High TCL1 expression and intact T-cell receptor signaling define a hyperproliferative subset of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia

The T-cell leukemia 1 (TCL1) oncoprotein is overexpressed by chromosomal rearrangement in the majority of cases of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL). In vitro, TCL1 can modulate the activity of the serine-threonine kinase AKT, a downstream effector of T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling. In a series of 86 T-PLL tumors, we show that expression of TCR, and levels of TCL1 and activated AKT are adverse prognostic markers. High-level TCL1 in TCR-expressing T-PLL is associated with higher presenting white blood cell counts, faster tumor cell doubling, and enhanced in vitro growth response to TCR engagement. In primary tumors and TCL1-transfected T-cell lines, TCR engagement leads to rapid recruitment of TCL1 and AKT to transient membrane activation complexes that include TCR-associated tyrosine kinases, including LCK. Pharmacologic inhibition of AKT activation alters the localization, stability, and levels of these transient TCL1-AKT complexes and reduces tumor cell growth. Experimental introduction and knockdown of TCL1 influence the kinetics and strength of TCR-mediated AKT activation. We propose that in T-PLL, TCL1 represents a highly regulated, targetable modulator of TCR-mediated AKT growth signaling.     

Antigen-driven T cell anergy and defective memory T cell response via deregulated Rap1 activation in SPA-1-deficient mice

SPA-1 is a principal Rap1 GTPase-activating protein in the hematopoietic progenitors and peripheral T cells, and SPA-1-deficient mice develop a spectrum of myeloproliferative stem cell disorders of late onset. In the present study, we show that SPA-1-deficient mice develop age-dependent T cell unresponsiveness preceding the myeloid disorders, whereas the T cell numbers remained unchanged. Progression of the T cell dysfunction was attributed to the age-dependent increase in CD44high T cell population that was unresponsive to T cell receptor stimulation. Younger SPA-1-deficient mice exhibited selectively impaired recall T cell responses against a T-dependent antigen with normal primary antibody response. These results suggested that the unresponsiveness of CD44high T cells was antigen-driven in vivo. T cells from younger SPA-1-/- mice showed much greater and more persisted Rap1 activation by anti-CD3 stimulation than control T cells. Furthermore, freshly isolated T cells from SPA-1-/- mice exhibited progressive accumulation of Rap1GTP as mice aged. T cells from aged SPA-1-/- mice with high amounts of Rap1GTP showed normal or even enhanced Ras activation with little extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation in response to anti-CD3 stimulation, indicating that excess Rap1GTP induced the uncoupling of Ras-mediated extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation. These results suggested that antigenic activation of na?ve T cells in SPA-1-/- mice was followed by anergic rather than memory state due to the defective down-regulation of Rap1 activation, resulting in the age-dependent progression of overall T cell immunodeficiency.     

Increased Wnt signaling triggers oncogenic conversion of human breast epithelial cells by a Notch-dependent mechanism

Wnt and Notch signaling have long been established as strongly oncogenic in the mouse mammary gland. Aberrant expression of several Wnts and other components of this pathway in human breast carcinomas has been reported, but evidence for a causative role in the human disease has been missing. Here we report that increased Wnt signaling, as achieved by ectopic expression of Wnt-1, triggers the DNA damage response (DDR) and an ensuing cascade of events resulting in tumorigenic conversion of primary human mammary epithelial cells. Wnt-1-transformed cells have high telomerase activity and compromised p53 and Rb function, grow as spheres in suspension, and in mice form tumors that closely resemble medullary carcinomas of the breast. Notch signaling is up-regulated through a mechanism involving increased expression of the Notch ligands Dll1, Dll3, and Dll4 and is required for expression of the tumorigenic phenotype. Increased Notch signaling in primary human mammary epithelial cells is sufficient to reproduce some aspects of Wnt-induced transformation. The relevance of these findings for human breast cancer is supported by the fact that expression of Wnt-1 and Wnt-4 and of established Wnt target genes, such as Axin-2 and Lef-1, as well as the Notch ligands, such as Dll3 and Dll4, is up-regulated in human breast carcinomas.     

Essential role of Epac2/Rap1 signaling in regulation of insulin granule dynamics by cAMP

cAMP is well known to regulate exocytosis in various secretory cells, but the precise mechanism of its action remains unknown. Here, we examine the role of cAMP signaling in the exocytotic process of insulin granules in pancreatic beta cells. Although activation of cAMP signaling alone does not cause fusion of the granules to the plasma membrane, it clearly potentiates both the first phase (a prompt, marked, and transient increase) and the second phase (a moderate and sustained increase) of glucose-induced fusion events. Interestingly, all granules responsible for this potentiation are newly recruited and immediately fused to the plasma membrane without docking (restless newcomer). Importantly, cAMP-potentiated fusion events in the first phase of glucose-induced exocytosis are markedly reduced in mice lacking the cAMP-binding protein Epac2 (Epac2(ko/ko)). In addition, the small GTPase Rap1, which is activated by cAMP specifically through Epac2 in pancreatic beta cells, mediates cAMP-induced insulin secretion in a protein kinase A-independent manner. We also have developed a simulation model of insulin granule movement in which potentiation of the first phase is associated with an increase in the insulin granule density near the plasma membrane. Taken together, these data indicate that Epac2/Rap1 signaling is essential in regulation of insulin granule dynamics by cAMP, most likely by controlling granule density near the plasma membrane.     

Characterization of T cells immortalized by Tax1 of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1

Peripheral blood T cells were immortalized in vitro by introduction of the Tax1 gene of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) with a retroviral vector and were characterized for transformation-associated markers. Long-term observation showed that these Tax1-immortalized T cells eventually exhibited very similar features that were characteristic of HTLV-1-immortalized T cells, ie, increased expression of egr-1, c-fos, IL-2R alpha, and Lyn and decreased expression of Lck and cell-surface CD3 antigen. Among these changes, an increase in the expression of Lyn and a decrease in the expression of Lck and cell- surface CD3 antigen were observed only in Tax1-immortalized T cells after long-term culture. The expression level of Tax1 protein did not differ significantly between early and late passage of cells, and the cellular clonality was found to be the same by the analysis of the retroviral vector integration site and the T-cell receptor beta-chain gene rearrangement pattern. These changes in the expression of Lyn, Lck, and cell-surface CD3 antigen probably resulted from indirect effects of Tax1 that appeared after extended culture.     

Adult T-cell leukemia with Ki-1 expression]

A 64-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of fever and edema in February, 1990. Lymph node biopsy revealed diffuse lymphoma pleomorphic type according to the LSG classification. On hematological examination, leukocyte count was 23,500/microliters, of which 36% abnormal lymphocytes expressing CD2, CD3, CD4 and CD25 as same as the lymph node cells. Anti-HTLV-I antibody in serum was positive. From these data, the diagnosis of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) was made. ATL cells in the blood and lymph node expressed CD30 (Ki-1). CD30 positive ATL cells derived from the blood was increased after short-term culture. The induction of Ki-1 antigen in cell lines and short-term cultured cells from ATL patients was accompanied by the appearance of the HTLV-I related antigen. Then, we suggest that there was some relation between expression of the Ki-1 antigen and activation by HTLV-I in ATL cells.     

T-cell activation by autologous human T-cell leukemia virus type I-infected T-cell clones.

A unique feature of both human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) carriers and subjects with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a chronic inflammatory disease of the nervous system, is the presence of large numbers of activated T cells that spontaneously proliferate in vitro. We have investigated the mechanisms of T-cell activation by HTLV-I in freshly isolated blood T cells and in naturally infected T-cell clones obtained by direct single-cell cloning from patients with HAM/TSP. Both CD4+ and CD8+ HTLV-I-infected T-cell clones showed the unusual ability to proliferate in the absence of exogenous interleukin 2 (IL-2). Nevertheless, HTLV-I-infected clones were not transformed, as they required periodic restimulation with phytohemagglutinin and feeder cells for long-term growth. Irradiated or fixed HTLV-I-infected clones were found to induce the proliferation of blood T cells when cocultured, which we refer to as THTLV-1-T cell activation. This THTLV-1-T cell-mediated activation was blocked by monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CD2/lymphocyte function-associated molecule 3 (LFA-3), LFA-1/intercellular cell-adhesion molecule (ICAM), and the IL-2 receptor but not by mAbs against class I or class II major histocompatibility complex molecules, HTLV-I gp46, or a high-titer HAM/TSP serum. Spontaneous proliferation of blood T cells from HAM/TSP patients could also be inhibited by mAbs to CD2/LFA-3, LFA-1/ICAM and to the IL-2 receptor (CD25). These results show at the clonal level that HTLV-I infection induces T-cell activation and that such activated T cells can in turn stimulate noninfected T cells by cognate THTLV-1-T cell interactions involving the CD2 pathway.     

Diacylglycerol kinase iota regulates Ras guanyl-releasing protein 3 and inhibits Rap1 signaling

To study the physiological function of diacylglycerol (DAG) kinase iota (DGKiota), which converts DAG to phosphatidic acid, we deleted this gene in mice. In contrast to previous studies showing that DGK isoforms decrease Ras activity, signaling downstream of Ras in embryonic fibroblasts was significantly reduced in cells lacking DGKiota. DGKs regulate Ras signaling by attenuating the function of the DAG-dependent Ras guanyl nucleotide-releasing proteins (RasGRPs). We tested whether DGKiota inhibited the four known RasGRPs and found that it inhibited only RasGRP3. In addition to activating Ras, RasGRP3 also activates Rap1, which in some cases can antagonize the function of Ras. We demonstrate that DGKiota bound to RasGRP3 and inhibited its activation of Rap1 by metabolizing DAG. This inhibition consequently affected Ras signaling. We tested the physiological consequence of deleting DGKiota by crossing wild-type or DGKiota-deficient mice with mice carrying a v-Ha-Ras transgene, and then we assessed tumor formation. We observed significantly fewer tumors in DGKiota-deficient mice. Because Rap1 can antagonize the function of Ras, our data are consistent with a model in which DGKiota regulates RasGRP3 with a predominant effect on Rap1 activity. Additionally, we found that DGKzeta, which is structurally similar to DGKiota, inhibited RasGRPs 1, 3, and 4 and predominantly affected Ras signaling. Thus, type IV DGKs regulate RasGRPs, but the downstream effects differ depending on the DGK.     

Interleukin-4 inhibits the production of interleukin-1 by adult T-cell leukemia cells

Abstract: Freshly isolated leukemic cells from patients with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) produce high levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1), which is believed to play an important role in neutrophilia, elevation of C-reactive protein, osteolytic bone lesions, hypercalcemia, and fever in ATL. However, relatively little is known regarding the regulatory mechanism of IL-1 production in ATL. Interleukin-4 (IL-4) affects the monocytes- and neoplastic cells-mediated cytokine production. In this study, we investigated the effect of IL-4 on IL-1 α and IL-1 β production by ATL cells in vitro. IL-4 was found to markedly inhibit the release of IL-1 α and IL-1 β into the conditioned medium in a dose-dependent manner. Northern blot analysis of steady-state IL-1 mRNA demonstrated that IL-4 treatment of ATL cells resulted in a reduction of IL-1 mRNA. These results support the notion that ATL cells spontaneously produce IL-1 α and IL-1 β; however, such production can be inhibited by the immunomodulating agent, IL-4. IL-4 may play an important regulatory role in the production of IL-1 in ATL.     

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma on a background of clonally expanding human T-cell leukemia virus type-1-positive cells

Tumorous and nontumorous samples from patients with various forms of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) were analyzed using the sensitive inverse polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. In all samples, oligoclonal expansion of human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV)-1 bearing T cells were detected, even for the tumorous samples that were mainly monoclonal by Southern blotting. For one case of smouldering ATLL, chemotherapy apparently reduced the number of detectable clones. Taken together with similar data on asymptomatic and symptomatic HTLV-1 carriers without malignancy, it would appear that ATLL appears on a prior background of HTLV-1-initiated oligoclonal expansion.     

Strength of PD-1 signaling differentially affects T-cell effector functions

High surface expression of programmed death 1 (PD-1) is associated with T-cell exhaustion; however, the relationship between PD-1 expression and T-cell dysfunction has not been delineated. We developed a model to study PD-1 signaling in primary human T cells to study how PD-1 expression affected T-cell function. By determining the number of T-cell receptor/peptide-MHC complexes needed to initiate a Ca²⁺ flux, we found that PD-1 ligation dramatically shifts the dose–response curve, making T cells much less sensitive to T-cell receptor–generated signals. Importantly, other T-cell functions were differentially sensitive to PD-1 expression. We observed that high levels of PD-1 expression were required to inhibit macrophage inflammatory protein 1 beta production, lower levels were required to block cytotoxicity and IFN-γ production, and very low levels of PD-1 expression could inhibit TNF-α and IL-2 production as well as T-cell expansion. These findings provide insight into the role of PD-1 expression in enforcing T-cell exhaustion and the therapeutic potential of PD-1 blockade.