title: Brucella abortus regulates bovine macrophage-T-cell interaction by major histocompatibility complex class II and interleukin-1 expression.
abstract: T-cell activation is dependent on nominal antigen associated with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules and interleukin-1 (IL-1), both provided by antigen-presenting cells. We have studied the effects of Brucella abortus and recombinant bovine gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) on bovine macrophage expression of MHC class II and IL-1 molecules and subsequent T-cell proliferation in response to B. abortus. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cocultured with B. abortus and IFN-gamma, increasing amounts of IFN-gamma, from 1 to 100 U/ml, down regulated T-cell proliferation. Expression of MHC class II molecules on macrophages was increased independently by IFN-gamma or B. abortus treatment. Thus, class II molecule expression was not the cause of down regulation of T-cell proliferation as observed in other systems. However, B. abortus-IFN-gamma-treated macrophages obtained from overnight cultures had minimal membrane IL-1 compared with macrophages treated with B. abortus alone. Loss of membrane IL-1 required IFN-gamma and the o-polysaccharide of the lipopolysaccharide. IFN-gamma at 1 U/ml in combination with B. abortus produced a 32% decrease in T-cell response, while IFN-gamma at 100 U/ml added to B. abortus-treated cultures produced an 82% reduction in T-cell response. Membrane IL-1 levels were not altered when recombinant bovine IFN-alpha or the rough strain 45/20 of B. abortus, which lacks the o-polysaccharide, was used. Secreted IL-1 levels were unaffected by IFN-gamma and B. abortus treatment. The addition of recombinant bovine IL-1 beta (0.001 to 0.1 ng/ml) to B. abortus- and IFN-gamma-treated cultures failed to provide a signal necessary for T-cell proliferation. These data suggest that membrane IL-1 has a key role in T-cell activation in response to B. abortus. When the o-polysaccharide of B. abortus lipopolysaccharide is combined with IFN-gamma at an inappropriate time during an immune response, T-cell proliferation is prevented and cannot be restored by the addition of exogenous IL-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Splitter
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Everlith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002003:Brucella abortus / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D002450:Cell Communication; D002460:Cell Line; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013045:Species Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007375:Interleukin-1; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma