Four 3"-and 4"-deoxy and -fluorogalactosyl ceramides were synthesized, and their ability to stimulate iNKT cells, based on levels of IL-2 production, was assessed in three NKT cell receptor hybridomas. In two of the hybridomas, 1.2 and 2H4, all of the analogs were immunostimulatory, while in the 1.4 hybridoma only the 4"-fluoro analog led to the production of significant levels of IL-2.Cluster of differentiation 1 (CD1) proteins are cell surface glycoproteins distantly related to the class I and II antigen presenting molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). 1 Unlike the MHC-encoded molecules, which bind and present peptide antigens, CD1 proteins bind a variety of lipids and present them to subsets of lipid-specific T cells. CD1d, a member of the CD1 family, has been shown to present lipid antigens to a specialized subset of lymphocytes known as invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. 2-7 Over the past decade CD1d activated iNKT cells have been demonstrated to elicit a range of immune responses with potential implications for treating viral and bacterial infections, cancer and a variety of autoimmune conditions. 8-14 Most studies of the role of iNKT cells have utilized the α-galactosyl ceramide (GalCer), KRN7000 (Figure 1), identified by Kirin Brewery in SAR studies centered around agelasphin-9b, a potent immunostimulatory compound isolated from the Agelus genus of marine sponge. 15 The activity of KRN7000 was found to be mediated by its binding to CD1d and subsequent activation of iNKT cells. 16 Because of the therapeutic potential of iNKT cell stimulation, there has been a growing interest in understanding how the glycolipid structure impacts the immune response. Thus, numerous α-glycosyl ceramides (α-GlyCers) have been synthesized and evaluated for their ability to stimulate iNKT cells.Using KRN7000 as a lead structure the majority of variations have been in the lipid portion. 17-23 Nevertheless, the carbohydrate moiety has been of interest 24-27 because it was assumed and later confirmed that it was this region of the antigen that protruded from the CD1d/ glycolipid complex and interacted with the iNKT T cell receptor (TCR). SAR studies had shown that the C2"-OH (for numbering see Figure 1) was essential for iNKT cell activation and that there was wide tolerance for functional group and size variations on C6". 24,27,28 In Supplementary data Supplementary data associated with this article (experimentals and characterization data) can be found, in the online version, at doi: .Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
NIH Public Access
Autho...