Contribution of transcript stability to a conserved procyanidin-induced cytokine response in gamma delta T cells

• Published in: Genes and immunity Vol. 12; no. 5; pp. 378 - 389
• Main Authors: Daughenbaugh, K F, Holderness, J, Graff, J C, Hedges, J F, Freedman, B, Graff, J W, Jutila, M A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.07.2011
• Subjects: Malus
• ISSN: 1466-4879
• DOI: 10.1038/gene.2011.7

gamma delta T cells function in innate and adaptive immunity and are primed for secondary responses by procyanidin components of unripe apple peel (APP). In this study, we investigate the effects of APP and purified procyanidins on gamma delta T-cell gene expression. A microarray analysis was performed on bovine gamma delta T cells treated with APP; increases in transcripts encoding granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-8 and IL-17, but not markers of TCR stimulation such as IFN gamma , were observed. Key responses were confirmed in human, mouse and bovine cells by reverse transcription-PCR and/or ELISA, indicating a conserved response to procyanidins. In vivo relevance of the cytokine response was shown in mice following intraperitoneal injection of APP, which induced production of CXCL1/KC and resulted in neutrophil influx to the blood and peritoneum. In the human T-cell line, MOLT-14, GM-CSF and IL-8 transcripts were increased and stabilized in cells treated with crude APP or purified procyanidins. The ERK1/2 MAPK pathway was activated in APP-treated cells, and necessary for transcript stabilization. Our data describe a unique gamma delta T-cell inflammatory response during procyanidin treatment and suggest that transcript stability mechanisms could account, at least in part, for the priming phenotype.