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Shim JA, Lee SM, Jeong JW, Kim H, Son WJ, Park JH, Song P, Im SH, Bae S, Park JH, Jo Y, Hong C. NFAT1 and NFκB regulates expression of the common γ-chain cytokine receptor in activated T cells. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:309. [PMID: 37904191 PMCID: PMC10617197 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01326-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cytokines of the common γ chain (γc) family are critical for the development, differentiation, and survival of T lineage cells. Cytokines play key roles in immunodeficiencies, autoimmune diseases, allergies, and cancer. Although γc is considered an assistant receptor to transmit cytokine signals and is an indispensable receptor in the immune system, its regulatory mechanism is not yet well understood. OBJECTIVE This study focused on the molecular mechanisms that γc expression in T cells is regulated under T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation. METHODS The γc expression in TCR-stimulated T cells was determined by flow cytometry, western blot and quantitative RT-PCR. The regulatory mechanism of γc expression in activated T cells was examined by promoter-luciferase assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. NFAT1 and NFκB deficient cells generated using CRISPR-Cas9 and specific inhibitors were used to examine their role in regulation of γc expression. Specific binding motif was confirmed by γc promotor mutant cells generated using CRISPR-Cas9. IL-7TgγcTg mice were used to examine regulatory role of γc in cytokine signaling. RESULTS We found that activated T cells significantly upregulated γc expression, wherein NFAT1 and NFκB were key in transcriptional upregulation via T cell receptor stimulation. Also, we identified the functional binding site of the γc promoter and the synergistic effect of NFAT1 and NFκB in the regulation of γc expression. Increased γc expression inhibited IL-7 signaling and rescued lymphoproliferative disorder in an IL-7Tg animal model, providing novel insights into T cell homeostasis. CONCLUSION Our results indicate functional cooperation between NFAT1 and NFκB in upregulating γc expression in activated T cells. As γc expression also regulates γc cytokine responsiveness, our study suggests that γc expression should be considered as one of the regulators in γc cytokine signaling and the development of T cell immunotherapies. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju A Shim
- Department of Anatomy, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Room 504, 49 Busandaehak-Ro, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-Do, 50612, South Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - So Min Lee
- Department of Anatomy, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Room 504, 49 Busandaehak-Ro, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-Do, 50612, South Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
- PNU GRAND Convergence Medical Science Education Research Center, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Woo Jeong
- Department of Anatomy, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Room 504, 49 Busandaehak-Ro, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-Do, 50612, South Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
- PNU GRAND Convergence Medical Science Education Research Center, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyori Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Room 504, 49 Busandaehak-Ro, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-Do, 50612, South Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
- PNU GRAND Convergence Medical Science Education Research Center, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Jae Son
- Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Hong Park
- Herbal Medicine Resources Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Naju, 58245, Republic of Korea
- University of Science & Technology (UST), KIOM Campus, Korean Convergence Medicine Major, Daejeon, 34054, Republic of Korea
| | - Parkyong Song
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
- PNU GRAND Convergence Medical Science Education Research Center, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Sin-Hyeog Im
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Korea
| | - Sangsu Bae
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hyun Park
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Yuna Jo
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Anatomy, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Room 515, 49 Busandaehak-Ro, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-Do, 50612, South Korea.
| | - Changwan Hong
- Department of Anatomy, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Room 504, 49 Busandaehak-Ro, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-Do, 50612, South Korea.
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea.
- PNU GRAND Convergence Medical Science Education Research Center, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea.
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Won HY, Liman N, Li C, Park JH. Proinflammatory IFNγ Is Produced by but Not Required for the Generation of Eomes + Thymic Innate CD8 T Cells. Cells 2023; 12:2433. [PMID: 37887277 PMCID: PMC10605631 DOI: 10.3390/cells12202433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate CD8 T cells are proinflammatory effector T cells that achieve functional maturation in the thymus prior to their export into and maturation in peripheral tissues. Innate CD8 T cells produce the Th1 cytokine IFNγ but depend on the Th2 cytokine IL-4 for their generation. Thus, innate CD8 T cells can permute the intrathymic cytokine milieu by consuming a Th2 cytokine but driving a Th1 cytokine response. The cellular source of IL-4 is the NKT2 subset of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells. Consequently, NKT2 deficiency results in the lack of innate CD8 T cells. Whether NKT2 is the only iNKT subset and whether IL-4 is the only cytokine required for innate CD8 T cell generation, however, remains unclear. Here, we employed a mouse model of NKT1 deficiency, which is achieved by overexpression of the cytokine receptor IL-2Rβ, and assessed the role of other iNKT subsets and cytokines in innate CD8 T cell differentiation. Because IL-2Rβ-transgenic mice failed to generate both NKT1 and innate CD8 T cells, we postulated an in vivo requirement for IFNγ-producing NKT1 cells for innate CD8 T cell development. In-depth analyses of IL-2Rβ-transgenic mice and IFNγ-deficient mice, however, demonstrated that neither NKT1 nor IFNγ was required to induce Eomes or to drive innate CD8 T cell generation. Instead, in vivo administration of recombinant IL-4 sufficed to restore the development of innate CD8 T cells in NKT1-deficient mice, affirming that intrathymic IL-4, and not IFNγ, is the limiting factor and key regulator of innate CD8 T cell generation in the thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jung-Hyun Park
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (H.Y.W.); (N.L.); (C.L.)
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Won HY, Liman N, Park JY, Park JH. Cytokine receptor γc effectuates the generation of proinflammatory innate CD8 T cells by non-classical MHC-I molecules. J Autoimmun 2023; 138:103059. [PMID: 37216869 PMCID: PMC10330485 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2023.103059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Innate CD8 T cells correspond to a population of terminally differentiated effector T cells that phenotypically appear as antigen-experienced memory cells and functionally resemble proinflammatory CD8 T cells, expressing copious amounts of IFNγ. Innate CD8 T cells, however, are distinct from conventional effector-memory CD8 T cells as they acquire functional maturity during their generation in the thymus. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive their thymic development and differentiation is an intensely studied subject in T cell immunity, and here we identified the cytokine receptor γc as a critical mediator of innate CD8 T cell generation that promotes their selection even in the absence of classical MHC-I molecules. Consequently, overexpression of γc resulted in a dramatic increase of innate CD8 T cells in KbDb-deficient mice. We mapped its underlying mechanism to the expansion of IL-4-producing invariant NKT cells, so that it is the increased availability of intrathymic IL-4 which augments the selection of innate CD8 T cells. Collectively, these results unravel the selection of innate CD8 T cells being mediated by non-classical MHC-I molecules and being modulated by the abundance of the γc cytokine, IL-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee Yeun Won
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nurcin Liman
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Joo-Young Park
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul National University Dental Hospital, 101 Daehakno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, South Korea.
| | - Jung-Hyun Park
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Krovi SH, Loh L, Spengler A, Brunetti T, Gapin L. Current insights in mouse iNKT and MAIT cell development using single cell transcriptomics data. Semin Immunol 2022; 60:101658. [PMID: 36182863 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2022.101658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Innate T (Tinn) cells are a collection of T cells with important regulatory functions that have a crucial role in immunity towards tumors, bacteria, viruses, and in cell-mediated autoimmunity. In mice, the two main αβ Tinn cell subsets include the invariant NKT (iNKT) cells that recognize glycolipid antigens presented by non-polymorphic CD1d molecules and the mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells that recognize vitamin B metabolites presented by the non-polymorphic MR1 molecules. Due to their ability to promptly secrete large quantities of cytokines either after T cell antigen receptor (TCR) activation or upon exposure to tissue- and antigen-presenting cell-derived cytokines, Tinn cells are thought to act as a bridge between the innate and adaptive immune systems and have the ability to shape the overall immune response. Their swift response reflects the early acquisition of helper effector programs during their development in the thymus, independently of pathogen exposure and prior to taking up residence in peripheral tissues. Several studies recently profiled, in an unbiased manner, the transcriptomes of mouse thymic iNKT and MAIT cells at the single cell level. Based on these data, we re-examine in this review how Tinn cells develop in the mouse thymus and undergo effector differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Liyen Loh
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | | | - Tonya Brunetti
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Laurent Gapin
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA.
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