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In general, dietary antigens are tolerated by the gut associated immune system. Impairment of this so-called oral tolerance is a serious health risk. We have previously shown that activation of the ligand-dependent transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by the environmental pollutant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) affects both oral tolerance and food allergy. In this study, we determine whether a common plant-derived, dietary AhR-ligand modulates oral tolerance as well. We therefore fed mice with indole-3-carbinole (I3C), an AhR ligand that is abundant in cruciferous plants. We show that several I3C metabolites were detectable in the serum after feeding, including the high-affinity ligand 3,3´-diindolylmethane (DIM). I3C feeding robustly induced the AhR-target gene CYP4501A1 in the intestine; I3C feeding also induced the aldh1 gene, whose product catalyzes the formation of retinoic acid (RA), an inducer of regulatory T cells. We then measured parameters indicating oral tolerance and severity of peanut-induced food allergy. In contrast to the tolerance-breaking effect of TCDD, feeding mice with chow containing 2 g/kg I3C lowered the serum anti-ovalbumin IgG1 response in an experimental oral tolerance protocol. Moreover, I3C feeding attenuated symptoms of peanut allergy. In conclusion, the dietary compound I3C can positively influence a vital immune function of the gut.

During the clinically silent liver stage of a Plasmodium infection the parasite replicates from a single sporozoite into thousands of merozoites. Infection of humans and rodents with large numbers of sporozoites that arrest their development within the liver can cause sterile protection from subsequent infections. Disruption of genes essential for liver stage development of rodent malaria parasites has yielded a number of attenuated parasite strains. A key question to this end is how increased attenuation relates to vaccine efficacy. Here, we generated rodent malaria parasite lines that arrest during liver stage development and probed the impact of multiple gene deletions on attenuation and protective efficacy. In contrast to P. berghei strain ANKA LISP2 (–) or uis3 (–) single knockout parasites, which occasionally caused breakthrough infections, the double mutant lacking both genes was completely attenuated even when high numbers of sporozoites were administered. However, different vaccination protocols showed that LISP2 (–) parasites protected better than uis3 (–) and double mutants. Hence, deletion of several genes can yield increased safety but might come at the cost of protective efficacy.

Malaria, caused by protozoan Plasmodium parasites, remains a prevalent infectious human disease due to the lack of an efficient and safe vaccine. This is directly related to the persisting gaps in our understanding of the parasite's interactions with the infected host, especially during the clinically silent yet essential liver stage of Plasmodium development. Previously, we and others showed that genetically attenuated parasites (GAP) that arrest in the liver induce sterile immunity, but only upon multiple administrations. Here, we comprehensively studied hepatic gene and miRNA expression in GAP-injected mice, and found both a broad activation of IFNγ-associated pathways and a significant increase of murine microRNA-155 (miR-155), that was especially pronounced in non-parenchymal cells including liver-resident macrophages (Kupffer cells). Remarkably, ectopic upregulation of this miRNA in the liver of mice using robust hepatotropic adeno-associated virus 8 (AAV8) vectors enhanced GAP's protective capacity substantially. In turn, this AAV8-mediated miR-155 expression permitted a reduction of GAP injections needed to achieve complete protection against infectious parasite challenge from previously three to only one. Our study highlights a crucial role of mammalian miRNAs in Plasmodium liver infection in vivo and concurrently implies their great potential as future immune-augmenting agents in improved vaccination regimes against malaria and other diseases.

Cerebral malaria is a potentially lethal disease, which is caused by excessive inflammatory responses to Plasmodium parasites. Here we use a newly developed transgenic Plasmodium berghei ANKA ( PbA Ama1 OVA ) parasite that can be used to study parasite-specific T cell responses. Our present study demonstrates that Ifnar1 -/- mice, which lack type I interferon receptor-dependent signaling, are protected from experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) when infected with this novel parasite. Although CD8 + T cell responses generated in the spleen are essential for the development of ECM, we measured comparable parasite-specific cytotoxic T cell responses in ECM-protected Ifnar1 -/- mice and wild type mice suffering from ECM. Importantly, CD8 + T cells were increased in the spleens of ECM-protected Ifnar1 -/- mice and the blood-brain-barrier remained intact. This was associated with elevated splenic levels of CCL5, a T cell and eosinophil chemotactic chemokine, which was mainly produced by eosinophils, and an increase in eosinophil numbers. Depletion of eosinophils enhanced CD8 + T cell infiltration into the brain and increased ECM induction in PbA Ama1 OVA -infected Ifnar1 -/- mice. However, eosinophil-depletion did not reduce the CD8 + T cell population in the spleen or reduce splenic CCL5 concentrations. Our study demonstrates that eosinophils impact CD8 + T cell migration and proliferation during PbA Ama1 OVA -infection in Ifnar1 -/- mice and thereby are contributing to the protection from ECM.

Background Deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) catalyzes the first step in hypusine biosynthesis of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) in Plasmodium falciparum . Target evaluation of parasitic DHS has recently been performed with CNI-1493, a novel selective pro-inflammatory cytokine inhibitor used in clinical phase II for the treatment of Crohn's disease. CNI-1493 prevented infected mice from experimental cerebral malaria by decreasing the levels in hypusinated eIF-5A and serum TNF, implicating a link between cytokine signaling and the hypusine pathway. Therefore we addressed the question whether either DHS itself or eIF-5A is required for the outcome of severe malaria. In a first set of experiments we performed an in vitro knockdown of the plasmodial eIF-5A and DHS proteins by RNA interference (RNAi) in 293 T cells. Secondly, transfection of siRNA constructs into murine Plasmodium schizonts was performed which, in turn, were used for infection. Results 293 T cells treated with plasmodial DHS- and eIF-5A specific siRNAs or control siRNAs were analyzed by RT-PCR to determine endogenous dhs -and eIF-5A mRNA levels. The expressed DHS-shRNA and EIF-5A-shRNA clearly downregulated the corresponding transcript in these cells. Interestingly, mice infected with transgenic schizonts expressing either the eIF-5A or dhs shRNA showed an elevated parasitemia within the first two days post infection which then decreased intermittently. These results were obtained without drug selection. Blood samples, which were taken from the infected mice at day 5 post infection with either the expressed EIF-5A-shRNA or the DHS-shRNA were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot techniques, demonstrating the absence of either the hypusinated form of eIF-5A or DHS. Conclusions Infection of NMRI mice with schizonts from the lethal P. berghei ANKA wildtype strain transgenic for plasmodial eIF-5A-specific shRNA or DHS-specific shRNA resulted in low parasitemia 2–9 days post infection before animals succumbed to hyperparasitemia similar to infections with the related but non-lethal phenotype P. berghei strain NK65. RT-PCR and Western blot experiments performed with blood from the transfected erythrocytic stages showed that both genes are important for the proliferation of the parasite. Moreover, these experiments clearly demonstrate that the hypusine pathway in Plasmodium is linked to human iNos induction.

Oral tolerance (OT) towards antigens encountered in the gut is a vital immune function of gut immunity. Experimental models can demonstrate OT efficacy by feeding of a protein followed by peripheral immunization and measuring the specific antibody titer. We had previously shown that exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a xenobiotic high-affinity aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-ligand, destabilized OT against ovalbumin (OVA) in mice. AhR is involved in the development, differentiation and function of immune cells, and highly expressed in gut epithelial cells and gut immune cells. We here used AhR-deficient mice to study the role of AhR in OT further. We show that complete AhR-deficiency undermines the stability of oral tolerance against OVA upon multiple immunizations, despite no renewed oral encounter with the antigen. This OT destabilization is accompanied by significant changes in IL10 and TGFβ RNA in the gut tissue. Using conditional AhR-deficient mouse lines, we identify T cells as the major responsible immune cell type in this context. Our findings add to knowledge that lack of AhR signaling in the gut impairs important gut immune functions.

Disturbed homeostasis of glucose and lipid metabolism are dominant features of the so-called metabolic syndrome (MetS) and can increase the risk for the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D), a severe metabolic disease. T2D prevalence increases with age. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a sensor of small molecules including dietary components. AHR has been identified as potential regulator of glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Epidemiologically, exposure to xenobiotic AHR ligands such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is linked to T2D. We assess here the potential role of the AHR in disturbances of glucose and lipid metabolism in young (age 2-5 months) and old (age > 1,5 years) AHR-deficient (AHR KO) mice. Fasted young wildtype (WT) and AHR-KO mice displayed similar blood glucose kinetics after challenge with intra-peritoneal glucose injection. However, old AHR-KO mice showed lower tolerance than WT to i.p. administered glucose, i.e. glucose levels rose higher and returned more slowly to normal levels. Old mice had overall higher insulin levels than young mice, and old AHR-KO had a somewhat disturbed insulin kinetic in the serum after glucose challenge. Surprisingly, young AHR-KO mice had significantly lower triglycerides, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein values than WT, i.e., a dyslipidemic profile. With ageing, AHR-KO and WT mice did not differ in these lipid levels, except for slightly reduced levels of triglycerides and cholesterol. In conclusion, our findings in AHR KO mice suggest that AHR expression is relevant for the maintenance of glucose and lipid homeostasis in old mice.

Malaria, caused by protozoan Plasmodium parasites, remains one of the most prevalent infectious diseases and a major health burden due to the lack of an efficient, safe and globally applicable vaccine. Recent work has demonstrated the induction of sterile immunity in mice through successive triple vaccination with genetically attenuated parasites (GAP) that arrest during liver-stage development. This suggests that a better understanding of the host factors controlling the Plasmodium life cycle in the liver will aid in the design of potent vaccination strategies. Our work provides the first in vivo evidence for a substantial involvement of the mammalian miRNA/RNAi machinery in Plasmodium development and in anti-parasitic immunity. The high compatibility of our new avenues to improve the protective capacity of attenuated parasites by mi/shRNA over-expression from well established hepatotropic AAV vectors brings us one important step closer to the ultimate goal of a globally applicable anti-malarial vaccination regime.