Background: The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) system may play a role in the negative regulation of T cell functions in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Thus, it is important to study its role in the widely used animal model for HBV infection of woodchucks with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV). Methods: Woodchuck PD-L1 (wPD-L1) and -L2 (wPD-L2) were cloned and characterized. The levels of wPD-L1 expression in primary woodchuck hepatocytes (PWH), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and liver tissue of naive and WHV-infected woodchucks were examined by real time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and flow cytometry. Using antibodies against wPD-L1 and -L2, the effect of blocking PD-1/PD-L1/PD-L2 interaction on the proliferation and degranulation of woodchuck PBMCs was examined. Principal Findings: Both wPD-L1 and -L2 showed a high homology to their counterparts of other mammalian species and humans. WPD-L1 expression in PWH and PBMCs of naive animals was low but could be stimulated by Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands and interferons (IFN). WPD-L1 expression in liver tissue was significantly higher than that measured in PWHs and was slightly elevated during acute and chronic WHV infection. However, wPD-1 and wPD-L1 expression on PBMCs was strongly up-regulated during acute and chronic infection. In vitro blockade with antibodies against wPD-L1 and -L2 partially enhanced proliferation and degranulation of PBMCs from WHV-infected woodchucks. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that wPD-1/wPD-L1 expression in hepatocytes and PBMCs can be induced by different inflammatory stimuli and is up-regulated mainly on PBMCs during WHV infection. A blockade of the woodchuck PD-1/PD-L pathway could partially enhance T cell functions in WHV infection.
基金:
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [Transregio TRR60]; International Science & Technology Cooperation Program of China [2011DFA31030]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30271170]; National Key Basic Research Program of China [2005CB522901, 2007CB512804, 2009CB522506]; National Major Science and Technology Special Project for Infectious Diseases of China [2008ZX10002-011]; China Scholarship Council [2008102014]
Zhang Ejuan,Zhang Xiaoyong,Liu Jia,et al.The Expression of PD-1 Ligands and Their Involvement in Regulation of T Cell Functions in Acute and Chronic Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus Infection[J].PLOS ONE.2011,6(10):doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026196.
APA:
Zhang, Ejuan,Zhang, Xiaoyong,Liu, Jia,Wang, Baoju,Tian, Yongjun...&Lu, Mengji.(2011).The Expression of PD-1 Ligands and Their Involvement in Regulation of T Cell Functions in Acute and Chronic Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus Infection.PLOS ONE,6,(10)
MLA:
Zhang, Ejuan,et al."The Expression of PD-1 Ligands and Their Involvement in Regulation of T Cell Functions in Acute and Chronic Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus Infection".PLOS ONE 6..10(2011)