Toxoplasma gondii est un parasite protozoaire intracellulaire obligatoire, et est l’agent responsable de la toxoplasmose, une parasitose habituellement bénigne chez le sujet immunocompétent ou en dehors d'une grossesse. Lorsqu’elle est congénitale, la toxoplasmose peut se manifester par de malformations neurologiques sévères. Cette maladie se développe sous deux formes. La première comprend à la phase aigüe provoquée par l’expansion de la population de tachyzoites qui peuvent provoquer des malformations chez le fœtus. La seconde est dite chronique et asymptomatique, le bradyzoite est y présent sous forme de kystes. Une réactivation des bradyzoites en tachyzoites peut être fatale pour les patients immunodéprimés. L’interconversion tachyzoïte-bradyzoïte est donc au centre de la pathogénèse de cette zoonose. L’interconversion est régulée au niveau transcriptionnel, avec un contrôle épigénétique strict. In vitro, il a été montré que l’inhibition de l’histone déacétylase TgHDAC3 par FR235222 induit la conversion. Dans cette thèse, nous avons étudiés un nouveau composé I2, ayant des propriétés agissant également sur les HDACs. Nous démontrons que ce composé inhibe la croissance chez toutes les souches de T. gondii, sans pour autant induire la différenciation tachyzoïte-bradyzoïte. Par contre, le composé I2 induit une déformation de la vacuole, qui prend l’apparence d’une bulle, uniquement chez certaines souches de T. gondii. D’après les expériences effectuées la distorsion de la vacuole n’interfère ne s’apparente pas à une paroi kystique. Un criblage génétique a permis de définir une région génomique responsable du phénotype « bulle » de la vacuole. En l’état actuel le gène responsable reste à être identifié ainsi que les mécanismes qui participent à la distorsion de la vacuole. Parallèlement, un autre projet a été initié sur la base d’une étude de gènes impliqués dans la croissance et/ou dans la résistance à l’IFNγ, cytokine principale de défense contre le parasite. Un gène a été étudié. La délétion de ce celui-ci chez le parasite provoque un défaut de croissance et de manière surprenante une résistance à un traitement à l’IFNγ. Ce gène et son mode de fonctionnement restent à être étudié. Ensemble, ces travaux nous montrent une adaptation de T. gondii à son environnement et le développement de mécanismes de survie qui restent à être élucidés. / Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, and is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, a benign parasitosis in immunocompetent or non-pregnant subjects. When congenital, toxoplasmosis can manifest as severe neurological malformations. This disease develops in two forms. The first includes the phase caused by the rise of the population of tachyzoites that can cause malformations in the fetus. The second is chronic and asymptomatic, bradyzoite is in the form of cysts. Reactivation of bradyzoites into tachyzoites may be fatal for immunocompromised patients. Tachyzoite-bradyzoite interconversion is therefore at the center of the pathogenesis of this zoonosis. Interconversion is regulated at the transcriptional level, with strict epigenetic control. In vitro, inhibition of histone deacetylase TgHDAC3 by FR235222 has been shown to induce conversion. In this thesis, we have studied a new compound I2, with properties that also act on HDACs. We demonstrate that this compound inhibits growth in all T. gondii strains, but does not induce tachyzoite-bradyzoite differentiation. On the other hand, the compound I2 induces a deformation of the vacuole, which takes the appearance of a bubble, only in certain strains of T. gondii. From the experiments carried out the distortion of the vacuole does not interfere with a cystic wall. Genetic screening has defined a genomic region responsible for the bubble phenotype of the vacuole. In the current state the responsible gene remains to be identified as well as the mechanisms that participate in the distortion of the vacuole. In parallel, another project was initiated on the basis of a study of genes involved in the growth and / or resistance to IFNγ, the main cytokine of defense against the parasite. A gene has been studied. The deletion of this one in the parasite causes a growth defect and, surprisingly, resistance to treatment with IFNγ. This gene and its mode of operation remain to be studied. Together, these works show us an adaptation of T. gondii to its environment and the development of mechanisms of survival that remain to be elucidated.

Methylation controlled J protein (MCJ) is a negative regulator of mitochondrial metabolism that has a substantial impact on overall cell metabolism and function. MCJ is highly expressed by naïve CD8+ T cells, however its role in their immune effector functions was unknown. In this dissertation, it will be demonstrated that MCJ restricts the mitochondrial metabolism of CD8+ T cells, in part by reducing respiratory supercomplex formation. MCJ deficiency enhances the immune effector functions and memory responses of CD8+ T cells in a mitochondrial ATP dependent manner. As a consequence, protection to influenza virus infection is substantially improved. Reduced expression of MCJ therefore promotes viral immunity, however the loss of MCJ is not always beneficial. In cancer, decreased MCJ expression is correlated with ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter mediated chemotherapy resistance and poor patient responses. This dissertation will also address the role of MCJ in chemoresistance. Increased mitochondrial ATP production due to MCJ deficiency is sufficient to fuel ABC transporter activity, thereby directly promoting chemoresistance. This can be reversed by restoration of MCJ function in chemoresistant cells. Overall, the results presented in this dissertation identify MCJ as a potential therapeutic target, as modulating MCJ expression can significantly affect the severity of viral infections and the responses to chemotherapy.

Semi-invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are critical components of the host immune response in peripheral tissues such as the lung, liver, and gut, and they play important roles in cancer, bacterial infections, autoimmunity, wound repair, and atherosclerosis. Tissue-resident iNKT cells exert their effects early in the developing immune response by rapidly producing a wide variety of cytokines and chemokines, and it was recently discovered that different tissues possess iNKT cell subsets that preferentially produce IFN-γ (NKT1), IL-4 (NKT2), or IL-17 (NKT17). Despite their critical role in the immune response, the mechanisms that regulate iNKT cell function in the periphery remain unclear. Signaling lymphocyte activation marker (SLAM) proteins are cell surface-expressed molecular switches that are expressed on all hematopoietic cells. The nine SLAM family receptors serve a variety of functions including promotion of cell-cell adhesion, regulation of cytokine production, co-stimulation, and inhibition. Importantly, SLAM family receptors are critical for the development of iNKT cells. Yet, numerous efforts to ascribe discrete roles of SLAM family receptors in iNKT cell function has proven difficult. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of SLAM family receptor co-expression on iNKT cell subsets in the lung, spleen, liver, and thymus and identified co-expression profiles that varied in a tissue and strain-dependent manner. Interestingly, we found that SLAM family receptor expression profiles varied among different iNKT cell subsets. In particular, we noted a close association of SLAMf6 expression with the NKT2 and NKT17 subsets in both the periphery and in the thymus. Further investigation using SLAMf6-deficient mice revealed a critical role for SLAMf6 in NKT2 and NKT17 subset development, and in iNKT IL-4 and IL-17 cytokine production in the periphery. This investigation also revealed that the SLAMf6high NKT2 and NKT17 subsets exhibited significantly higher proliferative capacity than the NKT1 subset and the NKT2 and NKT17 proliferation was dependent, in part, on SLAMf6 expression. Since Slam family genes are highly polymorphic, we next investigated whether these polymorphisms regulated iNKT function. We employed a B6.129 congenic mouse exhibiting impaired NKT cell function, in which a 6.6 Mbp 129/SvJ locus encompassing Slam genes was introgressed onto the C57BL/6 background. To test the hypothesis that Slam gene polymorphisms regulate iNKT cell function, we refined this genetic interval by generating B6.129 subcongenic lines and assessing iNKT cell function. Unexpectedly, we found that while Slam gene polymorphisms in this model do regulate iNKT cell function, the dominant regulator was in a 0.14 Mbp interval centromeric to the Slam genes. Further experimentation revealed that impaired iNKT cell development and function was associated with changes in the expression of Fcgr3 (Fc gamma receptor III) on iNKT cells, suggesting it as a novel candidate gene regulating iNKT cell function. Taken together, these data reveal for the first time a specific role for SLAMf6 on NKT2 and NKT17 subset development and function. In addition, these data identify Fcgr3 as a novel candidate gene that regulates iNKT cell subset development and cytokine production. Cumulatively, these data reveal the presence of discrete regulatory mechanisms at work in different iNKT subsets, a finding that has broad implications for our understanding of iNKT-cell mediated immunity.

CD4 and CD8 T cells play a vital role in mediating the clearance of viral pathogens following infection. Mice deficient- or depleted of their CD4 and/or CD8 T cells exhibit a diminished ability to control viral replication following infection and in some cases develop a persistent viral infection. CD8 T cells upregulate cytotoxic effector molecules such as granzyme B, Fas and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) that them to directly kill virus-infected cells. Following a systemic virus infection the CD8 T cell response is primed within secondary lymphoid organs, such as the spleen and lymph nodes (LNs). Although, it has been shown that the LNs are important for the generation of optimal CD8 T cell responses following systemic viral infections, the relative role of the spleen versus the LN in priming the CD8 T cell response is unknown. Studies in this thesis demonstrate that LNs, but not the spleen, are critical for the optimal generation of a CD8 T cell response following a systemic intraperitoneal (i.p.) lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection. Using adoptively transferred naïve LCMV-specific CD8 T cells, we demonstrate that the mediastinal LN (MedLN) serves as the initial draining LN and is responsible for priming the majority of the virus-specific CD8 T cell response following an i.p. LCMV infection. Moreover, the draining MedLN exhibits an increased frequency of CD62L- effector memory (TEM) CD8 T cells for up to 8 weeks following viral clearance. I demonstrate that the increased frequency of CD62L- TEM CD8 T cells is not due to residual viral antigen. Furthermore, a similar increase in CD62L- TEM CD8 T cells is found in the ipsilateral popliteal LN following a footpad LCMV infection. I demonstrate that the increased frequency of CD62L- TEM CD8 T cells in the draining LN is due to increased recruitment. CD4 T cells promote the generation of both effector and memory CD8 T cells either indirectly through their CD40-CD40L-dependent maturation of dendritic cells or through the production of cytokines such as IL-2 and IFN-γ that directly interact with CD8 T cells. CD4 T cells are also critical for the generation of germinal center B cells and promote the differentiation of activated B cells into memory B cells and plasma B cells. However, CD4 T cells often recognize epitopes derived from a broad array of pathogen-encoded proteins, making it difficult to accurately quantify the magnitude of virus-specific CD4 T cell responses. Therefore, I evaluated a large panel of activation and/or memory markers to determine a combination that could be used to reliably identify antigen-specific CD4 T cells following viral infection. I show that the integrins CD11a and CD49d are upregulated in an antigen-dependent manner on virus-specific CD4 T cells following LCMV infection. Furthermore, memory LCMV-specific CD4 T cells retain their CD11ahiCD49d+ expression pattern. Using CD11a and CD49d as surrogate makers for antigen-specific CD4 T cells, I show that approximately 50% of the CD4 T cells following LCMV infection are virus-specific, indicating that the virus-specific CD4 T cell response is substantially larger than previously recognized. Furthermore, I demonstrate that CD11a and CD49d can be used to accurately track newly-activated CD4 T cells following a heterologous virus challenge. In addition to LCMV, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-specific CD4 T cells are CD11ahiCD49d+. The two previously identified RSV CD4 T cell epitopes only account for ~3% of the CD11ahiCD49d+ CD4 T cell population during the peak of RSV infection, indicating that additional RSV-derived epitopes remain to be identified. Therefore, I used an overlapping peptide library spanning each of the RSV-derived proteins to identify novel RSV-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell epitopes. Using this approach, I identified 5 novel RSV-derived CD4 T cell epitopes and 4 novel CD8 T cell epitopes. Furthermore, I demonstrate that stimulation of CD4 T cells with 17-mer peptides results in over a 2-fold increase in the frequency of responding CD4 T cells as compared to stimulation with the commonly used 15-mer peptides. Collectively, the data shown here provides new insight into where and how the CD8 T cell response is initiated following a systemic virus infection, as well as provide a novel approach to track the endogenous CD4 T cell response following viral infections.

Demyelination in the CNS is known to involve several immune effector mechanisms, including complement proteins. For this dissertation project the central hypothesis that C3 and downstream effector complement proteins exacerbate demyelination through activation of glial cells was tested. To investigate the role of C3 and downstream complement proteins in demyelination and remyelination pathology in vivo we utilized the cuprizone model. We used C3 knockout mice (C3-/-), which are lacking the central C3 protein and subsequently all downstream complement effector proteins, and transgenic mice expressing C3a or C5a under the control of the glial GFAP promoter. Interestingly, we found no changes in demyelination or remyelination pathology between C3-/- and control mice. However, C3a and C5a transgenic mice had exacerbated demyelination and slightly delayed remyelination in the corpus callosum compared to WT mice. Transgenic mice had increased cellularity in the corpus callosum due to increased activation and/or migration of microglia. There was also evidence of T cells in the corpus callosum during demyelination in C5a transgenic mice, suggesting C5a may modulate BBB permeability. During early remyelination oligodendrocytes migrated to the corpus callosum in higher numbers in C3a and C5a transgenic mice, thus enabling these mice to remyelinate as effectively as WT mice by the end of the ten week study. To determine the effects of anaphylatoxins on individual glial subsets, we created murine recombinant C3a and C5a proteins. We found that the MAPK pathway proteins JNK1 and ERK1/2 were activated in glia upon stimulation with recombinant anaphylatoxin proteins. When microglia and mixed glial cultures were stimulated with C3a and/or C5a, we observed an increase in the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. In contrast, anaphylatoxin-treated primary astrocytes had suppressed cytokine and chemokine production compared to untreated astrocytes. In vitro, primary microglia and astrocytes did not significantly migrate in response to stimulation with C3a or C5a proteins, suggesting migration may not be a primary anaphylatoxin-mediated function in the CNS. Overall, our findings show that anaphylatoxin production in the brain plays a negative proinflammatory role during demyelination and that anaphylatoxin proteins can activate individual subsets of glia, initiating the production of inflammatory mediators.

Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) causes rapid development of acute disease followed by recurring episodes of fever, thrombocytopenia and viremia, termed chronic EIA. Most infected horses control the virus by immune mechanisms and become inapparent carriers. To further our understanding of the equine immune response to EIAV, a multi-probe ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) was developed to quantitate equine-specific cytokine mRNAs. Eleven template plasmids specific to ten equine cytokine genes and the ?-actin gene were generated, from which radiolabeled anti-sense RNA probes were produced. The RPA simultaneously quantitated mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 p35, IL-12 p40, interferon (IFN)-, transforming growth factor (TGF)-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- in equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells and equine monocyte-derived macrophages (EMDM). The assay detected as few as 5105 RNA molecules and displayed coefficients of variation of 0.03-0.08 when normalized to -actin expression. Using this RPA, cytokine expression in EMDM infected with 2 molecularly cloned viruses (EIAV17 and EIAV19) was determined. EIAV17 varies from EIAV19 only in env, rev and LTR and causes fatal disease in Shetland ponies. When added to EMDM cultures, virulent EIAV17 stimulated expression of IL-1, IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-. These cytokine mRNAs were significantly elevated by 0.5 to 1 hr post infection (hpi) and returned to basal levels by 12 to 24 hpi, indicating modulation by early event(s), such as receptor binding. In contrast to EIAV17, EIAV19 is avirulent in vivo and failed to induce any of the tested cytokines in EMDM. These data show a direct correlation between the virulence of the EIAV clone and the induction of cytokines. The cytokines stimulated by EIAV17 may contribute to EIA-associated symptoms, enhance viral replication in the host, and regulate the host immune response. To determine whether cytokine induction requires EIAV17 replication, EMDM cultures were exposed to UV-inactivated EIAV17 and cytokine induction was monitored. UV-inactivation did not block cytokine induction by EIAV17, suggesting dispensability of viral replication. Given that EIAV17 induces cytokines in a rapid and replication-independent manner, the activation of cytokine expression is likely mediated by binding of EIAV17 to equine macrophage receptor(s).

An infectious cDNA clone of Vero cell adapted Beaudette strain of IBV was constructed using in vitro assembly of cDNA fragments. The entire genome of IBV was RT-PCR amplified into seven fragments, with each piece overlapping about 10 nucleotides. The fragments were ligated and transcribed to synthesize RNA, which was transfected into BHK-21 cells. These cells were then overlaid onto IBV susceptible Vero cells. After five days transfection, the virus was successfully rescued from the transfected cells. The cDNA clone from our laboratory strain has a five nucleotide insertion not present in the originally sequenced virus, resulting in total genome size of 27,613 nucleotides. The infectious cDNA clone was further manipulated to demonstrate its potential as a gene transfer vector, by replacing the ORF5a open reading frame with enhanced green fluorescent protein. The recombinant infectious cDNA clone was also successfully rescued after three days transfection of BHK-21 cells followed by co-culturing with Vero cells. This study showed that the 5a protein, whose function is not known, is not necessary for in vitro IBV replication. This study also showed that the 5a ORF is a good candidate for an insertion site of recombinant genes for the development of IBV infectious cDNA clone as a gene transfer vector.

Bakgrund: Multiresistenta bakterier, däribland MRSA, är idag ett globalt samhällsproblem. Infektioner förorsakade av MRSA skapar ett onödigt lidande för patienter med utdragen vårdtid som i värsta fall kan resultera i ökad dödlighet. Enligt Smittskyddsinstitutet (2010) drabbades 1479 patienter förra året i Sverige. Med få verksamma antibiotika måste andra åtgärder tillämpas, så som basala hygienrutiner, screening, isoleringsvård och utökad städning av sjukhusmiljön. Det är dock viktigt att utvärdera åtgärdernas effekter för att kunna utföra smittskyddsarbete på bästa möjliga sätt. Syfte: Syftet var att undersöka effekterna av olika åtgärder i smittskyddsarbetet mot MRSA. Metod: Litteraturstudie med kvantitativ ansats baserad på tio vetenskapliga original artiklar. Analysen gjordes enligt Forsberg och Wengströms (2008) riktlinjer för meta-analys. Resultat: Studien visar att MRSA förekommer i kliniska miljöer samt förutom hos patienten även hos vårdpersonal. Förebyggande åtgärder som bland annat noggrann städning, basala hygienrutiner och screening hade varierande effekt och reducerade MRSA- förekomsten bäst i kombination. I vissa fall kunde brister i vårdpersonalens följsamhet (compliance) av hygienrutiner ses. Slutsats: För att reducera MRSA- förekomst och spridning är det viktigt att implementera de åtgärder som finns idag och som visat sig har effekt. För att genomföra detta krävs det att vårdpersonalens följsamhet blir bättre.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis, a disease that for years was considered to belong of the past, but tuberculosis is back causing over 2 million deaths per year. The infection can be dormant for decades and an active immune response can prevent the infection from progressing into active disease. However, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has caused an alarming rise in tuberculosis cases. The main infectious route for Mtb is through the airways into the lungs, where they encounter alveolar macrophages. Mtb are phagocytosed by these macrophages, but instead of being killing within the phagosome, Mtb modulates the cell to become a host in which the bacteria thrive. The lack of capacity to eradicate the infection stimulate cells of the immune system to gather around infected macrophages and form a granuloma that walls off the infection. Within this granuloma, Mtb can wait silently and later progress into active disease. However, only a fraction of exposed individuals develop disease, indicating that initial eradication of Mtb infections is possible. Such immediate response must be directed by the innate immunity comprised of phagocytes such as neutrophils (PMNs) and non-activated macrophages. Upon Mtb infection, macrophages become anergic and PMNs enter apoptosis. PMNs have a short lifespan and are cleared by neighbouring phagocytes, a mechanism described to resolve the inflammation and modulate tissue regeneration. We found that Mtb-induced apoptosis in PMNs was not dependent on phagocytosis of the bacteria, indicating that Mtb have the capacity to induce apoptosis in multiple PMNs. Complement-mediated phagocytosis induce survival signals such as Akt in PMNs, but despite this, complement-opsonized Mtb was able to override the anti-apoptotic activation in the cells. Since phagocytes clear apoptotic cells, we investigated how clearance of Mtb-induced apoptotic PMNs affected macrophages. We found that Mtb-induced apoptotic PMNs inflicted pro-inflammatory activation of the macrophages that cleared them. In addition, this activation was mediated by Hsp72 released from the Mtb-induced apoptotic PMNs. Furthermore, apoptotic PMNs can work in synergy with phagocytosed Mtb to activate macrophages and enhance intracellular killing of Mtb. Since dendritic cells are important for the regulation of immunity, we investigated whether Mtb-induced apoptotic PMNs affected the inflammatory response and maturation of dendritic cells. We found that Mtb-induced apoptotic PMNs trigger dendritic cells to enter a mature state able to activate naïve T-cell proliferation. We propose that infected apoptotic PMNs is a potent activator of the inflammatory response during infections. Taken together, PMNs not only kill their share of pathogens but also modulate other immune cells, thereby forming a link between the early innate and the adaptive immune response during microbial challenge with Mtb.

The gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori infects more than half of the population worldwide. H. pylori manage to establish persistent infection, which would be life-long if not treated. In order to establish such an infection, this pathogen has to deal with the host immune system. H. pylori has certain characteristics which make the bacteria less announced to the host immune system. Additionally, for remaining in the harsh and acidic environment of the stomach with peristaltic movements and a high frequency of turnover of epithelial cells, H. pylori has developed different binding modes to structures present both in the mucus and on the surface of gastric cells and also to extracellular matrix proteins. Evidently, adhesion has a determinant role for a successful colonization by H. pylori. It has been shown that a small fraction of the H. pylori infection is in intimate contact and attached to the host epithelium. Despite its small proportion, this group maintains the persistency of infection. As there is no suitable in vitro system to mimic the human stomach for studies of H. pylori infection, we have developed the In Vitro Explant Culture technique (IVEC). By using this model we could show that H. pylori use the Lewis b blood group antigen to bind to the host gastric mucosa, during experimental conditions most similar to the in vivo situation. Furthermore, we could show that the host tissue responses to the bacterial attachment by expression of Interleukin 8 (IL- ), which will guide the inflammatory processes. Interestingly, by inhibition of bacterial adhesion through receptor competition i.e., by use of soluble Lewis b antigen, IL-8 production was hampered in the IVEC system, which further validates the presence of a tight relation between bacterial adhesion and induction of host immune responses. One of the inflammation signaling cursors in vivo is the upregulated sialylated Lewis x (sLex) antigen, an inflammation associated carbohydrate structure well established as a binding site for the selectin family of adhesion molecules. We could show that during chronic gastric inflammation, which is actually caused by the persistent H. pylori infection, the bacterial cells adapt their binding mode, and preferentially bind to sLex, which will provide an even more intimate contact with the host cells. This interaction is mediated by SabA, the H. pylori adhesin for sialylated oligosaccharides/glycoconjugates. By employing red blood cells as a model we could further demonstrate that SabA is identical to the “established” H. pylori hemagglutinin. We could also show that SabA binds to sialylated glycolipids (gangliosides) rather than glycoproteins on cell surfaces. Our result also revealed that SabA also binds to and activates human neutrophils. Such effect was unrelated to BabA and the H. pylori Neutrophil Activating Protein (HP- AP), which were not directly involved in the activation of neutrophils. Furthermore, phagocytosis of bacteria by neutrophils was demonstrated to be mainly dependent on presence of SabA. Interestingly, HP-NAP showed a possible role in guiding the bacterial adhesion during conditions of limited sialylation, i.e. equivalent to mild gastritis, when the tissue would be less inflamed and sialylated. In conclusion, H. pylori adhesion causes host tissue inflammation, then the bacteria will adapt to the new condition and bind to epithelial cells in a tighter mode by synergistic activities of BabA and SabA. Additionally, SabA bind to and activate human neutrophils, which will exacerbate inflammation responses and cause damage to host tissue. Thus, BabA and SabA are potential candidates to be targeted for therapeutic strategies against H. pylori and gastric disease.