Effect of Neisserial Porin in Immune Cell Apoptosis

奈瑟球菌孔蛋白（淋球菌蛋白I [PIA或PIB]或脑膜炎球菌1类[PorA]、2或3类[PorB]蛋白）是奈瑟球菌外膜的主要蛋白质成分。 我们先前已经证明奈瑟氏菌孔蛋白激活B淋巴细胞，增加共刺激配体B7-2的表面表达，这提高了B细胞“共刺激”T淋巴细胞的能力。 B7-2表达的诱导与孔蛋白的佐剂能力直接相关。 在这项工作的过程中，我们发现，当激活B细胞时，孔蛋白降低了这些B细胞对激活诱导的细胞死亡（AICD）或凋亡的易感性。 我们发现，抗凋亡作用是由于孔蛋白与线粒体（凋亡细胞死亡的中心控制点）的直接相互作用。 免疫沉淀实验表明，PorB与线粒体孔蛋白VDAC相互作用。 我们假设，这种VDAC-奈瑟球菌孔蛋白蛋白-蛋白相互作用（类似于VDAC与抗凋亡分子Bcl-2的相互作用）是孔蛋白抗凋亡作用的原因。 这种相互作用导致细胞存活的增强和B细胞的持续活化，这将增强B细胞参与特异性免疫应答。因此，这种抗凋亡作用可能是孔蛋白免疫增强能力的潜在额外机制。 该提案将研究奈瑟菌孔蛋白对B细胞、上皮细胞和其他细胞类型对凋亡的易感性的影响。 基本目的包括1）检查奈瑟氏球菌孔蛋白与线粒体和线粒体VDAC的相互作用，2）确定细胞培养条件（特别是血清提取）的改变是否可以改变孔蛋白对细胞凋亡的影响，以及这是否与细胞ATP水平的变化有关，以及3）确定完整奈瑟氏球菌生物体对细胞凋亡的影响，以及孔蛋白是否可能在该影响中起作用。 这些研究将产生重要的发现，可以阐明Por（以及潜在的其他细菌组分）的免疫刺激作用，从而更好地使用Por作为疫苗佐剂。 此外，这些结果可能对奈瑟球菌的发病机制有重要意义，特别是因为我们有新的初步数据表明，完整的活脑膜炎球菌也可以保护细胞免于凋亡。

Neisserial porins (gonococcal Protein I [PIA or PIB] or meningococcal class 1 [PorA], 2 or 3 [PorB] proteins) are the major protein constituents of the Neisserial outer membrane. We have previously demonstrated that the Neisserial porins activate B lymphocytes, increasing the surface expression of the costimulatory ligand B7-2, which improves the B cell's ability to "costimulate" T lymphocytes. The induction of B7-2 expression is directly related to the porins' adjuvant ability. During the course of this work, we have discovered that the porins, when activating B cells, decreased the susceptibility of these B cells to activation induced cell death (AICD) or apoptosis. We found that the anti-apoptotic effect is due to a direct interaction of the porin with mitochondria (a central control point for apoptotic cell death). Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that PorB interacts with the mitochondrial porin, VDAC. We hypothesize that this VDAC-Neisserial porin protein-protein interaction, which is similar to that of VDAC with the anti- apoptotic molecule Bcl-2, is responsible for the anti-apoptotic effect of the porins. This interaction results in an enhancement of cell survival and continued activation of B cells, which would potentiate the B cells' involvement in specific immune responses. Therefore, it is possible that this anti-apoptotic effect is a potential additional mechanism of the porins' immunopotentiating ability. This proposal will investigate the effect of Neisserial porins on the susceptibility of B cells, epithelial cells and other cell types to apoptosis. The basic aims include 1) examining the interaction of Neisserial porin with mitochondria and mitochondrial VDAC, 2) determining if alterations in cell culture conditions (especially serum withdrawal) can alter the effect of porins on apoptosis and whether this could be related to changes in cellular ATP levels and 3) determining the effect of intact Neisserial organisms on apoptosis and whether porin might play a role in this effect. These studies will yield significant findings that could both elucidate the immune stimulatory effect of Por (and potentially other bacterial components), allowing for the better use of Por as a vaccine adjuvant. In addition, these results can have significant implications in Neisserial pathogenesis, especially since we have new preliminary data that intact live meningococci can also protect cells from apoptosis.