Key implication of CD277/butyrophilin-3 (BTN3A) in cellular stress sensing by a major human γδ T-cell subset

Role of Innate T Cells in Anti-Bacterial Immunity

Innate T cells are a heterogeneous group of αβ and γδ T cells that respond rapidly (<2 h) upon activation. These innate T cells also share a non MHC class I or II restriction requirement for antigen recognition. Three major populations within the innate T cell group are recognized, namely, invariant NKT cells, mucosal associated invariant T cells, and gamma delta T cells. These cells recognize foreign/self-lipid presented by non-classical MHC molecules, such as CD1d, MR1, and CD1a. They are activated during the early stages of bacterial infection and act as a bridge between the innate and adaptive immune systems. In this review, we focus on the functional properties of these three innate T cell populations and how they are purposed for antimicrobial defense. Furthermore, we address the mechanisms through which their effector functions are targeted for bacterial control and compare this in human and murine systems. Lastly, we speculate on future roles of these cell types in therapeutic settings such as vaccination.

Bovine gamma delta T cells and the function of gamma delta T cell specific WC1 co-receptors

The study of γδ T cells in ruminants dates to the discovery of the γδ TCR in humans and mice. It is important since cattle offer an alternative model to the mouse for evaluating the role of γδ T cells in zoonotic disease research and for control of disease reservoirs in non-human animals. In addition, maintaining the health of cattle and other members of the order Artiodactyla is critical to meet the global human need for animal-source protein. In this review, we examine the bovine γδ T cell responses to Mycobacteria, which infects a third of the human population, and bovine γ and δ TCR diversity and the relationship to the TCR of human mycobacteria-responsive γδ T cells. We review the utilization of the γδ T cell specific scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) glycoproteins known as WC1, and that are part of the CD163 family, which function as both γδ T cell activating co-receptors and pattern recognition receptors (PRR) for bovine γδ T cells and highlight the presence and evolution of this multigenic array, with potential for the same function, in birds, reptiles, jawless and bony fishes, and prototherian and eutherian mammals.

Harnessing the power of Vδ2 cells in cancer immunotherapy

γδ T cells are a subset of T lymphocytes that have been implicated in immunosurveillance against infections and tumours. In the peripheral blood of humans the γδ T cell pool is made up predominantly of Vδ2 cells, which can detect both foreign and self-metabolites of the isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway. This unique axis of antigen recognition enables Vδ2 cells to respond to a range of pathogenic infections as well as perturbations in endogenous isoprenoid biosynthesis that can occur during cell stress and malignant transformation. There has been growing interest in Vδ2 cells as a potential avenue for cancer immunotherapy, and a number of strategies have been utilized in an attempt to boost the anti-tumour response of Vδ2 cells in patients. In this review we discuss critically the evidence that Vδ2 cells contribute to the cytotoxic response against tumours and evaluate current immunotherapeutic approaches that target these cells in cancer patients, with specific focus on their shortcomings and how they may be improved.

Vγ9Vδ2-T cells as antigen presenting cells for iNKT cell based cancer immunotherapy

CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) constitute an important immunoregulatory T-cell subset involved in the induction of antitumor immune responses. Here, we provide a view on the recent observation that Vγ9Vδ2-T cells, through trogocytosis of CD1d-containing membrane fragments, have the capacity to act as antigen presenting cells for iNKT.

Human gamma delta T cells: Evolution and ligand recognition

The γδ T cell lineage in humans remains much of an enigma due to the low number of defined antigens, the non-canonical ways in which these cells respond to their environment and difficulty in tracking this population in vivo. In this review, we survey a comparative evolutionary analysis of the primate V, D and J gene segments and contrast these findings with recent progress in defining antigen recognition by different populations of γδ T cells in humans. Signatures of both purifying and diversifying selection at the Vδ and Vγ gene loci are placed into context of Vδ1+ γδ T cell recognition of CD1d presenting different lipids, and Vγ 9Vδ2 T cell modulation by pyrophosphate-based phosphoantigens through the butyrophilins BTN3A. From this comparison, it is clear that co-evolution between γδ TCRs and these ligands is likely occurring, but the diversity inherent in these recombined receptors is an important feature in ligand surveillance.

T lymphocyte regulation by mevalonate metabolism

Whereas resting T cells, which have low metabolic requirements, use oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to maximize their generation of ATP, activated T cells, similar to tumor cells, shift metabolic activity to aerobic glycolysis, which also fuels mevalonate metabolism. Both sterol and nonsterol derivatives of mevalonate affect T cell function. The intracellular availability of sterols, which is dynamically regulated by different classes of transcription factors, represents a metabolic checkpoint that modulates T cell responses. The electron carrier ubiquinone, which is modified with an isoprenoid membrane anchor, plays a pivotal role in OXPHOS, which supports the proliferation of T cells. Isoprenylation also mediates the plasma membrane attachment of the Ras, Rho, and Rab guanosine triphosphatases, which are involved in T cell immunological synapse formation, migration, proliferation, and cytotoxic effector responses. Finally, multiple phosphorylated mevalonate derivatives can act as danger signals for innate-like γδ T cells, thus contributing to the immune surveillance of stress, pathogens, and tumors. We highlight the importance of the mevalonate pathway in the metabolic reprogramming of effector and regulatory T cells.

Modulation of human gamma/delta T-cell activation and phenotype by histone deacetylase inhibitors

Histone deacetylase inhibitors have been shown to possess therapeutic potential in various pathophysiological conditions. Valproic acid (VPA), a known histone deacetylase class I inhibitor, has been studied for its influence on immune cell functions. However, the potential impact of VPA on human γδ T-cells remains unknown. Here we investigated the effects of VPA on the proliferation and the immunophenotype of human γδ T-cells. We observed dose-dependent inhibition of proliferation, associated with significant cell death as revealed by flow cytometry. The cellular response to VPA clearly showed differential modulation of cell surface markers on γδ T-cells when compared to αβ T-cells. Furthermore, histone H3 acetylation was detected in γδ T-cells even at toxic concentrations of VPA. Our investigations focusing on the impact of VPA on human γδ T-cells will be helpful in understanding its safety profile in clinical application, particularly in the context of γδ T-cell-targeted immunotherapy.

γδ T Cell Immunotherapy-A Review

Cancer immunotherapy utilizing Vγ9Vδ2 T cells has been developed over the past decade. A large number of clinical trials have been conducted on various types of solid tumors as well as hematological malignancies. Vγ9Vδ2 T cell-based immunotherapy can be classified into two categories based on the methods of activation and expansion of these cells. Although the in vivo expansion of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells by phosphoantigens or nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-bis) has been translated to early-phase clinical trials, in which the safety of the treatment was confirmed, problems such as activation-induced Vγ9Vδ2 T cell anergy and a decrease in the number of peripheral blood Vγ9Vδ2 T cells after infusion of these stimulants have not yet been solved. In addition, it is difficult to ex vivo expand Vγ9Vδ2 T cells from advanced cancer patients with decreased initial numbers of peripheral blood Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. In this article, we review the clinical studies and reports targeting Vγ9Vδ2 T cells and discuss the development and improvement of Vγ9Vδ2 T cell-based cancer immunotherapy.

γδ T Cells in HIV Disease: Past, Present, and Future

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 dysregulates γδ T cells as part of an immune evasion mechanism. Nearly three decades of research defined the effects of HIV on γδ T cells and how this impacts disease. With highly effective antiretroviral therapy providing virus suppression and longer survival, we expected a return to normal for γδ T cells. This is not the case. Even in patients with CD4 T cell reconstitution, normal γδ T cell levels and function are not recovered. The durable damage to Vδ2 T cells is paralleled by defects in NK, CD8 T cells, and dendritic cells. Whether these consequences of HIV stem from similar or distinct mechanisms are not known and effective means for recovering the full range of cellular immunity have not been discovered. These unanswered questions receive too little attention in the overall program of efforts to cure HIV this disease. Approved drugs capable of increasing Vδ2 T cell function are being tested in clinical trials for cancer and hold promise for restoring normal function in patients with HIV disease. The impetus for conducting clinical trials will come from understanding the significance of γδ T cells in HIV disease and what might be gained from targeted immunotherapy. This review traces the history and current progress of AIDS-related research on γδ T cells. We emphasize the damage to γδ T cells that persists despite effective virus suppression. These chronic immune deficits may be linked to the comorbidities of AIDS (cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, and others) and will hinder efforts to eradicate HIV by cytotoxic T or NK cell killing. Here, we focus on one subset of T cells that may be critical in the pathogenesis of HIV and an attractive target for new immune-based therapies.

Activation of human γδ T cells by cytosolic interactions of BTN3A1 with soluble phosphoantigens and the cytoskeletal adaptor periplakin

The three butyrophilin BTN3A molecules, BTN3A1, BTN3A2, and BTN3A3, are members of the B7/butyrophilin-like group of Ig superfamily receptors, which modulate the function of T cells. BTN3A1 controls activation of human Vγ9/Vδ2 T cells by direct or indirect presentation of self and nonself phosphoantigens (pAg). We show that the microbial metabolite (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate binds to the intracellular B30.2 domain of BTN3A1 with an affinity of 1.1 μM, whereas the endogenous pAg isopentenyl pyrophosphate binds with an affinity of 627 μM. Coculture experiments using knockdown cell lines showed that in addition to BTN3A1, BTN3A2 and BTN3A3 transmit activation signals to human γδ T cells in response to (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate and the aminobisphosphonate drug zoledronate that causes intracellular accumulation of isopentenyl pyrophosphate. The plakin family member periplakin, identified in yeast two-hybrid assays, interacted with a membrane-proximal di-leucine motif, located proximal to the B30.2 domain in the BTN3A1 cytoplasmic tail. Periplakin did not interact with BTN3A2 or BTN3A3, which do not contain the di-leucine motif. Re-expression into a BTN3A1 knockdown line of wild-type BTN3A1, but not of a variant lacking the periplakin binding motif, BTN3A1Δexon5, restored γδ T cell responses, demonstrating a functional role for periplakin interaction. These data, together with the widespread expression in epithelial cells, tumor tissues, and macrophages detected using BTN3A antiserum, are consistent with complex functions for BTN3A molecules in tissue immune surveillance and infection, linking the cell cytoskeleton to γδ T cell activation by indirectly presenting pAg to the Vγ9/Vδ2 TCR.

WC1 is a hybrid γδ TCR coreceptor and pattern recognition receptor for pathogenic bacteria

WC1 proteins are uniquely expressed on γδ T cells and belong to the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) superfamily. While present in variable, and sometimes high, numbers in the genomes of mammals and birds, in cattle there are 13 distinct genes (WC1-1 to WC1-13). All bovine WC1 proteins can serve as coreceptors for the TCR in a tyrosine phosphorylation dependent manner, and some are required for the γδ T cell response to Leptospira. We hypothesized that individual WC1 receptors encode Ag specificity via coligation of bacteria with the γδ TCR. SRCR domain binding was directly correlated with γδ T cell response, as WC1-3 SRCR domains from Leptospira-responsive cells, but not WC1-4 SRCR domains from Leptospira-nonresponsive cells, bound to multiple serovars of two Leptospira species, L. borgpetersenii, and L. interrogans. Three to five of eleven WC1-3 SRCR domains, but none of the eleven WC1-4 SRCR domains, interacted with Leptospira spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi, but not with Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus. Mutational analysis indicated that the active site for bacterial binding in one of the SRCR domains is composed of amino acids in three discontinuous regions. Recombinant WC1 SRCR domains with the ability to bind leptospires inhibited Leptospira growth. Our data suggest that WC1 gene arrays play a multifaceted role in the γδ T cell response to bacteria, including acting as hybrid pattern recognition receptors and TCR coreceptors, and they may function as antimicrobials.

Human Vγ9/Vδ2 T cells: Innate adaptors of the immune system

Unconventional T cells are gaining center stage as important effector and regulatory cells that orchestrate innate and adaptive immune responses. Human Vγ9/Vδ2 T cells are amongst the best understood unconventional T cells, as they are easily accessible in peripheral blood, can readily be expanded and manipulated in vitro, respond to microbial infections in vivo and can be exploited for novel tumor immunotherapies. We here review findings that suggest that Vγ9/Vδ2 T cells, and possibly other unconventional human T cells, play an important role in bridging innate and adaptive immunity by promoting the activation and differentiation of various types of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and even turning into APCs themselves, and thereby pave the way for antigen-specific effector responses and long-term immunological memory. Although the direct physiological relevance for most of these mechanisms still needs to be demonstrated in vivo, these findings may have implications for novel therapies, diagnostic tests and vaccines.

Inhibition of human γδ T cell proliferation and effector functions by neutrophil serine proteases

Human peripheral blood γδ T cells expressing the Vγ9Vδ2 T cell receptor are activated by microbial or endogenous pyrophosphate antigens and indirectly by nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates. Apart from proliferation, such phosphoantigens induce proinflammatory cytokine production including TNF-α and IFN-γ and trigger cytotoxic effector function. Neutrophil granulocytes are known to modulate T cell activation. The neutrophil serine proteases proteinase 3, elastase and cathepsin G have multiple potential targets and promote microbial killing. In this study, we investigated the effect of the three serine proteases on the in vitro proliferation and effector functions of γδ T cells cultured in serum-free medium. All three proteases inhibited the proliferative activity, suppressed the cytokine production and decreased the cytotoxicity of γδ T cells. Further studies indicated that proteolytic cleavage of IL-2 and modulation of butyrophilin 3A1 (CD277) expression might contribute to the overall inhibition.

Sensing of Pyrophosphate Metabolites by Vγ9Vδ2 T Cells

The predominant population of γδ T cells in human blood express a T cell receptor (TCR) composed of a Vγ9 (Vγ2 in an alternate nomenclature) and Vδ2 domains. These cells came into the limelight when it was discovered they can respond to certain microbial infections and tumorigenic cells through the detection of small, pyrophosphate containing organic molecules collectively called “phosphoantigens” or “pAgs.” These molecules are intermediates in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic metabolic pathways. Chemical variants of these intermediates have been used in the clinic to treat a range of different cancers, however, directed optimization of these molecules requires a full understanding of their mechanism of action on target cells. We and others have identified a subclass of butyrophilin-related molecules (BTN3A1-3) that are directly involved in pAg sensing in the target cell, leading to engagement and activation of the T cell through the TCR. Our data and that of others support the pAg binding site to be the intracellular B30.2 domain of BTN3A1, which is the only isoform capable of mediating pAg-dependent stimulation of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. Here, we review the data demonstrating pAg binding to the B30.2 domain and our studies of the structural conformations of the BTN3A extracellular domains. Finally, we synthesize a model linking binding of pAg to the intracellular domain with T cell detection via the extracellular domains in an “inside-out” signaling mechanism of the type characterized first for integrin molecule signaling. We also explore the role of Vγ9Vδ2 TCR variability in the CDR3 γ and δ loops and how this may modulate Vγ9Vδ2 cells as a population in surveillance of human health and disease.

Phosphoantigen Presentation to TCR γδ Cells, a Conundrum Getting Less Gray Zones

The mechanistic requirements of antigen recognition by T cells expressing a γδ TCR has revealed important differences with those of αβ TCR cells and, despite impressive new data generated in the very recent years, they remain poorly understood. Based on the structure of the TCR chains and the tissue distribution, γδ cells are represented in a variety of populations. The major subset of human peripheral blood γδ cells express Vγ9Vδ2 TCR heterodimers and are all stimulated by phosphorylated metabolites (commonly called phosphoantigens). Phosphoantigens are molecules with a very small mass and only stimulate Vγ9Vδ2 cells in the presence of antigen-presenting cells, suggesting a strict requirement for dedicated antigen-presenting molecules. Recent studies have identified butyrophilin (BTN) 3A1 as the molecule necessary to stimulate Vγ9Vδ2 cells. BTN3A1 extracellular, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domains have different functions, including cognate interaction with the Vγ9Vδ2 TCR, binding of the phosphoantigens, and interaction with cytoplasmic proteins. This review mainly discusses the known molecular mechanisms of BTN3A1-mediated antigen presentation to γδ cells and proposes a model of phosphoantigen presentation, which integrates past and recent studies.

Zoledronic acid causes γδ T cells to target monocytes and down-modulate inflammatory homing

Zoledronic acid (ZA) is a potential immunotherapy for cancer because it can induce potent γδ T-cell-mediated anti-tumour responses. Clinical trials are testing the efficacy of intravenous ZA in cancer patients; however, the effects of systemic ZA on the activation and migration of peripheral γδ T cells remain poorly understood. We found that γδ T cells within ZA-treated peripheral blood mononuclear cells were degranulating, as shown by up-regulated expression of CD107a/b. Degranulation was monocyte dependent because CD107a/b expression was markedly reduced in the absence of CD14(+) cells. Consistent with monocyte-induced degranulation, we observed γδ T-cell-dependent induction of monocyte apoptosis, as shown by phosphatidylserine expression on monocytes and decreased percentages of monocytes in culture. Despite the prevailing paradigm that ZA promotes tumour homing in γδ T cells, we observed down-modulation of their tumour homing capacity, as shown by decreased expression of the inflammatory chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR3, and reduced migration towards the inflammatory chemokine CCL5. Taken together our data suggest that ZA causes γδ T cells to target monocytes and down-modulate the migratory programme required for inflammatory homing. This study provides novel insight into how γδ T cells interact with monocytes and the possible implications of systemic use of ZA in cancer.

Molecules and Mechanisms Implicated in the Peculiar Antigenic Activation Process of Human Vγ9Vδ2 T Cells

In human beings, as well as in most non-human primates, the major peripheral γδ T cell subset, which accounts several percent of the whole lymphoid cells pool in adults, carries an heterodimeric TCR composed of Vγ9 and Vδ2 chains. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are specifically and strongly activated by small organic pyrophosphate molecules termed phosphoantigens (phosphoAg). These low molecular weight compounds are metabolites that are produced by either microbes or endogenously, as intermediates of the mammalian mevalonate pathway, and can accumulate intracellularly during cell stress like transformation or infection. Despite the characterization of numerous natural and synthetic phosphoAg, the mechanism(s) underlying the unique and specific antigenic activation process induced by these compounds remains poorly understood. Activation is both TCR- and cell-to-cell contact-dependent, and results of previous studies have also strongly suggested a key contribution of membrane-associated molecules of primate origin expressed on target cells. The recent identification of B7-related butyrophilin (BTN) molecules CD277/BTN3A, and more precisely their BTN3A1 isoforms, as mandatory molecules in the phosphoAg-induced recognition of target cells by Vγ9Vδ2 T cells opens important opportunities for research and applications in this field. Here, we review the unusual and complex antigenic reactivity of human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. We highlight the recent advances in our understanding of this process, and propose a model that integrates the type I glycoprotein BTN3A1 and its intracellular B30.2 domain as a physical intermediate implicated in the detection of dysregulated intracellular levels of phosphoAg and the sensing of cell stress by Vγ9Vδ2T cells. A better understanding of this mechanism will help optimize novel immunotherapeutical approaches that utilize the unique functional potential of this major γδ T cell subset.

The bovine model for elucidating the role of γδ T cells in controlling infectious diseases of importance to cattle and humans

There are several instances of co-investigation and related discoveries and achievements in bovine and human immunology; perhaps most interesting is the development of the BCG vaccine, the tuberculin skin test and the more recent interferon-gamma test that were developed first in cattle to prevent and diagnosis bovine tuberculosis and then applied to humans. There are also a number of immune-physiological traits that ruminant share with humans including the development of their immune systems in utero which increases the utility of cattle as a model for human immunology. These are reviewed here with a particular focus on the use of cattle to unravel γδ T cell biology. Based on the sheer number of γδ T cells in this γδ T cell high species, it is reasonable to expect γδ T cells to play an important role in protective immune responses. For that reason alone cattle may provide good models for elucidating at least some of the roles γδ T cells play in protective immunity in all species. This includes fundamental research on γδ T cells as well as the responses of ruminant γδ T cells to a variety of infectious disease situations including to protozoan and bacterial pathogens. The role that pattern recognition receptors (PRR) play in the activation of γδ T cells may be unique relative to αβ T cells. Here we focus on that of the γδ T cell specific family of molecules known as WC1 or T19 in ruminants, which are part of the CD163 scavenger receptor cysteine rich (SRCR) family that includes SCART1 and SCART2 expressed on murine γδ T cells. We review the evidence for WC1 being a PRR as well as an activating co-receptor and the role that γδ T cells bearing these receptors play in immunity to leptospirosis and tuberculosis. This includes the generation of memory responses to vaccines, thereby continuing the tradition of co-discovery between cattle and humans.

Human Vδ2(+) γδ T Cells Differentially Induce Maturation, Cytokine Production, and Alloreactive T Cell Stimulation by Dendritic Cells and B Cells

Human γδ T cells expressing the Vγ9Vδ2 T cell receptor can induce maturation of dendritic cells (DC) into antigen-presenting cells (APC) and B cells into antibody-secreting plasma cells. Since B cells are capable of presenting antigens to T cells, we investigated if Vγ9Vδ2 T cells can influence antigen-presentation by these cells. We report that Vγ9Vδ2 T cells induced expression of CD86, HLA-DR, and CD40 by B cells and stimulated the release of IL-4, IL-6, TNF-α, and IgG, IgA, and IgM. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells also augmented the ability of B cells to stimulate proliferation but not IFN-γ or IL-4 release by alloreactive T cells. In contrast, Vγ9Vδ2 T cells induced expression of CD86 and HLA-DR and the release of IFN-γ, IL-6, and TNF-α by DC and these DC stimulated proliferation and IFN-γ production by conventional T cells. Furthermore, CD86, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and cell contact were found to be important in DC activation by Vγ9Vδ2 T cells but not in the activation of B cells. These data suggest that Vγ9Vδ2 T cells can induce maturation of B cells and DC into APC, but while they prime DC to stimulate T helper 1 (T_H1) responses, they drive maturation of B cells into APC that can stimulate different T cell responses. Thus, Vγ9Vδ2 T cells can control different arms of the immune system through selective activation of B cells and DC in vitro, which may have important applications in immunotherapy and for vaccine adjuvants.

The Vγ9Vδ2 T Cell Antigen Receptor and Butyrophilin-3 A1: Models of Interaction, the Possibility of Co-Evolution, and the Case of Dendritic Epidermal T Cells

Most circulating human gamma delta T cells are Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. Their hallmark is the expression of T cell antigen receptors (TCR) whose γ-chains show a Vγ9-JP (Vγ2-Jγ1.2) rearrangement and are paired with Vδ2-containing δ-chains, a dominant TCR configuration, which until recently seemed to occur in primates only. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells respond to phosphoantigens (PAg) such as (E)-4-Hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP), which is produced by many pathogens and isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP), which accumulates in certain tumors or cells treated with aminobisphosphonates such as zoledronate. A prerequisite for PAg-induced activation is the contact of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells with cells expressing butyrophilin-3 A1 (BTN3A1). We will first critically review models of how BTN3 might act in PAg-mediated Vγ9Vδ2 T cell activation and then address putative co-evolution of Vγ9, Vδ2, and BTN3 genes. In those rodent and lagomorphs used as animal models, all three genes are lost but a data-base analysis showed that they emerged together with placental mammals. A strong concomitant conservation of functional Vγ9, Vδ2, and BTN3 genes in other species suggests co-evolution of these three genes. A detailed analysis was performed for the new world camelid alpaca (Vicugna pacos). It provides an excellent candidate for a non-primate species with presumably functional Vγ9Vδ2 T cells since TCR rearrangements share features characteristic for PAg-reactive primate Vγ9Vδ2 TCR and proposed PAg-binding sites of BTN3A1 have been conserved. Finally, we analyze the possible functional relationship between the butyrophilin-family member Skint1 and the γδ TCR-V genes used by murine dendritic epithelial T cells (DETC). Among placental mammals, we identify five rodents, the cow, a bat, and the cape golden mole as the only species concomitantly possessing potentially functional homologs of murine Vγ3, Vδ4 genes, and Skint1 gene and suggest to search for DETC like cells in these species.

Tumor necrosis factor superfamily in innate immunity and inflammation

The tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNFSF) and its corresponding receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) form communication pathways required for developmental, homeostatic, and stimulus-responsive processes in vivo. Although this receptor-ligand system operates between many different cell types and organ systems, many of these proteins play specific roles in immune system function. The TNFSF and TNFRSF proteins lymphotoxins, LIGHT (homologous to lymphotoxins, exhibits inducible expression, and competes with HSV glycoprotein D for herpes virus entry mediator [HVEM], a receptor expressed by T lymphocytes), lymphotoxin-β receptor (LT-βR), and HVEM are used by embryonic and adult innate lymphocytes to promote the development and homeostasis of lymphoid organs. Lymphotoxin-expressing innate-acting B cells construct microenvironments in lymphoid organs that restrict pathogen spread and initiate interferon defenses. Recent results illustrate how the communication networks formed among these cytokines and the coreceptors B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) and CD160 both inhibit and activate innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), innate γδ T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. Understanding the role of TNFSF/TNFRSF and interacting proteins in innate cells will likely reveal avenues for future therapeutics for human disease.

Plasticity of γδ T Cells: Impact on the Anti-Tumor Response

The tumor immune microenvironment contributes to tumor initiation, progression, and response to therapy. Among the immune cell subsets that play a role in the tumor microenvironment, innate-like T cells that express T cell receptors composed of γ and δ chains (γδ T cells) are of particular interest. γδ T cells can contribute to the immune response against many tumor types (lymphoma, myeloma, melanoma, breast, colon, lung, ovary, and prostate cancer) directly through their cytotoxic activity and indirectly by stimulating or regulating the biological functions of other cell types required for the initiation and establishment of the anti-tumor immune response, such as dendritic cells and cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. However, the notion that tumor-infiltrating γδ T cells are a good prognostic marker in cancer was recently challenged by studies showing that the presence of these cells in the tumor microenvironment was associated with poor prognosis in both breast and colon cancer. These findings suggest that γδ T cells may also display pro-tumor activities. Indeed, breast tumor-infiltrating γδ T cells could exert an immunosuppressive activity by negatively regulating dendritic cell maturation. Furthermore, recent studies demonstrated that signals from the microenvironment, particularly cytokines, can confer some plasticity to γδ T cells and promote their differentiation into γδ T cells with regulatory functions. This review focuses on the current knowledge on the functional plasticity of γδ T cells and its effect on their anti-tumor activities. It also discusses the putative mechanisms underlying γδ T cell expansion, differentiation, and recruitment in the tumor microenvironment.

Bispecific antibody platforms for cancer immunotherapy

Over the past decades advances in bioengineering and expanded insight in tumor immunology have resulted in the emergence of novel bispecific antibody (bsAb) constructs that are capable of redirecting immune effector cells to the tumor microenvironment. (Pre-) clinical studies of various bsAb constructs have shown impressive results in terms of immune effector cell retargeting, target dependent activation and the induction of anti-tumor responses. This review summarizes recent advances in the field of bsAb-therapy and limitations that were encountered. Furthermore, we will discuss potential future developments that can be expected to take the bsAb approach successfully forward.

Tumor-Infiltrating γδ T Lymphocytes: Pathogenic Role, Clinical Significance, and Differential Programing in the Tumor Microenvironment

There is increasing clinical evidence indicating that the immune system may either promote or inhibit tumor progression. Several studies have demonstrated that tumors undergoing remission are largely infiltrated by T lymphocytes [tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)], but on the other hand, several studies have shown that tumors may be infiltrated by TILs endowed with suppressive features, suggesting that TILs are rather associated with tumor progression and unfavorable prognosis. γδ T lymphocytes are an important component of TILs that may contribute to tumor immunosurveillance, as also suggested by promising reports from several small phase-I clinical trials. Typically, γδ T lymphocytes perform effector functions involved in anti-tumor immune responses (cytotoxicity, production of IFN-γ and TNF-α, and dendritic cell maturation), but under appropriate conditions they may divert from the typical Th1-like phenotype and polarize to Th2, Th17, and Treg cells thus acquiring the capability to inhibit anti-tumor immune responses and promote tumor growth. Recent studies have shown a high frequency of γδ T lymphocytes infiltrating different types of cancer, but the nature of this association and the exact mechanisms underlying it remain uncertain and whether or not the presence of tumor-infiltrating γδ T lymphocytes is a definite prognostic factor remains controversial. In this paper, we will review studies of tumor-infiltrating γδ T lymphocytes from patients with different types of cancer, and we will discuss their clinical relevance. Moreover, we will also discuss on the complex interplay between cancer, tumor stroma, and γδ T lymphocytes as a major determinant of the final outcome of the γδ T lymphocyte response. Finally, we propose that targeting γδ T lymphocyte polarization and skewing their phenotype to adapt to the microenvironment might hold great promise for the treatment of cancer.

Cancer Immunotherapy Using γδT Cells: Dealing with Diversity

The broad and potent tumor-reactivity of innate-like γδT cells makes them valuable additions to current cancer immunotherapeutic concepts based on adaptive immunity, such as monoclonal antibodies and αβT cells. However, clinical success using γδT cells to treat cancer has so far fallen short. Efforts of recent years have revealed a striking diversity in γδT cell functions and immunobiology, putting these cells forward as true “swiss army knives” of immunity. At the same time, however, this heterogeneity poses new challenges to the design of γδT cell-based therapeutic concepts and could explain their rather limited clinical efficacy in cancer patients. This review outlines the recent new insights into the different levels of γδT cell diversity, including the myriad of γδT cell-mediated immune functions, the diversity of specificities and affinities within the γδT cell repertoire, and the multitude of complex molecular requirements for γδT cell activation. A careful consideration of the diversity of antibodies and αβT cells has delivered great progress to their clinical success; addressing also the extraordinary diversity in γδT cells will therefore hold the key to more effective immunotherapeutic strategies with γδT cells as additional and valuable tools to battle cancer.

Stress-related and homeostatic cytokines regulate Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell surveillance of mevalonate metabolism

The potentially oncogenic mevalonate pathway provides building blocks for protein prenylation and induces cell proliferation and as such is an important therapeutic target. Among mevalonate metabolites, only isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) has been considered to be an immunologically relevant antigen for primate-specific, innate-like Vγ9Vδ2 T cells with antitumor potential. We show here that Vγ9Vδ2 T cells pretreated with the stress-related, inflammasome-dependent cytokine interleukin 18 (IL-18) were potently activated not only by IPP but also by all downstream isoprenoid pyrophosphates that exhibit combined features of antigens and cell-extrinsic metabolic cues. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells induced this way effectively proliferated even under severe lymphopenic conditions and the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine significantly improved reconstitution of γδ T cells predominantly with a central memory phenotype. The homeostatic cytokine IL-15 induced the differentiation of effector cells in an antigen-independent fashion, which rapidly produced abundant interferon γ (IFNγ) upon antigen re-encounter. IL-15 induced effector γδ T cells displayed increased levels of the cytotoxic lymphocyte-associated proteins CD56, CD96, CD161 and perforin. In response to stimulation with isoprenoid pyrophosphates, these effector cells upregulated surface expression of CD107a and exhibited strong cytotoxicity against tumor cells in vitro. Our data clarify understanding of innate immunosurveillance mechanisms and will facilitate the controlled generation of robust Vγ9Vδ2 T cell subsets for effective cancer immunotherapy.

γδ T Lymphocytes as a First Line of Immune Defense: Old and New Ways of Antigen Recognition and Implications for Cancer Immunotherapy

Among γδT cells, the Vδ1 subset, resident in epithelial tissues, is implied in the defense against viruses, fungi, and certain hematological malignancies, while the circulating Vδ2 subpopulation mainly respond to mycobacteria and solid tumors. Both subsets can be activated by stress-induced molecules (MIC-A, MIC-B, ULBPs) to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines and lytic enzymes and destroy bacteria or damaged cells. γδT lymphocytes can also recognize lipids, as those associated to M. tuberculosis, presented by the CD1 molecule, or phosphoantigens (P-Ag), either autologous, which accumulates in virus-infected cells, or microbial produced by prokaryotes and parasites. In cancer cells, P-Ag accumulate due to alterations in the mevalonate pathway; recently, butyrophilin 3A1 has been shown to be the presenting molecule for P-Ag. Of interest, aminobisphosphonates indirectly activate Vδ2 T cells inducing the accumulation of P-Ag. Based on these data, γδT lymphocytes are attractive effectors for cancer immunotherapy. However, the results obtained in clinical trials so far have been disappointing: this review will focus on the possible reasons of this failure as well as on suggestions for implementation of the therapeutic strategies.

Tumor cell recognition by γδ T lymphocytes: T-cell receptor vs. NK-cell receptors

The dissection of the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor-cell recognition by γδ T-cells is crucial to improve their performance in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we discuss the controversy around the relative contributions of the γδ T-cell receptor (TCR) and natural killer receptors (NKRs) to tumor-cell targeting by γδ T cells.

HIV infection of monocytes-derived dendritic cells inhibits Vγ9Vδ2 T cells functions

DCs act as sentinel cells against incoming pathogens and represent the most potent antigen presenting cells, having the unique capability to prime naïve T cells. In addition to their role in induction of adaptive immune responses, DC are also able to activate innate cells as γδ T cells; in particular, a reciprocal crosstalk between DC and γδ T cells was demonstrated. However, whether HIV infection may alter DC-Vγ9Vδ2 T cells cross-talk was not yet described. To clarify this issue, we cultured activated Vγ9Vδ2 T cells with HIV infected monocyte derived DC (MoDC). After 5 days we evaluated MoDC phenotype, and Vγ9Vδ2 T cells activation and proliferation. In our model, Vγ9Vδ2 T cells were not able to proliferate in response to HIV-infected MoDC, although an up-regulation of CD69 was observed. Upon phosphoantigens stimulation, Vγ9Vδ2 T cells proliferation and cytokine production were inhibited when cultured with HIV-infected MoDC in a cell-contact dependent way. Moreover, HIV-infected MoDC are not able to up-regulate CD86 molecules when cultured with activated Vγ9Vδ2 T cells, compared with uninfected MoDC. Further, activated Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are not able to induce HLA DR up-regulation and CCR5 down-regulation on HIV-infected MoDC. These data indicate that HIV-infected DC alter the capacity of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells to respond to their antigens, pointing out a new mechanisms of induction of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells anergy carried out by HIV, that could contribute to immune evasion.

Microbe-specific unconventional T cells induce human neutrophil differentiation into antigen cross-presenting cells

The early immune response to microbes is dominated by the recruitment of neutrophils whose primary function is to clear invading pathogens. However, there is emerging evidence that neutrophils play additional effector and regulatory roles. The present study demonstrates that human neutrophils assume Ag cross-presenting functions and suggests a plausible scenario for the local generation of APC-like neutrophils through the mobilization of unconventional T cells in response to microbial metabolites. Vγ9/Vδ2 T cells and mucosal-associated invariant T cells are abundant in blood, inflamed tissues, and mucosal barriers. In this study, both human cell types responded rapidly to neutrophils after phagocytosis of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria producing the corresponding ligands, and in turn mediated the differentiation of neutrophils into APCs for both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells through secretion of GM-CSF, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. In patients with acute sepsis, circulating neutrophils displayed a similar APC-like phenotype and readily processed soluble proteins for cross-presentation of antigenic peptides to CD8(+) T cells, at a time when peripheral Vγ9/Vδ2 T cells were highly activated. Our findings indicate that unconventional T cells represent key controllers of neutrophil-driven innate and adaptive responses to a broad range of pathogens.

Nonclassical T cells and their antigens in tuberculosis

T cells that recognize nonpeptidic antigens, and thereby are identified as nonclassical, represent important yet poorly characterized effectors of the immune response. They are present in large numbers in circulating blood and tissues and are as abundant as T cells recognizing peptide antigens. Nonclassical T cells exert multiple functions including immunoregulation, tumor control, and protection against infections. They recognize complexes of nonpeptidic antigens such as lipid and glycolipid molecules, vitamin B2 precursors, and phosphorylated metabolites of the mevalonate pathway. Each of these antigens is presented by antigen-presenting molecules other than major histocompatibility complex (MHC), including CD1, MHC class I-related molecule 1 (MR1), and butyrophilin 3A1 (BTN3A1) molecules. Here, we discuss how nonclassical T cells participate in the recognition of mycobacterial antigens and in the mycobacterial-specific immune response.

Expanded Human Blood-Derived γδT Cells Display Potent Antigen-Presentation Functions

Cell-based immunotherapy strategies target tumors directly (via cytolytic effector cells) or aim at mobilizing endogenous anti-tumor immunity. The latter approach includes dendritic cells (DC) most frequently in the form of in vitro cultured peripheral blood monocytes-derived DC. Human blood γδT cells are selective for a single class of non-peptide agonists (“phosphoantigens”) and develop into potent antigen-presenting cells (APC), termed γδT-APC within 1–3 days of in vitro culture. Availability of large numbers of γδT-APC would be advantageous for use as a novel cellular vaccine. We here report optimal γδT cell expansion (>10⁷ cells/ml blood) when peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy individuals and melanoma patients were stimulated with zoledronate and then cultured for 14 days in the presence of IL-2 and IL-15, yielding γδT cell cultures of variable purity (77 ± 21 and 56 ± 26%, respectively). They resembled effector memory αβT (T_EM) cells and retained full functionality as assessed by in vitro tumor cell killing as well as secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFNγ, TNFα) and cell proliferation in response to stimulation with phosphoantigens. Importantly, day 14 γδT cells expressed numerous APC-related cell surface markers and, in agreement, displayed potent in vitro APC functions. Day 14 γδT cells from PBMC of patients with cancer were equally effective as their counterparts derived from blood of healthy individuals and triggered potent CD8⁺ αβT cell responses following processing and cross-presentation of simple (influenza M1) and complex (tuberculin purified protein derivative) protein antigens. Of note, and in clear contrast to peripheral blood γδT cells, the ability of day 14 γδT cells to trigger antigen-specific αβT cell responses did not depend on re-stimulation. We conclude that day 14 γδT cell cultures provide a convenient source of autologous APC for use in immunotherapy of patients with various cancers.

Vγ9Vδ2 TCR-activation by phosphorylated antigens requires butyrophilin 3 A1 (BTN3A1) and additional genes on human chromosome 6

Pyrophosphorylated metabolites of isoprenoid-biosynthesis (phosphoantigens, PAgs) activate Vγ9Vδ2 T cells during infections and trigger antitumor activity. This activation depends on expression of butyrophilin 3 A1 (BTN3A1) by antigen-presenting cells. This report defines the minimal genetic requirements for activation of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells by PAgs and mAb 20.1. We compared PAg-presentation by BTN3A1-transduced CHO hamster cells with that of CHO cells containing the complete human chromosome 6 (Chr6). BTN3A1 expression alone was sufficient for activation of Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell receptor transductants by mAb 20.1., while activation by PAgs also required the presence of Chr6. We take this finding as evidence that gene(s) on Chr6 in addition to BTN3A1 are mandatory for PAg-mediated activation of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. This observation is important for the design of animal models for PAg-mediated immune responses and provokes speculations about the analogy between genes controlling PAg presentation and MHC-localized genes controlling peptide-antigen presentation.

[Nectins and nectin-like receptors DNAM-1 and CRTAM: new ways for tumor escape]

Nectin and nectin-like (Necl) are cell adhesion molecules expressed in various tumors. They were alternatively reported as involved in tumor suppressor or oncogenic functions that led to their use as histological or serological cancer markers. Gene inactivation in lung carcinoma but overexpression in leukemia were reported for Necl-2. DNAM-1 and CRTAM are emerging NK receptors of immune cells that were described to interact with nectin and Necl. DNAM-1, constitutively expressed by CD8(+) T cells, NK or γδ T lymphocytes, is a ligand of Necl-5. It participates to tumor immunosurveillance promoting Necl-5 expressing tumor cell lysis. CRTAM, only expressed after lymphocyte activation, is a ligand of Necl-2. Engagement of CRTAM with Necl-2 has opposite effects depending on the type of lymphocyte. For NK or CD8(+) T cells, it promotes cytotoxicity and IFNγ secretion favoring immunosurveillance. By contrast, CRTAM/Necl-2 interaction triggers cell death of activated TVg9Vd2 γδ T cells favoring immune escape. Nectin and Necl-mediated interactions appear to be crucial for the delicate balance between tumor escape and antitumor response.

Metabolic engineering of Salmonella vaccine bacteria to boost human Vγ2Vδ2 T cell immunity

Human Vγ2Vδ2 T cells monitor isoprenoid metabolism by recognizing foreign (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP), a metabolite in the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate pathway used by most eubacteria and apicomplexan parasites, and self isopentenyl pyrophosphate, a metabolite in the mevalonate pathway used by humans. Whereas microbial infections elicit prolonged expansion of memory Vγ2Vδ2 T cells, immunization with prenyl pyrophosphates or aminobisphosphonates elicit short-term Vγ2Vδ2 expansion with rapid anergy and deletion upon subsequent immunizations. We hypothesized that a live, attenuated bacterial vaccine that overproduces HMBPP would elicit long-lasting Vγ2Vδ2 T cell immunity by mimicking a natural infection. Therefore, we metabolically engineered the avirulent aroA(-) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SL7207 strain by deleting the gene for LytB (the downstream enzyme from HMBPP) and functionally complementing for this loss with genes encoding mevalonate pathway enzymes. LytB(-) Salmonella SL7207 had high HMBPP levels, infected human cells as efficiently as did the wild-type bacteria, and stimulated large ex vivo expansions of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells from human donors. Importantly, vaccination of a rhesus monkey with live lytB(-) Salmonella SL7207 stimulated a prolonged expansion of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells without significant side effects or anergy induction. These studies provide proof-of-principle that metabolic engineering can be used to derive live bacterial vaccines that boost Vγ2Vδ2 T cell immunity. Similar engineering of metabolic pathways to produce lipid Ags or B vitamin metabolite Ags could be used to derive live bacterial vaccine for other unconventional T cells that recognize nonpeptide Ags.

Sequence of a complete chicken BG haplotype shows dynamic expansion and contraction of two gene lineages with particular expression patterns

Many genes important in immunity are found as multigene families. The butyrophilin genes are members of the B7 family, playing diverse roles in co-regulation and perhaps in antigen presentation. In humans, a fixed number of butyrophilin genes are found in and around the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and show striking association with particular autoimmune diseases. In chickens, BG genes encode homologues with somewhat different domain organisation. Only a few BG genes have been characterised, one involved in actin-myosin interaction in the intestinal brush border, and another implicated in resistance to viral diseases. We characterise all BG genes in B12 chickens, finding a multigene family organised as tandem repeats in the BG region outside the MHC, a single gene in the MHC (the BF-BL region), and another single gene on a different chromosome. There is a precise cell and tissue expression for each gene, but overall there are two kinds, those expressed by haemopoietic cells and those expressed in tissues (presumably non-haemopoietic cells), correlating with two different kinds of promoters and 5′ untranslated regions (5′UTR). However, the multigene family in the BG region contains many hybrid genes, suggesting recombination and/or deletion as major evolutionary forces. We identify BG genes in the chicken whole genome shotgun sequence, as well as by comparison to other haplotypes by fibre fluorescence in situ hybridisation, confirming dynamic expansion and contraction within the BG region. Thus, the BG genes in chickens are undergoing much more rapid evolution compared to their homologues in mammals, for reasons yet to be understood.

Many immune genes are multigene families, presumably in response to pathogen variation. Some multigene families undergo expansion and contraction, leading to copy number variation (CNV), presumably due to more intense selection. Recently, the butyrophilin family in humans and other mammals has come under scrutiny, due to genetic associations with autoimmune diseases as well as roles in immune co-regulation and antigen presentation. Butyrophilin genes exhibit allelic polymorphism, but gene number appears stable within a species. We found that the BG homologues in chickens are very different, with great changes between haplotypes. We characterised one haplotype in detail, showing that there are two single BG genes, one on chromosome 2 and the other in the major histocompatibility complex (BF-BL region) on chromosome 16, and a family of BG genes in a tandem array in the BG region nearby. These genes have specific expression in cells and tissues, but overall are expressed in either haemopoietic cells or tissues. The two singletons have relatively stable evolutionary histories, but the BG region undergoes dynamic expansion and contraction, with the production of hybrid genes. Thus, chicken BG genes appear to evolve much more quickly than their closest homologs in mammals, presumably due to increased pressure from pathogens.

Regeneration of stalled immune responses to transformed and infected cells using γδ T cells

Manipulation of the human immune system is becoming more of a therapeutic focus as a treatment option or complement. Prominent examples are the increasing use of monoclonal antibodies in combating malignant tumours, and the numerous adoptive immunotherapy trials underway. One important aspect of any use of the human immune system in this regard is to harness the power of professional antigen-presenting cells (pAPC), that is, dendritic cells (DC), to direct immune responses. Here, we review how recent findings regarding the biology of γδT cells have revealed that they, surprisingly, could serve as convenient tools for this purpose, in that they combine innate cytotoxic cell and pAPC functions in one cell type, with potential benefits in cancer immunotherapy and infectious disease.

Neutrophil uptake of nitrogen-bisphosphonates leads to the suppression of human peripheral blood γδ T cells

Nitrogen-bisphosphonates (n-BP), such as zoledronate, are the main class of drugs used for the prevention of osteoporotic fractures and the management of cancer-associated bone disease. However, long-term or high-dose use has been associated with certain adverse drug effects, such as osteonecrosis of the jaw and the loss of peripheral of blood Vγ9Vδ2 T cells, which appear to be linked to drug-induced immune dysfunction. In this report we show that neutrophils present in human peripheral blood readily take up zoledronate, and this phenomenon is associated with the potent immune suppression of human peripheral blood Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. Furthermore, we found this zoledronate-mediated inhibition by neutrophils could be overcome to fully reconstitute Vγ9Vδ2 T cell proliferation by concomitantly targeting neutrophil-derived hydrogen peroxide, serine proteases, and arginase I activity. These findings will enable the development of targeted strategies to mitigate some of the adverse effects of n-BP treatment on immune homeostasis and to improve the success of immunotherapy trials based on harnessing the anticancer potential of peripheral blood γδ T cells in the context of n-BP treatment.

CD1d-restricted antigen presentation by Vγ9Vδ2-T cells requires trogocytosis

CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) constitute an important immunoregulatory T-cell subset that can be activated by the synthetic glycolipid α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) and play a dominant role in antitumor immunity. Clinical trials with α-GalCer-pulsed monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDC) have shown anecdotal antitumor activity in advanced cancer. It was reported that phosphoantigen (pAg)-activated Vγ9Vδ2-T cells can acquire characteristics of professional antigen-presenting cells (APC). Considering the clinical immunotherapeutic applications, Vγ9Vδ2-T APC can offer important advantages over moDC, potentially constituting an attractive novel APC platform. Here, we demonstrate that Vγ9Vδ2-T APC can present antigens to iNKT. However, this does not result from de novo synthesis of CD1d by Vγ9Vδ2-T, but critically depends on trogocytosis of CD1d-containing membrane fragments from pAg-expressing cells. CD1d-expressing Vγ9Vδ2-T cells were able to activate iNKT in a CD1d-restricted and α-GalCer-dependent fashion. Although α-GalCer-loaded moDC outperformed Vγ9Vδ2-T APC on a per cell basis, Vγ9Vδ2-T APC possess unique features with respect to clinical immunotherapeutic application that make them an interesting platform for consideration in future clinical trials.

The intracellular B30.2 domain of butyrophilin 3A1 binds phosphoantigens to mediate activation of human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells

In humans, Vγ9Vδ2 T cells detect tumor cells and microbial infections, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, through recognition of small pyrophosphate containing organic molecules known as phosphoantigens (pAgs). Key to pAg-mediated activation of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells is the butyrophilin 3A1 (BTN3A1) protein that contains an intracellular B30.2 domain critical to pAg reactivity. Here, we have demonstrated through structural, biophysical, and functional approaches that the intracellular B30.2 domain of BTN3A1 directly binds pAg through a positively charged surface pocket. Charge reversal of pocket residues abrogates binding and Vγ9Vδ2 T cell activation. We have also identified a gain-of-function mutation within this pocket that, when introduced into the B30.2 domain of the nonstimulatory BTN3A3 isoform, transfers pAg binding ability and Vγ9Vδ2 T cell activation. These studies demonstrate that internal sensing of changes in pAg metabolite concentrations by BTN3A1 molecules is a critical step in Vγ9Vδ2 T cell detection of infection and tumorigenesis.

A long-playing CD about the γδ TCR repertoire

In this issue of Immunity, a study by Luoma et al. (2013) provides structural evidence for direct interactions of human Vδ1(+) T cell receptors with CD1d, capping a long trail of evidence that CD1 might be a major influence on γδ T cell biology.

Manipulating immune cells for adoptive immunotherapy of cancer

The immune system can be induced to respond against cancer with some success reported in clinical trials using a range of approaches including vaccines and antibodies. In addition to these approaches, cell based therapies are demonstrating much promise as potential therapies for cancer. In cell therapies autologous patient leukocytes are isolated and manipulated in vitro before transfer back to the patient in adoptive transfer regimens. The majority of approaches utilize conventional T cells or dendritic cells, but a wide variety of other types of leukocytes exist which can possess anti-cancer activity. In this review, we present a brief overview of T cell adoptive cell transfer followed by a review of approaches using alternate lymphocyte subsets and other leukocytes including neutrophils, macrophages and eosinophils.

Vγ9 and Vδ2 T cell antigen receptor genes and butyrophilin 3 (BTN3) emerged with placental mammals and are concomitantly preserved in selected species like alpaca (Vicugna pacos)

Human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells recognize phosphorylated products of isoprenoid metabolism (phosphoantigens) PAg with TCR comprising Vγ9JP γ-chains and Vδ2 δ-chains dependent on butyrophilin 3 (BTN3) expressed by antigen-presenting cells. They are massively activated in many infections and show anti-tumor activity and so far, they have been considered to exist only in higher primates. We performed a comprehensive analysis of databases and identified the three genes in species of both placental magnorders, but not in rodents. The common occurrence or loss of in silico translatable Vγ9, Vδ2, and BTN3 genes suggested their co-evolution based on a functional relationship. In the peripheral lymphocytes of alpaca (Vicugna pacos), characteristic Vγ9JP rearrangements and in-frame Vδ2 rearrangements were found and could be co-expressed in a TCR-negative mouse T cell hybridoma where they rescued CD3 expression and function. Finally, database sequence analysis of the extracellular domain of alpaca BTN3 revealed complete conservation of proposed PAg binding residues of human BTN3A1. In summary, we show emergence and preservation of Vγ9 and Vδ2 TCR genes with the gene of the putative antigen-presenting molecule BTN3 in placental mammals and lay the ground for analysis of alpaca as candidate for a first non-primate species to possess Vγ9Vδ2 T cells.

γδ T cells and their potential for immunotherapy

Vγ9Vδ2 (also termed Vγ2Vδ2) T cells, a major human peripheral blood γδ T cell subset, recognize microbial (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate and endogenous isopentenyl diphosphate in a TCR-dependent manner. The recognition does not require specific accessory cells, antigen uptake, antigen processing, or MHC class I, class II, or class Ib expression. This subset of T cells plays important roles in mediating innate immunity against a wide variety of infections and displays potent and broad cytotoxic activity against human tumor cells. Because γδT cells express both natural killer receptors such as NKG2D and γδ T cell receptors, they are considered to represent a link between innate and adaptive immunity. In addition, activated γδ T cells express a high level of antigen-presenting cell-related molecules and can present peptide antigens derived from destructed cells to αβ T cells. Utilizing these antimicrobial and anti-tumor properties of γδ T cells, preclinical and clinical trials have been conducted to develop novel immunotherapies for infections and malignancies. Here, we review the immunological properties of γδ T cells including the underlying recognition mechanism of nonpeptitde antigens and summarize the results of γδ T cell-based therapies so far performed. Based on the results of the reported trials, γδ T cells appear to be a promising tool for novel immunotherapies against certain types of diseases.