TY - JOUR
T1 - Inhibition of serine-peptidase activity enhances the generation of a survivin-derived HLA-A2-presented CTL epitope in colon-carcinoma cells
AU - Preta, G.
AU - Marescotti, D.
AU - Fortini, C.
AU - Carcoforo, P.
AU - Castelli, C.
AU - Masucci, M.
AU - Gavioli, R.
PY - 2008/12
Y1 - 2008/12
N2 - Cytotoxic T lymphocytes eliminate tumor cells expressing antigenic peptides in the context of MHC-I molecules. Peptides are generated during protein degradation by the proteasome and resulting products, surviving cytosolic amino-peptidases activity, may be presented by MHC-I molecules. The MHC-I processing pathway is altered in a large number of malignancies and modulation of antigen generation is one strategy employed by cells to evade immune control. In this study we analyzed the generation and presentation of a survivin-derived CTL epitope in HLA-A2-positive colon-carcinoma cells. Although all cell lines expressed the anti-apoptotic protein survivin, some tumors were poorly recognized by ELTLGEFLKL (ELT)-specific CTL cultures. The expression of MHC-I or TAP molecules was similar in all cell lines suggesting that tumors not recognized by CTLs may present defects in the generation of the ELT-epitope which could be due either to lack of generation or to subsequent degradation of the epitope. The cells were analyzed for the expression and the activity of extra-proteasomal peptidases. A significant overexpression and higher activity of TPPII was observed in colon-carcinoma cells which are not killed by ELT-specific CTLs, suggesting a possible role of TPPII in the degradation of the ELT-epitope. To confirm the role of TPPII in the degradation of the ELT-peptide, we showed that treatment of colon-carcinoma cells with a TPPII inhibitor resulted in a dose-dependent increased sensitivity to ELT-specific CTLs. These results suggest that TPPII is involved in degradation of the ELT-peptide, and its overexpression may contribute to the immune escape of colon-carcinoma cells.
AB - Cytotoxic T lymphocytes eliminate tumor cells expressing antigenic peptides in the context of MHC-I molecules. Peptides are generated during protein degradation by the proteasome and resulting products, surviving cytosolic amino-peptidases activity, may be presented by MHC-I molecules. The MHC-I processing pathway is altered in a large number of malignancies and modulation of antigen generation is one strategy employed by cells to evade immune control. In this study we analyzed the generation and presentation of a survivin-derived CTL epitope in HLA-A2-positive colon-carcinoma cells. Although all cell lines expressed the anti-apoptotic protein survivin, some tumors were poorly recognized by ELTLGEFLKL (ELT)-specific CTL cultures. The expression of MHC-I or TAP molecules was similar in all cell lines suggesting that tumors not recognized by CTLs may present defects in the generation of the ELT-epitope which could be due either to lack of generation or to subsequent degradation of the epitope. The cells were analyzed for the expression and the activity of extra-proteasomal peptidases. A significant overexpression and higher activity of TPPII was observed in colon-carcinoma cells which are not killed by ELT-specific CTLs, suggesting a possible role of TPPII in the degradation of the ELT-epitope. To confirm the role of TPPII in the degradation of the ELT-peptide, we showed that treatment of colon-carcinoma cells with a TPPII inhibitor resulted in a dose-dependent increased sensitivity to ELT-specific CTLs. These results suggest that TPPII is involved in degradation of the ELT-peptide, and its overexpression may contribute to the immune escape of colon-carcinoma cells.
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2008.02175.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2008.02175.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 19000094
AN - SCOPUS:55349085800
VL - 68
SP - 579
EP - 588
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Immunology
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Immunology
SN - 0300-9475
IS - 6
ER -