Structure and Functionof a Parasitic TGF-beta Mimic, TGM

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Project Summary Helminth parasites are a threat to global health, with nearly one-third of the world’s population currently infected, constituting a high disease burden amongst both humans and animals alike. The high prevalence of helminths can be attributed to their ability to manipulate and evade their host’s immune system using secreted immunomodulatory molecules. Thus, understanding the mechanisms behind immune evasion is key to therapeutic intervention. The mouse gastrointestinal parasite Heligmosomoides polygyrus is a model for parasitic immunoregulation; infection results in the conversion of naïve CD4+ T-cells into Foxp3+ regulatory T- cells (Tregs) and their expansion, which act to broadly suppress the host immune system. Only upon reduction of this Treg population are mice able to expel the parasite, demonstrating that the parasite requires this increased population of Foxp3+ Tregs for persistence in its host. Through an ongoing collaboration with the Maizels lab, our labs have determined that the parasite is using a set of secreted complement control proteins (CCP) to incite host immune hyporesponsiveness through mimicry of the transforming growth factor β isoforms (TGF-). The TGF-β isoforms have essential roles in maintenance of the adaptive immune system, with TGF-β known to be the major cytokine responsible for the conversion of naïve CD4+ T-cells into Tregs and expansion of the Treg population. This immunosuppression is important in maintaining immune tolerance, but also promotes soft tissue cancer progression by enabling oncogenic evasion of the immune system. Though lacking sequence and structural similarity to TGF-β, the founding member of the parasitic protein family identified by the Maizels group, TGM1, has been shown to directly bind to the mammalian TGF-β receptors, and along with two close homologues, TGM2 and TGM4, upregulate the Treg population. Identifying the residues and protein motifs responsible for binding the TGF- receptors can be used to engineer forms of TGM for: 1) anti-parasitics that block the interaction between TGM family members and the TGF-β family receptors, and 2) TGF- receptor kinase inhibitors for cancer immunotherapy. In this proposal, we will determine how two members of the TGM family, TGM1 and TGM4, bind and assemble the TGF-β receptors to activate the TGF- pathway, providing insight into parasitic molecular mimicry. The structure of TGM1 domains (Aim 1) and TGM4 (Aim 2) domains alone and in complex with their cognate TGF-β family receptors will be determined through NMR, X- ray crystallography, and ITC/SPR binding studies. Residues that contribute greatest to receptor binding will be identified through residue-specific substitution and ITC/SPR binding studies (Aim 1, 2). In addition, we will leverage this structural information to engineer an Fc-fusion construct of TGM with selective binding to the TGF-β type I receptor, and test for inhibition of TGF-β Smad signaling and Foxp3+ Treg induction through functional studies in cultured TGF- reporter cell lines and murine spleen-derived Tregs (Aim 3) for use as adjuncts in cancer immunotherapy.