151
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Chromatin modifying gene mutations in follicular lymphoma. Blood 2017; 131:595-604. [PMID: 29158360 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2017-08-737361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an indolent malignancy of germinal center B cells. Although the overall survival of FL patients has recently improved with the introduction of novel therapies, there is significant heterogeneity in patient outcome and a need for rationally designed therapeutic strategies that target disease biology. Next-generation sequencing studies have identified chromatin modifying gene (CMG) mutations as a hallmark of FL, highlighting epigenetic modifiers as an attractive therapeutic target in this disease. Understanding the complex roles of these mutations will be central to identifying and adaptively targeting associated vulnerabilities. Recent studies have provided insight into the functional consequences of the most frequently mutated CMGs (KMT2D, CREBBP, and EZH2) and point to a role for these events in modifying normal B-cell differentiation programs and impeding germinal center exit. However, the majority of FL tumors serially acquire multiple CMG mutations, suggesting that there is a level of cross talk or cooperation between these events that has not yet been defined. Here, I review the current state of knowledge on CMG mutations in FL, discuss their potential as therapeutic targets, and offer my perspective on unexplored areas that should be considered in the future.
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152
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Das A, Ranganathan V, Umar D, Thukral S, George A, Rath S, Bal V. Effector/memory CD4 T cells making either Th1 or Th2 cytokines commonly co-express T-bet and GATA-3. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185932. [PMID: 29088218 PMCID: PMC5663332 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Naïve CD4 T (NCD4T) cells post-activation undergo programming for inducible production of cytokines leading to generation of memory cells with various functions. Based on cytokine based polarization of NCD4T cells in vitro, programming for either ‘Th1’ (interferon-gamma [IFNg]) or ‘Th2’ (interleukin [IL]-4/5/13) cytokines is thought to occur via mutually exclusive expression and functioning of T-bet or GATA-3 transcription factors (TFs). However, we show that a high proportion of mouse and human memory-phenotype CD4 T (MCD4T) cells generated in vivo which expressed either Th1 or Th2 cytokines commonly co-expressed T-bet and GATA-3. While T-bet levels did not differ between IFNg-expressing and IL-4/5/13-expressing MCD4T cells, GATA-3 levels were higher in the latter. These observations were also confirmed in MCD4T cells from FVB/NJ or aged C57BL/6 or IFNg-deficient mice. While MCD4T cells from these strains showed greater Th2 commitment than those from young C57BL/6 mice, pattern of co-expression of TF was similar. Effector T cells generated in vivo following immunization also showed TF co-expression in Th1 or Th2 cytokine producing cells. We speculated that the difference in TF expression pattern of MCD4T cells generated in vivo and those generated in cytokine polarized cultures in vitro could be due to relative absence of polarizing conditions during activation in vivo. We tested this by NCD4T cell activation in non-polarizing conditions in vitro. Anti-CD3 and anti-CD28-mediated priming of polyclonal NCD4T cells in vitro without polarizing milieu generated cells that expressed either IFNg or IL-4/5/13 but not both, yet both IFNg- and IL-4/5/13-expressing cells showed upregulation of both TFs. We also tested monoclonal T cell populations activated in non-polarizing conditions. TCR-transgenic NCD4T cells primed in vitro by cognate peptide in non-polarizing conditions which expressed either IFNg or IL-4/5/13 also showed a high proportion of cells co-expressing TFs, and their cytokine commitment varied depending on genetic background or priming conditions, without altering pattern of TF co-expression. Thus, the model of mutually antagonistic differentiation programs driven by mutually exclusively expressed T-bet or GATA-3 does not completely explain natural CD4 T cell priming outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Danish Umar
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Anna George
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Vineeta Bal
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail:
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153
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154
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Peng H, Ning H, Wang Q, Lu W, Chang Y, Wang TT, Lai J, Kolattukudy PE, Hou R, Hoft DF, Dykewicz MS, Liu J. Monocyte chemotactic protein-induced protein 1 controls allergic airway inflammation by suppressing IL-5-producing T H2 cells through the Notch/Gata3 pathway. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2017; 142:582-594.e10. [PMID: 29111212 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 09/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asthmatic and allergic inflammation is mediated by TH2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13). Although we have learned much about how TH2 cells are differentiated, the TH2 checkpoint mechanisms remain elusive. OBJECTIVES In this study we investigate how monocyte chemotactic protein-induced protein 1 (MCPIP1; encoded by the Zc3h12a gene) regulates IL-5-producing TH2 cell differentiation and TH2-mediated inflammation. METHODS The functions of Zc3h12a-/- CD4 T cells were evaluated by checking the expression of TH2 cytokines and transcription factors in vivo and in vitro. Allergic airway inflammation of Zc3h12a-/- mice was examined with murine asthma models. In addition, antigen-specific CD4 T cells deficient in MCPIP1 were transferred to wild-type recipient mice, challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) or house dust mite (HDM), and accessed for TH2 inflammation. RESULTS Zc3h12a-/- mice have spontaneous severe lung inflammation, with an increase in mainly IL-5- and IL-13-producing but not IL-4-producing TH2 cells in the lung. Mechanistically, differentiation of IL-5-producing Zc3h12a-/- TH2 cells is mediated through Notch signaling and Gata3 independent of IL-4. Gata3 mRNA is stabilized in Zc3h12a-/- TH2 cells. MCPIP1 promotes Gata3 mRNA decay through the RNase domain. Furthermore, deletion of MCPIP1 in OVA- or HDM-specific T cells leads to significantly increased TH2-mediated airway inflammation in OVA or HDM murine models of asthma. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that MCPIP1 regulates the development and function of IL-5-producing TH2 cells through the Notch/Gata3 pathway. MCPIP1 represents a new and promising target for the treatment of asthma and other TH2-mediated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Peng
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo
| | - Huan Ning
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo
| | - Qinghong Wang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo
| | - Wenbao Lu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo
| | - Yingzi Chang
- Pharmacology Department, A.T. Still University, Kirksville, Mo
| | | | - Jinping Lai
- Department of Pathology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo
| | - Pappachan E Kolattukudy
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Fla
| | - Rong Hou
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo
| | - Daniel F Hoft
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo
| | - Mark S Dykewicz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo.
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Placek K, Hu G, Cui K, Zhang D, Ding Y, Lee JE, Jang Y, Wang C, Konkel JE, Song J, Liu C, Ge K, Chen W, Zhao K. MLL4 prepares the enhancer landscape for Foxp3 induction via chromatin looping. Nat Immunol 2017; 18:1035-1045. [PMID: 28759003 PMCID: PMC5836551 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
MLL4 is an essential subunit of the histone H3 Lys4 (H3K4)-methylation complexes. We found that MLL4 deficiency compromised the development of regulatory T cells (Treg cells) and resulted in a substantial decrease in monomethylated H3K4 (H3K4me1) and chromatin interaction at putative gene enhancers, a considerable portion of which were not direct targets of MLL4 but were enhancers that interacted with MLL4-bound sites. The decrease in H3K4me1 and chromatin interaction at the enhancers not bound by MLL4 correlated with MLL4 binding at distant interacting regions. Deletion of an upstream MLL4-binding site diminished the abundance of H3K4me1 at the regulatory elements of the gene encoding the transcription factor Foxp3 that were looped to the MLL4-binding site and compromised both the thymic differentiation and the inducible differentiation of Treg cells. We found that MLL4 catalyzed methylation of H3K4 at distant unbound enhancers via chromatin looping, which identifies a previously unknown mechanism for regulating the T cell enhancer landscape and affecting Treg cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Placek
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gangqing Hu
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kairong Cui
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Dunfang Zhang
- Mucosal Immunology Section, Division of Intramural Research, NIDCR, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yi Ding
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Department of Animal and Avian Sciences University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Ji-Eun Lee
- Adipocyte Biology and Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Younghoon Jang
- Adipocyte Biology and Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Chaochen Wang
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Adipocyte Biology and Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joanne Elizabeth Konkel
- Mucosal Immunology Section, Division of Intramural Research, NIDCR, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jiuzhou Song
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Chengyu Liu
- Transgenic Core, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kai Ge
- Adipocyte Biology and Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Wanjun Chen
- Mucosal Immunology Section, Division of Intramural Research, NIDCR, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Keji Zhao
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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156
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Hou TY, Chen MR, Chou YC, Kan PC, Tsai YT, Cha TL. Impact of Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 on T Helper Cell-Mediated Allergic Rhinitis. Front Immunol 2017; 8:790. [PMID: 28740493 PMCID: PMC5502279 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (Ezh2) has been shown to play a role in the differentiation of T helper (Th) 1 and 2 cells in mice studies using Ezh2-deficient T cells. However, the results have been inconsistent, and the function of Ezh2 in human Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation and its association with disease remains controversial. We measured the expression of Ezh2 in Th1 and Th2 cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after acute challenge with house dust mite using flow cytometry in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and controls. The role of Ezh2 was further explored by adding the p38 inhibitor to see if this affected allergen-induced Th1 and Th2 differentiation. The expression of Ezh2 in the Th1 and Th2 cells was significantly lower in the patients than in the controls and was negatively correlated with serum IL-17A levels in the patients. Ex vivo allergen challenge resulted in rapid Th2 cell differentiation, which was negatively associated with the Ezh2 expression in Th2 cells. Inhibiting p38 activity increased the expression of Ezh2 in Th2 cells and reduced the number of differentiated Th2 cells. Our findings suggest that Ezh2 expression is potentially associated with AR development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Yun Hou
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Rong Chen
- Graduate Institutes of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ching Chou
- School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Chieh Kan
- Graduate Institutes of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ta Tsai
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Lung Cha
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institutes of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
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157
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Coit P, Dozmorov MG, Merrill JT, McCune WJ, Maksimowicz-McKinnon K, Wren JD, Sawalha AH. Epigenetic Reprogramming in Naive CD4+ T Cells Favoring T Cell Activation and Non-Th1 Effector T Cell Immune Response as an Early Event in Lupus Flares. Arthritis Rheumatol 2017; 68:2200-9. [PMID: 27111767 DOI: 10.1002/art.39720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a relapsing autoimmune disease that affects multiple organ systems. T cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of lupus; however, early T cell events triggering disease flares are incompletely understood. This study was undertaken to examine DNA methylation in naive CD4+ T cells from lupus patients to determine if epigenetic remodeling in CD4+ T cells is an early event in lupus flares. METHODS A total of 74 lupus patients with an SLE Disease Activity Index score of 0-18 were included. Naive CD4+ T cells were isolated from peripheral blood samples, and DNA was extracted for genome-wide methylation assessment. RNA was also extracted from a subset of patients to determine the relationship between epigenetic changes and transcription activity using RNA sequencing and microRNA arrays. RESULTS We demonstrated that naive CD4+ T cells in lupus undergo an epigenetic proinflammatory shift, implicating effector T cell responses in lupus flare. This epigenetic landscape change occurs without changes in expression of the corresponding genes, poises naive CD4+ T cells for Th2, Th17, and follicular helper T cell immune responses, and opposes inhibitory transforming growth factor β signaling. Bioinformatics analyses indicate that the epigenetic modulator EZH2 might play an important role in shifting the epigenetic landscape, with increased disease activity in lupus naive CD4+ T cells. Further, the expression of microRNA-26a, which is sensitive to glucose availability and targets EZH2, was negatively correlated with disease activity in lupus patients. CONCLUSION An epigenetic landscape shift in naive CD4+ T cells that favors T cell activation and non-Th1 immune responses predates transcription activity and correlates with lupus activity. A role for EZH2 dysregulation in triggering lupus flares warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jonathan D Wren
- Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City
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158
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Gilbert KM, Blossom SJ, Reisfeld B, Erickson SW, Vyas K, Maher M, Broadfoot B, West K, Bai S, Cooney CA, Bhattacharyya S. Trichloroethylene-induced alterations in DNA methylation were enriched in polycomb protein binding sites in effector/memory CD4 + T cells. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2017; 3:dvx013. [PMID: 29129997 PMCID: PMC5676456 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvx013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to industrial solvent and water pollutant trichloroethylene (TCE) can promote autoimmunity, and expand effector/memory (CD62L) CD4+ T cells. In order to better understand etiology reduced representation bisulfite sequencing was used to study how a 40-week exposure to TCE in drinking water altered methylation of ∼337 770 CpG sites across the entire genome of effector/memory CD4+ T cells from MRL+/+ mice. Regardless of TCE exposure, 62% of CpG sites in autosomal chromosomes were hypomethylated (0-15% methylation), and 25% were hypermethylated (85-100% methylation). In contrast, only 6% of the CpGs on the X chromosome were hypomethylated, and 51% had mid-range methylation levels. In terms of TCE impact, TCE altered (≥ 10%) the methylation of 233 CpG sites in effector/memory CD4+ T cells. Approximately 31.7% of these differentially methylated sites occurred in regions known to bind one or more Polycomb group (PcG) proteins, namely Ezh2, Suz12, Mtf2 or Jarid2. In comparison, only 23.3% of CpG sites not differentially methylated by TCE were found in PcG protein binding regions. Transcriptomics revealed that TCE altered the expression of ∼560 genes in the same effector/memory CD4+ T cells. At least 80% of the immune genes altered by TCE had binding sites for PcG proteins flanking their transcription start site, or were regulated by other transcription factors that were in turn ordered by PcG proteins at their own transcription start site. Thus, PcG proteins, and the differential methylation of their binding sites, may represent a new mechanism by which TCE could alter the function of effector/memory CD4+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M. Gilbert
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Sarah J. Blossom
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Brad Reisfeld
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Stephen W. Erickson
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Kanan Vyas
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Mary Maher
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Brannon Broadfoot
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Kirk West
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Shasha Bai
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Craig A. Cooney
- Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Sudeepa Bhattacharyya
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
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159
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Onodera A, Kiuchi M, Kokubo K, Kato M, Ogino T, Horiuchi S, Kanai U, Hirahara K, Nakayama T. Menin Controls the Memory Th2 Cell Function by Maintaining the Epigenetic Integrity of Th2 Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 199:1153-1162. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1602129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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160
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Abstract
In this review, Hu and Shilatifard summarize recent advances in our understanding of the role of chromatin modifiers in normal hematopoiesis and their contributions in hematopoietic transformation. Hematological malignancies comprise a diverse set of lymphoid and myeloid neoplasms in which normal hematopoiesis has gone awry and together account for ∼10% of all new cancer cases diagnosed in the United States in 2016. Recent intensive genomic sequencing of hematopoietic malignancies has identified recurrent mutations in genes that encode regulators of chromatin structure and function, highlighting the central role that aberrant epigenetic regulation plays in the pathogenesis of these neoplasms. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms for how alterations in epigenetic modifiers, specifically histone and DNA methylases and demethylases, drive hematopoietic cancer could provide new avenues for developing novel targeted epigenetic therapies for treating hematological malignancies. Just as past studies of blood cancers led to pioneering discoveries relevant to other cancers, determining the contribution of epigenetic modifiers in hematologic cancers could also have a broader impact on our understanding of the pathogenesis of solid tumors in which these factors are mutated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deqing Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
| | - Ali Shilatifard
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
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161
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Mazzone R, Zwergel C, Mai A, Valente S. Epi-drugs in combination with immunotherapy: a new avenue to improve anticancer efficacy. Clin Epigenetics 2017; 9:59. [PMID: 28572863 PMCID: PMC5450222 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-017-0358-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint factors, such as programmed cell death protein-1/2 (PD-1, PD-2) or cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) receptors, are targets for monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) developed for cancer immunotherapy. Indeed, modulating immune inhibitory pathways has been considered an important breakthrough in cancer treatment. Although immune checkpoint blockade therapy used to treat malignant diseases has provided promising results, both solid and haematological malignancies develop mechanisms that enable themselves to evade the host immune system. To overcome some major limitations and ensure safety in patients, recent strategies have shown that combining epigenetic modulators, such as inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACi) or DNA methyltransferases (DNMTi), with immunotherapeutics can be useful. Preclinical data generated using mouse models strongly support the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approaches. Indeed, co-treatment with pan- or class I-selective HDACi or DNMTi improved beneficial outcomes in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Based on the evidence of a pivotal role for HDACi and DNMTi in modulating various components belonging to the immune system, recent clinical trials have shown that both HDACi and DNMTi strongly augmented response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in different tumour types. This review describes the current strategies to increase immunotherapy responses, the effects of HDACi and DNMTi on immune modulation, and the advantages of combinatorial therapy over single-drug treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Mazzone
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.,Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Italian Institute of Technology, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Clemens Zwergel
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonello Mai
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.,Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Valente
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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162
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Phan AT, Goldrath AW, Glass CK. Metabolic and Epigenetic Coordination of T Cell and Macrophage Immunity. Immunity 2017; 46:714-729. [PMID: 28514673 PMCID: PMC5505665 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Recognition of pathogens by innate and adaptive immune cells instructs rapid alterations of cellular processes to promote effective resolution of infection. To accommodate increased bioenergetic and biosynthetic demands, metabolic pathways are harnessed to maximize proliferation and effector molecule production. In parallel, activation initiates context-specific gene-expression programs that drive effector functions and cell fates that correlate with changes in epigenetic landscapes. Many chromatin- and DNA-modifying enzymes make use of substrates and cofactors that are intermediates of metabolic pathways, providing potential cross talk between metabolism and epigenetic regulation of gene expression. In this review, we discuss recent studies of T cells and macrophages supporting a role for metabolic activity in integrating environmental signals with activation-induced gene-expression programs through modulation of the epigenome and speculate as to how this may influence context-specific macrophage and T cell responses to infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony T Phan
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ananda W Goldrath
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Christopher K Glass
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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163
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Emerging Role for Methylation in Multiple Sclerosis: Beyond DNA. Trends Mol Med 2017; 23:546-562. [PMID: 28478950 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. The inflammatory and neurodegenerative pathways driving MS are modulated by DNA, lysine, and arginine methylation, as evidenced by studies made possible by novel tools for methylation detection or loss of function. We present evidence that MS is associated with genetic variants and metabolic changes that impact on methylation. Further, we comprehensively review current understanding of how methylation can impact on central nervous system (CNS) resilience and neuroregenerative potential, as well as inflammatory versus regulatory T helper (Th) cell balance. These findings are discussed in the context of therapeutic relevance for MS, with broad implications in other neurologic and immune-mediated diseases.
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164
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De Rosa V, Di Rella F, Di Giacomo A, Matarese G. Regulatory T cells as suppressors of anti-tumor immunity: Role of metabolism. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2017; 35:15-25. [PMID: 28442214 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Novel concepts in immunometabolism support the hypothesis that glucose consumption is also used to modulate anti-tumor immune responses, favoring growth and expansion of specific cellular subsets defined in the past as suppressor T cells and currently reborn as regulatory T (Treg) cells. During the 1920s, Otto Warburg and colleagues observed that tumors consumed high amounts of glucose compared to normal tissues, even in the presence of oxygen and completely functioning mitochondria. However, the role of the Warburg Effect is still not completely understood, particularly in the context of an ongoing anti-tumor immune response. Current experimental evidence suggests that tumor-derived metabolic restrictions can drive T cell hyporesponsiveness and immune tolerance. For example, several glycolytic enzymes, deregulated in cancer, contribute to tumor progression independently from their canonical metabolic activity. Indeed, they can control apoptosis, gene expression and activation of specific intracellular pathways, thus suggesting a direct link between metabolic switches and pro-tumorigenic transcriptional programs. Focus of this review is to define the specific metabolic pathways controlling Treg cell immunobiology in the context of anti-tumor immunity and tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica De Rosa
- Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IEOS-CNR), Napoli, Italy.
| | - Francesca Di Rella
- Oncologia Medica, Dipartimento di Senologia, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Giacomo
- Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IEOS-CNR), Napoli, Italy; Unità Operativa Complessa di Patologia Clinica, Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli "V. Monaldi", Napoli, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Matarese
- Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IEOS-CNR), Napoli, Italy; Treg cell Lab, Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy.
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165
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Souza MC, Fonseca DM, Kanashiro A, Benevides L, Medina TS, Dias MS, Andrade WA, Bonfá G, Silva MAB, Gozzi A, Borges MC, Gazzinelli RT, Alves-Filho JC, Cunha FQ, Silva JS. Chronic Toxoplasma gondii Infection Exacerbates Secondary Polymicrobial Sepsis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:116. [PMID: 28439500 PMCID: PMC5383667 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Sepsis is a severe syndrome that arises when the host response to an insult is exacerbated, leading to organ failure and frequently to death. How a chronic infection that causes a prolonged Th1 expansion affects the course of sepsis is unknown. In this study, we showed that mice chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii were more susceptible to sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Although T. gondii-infected mice exhibited efficient control of the bacterial burden, they showed increased mortality compared to the control groups. Mechanistically, chronic T. gondii infection induces the suppression of Th2 lymphocytes via Gata3-repressive methylation and simultaneously induces long-lived IFN-γ-producing CD4+ T lymphocytes, which promotes systemic inflammation that is harmful during CLP. Chronic T. gondii infection intensifies local and systemic Th1 cytokines as well as nitric oxide production, which reduces systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressures after sepsis induction, thus predisposing the host to septic shock. Blockade of IFN-γ prevented arterial hypotension and prolonged the host lifespan by reducing the cytokine storm. Interestingly, these data mirrored our observation in septic patients, in which sepsis severity was positively correlated to increased levels of IFN-γ in patients who were serologically positive for T. gondii. Collectively, these data demonstrated that chronic infection with T. gondii is a critical factor for sepsis severity that needs to be considered when designing strategies to prevent and control the outcome of this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Souza
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Denise M Fonseca
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Kanashiro
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luciana Benevides
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tiago S Medina
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Murilo S Dias
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Warrison A Andrade
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcester, MA, USA
| | - Giuliano Bonfá
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcondes A B Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aline Gozzi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos C Borges
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo T Gazzinelli
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcester, MA, USA
| | - José C Alves-Filho
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Q Cunha
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - João S Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
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166
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Zheng Q, Wang H, Wang Z, Liu J, Zhang Q, Zhang L, Lu Y, You H, Jin G. Reprogramming of histone methylation controls the differentiation of monocytes into macrophages. FEBS J 2017; 284:1309-1323. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.14060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Revised: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Qi‐Fan Zheng
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences Medical College Xiamen University China
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology Xiamen University China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma Xiamen University China
| | - Hui‐Min Wang
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences Medical College Xiamen University China
| | - Zhan‐Feng Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery China‐Japan Union Hospital Jilin University Changchun China
| | - Jin‐Yang Liu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences Medical College Xiamen University China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences Medical College Xiamen University China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences Medical College Xiamen University China
| | - Yuan‐Hua Lu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences Medical College Xiamen University China
| | - Han You
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology Xiamen University China
| | - Guang‐Hui Jin
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences Medical College Xiamen University China
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology Xiamen University China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma Xiamen University China
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167
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Zheng Y, Wang Z, Zhou Z. miRNAs: novel regulators of autoimmunity-mediated pancreatic β-cell destruction in type 1 diabetes. Cell Mol Immunol 2017; 14:488-496. [PMID: 28317889 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2017.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a series of conserved, short, non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression in a posttranscriptional manner. miRNAs are involved in almost every physiological and pathological process. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that is the result of selective destruction of pancreatic β-cells driven by the immune system. miRNAs are also important participants in T1D pathogenesis. Herein, we review the most recent data on the potential involvement of miRNAs in T1D. Specifically, we focus on two aspects: the roles of miRNAs in maintaining immune homeostasis and regulating β-cell survival and/or functions in T1D. We also discuss circulating miRNAs as potent biomarkers for the diagnosis and prediction of T1D and investigate potential therapeutic approaches for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zheng
- Center for Medical Research, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China.,Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Zhiguang Zhou
- Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China.,Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
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168
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Kumagai J, Hirahara K, Nakayama T. Pathogenic Th cell subsets in chronic inflammatory diseases. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 39:114-23. [PMID: 27212597 DOI: 10.2177/jsci.39.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
CD4(+) T cells play central roles to appropriate protection against pathogens. While, they can also be pathogenic driving inflammatory diseases. Besides the classical model of differentiation of T helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 cells, various CD4(+) T cell subsets, including Th17, Th9, T follicular helper (Tfh) and T regulatory (Treg) cells, have been recognized recently. In this review, we will focus on how these various CD4(+) T cell subsets contribute to the pathogenesis of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. We will also discuss various unique subpopulations of T helper cells that have been identified. Recent advancement of the basic immunological research revealed that T helper cells are plastic than we imagined. So, we will focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of the plasticity and heterogeneity of T helper cell subsets. These latest finding regarding T helper cell subsets has pushed us to reconsider the etiology of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases beyond the model based on the conventional Th1/Th2 balance. Toward this end, we put forward another model, "the pathogenic Th population disease induction model", as a possible mechanism for the induction and/or persistence of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Kumagai
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University
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169
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Hsp90 inhibition destabilizes Ezh2 protein in alloreactive T cells and reduces graft-versus-host disease in mice. Blood 2017; 129:2737-2748. [PMID: 28246193 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2016-08-735886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Modulating T-cell alloreactivity has been a main strategy to reduce graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a life-threatening complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). Genetic deletion of T-cell Ezh2, which catalyzes trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3), inhibits GVHD. Therefore, reducing Ezh2-mediated H3K27me3 is thought to be essential for inhibiting GVHD. We tested this hypothesis in mouse GVHD models. Unexpectedly, administration of the Ezh2 inhibitor GSK126, which specifically decreases H3K27me3 without affecting Ezh2 protein, failed to prevent the disease. In contrast, destabilizing T-cell Ezh2 protein by inhibiting Hsp90 using its specific inhibitor AUY922 reduced GVHD in mice undergoing allogeneic HSCT. In vivo administration of AUY922 selectively induced apoptosis of activated T cells and decreased the production of effector cells producing interferon γ and tumor necrosis factor α, similar to genetic deletion of Ezh2. Introduction of Ezh2 into alloreactive T cells restored their expansion and production of effector cytokines upon AUY922 treatment, suggesting that impaired T-cell alloreactivity by inhibiting Hsp90 is achieved mainly through depleting Ezh2. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the enzymatic SET domain of Ezh2 directly interacted with Hsp90 to prevent Ezh2 from rapid degradation in activated T cells. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of Hsp90 preserved antileukemia activity of donor T cells, leading to improved overall survival of recipient mice after allogeneic HSCT. Our findings identify the Ezh2-Hsp90 interaction as a previously unrecognized mechanism essential for T-cell responses and an effective target for controlling GVHD.
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170
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Vasanthakumar A, Xu D, Lun AT, Kueh AJ, van Gisbergen KP, Iannarella N, Li X, Yu L, Wang D, Williams BR, Lee SC, Majewski IJ, Godfrey DI, Smyth GK, Alexander WS, Herold MJ, Kallies A, Nutt SL, Allan RS. A non-canonical function of Ezh2 preserves immune homeostasis. EMBO Rep 2017; 18:619-631. [PMID: 28223321 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201643237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste 2 (Ezh2) mainly methylates lysine 27 of histone-H3 (H3K27me3) as part of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) together with Suz12 and Eed. However, Ezh2 can also modify non-histone substrates, although it is unclear whether this mechanism has a role during development. Here, we present evidence for a chromatin-independent role of Ezh2 during T-cell development and immune homeostasis. T-cell-specific depletion of Ezh2 induces a pronounced expansion of natural killer T (NKT) cells, although Ezh2-deficient T cells maintain normal levels of H3K27me3. In contrast, removal of Suz12 or Eed destabilizes canonical PRC2 function and ablates NKT cell development completely. We further show that Ezh2 directly methylates the NKT cell lineage defining transcription factor PLZF, leading to its ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. Sustained PLZF expression in Ezh2-deficient mice is associated with the expansion of a subset of NKT cells that cause immune perturbation. Taken together, we have identified a chromatin-independent function of Ezh2 that impacts on the development of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajithkumar Vasanthakumar
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Dakang Xu
- Institute of Ageing Research, Hangzhou Normal University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Aaron Tl Lun
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Andrew J Kueh
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Klaas Pjm van Gisbergen
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Nadia Iannarella
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Xiaofang Li
- Institute of Ageing Research, Hangzhou Normal University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Liang Yu
- Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Die Wang
- Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Bryan Rg Williams
- Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Stanley Cw Lee
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Ian J Majewski
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Dale I Godfrey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Advanced Molecular Imaging, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Gordon K Smyth
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Warren S Alexander
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Marco J Herold
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Axel Kallies
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Stephen L Nutt
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia .,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Rhys S Allan
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Vic., Australia .,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
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171
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Kakaradov B, Arsenio J, Widjaja CE, He Z, Aigner S, Metz PJ, Yu B, Wehrens EJ, Lopez J, Kim SH, Zuniga EI, Goldrath AW, Chang JT, Yeo GW. Early transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of CD8 + T cell differentiation revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing. Nat Immunol 2017; 18:422-432. [PMID: 28218746 PMCID: PMC5360497 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
During microbial infection, responding CD8+ T lymphocytes differentiate into heterogeneous subsets that together provide immediate and durable protection. To elucidate the dynamic transcriptional changes that underlie this process, we applied a single-cell RNA-sequencing approach and analyzed individual CD8+ T lymphocytes sequentially throughout the course of a viral infection in vivo. Our analyses revealed a striking transcriptional divergence among cells that had undergone their first division and identified previously unknown molecular determinants that controlled the fate specification of CD8+ T lymphocytes. Our findings suggest a model for the differentiation of terminal effector cells initiated by an early burst of transcriptional activity and subsequently refined by epigenetic silencing of transcripts associated with memory lymphocytes, which highlights the power and necessity of single-cell approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyko Kakaradov
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Janilyn Arsenio
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Zhaoren He
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Stefan Aigner
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Patrick J Metz
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Bingfei Yu
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Ellen J Wehrens
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Justine Lopez
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Stephanie H Kim
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Elina I Zuniga
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Ananda W Goldrath
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - John T Chang
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA.,Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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172
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Goh W, Huntington ND. Regulation of Murine Natural Killer Cell Development. Front Immunol 2017; 8:130. [PMID: 28261203 PMCID: PMC5309223 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are effector lymphocytes of the innate immune system that are known for their ability to kill transformed and virus-infected cells. NK cells originate from hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, and studies on mouse models have revealed that NK cell development is a complex, yet tightly regulated process, which is dependent on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The development of NK cells can be broadly categorized into two phases: lineage commitment and maturation. Efforts to better define the developmental framework of NK cells have led to the identification of several murine NK progenitor populations and mature NK cell subsets, each defined by a varied set of cell surface markers. Nevertheless, the relationship between some of these NK cell subsets remains to be determined. The classical approach to studying both NK cell development and function is to identify the transcription factors involved and elucidate the mechanistic action of each transcription factor. In this regard, recent studies have provided further insight into the mechanisms by which transcription factors, such as ID2, FOXO1, Kruppel-like factor 2, and GATA-binding protein 3 regulate various aspects of NK cell biology. It is also becoming evident that the biology of NK cells is not only transcriptionally regulated but also determined by epigenetic alterations and posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression by microRNAs. This review summarizes recent progress made in NK development, focusing primarily on transcriptional regulators and their mechanistic actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilford Goh
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Nicholas D. Huntington
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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173
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Sarmento OF, Svingen PA, Xiong Y, Sun Z, Bamidele AO, Mathison AJ, Smyrk TC, Nair AA, Gonzalez MM, Sagstetter MR, Baheti S, McGovern DPB, Friton JJ, Papadakis KA, Gautam G, Xavier RJ, Urrutia RA, Faubion WA. The Role of the Histone Methyltransferase Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) in the Pathobiological Mechanisms Underlying Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). J Biol Chem 2016; 292:706-722. [PMID: 27909059 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.749663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing the transcription factor FOXP3 play a pivotal role in maintaining immunologic self-tolerance. We and others have shown previously that EZH2 is recruited to the FOXP3 promoter and its targets in Treg cells. To further address the role for EZH2 in Treg cellular function, we have now generated mice that lack EZH2 specifically in Treg cells (EZH2Δ/ΔFOXP3+). We find that EZH2 deficiency in FOXP3+ T cells results in lethal multiorgan autoimmunity. We further demonstrate that EZH2Δ/ΔFOXP3+ T cells lack a regulatory phenotype in vitro and secrete proinflammatory cytokines. Of special interest, EZH2Δ/ΔFOXP3+ mice develop spontaneous inflammatory bowel disease. Guided by these results, we assessed the FOXP3 and EZH2 gene networks by RNA sequencing in isolated intestinal CD4+ T cells from patients with Crohn's disease. Gene network analysis demonstrates that these CD4+ T cells display a Th1/Th17-like phenotype with an enrichment of gene targets shared by FOXP3 and EZH2. Combined, these results suggest that the inflammatory milieu found in Crohn's disease could lead to or result from deregulation of FOXP3/EZH2-enforced T cell gene networks contributing to the underlying intestinal inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga F Sarmento
- From the Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Translational Epigenomic Program, Center for Individualized Medicine
| | - Phyllis A Svingen
- From the Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Translational Epigenomic Program, Center for Individualized Medicine
| | - Yuning Xiong
- From the Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Translational Epigenomic Program, Center for Individualized Medicine
| | - Zhifu Sun
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, and
| | - Adebowale O Bamidele
- From the Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Translational Epigenomic Program, Center for Individualized Medicine
| | - Angela J Mathison
- From the Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Translational Epigenomic Program, Center for Individualized Medicine
| | - Thomas C Smyrk
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905
| | - Asha A Nair
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, and
| | - Michelle M Gonzalez
- From the Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Translational Epigenomic Program, Center for Individualized Medicine
| | - Mary R Sagstetter
- From the Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Translational Epigenomic Program, Center for Individualized Medicine
| | | | - Dermot P B McGovern
- the F. Widjaja Foundation Inflammatory Bowel and Immunobiology Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles, California 90048
| | - Jessica J Friton
- From the Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Translational Epigenomic Program, Center for Individualized Medicine
| | - Konstantinos A Papadakis
- From the Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Translational Epigenomic Program, Center for Individualized Medicine
| | - Goel Gautam
- the Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, and.,the Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Ramnik J Xavier
- the Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, and.,the Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Raul A Urrutia
- From the Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Translational Epigenomic Program, Center for Individualized Medicine
| | - William A Faubion
- From the Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Translational Epigenomic Program, Center for Individualized Medicine,
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174
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Nakayama T, Hirahara K, Onodera A, Endo Y, Hosokawa H, Shinoda K, Tumes DJ, Okamoto Y. Th2 Cells in Health and Disease. Annu Rev Immunol 2016; 35:53-84. [PMID: 27912316 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-051116-052350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 238] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Helper T (Th) cell subsets direct immune responses by producing signature cytokines. Th2 cells produce IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, which are important in humoral immunity and protection from helminth infection and are central to the pathogenesis of many allergic inflammatory diseases. Molecular analysis of Th2 cell differentiation and maintenance of function has led to recent discoveries that have refined our understanding of Th2 cell biology. Epigenetic regulation of Gata3 expression by chromatin remodeling complexes such as Polycomb and Trithorax is crucial for maintaining Th2 cell identity. In the context of allergic diseases, memory-type pathogenic Th2 cells have been identified in both mice and humans. To better understand these disease-driving cell populations, we have developed a model called the pathogenic Th population disease induction model. The concept of defined subsets of pathogenic Th cells may spur new, effective strategies for treating intractable chronic inflammatory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshinori Nakayama
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; , , , , , , , .,AMED-CREST, AMED, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Hirahara
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; , , , , , , ,
| | - Atsushi Onodera
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; , , , , , , , .,Institute for Global Prominent Research, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Yusuke Endo
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; , , , , , , ,
| | - Hiroyuki Hosokawa
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; , , , , , , ,
| | - Kenta Shinoda
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; , , , , , , ,
| | - Damon J Tumes
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; , , , , , , , .,South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia
| | - Yoshitaka Okamoto
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
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175
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Lewis GM, Wehrens EJ, Labarta-Bajo L, Streeck H, Zuniga EI. TGF-β receptor maintains CD4 T helper cell identity during chronic viral infections. J Clin Invest 2016; 126:3799-3813. [PMID: 27599295 PMCID: PMC5096797 DOI: 10.1172/jci87041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Suppression of CD8 and CD4 T cells is a hallmark in chronic viral infections, including hepatitis C and HIV. While multiple pathways are known to inhibit CD8 T cells, the host molecules that restrict CD4 T cell responses are less understood. Here, we used inducible and CD4 T cell-specific deletion of the gene encoding the TGF-β receptor during chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection in mice, and determined that TGF-β signaling restricted proliferation and terminal differentiation of antiviral CD4 T cells. TGF-β signaling also inhibited a cytotoxic program that includes granzymes and perforin expression at both early and late stages of infection in vivo and repressed the transcription factor eomesodermin. Overexpression of eomesodermin was sufficient to recapitulate in great part the phenotype of TGF-β receptor-deficient CD4 T cells, while SMAD4 was necessary for CD4 T cell accumulation and differentiation. TGF-β signaling also restricted accumulation and differentiation of CD4 T cells and reduced the expression of cytotoxic molecules in mice and humans infected with other persistent viruses. These data uncovered an eomesodermin-driven CD4 T cell program that is continuously suppressed by TGF-β signaling. During chronic viral infection, this program limits CD4 T cell responses while maintaining CD4 T helper cell identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin M. Lewis
- Division of Biological Sciences, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ellen J. Wehrens
- Division of Biological Sciences, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA
| | | | - Hendrik Streeck
- Institute for HIV Research, University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Elina I. Zuniga
- Division of Biological Sciences, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA
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176
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Wang Z, Yin H, Lau CS, Lu Q. Histone Posttranslational Modifications of CD4⁺ T Cell in Autoimmune Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17101547. [PMID: 27669210 PMCID: PMC5085618 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17101547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The complexity of immune system is tempered by precise regulation to maintain stabilization when exposed to various conditions. A subtle change in gene expression may be magnified when drastic changes are brought about in cellular development and function. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) timely alter the functional activity of immune system, and work proceeded in these years has begun to throw light upon it. Posttranslational modifications of histone tails have been mentioned in a large scale of biological developments and disease progression, thereby making them a central field to investigate. Conventional assessments of these changes are centered on the transcription factors and cytokines in T cells regulated by variable histone codes to achieve chromatin remodeling, as well as involved in many human diseases, especially autoimmune diseases. We here put forward an essential review of core posttranslational modulations that regulate T cell function and differentiation in the immune system, with a special emphasis on histone modifications in different T helper cell subsets as well as in autoimmune diseases.
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MESH Headings
- Autoimmune Diseases/immunology
- Autoimmune Diseases/metabolism
- Autoimmune Diseases/pathology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/cytology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/immunology
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/metabolism
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/pathology
- Histones/metabolism
- Humans
- Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary/immunology
- Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary/metabolism
- Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary/pathology
- Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/immunology
- Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/metabolism
- Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/pathology
- Multiple Sclerosis/immunology
- Multiple Sclerosis/metabolism
- Multiple Sclerosis/pathology
- Protein Processing, Post-Translational
- Scleroderma, Systemic/immunology
- Scleroderma, Systemic/metabolism
- Scleroderma, Systemic/pathology
- T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/cytology
- T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijun Wang
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
| | - Heng Yin
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
| | - Chak Sing Lau
- Division of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Qianjin Lu
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
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177
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Tiffen JC, Gallagher SJ, Tseng HY, Filipp FV, Fazekas de St. Groth B, Hersey P. EZH2 as a mediator of treatment resistance in melanoma. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2016; 29:500-7. [PMID: 27063195 PMCID: PMC5021620 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Direct treatments of cancer such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy have been shown to depend on recruitment of the immune system for their effectiveness. Recent studies have shown that development of resistance to direct therapies such as BRAF inhibitors in melanoma is associated with suppression of immune responses. We point to emerging data that implicate activation of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and its catalytic component-enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2)-in progression of melanoma and suppression of immune responses. EZH2 appears to have an important role in differentiation of CD4 T cells and particularly in the function of T regulatory cells, which suppress immune responses to melanoma. We review mechanisms of EZH2 activation at the genomic level and from activation of the MAP kinase, E2F or NF-kB2 pathways. These studies are consistent with activation of EZH2 as a common mechanism for induction of immune suppression in patients failing direct therapies and suggest EZH2 inhibitors may have a role in combination with immunotherapy and targeted therapies to prevent development of immunosuppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessamy C Tiffen
- Melanoma Immunology and Oncology Group, The Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Stuart J Gallagher
- Melanoma Immunology and Oncology Group, The Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Hsin-Yi Tseng
- Melanoma Immunology and Oncology Group, The Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Fabian V Filipp
- Systems Biology and Cancer Metabolism, Program for Quantitative Systems Biology, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | | | - Peter Hersey
- Melanoma Immunology and Oncology Group, The Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
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178
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DNA-PK-mediated phosphorylation of EZH2 regulates the DNA damage-induced apoptosis to maintain T-cell genomic integrity. Cell Death Dis 2016; 7:e2316. [PMID: 27468692 PMCID: PMC4973345 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2016.198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
EZH2 is a histone methyltransferase whose functions in stem cells and tumor cells are well established. Accumulating evidence shows that EZH2 has critical roles in T cells and could be a promising therapeutic target for several immune diseases. To further reveal the novel functions of EZH2 in human T cells, protein co-immunoprecipitation combined mass spectrometry was conducted and several previous unknown EZH2-interacting proteins were identified. Of them, we focused on a DNA damage responsive protein, Ku80, because of the limited knowledge regarding EZH2 in the DNA damage response. Then, we demonstrated that instead of being methylated by EZH2, Ku80 bridges the interaction between the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) complex and EZH2, thus facilitating EZH2 phosphorylation. Moreover, EZH2 histone methyltransferase activity was enhanced when Ku80 was knocked down or DNA-PK activity was inhibited, suggesting DNA-PK-mediated EZH2 phosphorylation impairs EZH2 histone methyltransferase activity. On the other hand, EZH2 inhibition increased the DNA damage level at the late phase of T-cell activation, suggesting EZH2 involved in genomic integrity maintenance. In conclusion, our study is the first to demonstrate that EZH2 is phosphorylated by the DNA damage responsive complex DNA-PK and regulates DNA damage-mediated T-cell apoptosis, which reveals a novel functional crosstalk between epigenetic regulation and genomic integrity.
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179
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Cao W, Guo J, Wen X, Miao L, Lin F, Xu G, Ma R, Yin S, Hui Z, Chen T, Guo S, Chen W, Huang Y, Liu Y, Wang J, Wei L, Wang L. CXXC finger protein 1 is critical for T-cell intrathymic development through regulating H3K4 trimethylation. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11687. [PMID: 27210293 PMCID: PMC4879243 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
T-cell development in the thymus is largely controlled by an epigenetic program, involving in both DNA methylation and histone modifications. Previous studies have identified Cxxc1 as a regulator of both cytosine methylation and histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3). However, it is unknown whether Cxxc1 plays a role in thymocyte development. Here we show that T-cell development in the thymus is severely impaired in Cxxc1-deficient mice. Furthermore, we identify genome-wide Cxxc1-binding sites and H3K4me3 modification sites in wild-type and Cxxc1-deficient thymocytes. Our results demonstrate that Cxxc1 directly controls the expression of key genes important for thymocyte survival such as RORγt and for T-cell receptor signalling including Zap70 and CD8, through maintaining the appropriate H3K4me3 on their promoters. Importantly, we show that RORγt, a direct target of Cxxc1, can rescue the survival defects in Cxxc1-deficient thymocytes. Our data strongly support a critical role of Cxxc1 in thymocyte development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqiang Cao
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jing Guo
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaofeng Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Li Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Feng Lin
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Guanxin Xu
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ruoyu Ma
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shengxia Yin
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhaoyuan Hui
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Tingting Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Shixin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA.,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15224, USA
| | - Yingying Huang
- Core Facilities, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yizhi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jianli Wang
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lai Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Lie Wang
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
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180
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181
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Karantanos T, Chistofides A, Barhdan K, Li L, Boussiotis VA. Regulation of T Cell Differentiation and Function by EZH2. Front Immunol 2016; 7:172. [PMID: 27199994 PMCID: PMC4853381 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), one of the polycomb-group proteins, is the catalytic subunit of Polycomb-repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and induces the trimethylation of the histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) promoting epigenetic gene silencing. EZH2 contains a SET domain promoting the methyltransferase activity, while the three other protein components of PRC2, namely EED, SUZ12, and RpAp46/48, induce compaction of the chromatin permitting EZH2 enzymatic activity. Numerous studies highlight the role of this evolutionary conserved protein as a master regulator of differentiation in humans involved in the repression of the homeotic gene and the inactivation of X-chromosome. Through its effects in the epigenetic regulation of critical genes, EZH2 has been strongly linked to cell cycle progression, stem cell pluripotency, and cancer biology, being currently at the cutting edge of research. Most recently, EZH2 has been associated with hematopoietic stem cell proliferation and differentiation, thymopoiesis and lymphopoiesis. Several studies have evaluated the role of EZH2 in the regulation of T cell differentiation and plasticity as well as its implications in the development of autoimmune diseases and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the role of EZH2 in the regulation of the differentiation and function of T cells focusing on possible applications in various immune-mediated conditions, including autoimmune disorders and GVHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Karantanos
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; General Internal Medicine Section, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anthos Chistofides
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kankana Barhdan
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lequn Li
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vassiliki A Boussiotis
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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182
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Kidd CDA, Thompson PJ, Barrett L, Baltic S. Histone Modifications and Asthma. The Interface of the Epigenetic and Genetic Landscapes. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2016; 54:3-12. [PMID: 26397168 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2015-0050tr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex lung diseases, such as asthma, are influenced by both genetic predisposition and environmental stimuli. The epigenetic landscape of such diseases is attracting increasing interest and research. Epigenetics broadly covers the transient and the inheritable changes to gene expression that are not directly due to changes in nucleotide sequences. Epigenetic mechanisms could have significant impact on asthma-related allergic, immune, and regulatory pathways, as well as on the generation of biomarkers and the heritable transmission of asthma phenotypes. Recent technological advances have allowed mapping of the epigenome and analysis of genome-wide epigenetic contributors to disease. As a result, ground-breaking observations regarding histone post-translational modifications in a number of immunological diseases have emerged. In this review, we look beyond the biological information coded by DNA and review the epigenetic modifications made to histones, with evidence suggesting a role for their modification in asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney D A Kidd
- 1 Institute for Respiratory Health, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,2 Centre for Respiratory Health, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; and
| | - Philip J Thompson
- 1 Institute for Respiratory Health, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,2 Centre for Respiratory Health, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; and.,3 Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Lucy Barrett
- 1 Institute for Respiratory Health, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,2 Centre for Respiratory Health, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; and
| | - Svetlana Baltic
- 1 Institute for Respiratory Health, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,2 Centre for Respiratory Health, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; and
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183
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Hirahara K, Nakayama T. CD4+ T-cell subsets in inflammatory diseases: beyond the Th1/Th2 paradigm. Int Immunol 2016; 28:163-71. [PMID: 26874355 PMCID: PMC4889886 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxw006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 276] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
CD4(+)T cells are crucial for directing appropriate immune responses during host defense and for the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. In addition to the classical biphasic model of differentiation of T-helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 cells, unexpected increases in the numbers of CD4(+)T-cell subsets, including Th17, Th9, T follicular-helper (Tfh) and T-regulatory (Treg) cells, have been recognized. In the present review, we focus on how these various T-helper cell subsets contribute to the pathogenesis of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. In particular, we focus on multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and asthma as typical model diseases in which multiple T-helper cell subsets have recently been suggested to play a role. We will also discuss various unique sub-populations of T-helper cells that have been identified. First, we will introduce the heterogeneous T-helper cell subsets, which are classified by their simultaneous expression of multiple key transcription factors. We will also introduce different kinds of memory-type Th2 cells, which are involved in the pathogenesis of chronic type-2 immune-related diseases. Finally, we will discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of the plasticity and heterogeneity of T-helper cell subsets. The latest progress in the study of T-helper cell subsets has forced us to reconsider the etiology of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases beyond the model based on the Th1/Th2 balance. To this end, we propose another model--the pathogenic T-helper population disease-induction model--as a possible mechanism for the induction and/or persistence of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyoshi Hirahara
- Department of Advanced Allergology of the Airway, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Toshinori Nakayama
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan AMED-CREST, The Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), 1-8-1 Inohana Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
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184
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Harnessing the plasticity of CD4(+) T cells to treat immune-mediated disease. Nat Rev Immunol 2016; 16:149-63. [PMID: 26875830 DOI: 10.1038/nri.2015.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 340] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
CD4(+) T cells differentiate and acquire distinct functions to combat specific pathogens but can also adapt their functions in response to changing circumstances. Although this phenotypic plasticity can be potentially deleterious, driving immune pathology, it also provides important benefits that have led to its evolutionary preservation. Here, we review CD4(+) T cell plasticity by examining the molecular mechanisms that regulate it - from the extracellular cues that initiate and drive cells towards varying phenotypes, to the cytosolic signalling cascades that decipher these cues and transmit them into the cell and to the nucleus, where these signals imprint specific gene expression programmes. By understanding how this functional flexibility is achieved, we may open doors to new therapeutic approaches that harness this property of T cells.
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185
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Bosselut R. Pleiotropic Functions of H3K27Me3 Demethylases in Immune Cell Differentiation. Trends Immunol 2016; 37:102-113. [PMID: 26796037 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2015] [Revised: 12/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27Me3) contributes to gene repression, notably through recruitment of Polycomb complexes, and has long been considered essential to maintain cell identity. Whereas H3K27Me3 was thought to be stable and not catalytically reversible, the discovery of the Utx and Jmjd3 demethylases changed this notion, raising new questions on the role of these enzymes in gene expression and cell differentiation. Recent studies have demonstrated critical roles for Utx and Jmjd3 in the development and function of immune cells, and revealed both demethylase and demethylase-independent activities of these enzymes. I review these finding here, and discuss the current understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the broad, yet highly cell- and gene-specific, impact of these enzymes in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémy Bosselut
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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186
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MicroRNAs in CD4(+) T cell subsets are markers of disease risk and T cell dysfunction in individuals at risk for type 1 diabetes. J Autoimmun 2016; 68:52-61. [PMID: 26786119 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2015.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate T cell development and function and the disruption of miRNAs in natural regulatory CD4(+) FOXP3(+) T cells (nTreg) leads to autoimmune disease in mice. To investigate miRNA expression in relation to autoimmune disease risk in humans we sequenced them in purified CD4(+) T cell subsets from individuals at high risk of type 1 diabetes (pre-T1D), as well as other healthy individuals. Differences in miRNA expression patterns were observed between specific T cell subsets and, within subsets, between pre-T1D and healthy individuals. Compared to healthy, naive CD4(+) T cells in pre-T1D displayed 32 differentially expressed miRNAs, potentially a template for altered miRNA expression in effector memory T cells in T1D. Naive nTreg in pre-T1D displayed two differentially expressed miRNAs, Let-7c and miR-15a. In contrast, nTreg activated in vivo displayed a large number of differentially expressed miRNAs, revealing a pro-inflammatory and FOXP3-repressive signature. Differential expression of specific miRNAs was also a signpost to altered T cell function. For example, in pre-T1D, increased expression of miR-26a in nTreg activated in vivo or in vitro was associated with decreased expression of its target, the histone methyltransferase EZH2. Chemical inhibition of EZH2 decreased the number of activated naïve nTreg and their expression of nTreg signature genes FOXP3 and TIGIT. Our findings demonstrate that miRNAs differentially expressed in CD4(+) T cell subsets are markers of risk and T cell dysfunction in T1D.
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187
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Fukuoka N, Harada M, Nishida A, Ito Y, Shiota H, Kataoka T. Eomesodermin promotes interferon-γ expression and binds to multiple conserved noncoding sequences across the Ifng locus in mouse thymoma cell lines. Genes Cells 2016; 21:146-62. [PMID: 26749212 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The T-box transcription factors T-bet and eomesodermin (Eomes) have been shown to regulate the lineage-specific expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ). However, in contrast to T-bet, the role of Eomes in the expression of IFN-γ remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the Eomes-dependent expression of IFN-γ in the mouse thymoma BW5147 and EL4 cells, which do not express T-bet or Eomes. The ectopic expression of Eomes induced BW5147 and EL4 cells to produce IFN-γ in response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and ionomycin (IM). In BW5147 cells, Eomes augmented luciferase activity driven by the Ifng promoter encoding from -2500 to +113 bp; however, it was not increased by a stimulation with PMA and IM. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that Eomes bound to the Ifng promoter and conserved noncoding sequence (CNS) -22 kb across the Ifng locus with high efficacy in BW5147 cells. Moreover, Eomes increased permissive histone modifications in the Ifng promoter and multiple CNSs. The stimulation with PMA and IM greatly augmented Eomes binding to CNS-54, CNS-34, CNS+19 and CNS+30, which was inhibited by FK506. These results indicated that Eomes bound to the Ifng promoter and multiple CNSs in stimulation-dependent and stimulation-independent manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsuki Fukuoka
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan
| | - Misuzu Harada
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan
| | - Ai Nishida
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan
| | - Yuko Ito
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan
| | - Hideki Shiota
- Center for Biological Resources and Informatics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8501, Japan
| | - Takao Kataoka
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.,Center for Biological Resources and Informatics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8501, Japan
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188
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Regulation of IL-4 Expression in Immunity and Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 941:31-77. [PMID: 27734408 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-024-0921-5_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
IL-4 was first identified as a T cell-derived growth factor for B cells. Studies over the past several decades have markedly expanded our understanding of its cellular sources and function. In addition to T cells, IL-4 is produced by innate lymphocytes, such as NTK cells, and myeloid cells, such as basophils and mast cells. It is a signature cytokine of type 2 immune response but also has a nonimmune function. Its expression is tightly regulated at several levels, including signaling pathways, transcription factors, epigenetic modifications, microRNA, and long noncoding RNA. This chapter will review in detail the molecular mechanism regulating the cell type-specific expression of IL-4 in physiological and pathological type 2 immune responses.
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189
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Ezh2 regulates differentiation and function of natural killer cells through histone methyltransferase activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:15988-93. [PMID: 26668377 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1521740112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes of histone modification status at critical lineage-specifying gene loci in multipotent precursors can influence cell fate commitment. The contribution of these epigenetic mechanisms to natural killer (NK) cell lineage determination from common lymphoid precursors is not understood. Here we investigate the impact of histone methylation repressive marks (H3 Lys27 trimethylation; H3K27(me3)) on early NK cell differentiation. We demonstrate that selective loss of the histone-lysine N-methyltransferase Ezh2 (enhancer of zeste homolog 2) or inhibition of its enzymatic activity with small molecules unexpectedly increased generation of the IL-15 receptor (IL-15R) CD122(+) NK precursors and mature NK progeny from both mouse and human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that enhanced NK cell expansion and cytotoxicity against tumor cells were associated with up-regulation of CD122 and the C-type lectin receptor NKG2D. Moreover, NKG2D deficiency diminished the positive effects of Ezh2 inhibitors on NK cell commitment. Identification of the contribution of Ezh2 to NK lineage specification and function reveals an epigenetic-based mechanism that regulates NK cell development and provides insight into the clinical application of Ezh2 inhibitors in NK-based cancer immunotherapies.
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190
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Liu Z, Cao W, Xu L, Chen X, Zhan Y, Yang Q, Liu S, Chen P, Jiang Y, Sun X, Tao Y, Hu Y, Li C, Wang Q, Wang Y, Chen CD, Shi Y, Zhang X. The histone H3 lysine-27 demethylase Jmjd3 plays a critical role in specific regulation of Th17 cell differentiation. J Mol Cell Biol 2015; 7:505-16. [PMID: 25840993 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjv022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 02/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin (IL) 17-producing T helper (Th17) cells play critical roles in the clearance of extracellular bacteria and fungi as well as the pathogenesis of various autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and ulcerative colitis. Although a global transcriptional regulatory network of Th17 cell differentiation has been mapped recently, the participation of epigenetic modifications in the differentiation process has yet to be elucidated. We demonstrated here that histone H3 lysine-27 (H3K27) demethylation, predominantly mediated by the H3K27 demethylase Jmjd3, crucially regulated Th17 cell differentiation. Activation of naïve CD4(+) T cells immediately induced high expression of Jmjd3. Genetic depletion of Jmjd3 in CD4(+) T cells specifically impaired Th17 cell differentiation both in vitro and in vivo. Ectopic expression of Jmjd3 largely rescued the impaired differentiation of Th17 cells in vitro in Jmjd3-deficient CD4(+) T cells. Importantly, Jmjd3-deficient mice were resistant to the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Furthermore, inhibition of the H3K27 demethylase activity with the specific inhibitor GSK-J4 dramatically suppressed Th17 cell differentiation in vitro. At the molecular level, Jmjd3 directly bound to and reduced the level of H3K27 trimethylation (me3) at the genomic sites of Rorc, which encodes the master Th17 transcription factor Rorγt, and Th17 cytokine genes such as Il17, Il17f, and Il22. Therefore, our studies established a critical role of Jmjd3-mediated H3K27 demethylation in Th17 cell differentiation and suggest that Jmjd3 can be a novel therapeutic target for suppressing autoimmune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Wei Cao
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Longxia Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yu Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Qian Yang
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Sanhong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Pengfei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yuhang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaohua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yu Tao
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yiming Hu
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Cuifeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Charlie Degui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yufang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaoren Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200031, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200240, China
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191
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Oravecz A, Apostolov A, Polak K, Jost B, Le Gras S, Chan S, Kastner P. Ikaros mediates gene silencing in T cells through Polycomb repressive complex 2. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8823. [PMID: 26549758 PMCID: PMC4667618 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
T-cell development is accompanied by epigenetic changes that ensure the silencing of stem cell-related genes and the activation of lymphocyte-specific programmes. How transcription factors influence these changes remains unclear. We show that the Ikaros transcription factor forms a complex with Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) in CD4(-)CD8(-) thymocytes and allows its binding to more than 500 developmentally regulated loci, including those normally activated in haematopoietic stem cells and others induced by the Notch pathway. Loss of Ikaros in CD4(-)CD8(-) cells leads to reduced histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation and ectopic gene expression. Furthermore, Ikaros binding triggers PRC2 recruitment and Ikaros interacts with PRC2 independently of the nucleosome remodelling and deacetylation complex. Our results identify Ikaros as a fundamental regulator of PRC2 function in developing T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Oravecz
- Functional Genomics and Cancer, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR 7104, Université de Strasbourg, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 1 rue Laurent Fries, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Apostol Apostolov
- Functional Genomics and Cancer, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR 7104, Université de Strasbourg, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 1 rue Laurent Fries, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Katarzyna Polak
- Functional Genomics and Cancer, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR 7104, Université de Strasbourg, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 1 rue Laurent Fries, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Bernard Jost
- IGBMC Microarray and Sequencing Platform, Illkirch 67404, France
| | | | - Susan Chan
- Functional Genomics and Cancer, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR 7104, Université de Strasbourg, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 1 rue Laurent Fries, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Philippe Kastner
- Functional Genomics and Cancer, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR 7104, Université de Strasbourg, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 1 rue Laurent Fries, Illkirch 67404, France
- Faculté de Médecine, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg 67000, France
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192
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Cancer mediates effector T cell dysfunction by targeting microRNAs and EZH2 via glycolysis restriction. Nat Immunol 2015; 17:95-103. [PMID: 26523864 PMCID: PMC4684796 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 301] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Aerobic glycolysis regulates T cell function. However, if and how primary cancer alters T cell glycolytic metabolism and affects tumor immunity remains a question in cancer patients. Here we report that ovarian cancers imposed glucose restriction on T cells and dampened their function via maintaining high expression of microRNA101 and microRNA26a, which constrained expression of the methyltransferase EZH2. EZH2 activated the Notch pathway by suppressing Notch repressors, Numb and Fbxw7, via H3K27me3, and consequently stimulated T cell polyfunctional cytokine expression and promoted their survival via Bcl-2 signaling. Moreover, human shRNA-knockdown-EZH2-deficient T cells elicited poor anti-tumor immunity. EZH2+CD8+ T cells were associated with improved cancer patient survival. Together, the data unveil a novel metabolic target and mechanism of cancer immune evasion.
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193
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Lupar E, Brack M, Garnier L, Laffont S, Rauch KS, Schachtrup K, Arnold SJ, Guéry JC, Izcue A. Eomesodermin Expression in CD4+ T Cells Restricts Peripheral Foxp3 Induction. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 195:4742-52. [PMID: 26453746 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1501159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
CD4(+) T cells polarize into effector Th subsets characterized by signature transcription factors and cytokines. Although T-bet drives Th1 responses and represses the alternative Th2, Th17, and Foxp3(+) regulatory T cell fates, the role of the T-bet-related transcription factor eomesodermin (Eomes) in CD4(+) T cells is less well understood. In this study, we analyze the expression and effects of Eomes in mouse CD4(+) T lymphocytes. We find that Eomes is readily expressed in activated CD4(+) Th1 T cells in vivo. Eomes(+) CD4(+) T cells accumulated in old mice, under lymphopenic conditions in a T cell transfer model of colitis, and upon oral Ag administration. However, despite its expression, genetic deletion of Eomes in CD4(+) T cells did not impact on IFN-γ production nor increase Th2 or Th17 responses. In contrast, Eomes deficiency favored the accumulation of Foxp3(+) cells in old mice, after in vivo differentiation of Eomes-deficient naive CD4(+) T cells, and in response to oral Ag in a cell-intrinsic way. Enforced Eomes expression during in vitro regulatory T cell induction also reduced Foxp3 transcription. Likewise, bystander Eomes-deficient CD4(+) T cells were more efficient at protecting from experimental autoimmune encephalitis compared with wild-type CD4(+) T cells. This enhanced capacity of Eomes-deficient CD4(+) T cells to inhibit EAE in trans was associated with an enhanced frequency of Foxp3(+) cells. Our data identify a novel role for Eomes in CD4(+) T cells and indicate that Eomes expression may act by limiting Foxp3 induction, which may contribute to the association of EOMES to susceptibility to multiple sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Lupar
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany; Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, University Medical Center Freiburg and University of Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maria Brack
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany; Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, University Medical Center Freiburg and University of Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Laure Garnier
- INSERM, U1043, Toulouse, F-31300, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, U5282, Toulouse, F-31300, France; Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, F-31300, France
| | - Sophie Laffont
- INSERM, U1043, Toulouse, F-31300, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, U5282, Toulouse, F-31300, France; Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, F-31300, France
| | - Katharina S Rauch
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, University Medical Center Freiburg and University of Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kristina Schachtrup
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, University Medical Center Freiburg and University of Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian J Arnold
- University Medical Centre, Renal Department, Centre for Clinical Research, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany; BIOSS Centre of Biological Signalling Studies, Albert-Ludwigs-University, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany; and Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Freiburg, D-79102 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jean-Charles Guéry
- INSERM, U1043, Toulouse, F-31300, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, U5282, Toulouse, F-31300, France; Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, F-31300, France
| | - Ana Izcue
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany; Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, University Medical Center Freiburg and University of Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany;
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194
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Abstract
Asthma is a chronic disease which causes recurrent breathlessness affecting 300 million people worldwide of whom 250,000 die annually. The epigenome is a set of heritable modifications and tags that affect the genome without changing the intrinsic DNA sequence. These marks include DNA methylation, modifications to histone proteins around which DNA is wrapped and expression of noncoding RNA. Alterations in all of these processes have been reported in patients with asthma. In some cases these differences are linked to disease severity and susceptibility and may account for the limited value of genetic studies in asthma. Animal models of asthma suggest that epigenetic modifications and processes are linked to asthma and may be tractable targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter O Brook
- Imperial College London, National Heart & Lung Institute, Dovehouse Street, London, SW3 6LY, UK
| | - Mark M Perry
- Imperial College London, National Heart & Lung Institute, Dovehouse Street, London, SW3 6LY, UK
| | - Ian M Adcock
- Imperial College London, National Heart & Lung Institute, Dovehouse Street, London, SW3 6LY, UK
| | - Andrew L Durham
- Imperial College London, National Heart & Lung Institute, Dovehouse Street, London, SW3 6LY, UK
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195
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Rodriguez RM, Lopez-Larrea C, Suarez-Alvarez B. Epigenetic dynamics during CD4+ T cells lineage commitment. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2015; 67:75-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2015.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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196
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Cook KD, Shpargel KB, Starmer J, Whitfield-Larry F, Conley B, Allard DE, Rager JE, Fry RC, Davenport ML, Magnuson T, Whitmire JK, Su MA. T Follicular Helper Cell-Dependent Clearance of a Persistent Virus Infection Requires T Cell Expression of the Histone Demethylase UTX. Immunity 2015; 43:703-14. [PMID: 26431949 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Revised: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic changes, including histone methylation, control T cell differentiation and memory formation, though the enzymes that mediate these processes are not clear. We show that UTX, a histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) demethylase, supports T follicular helper (Tfh) cell responses that are essential for B cell antibody generation and the resolution of chronic viral infections. Mice with a T cell-specific UTX deletion had fewer Tfh cells, reduced germinal center responses, lacked virus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG), and were unable to resolve chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infections. UTX-deficient T cells showed decreased expression of interleukin-6 receptor-α and other Tfh cell-related genes that were associated with increased H3K27 methylation. Additionally, Turner Syndrome subjects, who are predisposed to chronic ear infections, had reduced UTX expression in immune cells and decreased circulating CD4(+) CXCR5(+) T cell frequency. Thus, we identify a critical link between UTX in T cells and immunity to infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin D Cook
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Karl B Shpargel
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Joshua Starmer
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Fatima Whitfield-Larry
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Bridget Conley
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Denise E Allard
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Julia E Rager
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Marsha L Davenport
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Terry Magnuson
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jason K Whitmire
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
| | - Maureen A Su
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 120 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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197
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Lim J, Poulin NM, Nielsen TO. New Strategies in Sarcoma: Linking Genomic and Immunotherapy Approaches to Molecular Subtype. Clin Cancer Res 2015; 21:4753-9. [PMID: 26330427 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-15-0831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There are more than 100 sarcoma subtypes, each uncommon and diagnostically challenging. Conventional chemotherapy has little benefit for most soft-tissue sarcomas; new treatment strategies are needed. Multiple recent genomic studies have provided detailed insights into sarcoma biology, including more accurate classification by molecular subtype, identification of recurrent mutations in oncogenic pathways, and evidence of epigenetic dysregulation. Advances in immunotherapy (adoptive immune cell transfer, tumor vaccine strategies, and immune checkpoint inhibition) have also provided a better understanding of how immuno-oncology might best be applied to sarcoma treatment, including connections to oncogenic pathways that may support combination strategies with conventional and targeted therapies. In this article, we review the latest sarcoma genomic studies and immuno-oncology developments and discuss how the findings suggest potential strategies to improve diagnosis and treatment across multiple sarcoma subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Lim
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Neal M Poulin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Torsten O Nielsen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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198
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Spatial Interplay between Polycomb and Trithorax Complexes Controls Transcriptional Activity in T Lymphocytes. Mol Cell Biol 2015; 35:3841-53. [PMID: 26324324 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00677-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trithorax group (TrxG) and Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are two mutually antagonistic chromatin modifying complexes, however, how they together mediate transcriptional counter-regulation remains unknown. Genome-wide analysis revealed that binding of Ezh2 and menin, central members of the PcG and TrxG complexes, respectively, were reciprocally correlated. Moreover, we identified a developmental change in the positioning of Ezh2 and menin in differentiated T lymphocytes compared to embryonic stem cells. Ezh2-binding upstream and menin-binding downstream of the transcription start site was frequently found at genes with higher transcriptional levels, and Ezh2-binding downstream and menin-binding upstream was found at genes with lower expression in T lymphocytes. Interestingly, of the Ezh2 and menin cooccupied genes, those exhibiting occupancy at the same position displayed greatly enhanced sensitivity to loss of Ezh2. Finally, we also found that different combinations of Ezh2 and menin occupancy were associated with expression of specific functional gene groups important for T cell development. Therefore, spatial cooperative gene regulation by the PcG and TrxG complexes may represent a novel mechanism regulating the transcriptional identity of differentiated cells.
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199
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Abstract
Post-translational modifications of histones (so-called epigenetic modifications) play a major role in transcriptional control and normal development, and are tightly regulated. Disruption of their control is a frequent event in disease. In particular, the methylation of lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3K27), induced by the methylase EZH2, emerges as a key control of gene expression and a major regulator of cell physiology. The identification of driver mutations in EZH2 has already led to new prognostic and therapeutic advances, and new classes of potent and specific inhibitors for EZH2 show promising results in preclinical trials. This review examines the roles of histone lysine methylases and demethylases in cells and focuses on the recent knowledge and developments about EZH2.
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Yoo KH, Oh S, Kang K, Hensel T, Robinson GW, Hennighausen L. Loss of EZH2 results in precocious mammary gland development and activation of STAT5-dependent genes. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:8774-89. [PMID: 26250110 PMCID: PMC4605299 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Establishment and differentiation of mammary alveoli during pregnancy are controlled by prolactin through the transcription factors STAT5A and STAT5B (STAT5), which also regulate temporal activation of mammary signature genes. This study addressed the question whether the methyltransferase and transcriptional co-activator EZH2 controls the differentiation clock of mammary epithelium. Ablation of Ezh2 from mammary stem cells resulted in precocious differentiation of alveolar epithelium during pregnancy and the activation of mammary-specific STAT5 target genes. This coincided with enhanced occupancy of these loci by STAT5, EZH1 and RNA Pol II. Limited activation of differentiation-specific genes was observed in mammary epithelium lacking both EZH2 and STAT5, suggesting a modulating but not mandatory role for STAT5. Loss of EZH2 did not result in overt changes in genome-wide and gene-specific H3K27me3 profiles, suggesting compensation through enhanced EZH1 recruitment. Differentiated mammary epithelia did not form in the combined absence of EZH1 and EZH2. Transplantation experiments failed to demonstrate a role for EZH2 in the activity of mammary stem and progenitor cells. In summary, while EZH1 and EZH2 serve redundant functions in the establishment of H3K27me3 marks and the formation of mammary alveoli, the presence of EZH2 is required to control progressive differentiation of milk secreting epithelium during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Hyun Yoo
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sumin Oh
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS NBM Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Chungnam 330-714, Republic of Korea
| | - Keunsoo Kang
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA Department of Microbiology, Dankook University, Cheonan, Chungnam 330-714, Republic of Korea
| | - Tim Hensel
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gertraud W Robinson
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lothar Hennighausen
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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