Heat-shock proteins expressed on the surface of human T cell leukemia virus type I-infected cell lines induce autoantibodies in rabbits.
Eight human T cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I)-infected cell lines were derived in vitro from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 8 rabbits. Each rabbit was then inoculated with its own HTLV-I-transformed cells, after which all but 1 rabbit had anti-heat-shock protein (hsp) antibodies in sera. Cell line RH/K34, which failed to raise a response to hsp70, caused lethal leukemia when > 2 x 10(8) live cells were injected into unrelated outbred rabbits. Rabbits injected with cell-free virus isolated from RH/K34 cells produced anti-hsp70 antibodies and became infected but developed no fatal disease. ELISA inhibition and flow cytometry analyses indicated that hsp molecules are expressed on the surface of RH/K34 and RH/K30, a nonlethal HTLV-I cell line used for comparison; surface hsp expression does not occur normally. Two proteins of approximately 72 and 93 kDa were detected by Western blot in extracts of RH/K30 cells. Presence of anti-hsp70 antibodies correlated with resistance to lethal doses of live RH/K34 cells, suggesting that hsp immunity may influence the outcome of RH/K34 pathogenicity.
Chouchane
L
L
Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Bowers
F S
FS
Sawasdikosol
S
S
Simpson
R M
RM
Kindt
T J
TJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001323:Autoantibodies; D000939:Epitopes; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D010455:Peptides