RESUMO
Natural killer (NK) cells trigger cytotoxicity and interferon (IFN)-gamma secretion on engagement of the natural-killer group (NKG)2D receptor or members of the natural cytotoxicity receptor (NCR) family, such as NKp46, by ligands expressed on tumour cells. However, it remains unknown whether T cells can regulate NK cell-mediated anti-tumour responses. Here, we investigated the early events occurring during T cell-tumour cell interactions, and their impact on NK cell functions. We observed that on co-culture with some melanomas, activated CD4(+) T cells promoted degranulation, and NKG2D- and NKp46-dependent IFN-gamma secretion by NK cells, probably owing to the capture of NKG2D and NKp46 ligands from the tumour-cell surface (trogocytosis). This effect was observed in CD4(+), CD8(+) and resting T cells, which showed substantial amounts of cell surface major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related protein A on co-culture with tumour cells. Our findings identify a new, so far, unrecognized mechanism by which effector T cells support NK cell function through the capture of specific tumour ligands with profound implications at the crossroad of innate and adaptive immunity.
Assuntos
Células Matadoras Naturais/metabolismo , Subfamília K de Receptores Semelhantes a Lectina de Células NK/metabolismo , Receptor 1 Desencadeador da Citotoxicidade Natural/metabolismo , Neoplasias/imunologia , Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos/efeitos dos fármacos , Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos/imunologia , Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos/metabolismo , Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos/fisiologia , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/efeitos dos fármacos , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/imunologia , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/metabolismo , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/fisiologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Células Cultivadas , Citometria de Fluxo , Humanos , Interferon gama/metabolismo , Interleucina-2/farmacologia , Células Matadoras Naturais/imunologia , Células Matadoras Naturais/fisiologia , Microscopia Confocal , Mitógenos/farmacologia , Fito-Hemaglutininas/farmacologia , Linfócitos T/efeitos dos fármacos , Linfócitos T/metabolismo , Linfócitos T/fisiologiaRESUMO
Most tumors grow in immunocompetent hosts despite expressing NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs) such as the MHC class I chain-related genes A and B (MICA/B). However, their participation in tumor cell evasion is still not completely understood. Here we demonstrate that several human melanomas (cell lines and freshly isolated metastases) do not express MICA on the cell surface but have intracellular deposits of this NKG2DL. Susceptibility to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity correlated with the ratio of NKG2DLs to HLA class I molecules but not with the amounts of MICA on the cell surface of tumor cells. Transfection-mediated overexpression of MICA restored cell surface expression and resulted in an increased in vitro cytotoxicity and IFN-gamma secretion by human NK cells. In xenografted nude mice, these melanomas exhibited a delayed growth and extensive in vivo apoptosis. Retardation of tumor growth was due to NK cell-mediated antitumor activity against MICA-transfected tumors, given that this effect was not observed in NK cell-depleted mice. Also, mouse NK cells killed MICA-overexpressing melanomas in vitro. A mechanistic analysis revealed the retention of MICA in the endoplasmic reticulum, an effect that was associated with accumulation of endoH-sensitive (immature) forms of MICA, retrograde transport to the cytoplasm, and degradation by the proteasome. Our study identifies a novel strategy developed by melanoma cells to evade NK cell-mediated immune surveillance based on the intracellular sequestration of immature forms of MICA in the endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, this tumor immune escape strategy can be overcome by gene therapy approaches aimed at overexpressing MICA on tumor cells.
Assuntos
Citotoxicidade Imunológica/imunologia , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe I/imunologia , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intercelular/imunologia , Células Matadoras Naturais/imunologia , Melanoma/imunologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Proteínas Ligadas por GPI , Humanos , Melanoma/patologia , Melanoma/ultraestrutura , Microscopia Imunoeletrônica , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
NK cells express different TLRs, such as TLR3, TLR7, and TLR9, but little is known about their role in NK cell stimulation. In this study, we used specific agonists (poly(I:C), loxoribine, and synthetic oligonucleotides containing unmethylated CpG sequences to stimulate human NK cells without or with suboptimal doses of IL-12, IL-15, or IFN-alpha, and investigated the secretion of IFN-gamma, cytotoxicity, and expression of the activating receptor NKG2D. Poly(I:C) and loxoribine, in conjunction with IL-12, but not IL-15, triggered secretion of IFN-gamma. Inhibition of IFN-gamma secretion by chloroquine suggested that internalization of the TLR agonists was necessary. Also, secretion of IFN-gamma was dependent on MEK1/ERK, p38 MAPK, p70(S6) kinase, and NF-kappaB, but not on calcineurin. IFN-alpha induced a similar effect, but promoted lesser IFN-gamma secretion. However, cytotoxicity (51Cr release assays) against MHC class I-chain related A (MICA)- and MICA+ tumor targets remained unchanged, as well as the expression of the NKG2D receptor. Excitingly, IFN-gamma secretion was significantly increased when NK cells were stimulated with poly(I:C) or loxoribine and IL-12, and NKG2D engagement was induced by coculture with MICA+ tumor cells in a PI3K-dependent manner. We conclude that resting NK cells secrete high levels of IFN-gamma in response to agonists of TLR3 or TLR7 and IL-12, and this effect can be further enhanced by costimulation through NKG2D. Hence, integration of the signaling cascades that involve TLR3, TLR7, IL-12, and NKG2D emerges as a critical step to promote IFN-gamma-dependent NK cell-mediated effector functions, which could be a strategy to promote Th1-biased immune responses in pathological situations such as cancer.