The Immunomodulatory Effect of Plant Lectins: a Review with Emphasis on Artinm Properties
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Glycoconj J (2013) 30:641–657 DOI 10.1007/s10719-012-9464-4 The immunomodulatory effect of plant lectins: a review with emphasis on ArtinM properties Maria A. Souza & Fernanda C. Carvalho & Luciana P. Ruas & Rafael Ricci-Azevedo & Maria Cristina Roque-Barreira Received: 30 October 2012 /Revised: 6 December 2012 /Accepted: 9 December 2012 /Published online: 9 January 2013 # The Author(s) 2013. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Advances in the glycobiology and immunology Abbreviations fields have provided many insights into the role of ArtinM Artocarpus heterophyllus lectin manose carbohydrate-protein interactions in the immune system. binding We aim to present a comprehensive review of the effects ML Mistletoe lectin that some plant lectins exert as immunomodulatory agents, rML Recombinant mistletoe lectin showing that they are able to positively modify the immune RIPs Type-2 ribosomes inactivating proteins response to certain pathological conditions, such as cancer RNA Ribonucleic acid and infections. The present review comprises four main NK Natural killer cells themes: (1) an overview of plant lectins that exert immuno- IL-12 Interleukin – (12) modulatory effects and the mechanisms accounting for these IFN-γ Interferon gamma activities; (2) general characteristics of the immunomodula- TLR Toll-like receptor tory lectin ArtinM from the seeds of Artocarpus heterophyl- TNF-α Tumor necrosis factor-alpha lus; (3) activation of innate immunity cells by ArtinM and Th1 T helper 1 consequent induction of Th1 immunity; (4) resistance con- Th2 T helper 2 ferred by ArtinM administration in infections with intracel- Th17 T helper 17 lular pathogens, such as Leishmania (Leishmania) major, MHC II Major histocompatibility complex class II Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis,andParacocci- KML Korean mistletoe lectin dioides brasiliensis. We believe that this review will be a PHA-E and Phytohaemagglutinin valuable resource for more studies in this relatively PHA-L neglected area of research, which has the potential to reveal Con A Concanavalin A carbohydrate targets for novel prophylactic and therapeutic PSA Pisum sativum agglutinin strategies. WGA Wheat germ agglutinin Cramoll Cratylia mollis lectin Keywords Plantlectins .ArtinMlectin .Immunomodulation . BanLec Lectin from Musa paradisiacal Toll-like receptor . Leishmania . Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Conbr Lectin from Canavalia brasiliensis DrosL Dioclea rostrata lectin DvioL Dioclea violacea lectin M. A. Souza Dvirl Dioclea virgata lectin Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Garlic Lectin from Alium sativum Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil PAA Pisum arvense agglutinin (lectin from F. C. Carvalho : L. P. Ruas : R. Ricci-Azevedo : Pisum arvense) M. C. Roque-Barreira (*) PWM Pokeweed mitogen (lectin from Phytolacca Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Americana) Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, SBA Soybean agglutinin Universidade de São Paulo, 14049900 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil PNA Peanut agglutinin e-mail: [email protected] AAL Aleuria aurantia lectin 642 Glycoconj J (2013) 30:641–657 ScLL Synadenium carinatum lectin latex including cell–cell recognition, cell proliferation, cell migra- UEA-1 Ulex europaeus agglutinin tion, cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix, and host- CTL Cytotoxic T lymphocytes parasite interactions [1, 2]. Since the 1960s, plant lectins NOD Non-obese diabetic mice have been extensively used as valuable tools in biomedical JRL Jacalin-related lectins research, because of their interactions with receptor-linked CRD Carbohydrate-recognition domain glycans on cell surfaces may trigger cell signaling and HRP Horseradish peroxidase biochemical responses. rArtinM Recombinant ArtinM Several plant lectins exert immunomodulatory activi- NO Nitric oxide ties that are initiated by their interaction with glycan’s PAMPs Pathogen-associated molecular patterns moieties present over the surface of immune cells. Such TIR Toll/interleukin-1 receptor interaction may trigger signal transduction, to produce MyD88 Myeloid differentiation primary response certain cytokines (Table 1) and induce efficient immune gene 88 responses against tumors or microbial infections. Hence, PCM Paracoccidioidomycosis immunomodulatory lectins have potential pharmaceutical CFU Colony-forming units applications or may help to identify sugar targets for new therapeutic strategies. The European mistletoe (Viscum album) contains the most noticeable plant lectin endowed with immunomodula- Overview of immunomodulatory plant lectins tory and antitumor activities. Mistletoe lectins (ML) type I, II and III are a group of glycosylated, 56–64 kDa cytotoxic Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins of non-immune proteins, which consist of two non-covalently associated origin. They are involved in various biological processes, pairs of disulfide-linked A-B dimers and are considered to Table 1 Some plant lectins that induce cytokines production Lectin Source Cytokine Reference ArtinM Artocarpus heterophyllus IL-12 and IL-10 (murine macrophages and dendritic cells) [26, 74, 75] TNF-α (murine mast cells) [117] IL-10/IFN-γ (murine spleen cells) [118] Banlec Musa paradisiaca IFN-γ, IL-10, and IL-4 (murine spleen cells) [29] ConA Canavalia ensiformis IFN-γ (murine spleen cells) [75] IFN-γ and IL-2 (murine spleen cells) [25] IL-5, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ (human peripheral blood mononuclear cells—PBMCs) [119] Conbr Canavalia brasiliensis IL-5, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ (human PBMCs) [119] IFN-γ (murine spleen cells) [75] Cramoll Cratylia mollis IFN-γ (murine spleen cells) [28] DrosL Dioclea rostrata IL-5, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ (human PBMCs) [119] TNF-α and IL1-β (peritoneal cavity of rat) [120] Dviol Dioclea violacea IL-5 (human PBMCs) [119] Dvirl Dioclea virgata IL-5, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ (human PBMCs) [119] ASA-I Alium sativum IFN-γ and IL-12 (murine spleen cells) [30] KML Viscum album var. coloratum IL-12 (human dendritic cells) [121] ML-I Viscum album IL-12 (human PBMCs) [11] IL-15 (human neutrophils) [122] IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-10 (human PBMCs) [123] PAA Pisum arvense IFN-γ (murine spleen cells) [75] PHA Phaseolus vulgaris IFN-γ and IL-2 (murine spleen cells) [25] PSA Pisum sativum IFN-γ and IL-2 (murine spleen cells) [25] PWM Phytolacca americana TNF-α, IL-12, and IL-6 (human PBMCs) [124] ScLL Synadenium carinatum IFN-γ and IL-10 (murine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid-BALF) [33] UEA-1 Ulex europaeus IL-2 and IFN-γ (mice spleen) [41] WGA Triticum vulgaris IL-12 and IFN-γ (murine spleen cells) [25] Glycoconj J (2013) 30:641–657 643 be type-2 ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP). The B-chain administration. The high IFN-γ response indicates that rML selectively binds to β-galactosides [3], whereas the A-chain administration stimulates Th1 cells, which may mediate an catalyzes hydrolysis of the N-glycosydic bond at adenine- antitumor T-cell response (reviewed by Zwierzina et al.[19]). 4324 in the eukaryotic 28S ribosomal RNA, thereby inhib- Besides the European mistletoe, extracts of the Korean and iting the elongation step of protein biosynthesis [4]. ML-I Chinese mistletoes (Viscum album coloratum and Viscum was identified as the active component of the Viscum album articulatum, respectively) contain type-2 RIPs that bind D- extract and is applied as a complementary treatment of galactose [20, 21] and have high structural homology with cancer patients [5]. The ML-I B-chain binds to glycans on ML. Like ML-I, they are endowed with immunomodulatory the surface of cancer cells and allows A-chain entry into the properties, as demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo studies. The cytoplasm, where the latter chain is enzymatically active and B-chain of the Korean mistletoe lectin (KML) accounts for its highly cytotoxic. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown immunomodulatory and antitumor activities. This is because that the antitumor effects of ML-I are not only cytotoxic, but the KML B-chain promotes NK cells activation and produc- also immunomodulatory [6], an activity that is fundamental to tion of cytokines and inflammatory mediators by macrophages its antitumor properties [7] (reviewed by Bocci, 1993 [8]). The [22, 23]. KML interaction with TLR-4 molecules is responsi- cloning of the mistletoe lectin gene and the separate heterol- ble for macrophage activation and cytokine production. Mac- ogous expression of the single chains [9, 10] have pointed out rophages stimulation with KLM results in upregulation of that the B-chain is responsible for the immunostimulatory TLR4 expression and enhanced TNF-α production, which is activity of ML-I, mainly manifested by augmented IL-12 reduced by anti-TLR4 specific antibodies or by assaying mac- production and increased cytokine-induced Natural Killer rophages from TLR-4 deficient mice [24]. The recombinant B- Cells activation [11]. Comparison of the biological activities chain of the Chinese mistletoe lectin (articulatin) stimulates of the recombinant Mistletoe lectins (rML) -heterodimer [10] human mononuclear cells to release TNF-α and IL-6 [21]. This with those of some ML-I mutants [12] revealed a close corre- suggests that the B-chain acts as an immunomodulator, like lation between cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and the enzymatic that of the European and Korean mistletoes. activity of the rML A-chain. Both the enzymatic activity Th1 immunity is induced by immunomodulatory plant exerted by the A-chain and the carbohydrate binding activity lectins. As a rule, the Th1 immune response, manifested by elicited by the B-chain are essential for the ML-I effect as an high levels of IFN-γ production, occurs through an IL-12- anticancer agent. The first step in the biological action of ML dependent mechanism. In vitro assays with 12 different plant is to recognize and bind to specific ligands on the surface of lectins have shown that six of the lectins induce murine spleen target cells. Determination of the sugar specificity of ML has cells to produce IL-12 and IFN-γ: Con A from Canavalia shown that this lectin preferentially binds to β-galactosides in ensiformis, which binds to α-linked mannose; PHA-E and the oligosaccharides of glycoproteins [6, 13, 14].