F. Xiao‐Feng Qin

We recently showed that dendritic cells (DCs) activated by thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) prime naive CD4(+) T cells to differentiate into T helper type 2 (Th2) cells that produced high amounts of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), but no interleukin (IL)-10. Here we report that TSLP induced human DCs to express OX40 ligand (OX40L) but not IL-12. TSLP-induced OX40L on DCs was required for triggering naive CD4(+) T cells to produce IL-4, -5, and -13. We further revealed the following three novel functional properties of OX40L: (a) OX40L selectively promoted TNF-alpha, but inhibited IL-10 production in developing Th2 cells; (b) OX40L lost the ability to polarize Th2 cells in the presence of IL-12; and (c) OX40L exacerbated IL-12-induced Th1 cell inflammation by promoting TNF-alpha, while inhibiting IL-10. We conclude that OX40L on TSLP-activated DCs triggers Th2 cell polarization in the absence of IL-12, and propose that OX40L can switch IL-10-producing regulatory Th cell responses into TNF-alpha-producing inflammatory Th cell responses.

Double-stranded RNAs approximately 21 nucleotides long [small interfering RNA (siRNA)] are recognized as powerful reagents to reduce the expression of specific genes. To use them as reagents to protect cells against viral infection, effective methods for introducing siRNAs into primary cells are required. Here, we describe success in constructing a lentivirus-based vector to introduce siRNAs against the HIV-1 coreceptor, CCR5, into human peripheral blood T lymphocytes. With high-titer vector stocks, >40% of the peripheral blood T lymphocytes could be transduced, and the expression of a potent CCR5-siRNA resulted in up to 10-fold inhibition of CCR5 expression on the cell surface over a period of 2 weeks in the absence of selection. In contrast, the expression of another major HIV-1 coreceptor, CXCR4, was not affected. Importantly, blocking CCR5 expression by siRNAs provided a substantial protection for the lymphocyte populations from CCR5-tropic HIV-1 virus infection, dropping infected cells by 3- to 7-fold; only a minimal effect on infection by a CXCR4-tropic virus was observed. Thus, our studies demonstrate the feasibility and potential of lentiviral vector-mediated delivery of siRNAs as a general means of intracellular immunization for the treatment of HIV-1 and other viral diseases.

The sirtuin family of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent (NAD) deacetylases plays an important role in aging and metabolic regulation. In yeast, the Sir2 gene and its homolog Hst2 independently mediate the action of caloric restriction on lifespan extension. The mammalian Sir2 ortholog, SIRT1, is up-regulated by caloric restriction and deacetylates a variety of substrates, including histones and the forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factors. The mammalian ortholog of Hst2, SIRT2, was shown to co-localize with microtubules and functions as alpha-tubulin deacetylase. During G2/M phase, SIRT2 proteins enter nuclei and deacetylate histones. We report here that the expression of SIRT2 is elevated in the white adipose tissue and kidney of caloric-restricted mice. Oxidative stress, such as hydrogen peroxide treatment, also increases SIRT2 expression in cells. We have demonstrated that SIRT2 binds to FOXO3a and reduces its acetylation level. SIRT2 hence increases FOXO DNA binding and elevates the expression of FOXO target genes, p27(Kip1), manganese superoxide dismutase and Bim. As a consequence, SIRT2 decreases cellular levels of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, as Bim is a pro-apoptotic factor, SIRT2 promotes cell death when cells are under severe stress. Therefore, mammalian SIRT2 responds to caloric restriction and oxidative stress to deacetylate FOXO transcription factors.

Although there is evidence for distinct roles of myeloid dendritic cells (DCs [mDCs]) and plasmacytoid pre-DCs (pDCs) in regulating T cell-mediated adaptive immunity, the concept of functional DC subsets has been questioned because of the lack of a molecular mechanism to explain these differences. In this study, we provide direct evidence that maturing mDCs and pDCs express different sets of molecules for T cell priming. Although both maturing mDCs and pDCs upregulate the expression of CD80 and CD86, only pDCs upregulate the expression of inducible costimulator ligand (ICOS-L) and maintain high expression levels upon differentiation into mature DCs. High ICOS-L expression endows maturing pDCs with the ability to induce the differentiation of naive CD4 T cells to produce interleukin-10 (IL-10) but not the T helper (Th)2 cytokines IL-4, -5, and -13. These IL-10-producing T cells are T regulatory cells, and their generation by ICOS-L is independent of pDC-driven Th1 and Th2 differentiation, although, in the later condition, some contribution from endogenous IL-4 cannot be completely ruled out. Thus, in contrast to mDCs, pDCs are poised to express ICOS-L upon maturation, which leads to the generation of IL-10-producing T regulatory cells. Our findings demonstrate that mDC and pDCs are intrinsically different in the expression of costimulatory molecules that drive distinct types of T cell responses.