Vet World   Vol.17   September-2024  Article - 17 

Research Article

Veterinary World, 17(9): 2096-2103

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2024.2096-2103

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 and programmed cell death ligand 1 blockade increases the effectiveness of interleukin-15 immunotherapy in a bovine leukemia model

Kanatbek Mukantayev1, Kanat Tursunov1, Zhansaya Adish1,2, Darkhan Kanayev1, Laura Tokhtarova1, Malika Nurtleu1, and Bisultan Abirbekov1
1. Laboratory of Immunochemistry and Immunobiotechnology, National Center for Biotechnology, 010000, Astana, Kazakhstan.
2. Department of Natural Sciences, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, 010008, Astana, Kazakhstan. 

Background and Aim: Bovine interleukin 15 (bIL15) is a potential immunotherapy that can block the spread of bovine leukemia virus (BLV). However, immune checkpoints that maintain body homeostasis may reduce their effectiveness. Thus, an analysis of the effectiveness of bIL15 while blocking negative immune regulators is necessary. We aimed to obtain recombinant bIL15 (rbIL15) and determine its percentage using monoclonal antibodies against bovine cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). To achieve this goal, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy and BLV+ cattle were treated with bIL15 using a CTLA-4– and PD-L1–blocking algorithm. 

Materials and Methods: The codon-optimized bIL15 gene was synthesized under de novo conditions using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The synthesized gene was cloned into pET28 and transformed into electrocompetent Escherichia coli BL21 cells; rbIL15 was purified using metal affinity chromatography and analyzed using sodium dodecyl-sulfate– polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and western blotting. The expression of the Bcl2, STAT3, and STAT5 genes was studied using qualitative PCR. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to analyze interferon (IFN)-γ production by rbIL15-treated mononuclear cells. 

Results: Analysis of rbIL15 using SDS-PAGE and western blotting revealed a specific product weighing 24 kDa. The optimal conditions for rbIL15 induction were 0.2 mM isopropyl-β-D-1-galactopyranoside and 37°C. When rbIL15 was added to PBMCs from healthy cattle, the Bcl2, STAT3, and STAT5 genes were expressed. ELISA of the culture medium of rbIL15-treated PBMCs revealed IFN-γ production. When PBMCs from healthy cows were treated with rbIL15, CTLA-4, and PD-L1 blockade together, they did not produce more IFN-γ than the rbIL15 group. Using PBMCs from BLV+ cattle, combination treatment increased IFN-γ production. 

Conclusion: The biological activity of rbIL15 is characterized by the induction of transcription factors and the production of IFN-γ. Using rbIL15 with CTLA-4 and PD-L1 blockade in PBMCs from healthy and BLV+ cows led to the production of a transcription factor and cytokine. The results demonstrate the possibility of using this method to improve immunity and immunological memory in patients with chronic viral infections. 

Keywords: bovine interleukin-15, bovine leukemia virus, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4, monoclonal antibody, programmed cell death ligand 1.


How to cite this article: Mukantayev K, Tursunov K, Adish Z, Kanayev D, Tokhtarova L, Nurtleu M, and Abirbekov B (2024) Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 and programmed cell death ligand 1 blockade increases the effectiveness of interleukin-15 immunotherapy in a bovine leukemia model, Veterinary World, 17(9): 2096-2103.

Received: 2024-05-30    Accepted: 2024-08-21    Published online: 2024-09-15

Corresponding author: Kanat Tursunov    E-mail: kanat_tka@mail.ru

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.2096-2103

Copyright: Mukantayev, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.