title: Development of a nascent galectin-1 chimeric molecule for studying the role of leukocyte galectin-1 ligands and immune disease modulation.
abstract: Galectin-1 (Gal-1), a β-galactoside-binding lectin, plays a profound role in modulating adaptive immune responses by altering the phenotype and fate of T cells. Experimental data showing recombinant Gal-1 (rGal-1) efficacy on T cell viability and cytokine production, nevertheless, is controversial due to the necessity of using stabilizing chemicals to help retain Gal-1 structure and function. To address this drawback, we developed a mouse Gal-1 human Ig chimera (Gal-1hFc) that did not need chemical stabilization for Gal-1 ligand recognition, apoptosis induction, and cytokine modulation in a variety of leukocyte models. At high concentrations, Gal-1hFc induced apoptosis in Gal-1 ligand(+) Th1 and Th17 cells, leukemic cells, and granulocytes from synovial fluids of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Importantly, at low, more physiologic concentrations, Gal-1hFc retained its homodimeric form without losing functionality. Not only did Gal-1hFc-binding trigger IL-10 and Th2 cytokine expression in activated T cells, but members of the CD28 family and several other immunomodulatory molecules were upregulated. In a mouse model of contact hypersensitivity, we found that a non-Fc receptor-binding isoform of Gal-1hFc, Gal-1hFc2, alleviated T cell-dependent inflammation by increasing IL-4(+), IL-10(+), TGF-β(+), and CD25(high)/FoxP3(+) T cells, and by decreasing IFN-γ(+) and IL-17(+) T cells. Moreover, in human skin-resident T cell cultures, Gal-1hFc diminished IL-17(+) T cells and increased IL-4(+) and IL-10(+) T cells. Gal-1hFc will not only be a useful new tool for investigating the role of Gal-1 ligands in leukocyte death and cytokine stimulation, but for studying how Gal-1-Gal-1 ligand binding shapes the intensity of immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Filiberto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cedeno-Laurent
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Barthel
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Opperman
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Rachael A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Dimitroff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000276:immunology*; D037483:Galectin 1 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008024:Ligands; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D037483:Galectin 1; D008024:Ligands; D011994:Recombinant Proteins