglobulin (alpha1-m) and alpha1-antitrypsin (alpha1-at) resulted mostly in constitutive secretion although a small amount of alpha1-microglobulin was targeted to secretory lysosomes. Our results suggest a potential for delivery of pharmacologically active agents into tumor sites by use of the NK-cell secretory lysosome as a carrier.

Animals↗

Hematopoietic secretory granules as vehicles for the local delivery of cytokines and soluble cytokine receptors at sites of inflammation.

Cytokines play an important role in the regulation of homeostasis and inflammation. A de-regulated cytokine function can subsequently promote chronic inflammation. This is supported by clinical evidence showing the beneficial effect of inhibiting TNF-alpha through injection of antibodies and soluble receptor in disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. Systemic anti-TNF-alpha therapy however is associated with infectious complications. We therefore suggest a concept for the local deposition of therapeutically active agents into areas of inflammation or malignancy, based on the use of hematopoietic storage and secretory granules as delivery vehicles. Hematopoietic cells are induced to express the therapeutically active protein and to store it in the secretory lysosomes. The cells migrate into a tumour or site of inflammation, where the cells become activated and release the contents of their secretory lysosomes resulting in the local delivery of the therapeutically active protein. In support of this concept, gene transfer and granule loading can be achieved using the soluble TNF-alpha receptor (sTNFR1) after cDNA expression in hematopoietic cell lines. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-export can be facilitated by the addition of a transmembrane domain, and constitutive secretion can be prevented by incorporating a cytosol-sorting signal resulting in secretory lysosome targeting. The sTNFR1 is released from the transmembrane domain by proteolytic cleavage and finally, regulated sTNFR1-secretion can be triggered by a calcium signal. In vivo investigations are currently determining the feasibility of local protein delivery at sites of inflammation.

Animals↗