Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-modified murine B7-1 and B7-2 retain costimulator function

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-modified variants of murine B7-1 and B7-2 cell surface costimulators were produced via chimerization with alternative GPI-modification signal sequences from decay-accelerating factor (DAF). GPI anchorage was verified by demonstrating phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) sensitivity of the chimeric polypeptides in both immunofluorescence/flow-cytometric and immunoprecipitation analyses. The various GPI-modified chimeric B7-1:DAF and B7-2:DAF polypeptides were shown to retain costimulator function, in both an in vitro proliferation assay and an in vivo triggering of cytotoxicity assay. The findings indicate that costimulator function for both B7-1 and B7-2 is not dependent upon native hydrophobic transmembrane anchorage. Moreover, the functionality of the GPI-modified variants in enhancing the immunogenicity of the murine T lymphoma line EL-4 suggests a novel route for generating APC-centered immunotherapeutics, including cellular cancer vaccines, that is based upon protein transfer of GPI-modified costimulators.