Open Access

The proteasome is a major part of the ubiquitin-proteasome-system playing an important role in cell homeostasis due to its protein quality control function. Moreover, the proteasome is involved in cell cycle regulation and in the regulation of transcription factors. Upon induction of interferons, or treatment with lipopolysaccharides, an isoform of the standard-proteasome is composed, named immunoproteasome (i-proteasome). The i-proteasome is constitutively expressed in immune cells and deficiency of proteolytic subunits of this multiprotein complex has been associated with a poor outcome during infectious diseases. I-proteasome-deficiency has been shown to result in reduced MHC class I presentation. Using mice which are deficient for all three proteolytic active subunits LMP2, MECL-1 and LMP7, we could demonstrate that i-proteasome-deficiency lead to an altered recruitment of immune cells to the CNS when challenged with the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, resulting in increased frequencies of neutrophils and other cells of myeloid origin. The shift to reduced frequencies of CD45highCD11blow lymphocytes can be further explained by a decreased migratory capacity of i-proteasome-deficient CD8+ T cells. In contrast to previous studies using other pathogens, effector function of CD8+ as well as CD4+ T cells, measured by frequencies of IFNγ, TNF, IL-2 and granzyme B producing cells, were not impaired in these mice, whereas induction of CD4+ Tregs was strongly reduced. In addition, we found that parasite control was comparable to control mice and that i-proteasome deletion caused an overall pro-inflammatory cytokine milieu within the brain. Our results indicate that i-proteasome-deficiency lead to prolonged tissue inflammation during T. gondii infection which could be an explanation for the more severe course of disease observed in these mice. The Src homology domain containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is a tyrosine phosphatase modulating several signaling pathways and therefore has an influence in cell cycle, differentiation, proliferation and cell activation. However, SHP2 is assumed to play a negative role during T-cell activation as the phosphatase has been shown to inhibit T-cell receptor-induced signaling cascades. Although, various gain-of-function mutations in the SH2 or PTP domain of this phosphatase, such as D61Y, have been associated with myeloproliferative diseases such as juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), effects of such mutations on T cells have not been addressed in scientific literature so far. Therefore, in the second part of this thesis we could demonstrate that D61Y mutation in the SH2 domain of SHP2 did not cause JMML pathology when only introduced into T cells. Especially in aged mice, T cells of SHP2 mutant mice showed an increased expression of cell adhesion molecule CD44. In accordance with these findings, we observed increased influenza A virus-specific T cells in the bone marrow of SHP2 D61Y mutant mice, indicating a role of the phosphatase in memory formation or maintenance of CD8+ Tem. Although SHP2D61Y mice revealed a comparable viral clearance, IFNγ production of virus experienced CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was diminished compared to control mice, underlining a negative involvement of the phosphatase in the JAK/STAT1 signaling axis as suggested before by studies using mice with SHP2-/- T cells.

Thrombozyten reagieren auf Infektionen, unter anderem auf die mit dem Humanen Immundefizienz-Virus (HIV). Dabei zeigt sich eine erhöhte Rate an kardiovaskulären und thrombotischen Ereignissen. Die medikamentöse Therapie hemmt unter anderem die reverse Transkriptase der HI-Viren. Allerdings wirken diese Arzneimittel auch auf die humanen Thrombozyten. Diese besitzen eine endogene reverse Transkriptase. Eine solche ist in den Blutplättchen in Form von Long Interspersed Nuclear Element 1 (LINE-1) Ribonukleinsäure (RNA) als Grundlage für die Translation vorhanden. Auch die entsprechenden Proteine sind als Open Reading Frame 1 (ORF1) und Open Reading Frame 2 (ORF2) - Proteine nachweisbar. Diese kodieren unter anderem für eine Endonuklease, Chaperone und reverse Transkriptase. Letztgenannte ist in den Blutplättchen auch aktiv. Folglich sind humane Thrombozyten in der Lage RNA in Desoxyribonukleinsäure (DNA) umzuschreiben. Dem Dogma der Molekularbiologie folgend, besitzen Zellen ohne Nucleus keine DNA. Auf Grund des Vorhandenseins einer endogenen reversen Transkriptase in humanen Thrombozyten konnte erstmals DNA in Form von Gewebsthromboplastin und Urokinase-Typ Plasminogen Aktivator Rezeptor (uPAR) nachgewiesen werden.