Immune-Stimulatory Dinucleotide at the 5′-End of Oligodeoxynucleotides Is Critical for TLR9-Mediated Immune Responses

摘要

Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing a CpG or certain synthetic dinucleotides, referred to as immunestimulatory dinucleotides, induce Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9)- mediated immune responses. Chemical modifications such as 2′-O-methylribonucleotides incorporated adjacent to the immune-stimulatory dinucleotide on the 5′-side abrogate TLR9- mediated immune responses. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the location of immune-stimulatory dinucleotides in ODNs on TLR9-mediated immune responses. We designed and synthesized ODNs with two immune-stimulatory dinucleotides, one placed toward the 5′-end region and the other toward the 3′-end region, incorporated 2′-O-methylribonucleotides selectively preceding the 5′- or 3′-immune-stimulatory dinucleotide or both, and studied TLR9-mediated immune responses of these compounds in cell-based assays and in vivo in mice. These studies showed that an immune-stimulatory dinucleotide located closer to the 5′-end is critical for and dictates TLR9-mediated immune responses. These studies provide insights for the use of ODNs when employed as TLR9 agonists and antagonists or antisense agents.