Publications

Leishmania major are intramacrophage parasites whose eradication requires the induction of T helper 1 (Th1) effector cells capable of activating macrophages to a microbicidal state. Interleukin 12 (IL-12) has been recently identified as a macrophage-derived cytokine capable of mediating Th1 effector cell development, and of markedly enhancing interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) production by T cells and natural killer cells. Infection of macrophages in vitro by promastigotes of L. major caused no induction of IL-12 p40 transcripts, whereas stimulation using heat-killed Listeria or bacterial lipopolysaccharide induced readily detectable IL-12 mRNA. Using a competitor construct to quantitate a number of transcripts, a kinetic analysis of cytokine induction during the first few days of infection by L. major was performed. All strains of mice examined, including susceptible BALB/c and resistant C57BL/6, B10.D2, and C3H/HeN, had the appearance of a CD4+ population in the draining lymph nodes that contained transcripts for IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-gamma (and in some cases, IL-10) that peaked 4 d after infection. In resistant mice, the transcripts for IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10 were subsequently downregulated, whereas in susceptible BALB/c mice, these transcripts were only slightly decreased, and IL-4 continued to be reexpressed at high levels. IL-12 transcripts were first detected in vivo by 7 d after infection, consistent with induction by intracellular amastigotes. Challenge of macrophages in vitro confirmed that amastigotes, in contrast to promastigotes, induced IL-12 p40 mRNA. Reexamination of the cytokine mRNA at 4 d revealed expression of IL-13 in all strains analyzed, suggesting that IL-2 and IL-13 may mediate the IL-12-independent production of IFN-gamma during the first days after infection. Leishmania have evolved to avoid inducing IL-12 from host macrophages during transmission from the insect vector, and cause a striking induction of mRNAs for IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13 in CD4+ T cells. Each of these activities may favor survival of the organism.

Matrilysin, a member of the matrix metalloproteinase family, is structurally different from the other matrix metalloproteinases by virtue of the absence of a conserved COOH-terminal protein domain. In addition, matrilysin mRNA is regulated in a specific and distinct manner in normal and malignant tissues. Analysis of the genomic structure of the human matrilysin gene revealed that the organization of the first five exons is highly conserved among the different members of the matrix metalloproteinase family, but that matrilysin contains an atypical sixth exon. The promoter region of the matrilysin gene has several features that are conserved among several other matrix metalloproteinase family members, including the presence of TATA, AP-1, and PEA3 elements. Comparison of the expression of the human matrilysin promoter with rat stromelysin promoter/chloramphenicol acetyltransferase constructs in HeLa cells revealed that constructs containing AP-1 and PEA3 elements respond similarly to epidermal growth factor and tumor promoter (12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate) induction, but that the addition of upstream stromelysin sequences results in an increased transcriptional activity not observed with upstream matrilysin sequences. The similarities and differences observed between the promoters of matrilysin and the other metalloproteinases may provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that regulate the expression of this family of enzymes as a whole and the factors that distinguish the expression patterns of individual family members.