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Liang Z, Anderson HD, Locher V, O'Leary C, Riesenfeld SJ, Jabri B, McDonald BD, Bendelac A. Eomes expression identifies the early bone marrow precursor to classical NK cells. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:1172-1182. [PMID: 38871999 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01861-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells traffic through the blood and mount cytolytic and interferon-γ (IFNγ)-focused responses to intracellular pathogens and tumors. Type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s) also produce type 1 cytokines but reside in tissues and are not cytotoxic. Whether these differences reflect discrete lineages or distinct states of a common cell type is not understood. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and flow cytometry, we focused on populations of TCF7+ cells that contained precursors for NK cells and ILC1s and identified a subset of bone marrow lineage-negative NK receptor-negative cells that expressed the transcription factor Eomes, termed EomeshiNKneg cells. Transfer of EomeshiNKneg cells into Rag2-/-Il2rg-/- recipients generated functional NK cells capable of preventing metastatic disease. By contrast, transfer of PLZF+ ILC precursors generated a mixture of ILC1s, ILC2s and ILC3s that lacked cytotoxic potential. These findings identified EomeshiNKneg cells as the bone marrow precursor to classical NK cells and demonstrated that the NK and ILC1 lineages diverged early during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhitao Liang
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hope D Anderson
- Biophysical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Veronica Locher
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Crystal O'Leary
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Samantha J Riesenfeld
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bana Jabri
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Albert Bendelac
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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2
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He J, Chen D, Xiong W, Hou X, Quan Y, Yang M, Dong Z. Eomesodermin spatiotemporally orchestrates the early and late stages of NK cell development by targeting KLF2 and T-bet, respectively. Cell Mol Immunol 2024; 21:662-673. [PMID: 38740922 PMCID: PMC11214621 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-024-01164-8] [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: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Eomesodermin (Eomes) is a critical factor in the development of natural killer (NK) cells, but its precise role in temporal and spatial coordination during this process remains unclear. Our study revealed that Eomes plays distinct roles during the early and late stages of NK cell development. Specifically, the early deletion of Eomes via the CD122-Cre transgene resulted in significant blockade at the progenitor stage due to the downregulation of KLF2, another important transcription factor. ChIP-seq revealed direct binding of Eomes to the conserved noncoding sequence (CNS) of Klf2. Utilizing the CHimeric IMmune Editing (CHIME) technique, we found that deletion of the CNS region of Klf2 via CRISPRi led to a reduction in the NK cell population and developmental arrest. Moreover, constitutive activation of this specific CNS region through CRISPRa significantly reversed the severe defects in NK cell development caused by Eomes deficiency. Conversely, Ncr1-Cre-mediated terminal deletion of Eomes expedited the transition of NK cell subsets from the CD27+CD11b+ phenotype to the CD27-CD11b+ phenotype. Late-stage deficiency of Eomes led to a significant increase in T-bet expression, which subsequently increased the expression of the transcription factor Zeb2. Genetic deletion of one allele of Tbx21, encoding T-bet, effectively reversed the aberrant differentiation of Eomes-deficient NK cells. In summary, we utilized two innovative genetic models to elucidate the intricate mechanisms underlying Eomes-mediated NK cell commitment and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junming He
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University and Institute for Clinical Immunology, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, 230032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Medicine and Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Donglin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Medicine and Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Medicine and Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Xinlei Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Medicine and Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhe Quan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Medicine and Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Meixiang Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai People's Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Jinan University, Zhuhai, 519000, China.
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute. Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control (Jinan University). Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-Free Animals and Microbiota Application. School of Medicine. Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
| | - Zhongjun Dong
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University and Institute for Clinical Immunology, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, 230032, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Medicine and Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China.
- Innovative Institute of Tumor Immunity and Medicine (ITIM), Hefei, 230032, China.
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, Hefei, 230032, China.
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
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3
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Feng P, Luo L, Yang Q, Meng W, Guan Z, Li Z, Sun G, Dong Z, Yang M. Hippo kinases Mst1 and Mst2 maintain NK cell homeostasis by orchestrating metabolic state and transcriptional activity. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:430. [PMID: 38898027 PMCID: PMC11187177 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06828-x] [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: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in immune response against viral infections and tumors. However, further investigation is needed to better understand the key molecules responsible for determining the fate and function of NK cells. In this study, we made an important discovery regarding the involvement of the Hippo kinases Mst1 and Mst2 as novel regulators in maintaining mouse NK cell homeostasis. The presence of high Mst1 and Mst2 (Mst1/2) activity in NK cells is essential for their proper development, survival and function in a canonical Hippo signaling independent mode. Mechanistically, Mst1/2 induce cellular quiescence by regulating the processes of proliferation and mitochondrial metabolism, thereby ensuring the development and survival of NK cells. Furthermore, Mst1/2 effectively sense IL-15 signaling and facilitate the activation of pSTAT3-TCF1, which contributes to NK cell homeostasis. Overall, our investigation highlights the crucial role of Mst1/2 as key regulators in metabolic reprogramming and transcriptional regulation for mouse NK cell survival and function, emphasizing the significance of cellular quiescence during NK cell development and functional maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiran Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Reconstruction, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan, 517000, China
| | - Liang Luo
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Quanli Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai People's Hospital(Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University), Jinan University, Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Wanqing Meng
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Zerong Guan
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Zhizhong Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Reconstruction, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan, 517000, China
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Guodong Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Reconstruction, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan, 517000, China
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Zhongjun Dong
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University and Institute for Clinical Immunology, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Meixiang Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Reconstruction, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan, 517000, China.
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai People's Hospital(Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University), Jinan University, Zhuhai, 519000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control (Jinan University), Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-free animals and Microbiota Application, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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4
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Lin Y, Yang B, Liu H, Ran G, Song L, Meng M, Yin X, Bi Q, Yan D, Deng Y, Lu Y. DNA demethylase Tet2 promotes the terminal maturation of natural killer cells. Immunol Res 2024:10.1007/s12026-024-09506-4. [PMID: 38869819 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-024-09506-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The cytotoxicity feature to eliminate malignant cells makes natural killer (NK) cells a candidate for tumor immunotherapy. However, this scenario is currently hampered by inadequate understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of NK cell development. Ten-Eleven-Translocation 2 (Tet2) is a demethylase whose mutation was recently shown to cause phenotypic defects in NK cells. However, the role of Tet2 in the development and maturation of NK cells is not entirely clear. Here we studied the modulatory role of Tet2 in NK cell development and maturation by generating hematopoietic Tet2 knockout mice and mice with Tet2 conditional deletion in NKp46+ NK cells. The results showed that both hematopoietic and NK cell conditional deletion of Tet2 had no effect on the early steps of NK cell development, but impaired the terminal maturation of NK cells defined by CD11b, CD43, and KLRG1 expression. In the liver, Tet2 deletion not only prevented the terminal maturation of NK cells, but also increased the proportion of type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s) and reduced the proportion of conventional NK cells (cNK). Moreover, hematopoietic deletion of Tet2 lowered the protein levels of perforin in NK cells. Furthermore, hematopoietic deletion of Tet2 downregulated the protein levels of Eomesodermin (Eomes), but not T-bet, in NK cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that Tet2 plays an important role in the terminal maturation of NK cells, and the Eomes transcription factor may be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Lin
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, 154007, China
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
- Department of Pathology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Biyun Yang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, 154007, China
| | - Hailin Liu
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
- Department of Pharmacy, First People's Hospital of Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing, 401121, China
| | - Guanghe Ran
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, 154007, China
| | - Liang Song
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Meng Meng
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yin
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Qinghua Bi
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.
| | - Dongmei Yan
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, 154007, China.
| | - Youcai Deng
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.
| | - Yonghui Lu
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.
- Department of Occupational Health, College of Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.
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5
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Cubitt CC, Wong P, Dorando HK, Foltz JA, Tran J, Marsala L, Marin ND, Foster M, Schappe T, Fatima H, Becker-Hapak M, Zhou AY, Hwang K, Jacobs MT, Russler-Germain DA, Mace EM, Berrien-Elliott MM, Payton JE, Fehniger TA. Induced CD8α identifies human NK cells with enhanced proliferative fitness and modulates NK cell activation. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e173602. [PMID: 38805302 PMCID: PMC11291271 DOI: 10.1172/jci173602] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The surface receptor CD8α is present on 20%-80% of human (but not mouse) NK cells, yet its function on NK cells remains poorly understood. CD8α expression on donor NK cells was associated with a lack of therapeutic responses in patients with leukemia in prior studies, thus, we hypothesized that CD8α may affect critical NK cell functions. Here, we discovered that CD8α- NK cells had improved control of leukemia in xenograft models compared with CD8α+ NK cells, likely due to an enhanced capacity for proliferation. Unexpectedly, we found that CD8α expression was induced on approximately 30% of previously CD8α- NK cells following IL-15 stimulation. These induced CD8α+ (iCD8α+) NK cells had the greatest proliferation, responses to IL-15 signaling, and metabolic activity compared with those that sustained existing CD8α expression (sustained CD8α+) or those that remained CD8α- (persistent CD8α-). These iCD8α+ cells originated from an IL-15Rβhi NK cell population, with CD8α expression dependent on the transcription factor RUNX3. Moreover, CD8A CRISPR/Cas9 deletion resulted in enhanced responses through the activating receptor NKp30, possibly by modulating KIR inhibitory function. Thus, CD8α status identified human NK cell capacity for IL-15-induced proliferation and metabolism in a time-dependent fashion, and its presence had a suppressive effect on NK cell-activating receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pamela Wong
- Division of Oncology, Siteman Cancer Center, and
| | - Hannah K. Dorando
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Mark Foster
- Division of Oncology, Siteman Cancer Center, and
| | | | - Hijab Fatima
- Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Emily M. Mace
- Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Jacqueline E. Payton
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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6
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Hermans L, O’Sullivan TE. No time to die: Epigenetic regulation of natural killer cell survival. Immunol Rev 2024; 323:61-79. [PMID: 38426615 PMCID: PMC11102341 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13314] [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] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
NK cells are short-lived innate lymphocytes that can mediate antigen-independent responses to infection and cancer. However, studies from the past two decades have shown that NK cells can acquire transcriptional and epigenetic modifications during inflammation that result in increased survival and lifespan. These findings blur the lines between the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system, and suggest that the homeostatic mechanisms that govern the persistence of innate immune cells are malleable. Indeed, recent studies have shown that NK cells undergo continuous and strictly regulated adaptations controlling their survival during development, tissue residency, and following inflammation. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the critical factors regulating NK cell survival throughout their lifespan, with a specific emphasis on the epigenetic modifications that regulate the survival of NK cells in various contexts. A precise understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern NK cell survival will be important to enhance therapies for cancer and infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leen Hermans
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Timothy E. O’Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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7
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Sudan R, Gilfillan S, Colonna M. Group 1 ILCs: Heterogeneity, plasticity, and transcriptional regulation. Immunol Rev 2024; 323:107-117. [PMID: 38563448 PMCID: PMC11102297 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13327] [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] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Group 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), comprising ILC1s and natural killer cells (NK cells), belong to a large family of developmentally related innate lymphoid cells that lack rearranged antigen-specific receptors. NK cells and ILC1s both require the transcription factor T-bet for lineage commitment but additionally rely on Eomes and Hobit, respectively, for their development and effector maturation programs. Both ILC1s and NK cells are essential for rapid responses against infections and mediate cancer immunity through production of effector cytokines and cytotoxicity mediators. ILC1s are enriched in tissues and hence generally considered tissue resident cells whereas NK cells are often considered circulatory. Despite being deemed different cell types, ILC1s and NK cells share many common features both phenotypically and functionally. Recent studies employing single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology have exposed previously unappreciated heterogeneity in group 1 ILCs and further broaden our understanding of these cells. Findings from these studies imply that ILC1s in different tissues and organs share a common signature but exhibit some unique characteristics, possibly stemming from tissue imprinting. Also, data from recent fate mapping studies employing Hobit, RORγt, and polychromic reporter mice have greatly advanced our understanding of the developmental and effector maturation programs of these cells. In this review, we aim to outline the fundamental traits of mouse group 1 ILCs and explore recent discoveries related to their developmental programs, phenotypic heterogeneity, plasticity, and transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raki Sudan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Susan Gilfillan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Marco Colonna
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
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8
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Annis JL, Duncan JBW, Billcheck HO, Kuzma AG, Crittenden RB, Brown MG. Multiple Immune and Genetic Mechanisms Contribute to Cmv5s-Driven Susceptibility and Tissue Damage during Acute Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:813-824. [PMID: 38224204 PMCID: PMC10922835 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The MHC class I molecule H-2Dk conveys resistance to acute murine CMV infection in both C57L (H-2Dk transgenic) and MA/My mice. M.H2k/b mice are on an MA/My background aside from a C57L-derived region spanning the MHC (Cmv5s), which diminishes this resistance and causes significant spleen histopathology. To hone in on the effector elements within the Cmv5s interval, we generated several Cmv5-recombinant congenic mouse strains and screened them in vivo, allowing us to narrow the phenotype-associated interval >6-fold and segment the genetic mechanism to at least two independent loci within the MHC region. In addition, we sought to further characterize the Cmv5s-associated phenotypes in their temporal appearance and potential direct relationship to viral load. To this end, we found that Cmv5s histopathology and NK cell activation could not be fully mirrored in the MA/My mice with increased viral dose, and that marginal zone destruction was the first apparent Cmv5s phenotype, being reliably quantified as early as 2 d postinfection in the M.H2k/b mice, prior to divergence in viral load, weight loss, or NK cell phenotype. Finally, we further dissect NK cell involvement, finding no intrinsic differences in NK cell function, despite increased upregulation of activation markers and checkpoint receptors. In conclusion, these data dissect the genetic and immunologic underpinnings of Cmv5 and reveal a model in which polymorphism within the MHC region of the genome leads to the development of tissue damage and corrupts protective NK cell immunity during acute viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Annis
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville Virginia, USA
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - John Benjamin W. Duncan
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Helen O. Billcheck
- Center for Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Anna G. Kuzma
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Rowena B. Crittenden
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Michael G. Brown
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville Virginia, USA
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Center for Immunity, Inflammation, and Regenerative Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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9
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Xu Y, Li X, Cheng F, Zhao B, Fang M, Li Z, Meng S. Heat shock protein gp96 drives natural killer cell maturation and anti-tumor immunity by counteracting Trim28 to stabilize Eomes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1106. [PMID: 38321029 PMCID: PMC10847424 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45426-5] [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: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The maturation process of natural killer (NK) cells, which is regulated by multiple transcription factors, determines their functionality, but few checkpoints specifically targeting this process have been thoroughly studied. Here we show that NK-specific deficiency of glucose-regulated protein 94 (gp96) leads to decreased maturation of NK cells in mice. These gp96-deficient NK cells exhibit undermined activation, cytotoxicity and IFN-γ production upon stimulation, as well as weakened responses to IL-15 for NK cell maturation, in vitro. In vivo, NK-specific gp96-deficient mice show increased tumor growth. Mechanistically, we identify Eomes as the downstream transcription factor, with gp96 binding to Trim28 to prevent Trim28-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of Eomes. Our study thus suggests the gp96-Trim28-Eomes axis to be an important regulator for NK cell maturation and cancer surveillance in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiu Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Xin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.
| | - Fang Cheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Bao Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, 233004, China
| | - Min Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Zihai Li
- The Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Songdong Meng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
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10
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Karmakar S, Mishra A, Pal P, Lal G. Effector and cytolytic function of natural killer cells in anticancer immunity. J Leukoc Biol 2024; 115:235-252. [PMID: 37818891 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiad126] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptive immune cells play an important role in mounting antigen-specific antitumor immunity. The contribution of innate immune cells such as monocytes, macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells, and gamma-delta T cells is well studied in cancer immunology. NK cells are innate lymphoid cells that show effector and regulatory function in a contact-dependent and contact-independent manner. The cytotoxic function of NK cells plays an important role in killing the infected and transformed host cells and controlling infection and tumor growth. However, several studies have also ascribed the role of NK cells in inducing pathophysiology in autoimmune diseases, promoting immune tolerance in the uterus, and antitumor function in the tumor microenvironment. We discuss the fundamentals of NK cell biology, its distribution in different organs, cellular and molecular interactions, and its cytotoxic and noncytotoxic functions in cancer biology. We also highlight the use of NK cell-based adoptive cellular therapy in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surojit Karmakar
- Laboratory of Autoimmunity and Tolerance, National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, MH-411007, India
| | - Amrita Mishra
- Laboratory of Autoimmunity and Tolerance, National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, MH-411007, India
| | - Pradipta Pal
- Laboratory of Autoimmunity and Tolerance, National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, MH-411007, India
| | - Girdhari Lal
- Laboratory of Autoimmunity and Tolerance, National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, MH-411007, India
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11
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Nagel S, Haake J, Pommerenke C, Meyer C, MacLeod RAF. Establishment of the Myeloid TBX-Code Reveals Aberrant Expression of T-Box Gene TBX1 in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:32. [PMID: 38203204 PMCID: PMC10778679 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
T-box genes encode transcription factors, which control developmental processes and promote cancer if deregulated. Recently, we described the lymphoid TBX-code, which collates T-box gene activities in normal lymphopoiesis, enabling identification of members deregulated in lymphoid malignancies. Here, we have extended this analysis to cover myelopoiesis, compiling the myeloid TBX-code and, thus, highlighting which of these genes might be deregulated in myeloid tumor types. We analyzed public T-box gene expression datasets bioinformatically for normal and malignant cells. Candidate T-box-gene-expressing model cell lines were identified and examined by RQ-PCR, Western Blotting, genomic profiling, and siRNA-mediated knockdown combined with RNA-seq analysis and live-cell imaging. The established myeloid TBX-code comprised 10 T-box genes, including progenitor-cell-restricted TBX1. Accordingly, we detected aberrant expression of TBX1 in 10% of stem/progenitor-cell-derived chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. The classic CML cell line K-562 expressed TBX1 at high levels and served as a model to identify TBX1 activators, including transcription factor GATA1 and genomic amplification of the TBX1 locus at 22q11; inhibitors, including BCR::ABL1 fusion and downregulated GNAI2, as well as BMP, FGF2, and WNT signaling; and the target genes CDKN1A, MIR17HG, NAV1, and TMEM38A. The establishment of the myeloid TBX-code permitted identification of aberrant TBX1 expression in subsets of CML patients and cell lines. TBX1 forms an integral part of an oncogenic regulatory network impacting proliferation, survival, and differentiation. Thus, the data spotlight novel diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets for this malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Nagel
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
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12
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Cimpean M, Keppel MP, Gainullina A, Fan C, Sohn H, Schedler NC, Swain A, Kolicheski A, Shapiro H, Young HA, Wang T, Artyomov MN, Cooper MA. IL-15 Priming Alters IFN-γ Regulation in Murine NK Cells. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 211:1481-1493. [PMID: 37747317 PMCID: PMC10873103 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
NK effector functions can be triggered by inflammatory cytokines and engagement of activating receptors. NK cell production of IFN-γ, an important immunoregulatory cytokine, exhibits activation-specific IFN-γ regulation. Resting murine NK cells exhibit activation-specific metabolic requirements for IFN-γ production, which are reversed for activating receptor-mediated stimulation following IL-15 priming. Although both cytokine and activating receptor stimulation leads to similar IFN-γ protein production, only cytokine stimulation upregulates Ifng transcript, suggesting that protein production is translationally regulated after receptor stimulation. Based on these differences in IFN-γ regulation, we hypothesized that ex vivo IL-15 priming of murine NK cells allows a switch to IFN-γ transcription upon activating receptor engagement. Transcriptional analysis of primed NK cells compared with naive cells or cells cultured with low-dose IL-15 demonstrated that primed cells strongly upregulated Ifng transcript following activating receptor stimulation. This was not due to chromatin accessibility changes in the Ifng locus or changes in ITAM signaling, but was associated with a distinct transcriptional signature induced by ITAM stimulation of primed compared with naive NK cells. Transcriptional analyses identified a common signature of c-Myc (Myc) targets associated with Ifng transcription. Although Myc marked NK cells capable of Ifng transcription, Myc itself was not required for Ifng transcription using a genetic model of Myc deletion. This work highlights altered regulatory networks in IL-15-primed cells, resulting in distinct gene expression patterns and IFN-γ regulation in response to activating receptor stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cimpean
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Molly P. Keppel
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Anastasiia Gainullina
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Changxu Fan
- Department of Genetics, Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Hyogon Sohn
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nathan C. Schedler
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Amanda Swain
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ana Kolicheski
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Hannah Shapiro
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Howard A. Young
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Maxim N. Artyomov
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Megan A. Cooper
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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13
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Ryu S, Lim M, Kim J, Kim HY. Versatile roles of innate lymphoid cells at the mucosal barrier: from homeostasis to pathological inflammation. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:1845-1857. [PMID: 37696896 PMCID: PMC10545731 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-01022-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are innate lymphocytes that do not express antigen-specific receptors and largely reside and self-renew in mucosal tissues. ILCs can be categorized into three groups (ILC1-3) based on the transcription factors that direct their functions and the cytokines they produce. Their signature transcription factors and cytokines closely mirror those of their Th1, Th2, and Th17 cell counterparts. Accumulating studies show that ILCs are involved in not only the pathogenesis of mucosal tissue diseases, especially respiratory diseases, and colitis, but also the resolution of such diseases. Here, we discuss recent advances regarding our understanding of the biology of ILCs in mucosal tissue health and disease. In addition, we describe the current research on the immune checkpoints by which other cells regulate ILC activities: for example, checkpoint molecules are potential new targets for therapies that aim to control ILCs in mucosal diseases. In addition, we review approved and clinically- trialed drugs and drugs in clinical trials that can target ILCs and therefore have therapeutic potential in ILC-mediated diseases. Finally, since ILCs also play important roles in mucosal tissue homeostasis, we explore the hitherto sparse research on cell therapy with regulatory ILCs. This review highlights various therapeutic approaches that could be used to treat ILC-mediated mucosal diseases and areas of research that could benefit from further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungwon Ryu
- Department of Microbiology, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, 21999, South Korea
| | - MinYeong Lim
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, South Korea
- Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea
- CIRNO, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Jinwoo Kim
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, South Korea
- Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea
- CIRNO, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Hye Young Kim
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, South Korea.
- Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea.
- CIRNO, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea.
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14
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Wong P, Foltz JA, Chang L, Neal CC, Yao T, Cubitt CC, Tran J, Kersting-Schadek S, Palakurty S, Jaeger N, Russler-Germain DA, Marin ND, Gang M, Wagner JA, Zhou AY, Jacobs MT, Foster M, Schappe T, Marsala L, McClain E, Pence P, Becker-Hapak M, Fisk B, Petti AA, Griffith OL, Griffith M, Berrien-Elliott MM, Fehniger TA. T-BET and EOMES sustain mature human NK cell identity and antitumor function. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e162530. [PMID: 37279078 PMCID: PMC10313375 DOI: 10.1172/jci162530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the T-box transcription factors (TFs) T-BET and EOMES are necessary for initiation of NK cell development, their ongoing requirement for mature NK cell homeostasis, function, and molecular programming remains unclear. To address this, T-BET and EOMES were deleted in unexpanded primary human NK cells using CRISPR/Cas9. Deleting these TFs compromised in vivo antitumor response of human NK cells. Mechanistically, T-BET and EOMES were required for normal NK cell proliferation and persistence in vivo. NK cells lacking T-BET and EOMES also exhibited defective responses to cytokine stimulation. Single-cell RNA-Seq revealed a specific T-box transcriptional program in human NK cells, which was rapidly lost following T-BET and EOMES deletion. Further, T-BET- and EOMES-deleted CD56bright NK cells acquired an innate lymphoid cell precursor-like (ILCP-like) profile with increased expression of the ILC-3-associated TFs RORC and AHR, revealing a role for T-box TFs in maintaining mature NK cell phenotypes and an unexpected role of suppressing alternative ILC lineages. Our study reveals the critical importance of sustained EOMES and T-BET expression to orchestrate mature NK cell function and identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Wong
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology
| | | | - Lily Chang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology
| | | | - Tony Yao
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mark Foster
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Bryan Fisk
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology
| | | | | | | | | | - Todd A. Fehniger
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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15
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Cimpean M, Keppel MP, Gainullina A, Fan C, Schedler NC, Swain A, Kolicheski A, Shapiro H, Young HA, Wang T, Artyomov MN, Cooper MA. IL-15 priming alters IFN-γ regulation in murine NK cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.23.537947. [PMID: 37163083 PMCID: PMC10168240 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.23.537947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) effector functions can be triggered by inflammatory cytokines and engagement of activating receptors. NK cell production of IFN-γ, an important immunoregulatory cytokine, exhibits activation-specific IFN-γ regulation. Resting murine NK cells exhibit activation-specific metabolic requirements for IFN-γ production, which are reversed for activating receptor-mediated stimulation following IL-15 priming. While both cytokine and activating receptor stimulation leads to similar IFN-γ protein production, only cytokine stimulation upregulates Ifng transcript, suggesting that protein production is translationally regulated after receptor stimulation. Based on these differences in IFN-γ regulation, we hypothesized that ex vivo IL-15 priming of murine NK cells allows a switch to IFN-γ transcription upon activating receptor engagement. Transcriptional analysis of primed NK cells compared to naïve cells or cells cultured with low-dose IL-15 demonstrated that primed cells strongly upregulated Ifng transcript following activating receptor stimulation. This was not due to chromatin accessibility changes in the Ifng locus or changes in ITAM signaling, but was associated with a distinct transcriptional signature induced by ITAM stimulation of primed compared to naïve NK cells. Transcriptional analyses identified a common signature of c-Myc (Myc) targets associated with Ifng transcription. While Myc marked NK cells capable of Ifng transcription, Myc itself was not required for Ifng transcription using a genetic model of Myc deletion. This work highlights altered regulatory networks in IL-15 primed cells, resulting in distinct gene expression patterns and IFN-γ regulation in response to activating receptor stimulation.
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16
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Bi J, Jin X, Zheng C, Huang C, Zhong C, Zheng X, Tian Z, Sun H. Checkpoint TIPE2 Limits the Helper Functions of NK Cells in Supporting Antitumor CD8 + T Cells. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2207499. [PMID: 36807566 PMCID: PMC10131822 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202207499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells not only are innate effector lymphocytes that directly participate in tumor surveillance but are also essential helpers in the antitumor CD8+ T-cell response. However, the molecular mechanisms and potential checkpoints regulating NK cell helper functions remain elusive. Here, it is shown that the T-bet/Eomes-IFN-γ axis in NK cells is essential for CD8+ T cell-dependent tumor control, whereas T-bet-dependent NK cell effector functions are required for an optimal response to anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy. Importantly, NK cell-expressed TIPE2 (tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced protein-8 like-2) represents a checkpoint molecule for NK cell helper function, since Tipe2 deletion in NK cells not only enhances NK-intrinsic antitumor activity but also indirectly improves the antitumor CD8+ T cell response by promoting T-bet/Eomes-dependent NK cell effector functions. These studies thus reveal TIPE2 as a checkpoint for NK cell helper function, whose targeting might boost the antitumor T cell response in addition to T cell-based immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Bi
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055P. R. China
| | - Xiaomeng Jin
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055P. R. China
| | - Chaoyue Zheng
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055P. R. China
| | - Chen Huang
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055P. R. China
| | - Chao Zhong
- Institute of Systems BiomedicineSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijing100191P. R. China
| | - Xiaohu Zheng
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic DiseaseSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and MedicineUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230027P. R. China
- Institute of ImmunologyUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230027P. R. China
| | - Zhigang Tian
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055P. R. China
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic DiseaseSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and MedicineUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230027P. R. China
- Institute of ImmunologyUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230027P. R. China
- Research Unit of NK cell StudyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijing100864P. R. China
| | - Haoyu Sun
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic DiseaseSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and MedicineUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230027P. R. China
- Institute of ImmunologyUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230027P. R. China
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17
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Luo L, Feng P, Yang Q, Lv W, Meng W, Yin Z, Li Z, Sun G, Dong Z, Yang M. Transcription factor TOX maintains the expression of Mst1 in controlling the early mouse NK cell development. Theranostics 2023; 13:2072-2087. [PMID: 37153735 PMCID: PMC10157744 DOI: 10.7150/thno.81198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: TOX is a DNA-binding factor required for the development of multiple immune cells and the formation of lymph nodes. However, the temporal regulation mode of TOX on NK cell development and function needs to be further explored. Methods: To investigate the role of TOX in NK cells at distinct developmental phases, we deleted TOX at the hematopoietic stem cell stage (Vav-Cre), NK cell precursor (CD122-Cre) stage and late NK cell developmental stage (Ncr1-Cre), respectively. Flow cytometry was used to detect the development and functional changes of NK cell when deletion of TOX. RNA-seq was used to assess the differences in transcriptional expression profile of WT and TOX-deficient NK cells. Published Chip-seq data was exploited to search for the proteins directly interact with TOX in NK cells. Results: The deficiency of TOX at the hematopoietic stem cell stage severely retarded NK cell development. To a less extent, TOX also played an essential role in the physiological process of NKp cells differentiation into mature NK cells. Furthermore, the deletion of TOX at NKp stage severely impaired the immune surveillance function of NK cells, accompanied by down-regulation of IFN-γ and CD107a expression. However, TOX is dispensable for mature NK cell development and function. Mechanistically, by combining RNA-seq data with published TOX ChIP-seq data, we found that the inactivation of TOX at NKp stage directly repressed the expression of Mst1, an important intermediate kinase in Hippo signaling pathway. Mst1 deficient at NKp stage gained the similar phenotype with Toxfl/flCD122Cre mice. Conclusion: In our study, we conclude that TOX coordinates the early mouse NK cell development at NKp stage by maintaining the expression of Mst1. Moreover, we clarify the different dependence of the transcription factor TOX in NK cells biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Luo
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-free animals and Microbiota Application, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Peiran Feng
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
| | - Quanli Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai People's Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Jinan University, Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Wenkai Lv
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-free animals and Microbiota Application, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Wanqing Meng
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-free animals and Microbiota Application, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Zhinan Yin
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-free animals and Microbiota Application, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai People's Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Jinan University, Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Zhizhong Li
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Guodong Sun
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Zhongjun Dong
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University and Institute for Clinical Immunology, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, 230032, China
- School of Medicine and Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Meixiang Yang
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-free animals and Microbiota Application, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai People's Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Jinan University, Zhuhai, 519000, China
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18
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Korchagina AA, Shein SA, Koroleva E, Tumanov AV. Transcriptional control of ILC identity. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1146077. [PMID: 36969171 PMCID: PMC10033543 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1146077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are heterogeneous innate immune cells which participate in host defense, mucosal repair and immunopathology by producing effector cytokines similarly to their adaptive immune cell counterparts. The development of ILC1, 2, and 3 subsets is controlled by core transcription factors: T-bet, GATA3, and RORγt, respectively. ILCs can undergo plasticity and transdifferentiate to other ILC subsets in response to invading pathogens and changes in local tissue environment. Accumulating evidence suggests that the plasticity and the maintenance of ILC identity is controlled by a balance between these and additional transcription factors such as STATs, Batf, Ikaros, Runx3, c-Maf, Bcl11b, and Zbtb46, activated in response to lineage-guiding cytokines. However, how interplay between these transcription factors leads to ILC plasticity and the maintenance of ILC identity remains hypothetical. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding transcriptional regulation of ILCs in homeostatic and inflammatory conditions.
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19
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Al Olabi R, Hendy AEA, Alkassab MB, Alnajm K, Elias M, Ibrahim M, Carlyle JR, Makrigiannis AP, Rahim MMA. The inhibitory NKR-P1B receptor regulates NK cell-mediated mammary tumor immunosurveillance in mice. Oncoimmunology 2023; 12:2168233. [PMID: 36704449 PMCID: PMC9872954 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2023.2168233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are an important component of anti-cancer immunity, and their activity is regulated by an array of activating and inhibitory receptors. In mice, the inhibitory NKR-P1B receptor is expressed in NK cells and recognizes the C-type lectin-related protein-b (Clr-b) ligand. NKR-P1B:Clr-b interactions represent a 'missing-self' recognition system to monitor cellular levels of Clr-b on healthy and diseased cells. Here, we report an important role for NKR-P1B:Clr-b interactions in tumor immunosurveillance in MMTV-PyVT mice, which develop spontaneous mammary tumors. MMTV-PyVT mice on NKR-P1B-deficient genetic background developed mammary tumors earlier than on wild-type (WT) background. A greater proportion of tumor-infiltrating NK cells downregulate expression of the transcription factor Eomesodermin (EOMES) in NKR-P1B-deficient mice compared to WT mice. Tumor-infiltrating NK cells also downregulated CD49b expression but gain CD49a expression and exhibit effector functions, such as granzyme B upregulation and proliferation in mammary tumors. However, unlike the EOMES+ NK cells, the EOMES‒ NK cell subset is unable to respond to further in vitro stimulation and exhibits phenotypic alterations associated with immune dysfunction. These alterations included increased expression of PD-1, LAG-3, and TIGIT and decreased expression of NKp46, Ly49C/I, CD11b, and KLRG-1. Furthermore, tumor-infiltrating NKR-P1B-deficient NK cells exhibited an elevated dysfunctional immune phenotype compared to WT NK cells. These findings demonstrate that the NKR-P1B receptor plays an important role in mammary tumor surveillance by regulating anti-cancer immune responses and functional homeostasis in NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghd Al Olabi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abd El Aziz Hendy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Karla Alnajm
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Manahel Elias
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mary Ibrahim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - James R. Carlyle
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew P. Makrigiannis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Mir Munir A Rahim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada,CONTACT Mir Munir A Rahim Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
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20
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Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Zhai Y, He J, Tang M, Liu Y, Yao Y, Xue P, He M, Li Q, Xu Y, Qu W, Zhang Y. Cadmium impairs the development of natural killer cells and bidirectionally modifies their capacity for cytotoxicity. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 311:137068. [PMID: 36330983 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal in the environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of Cd on natural killer (NK) cells. C57BL/6 mice were treated with 10 ppm Cd via drinking water for 3 months, and the development of NK cells in the bone marrow (BM) and the cytotoxicity of mature NK (mNK) cells in the peripheral immune organs were evaluated thereafter; the impact of Cd on the cytotoxicity of mNK cells from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was also investigated. Whereas Cd treatment impaired the differentiation of NK progenitors in the BM, Cd treatment activated the JAK3/STAT5 signaling to drive the proliferation of mNK cells and thereby lead to a compensation increase of mNK cells in the peripheral immune organs of mice. Additionally, Cd treatment bidirectionally regulated the cytotoxicity of mouse mNK cells to differential tumor cells, dependent on the levels of Fas expression in the tumor cells; mechanically, Cd treatment activated the JAK3/STAT5 signaling to promote the expression of FasL in mNK cells to increase their cytotoxicity, while Cd treatment reduced the expression of granzyme B in mNK cells to impair their cytotoxicity in the peripheral immune organs of mice. Likewise, in vitro assays indicated that Cd treatment also activated the JAK3/STAT5 signaling to increase the expression of FasL, whereas Cd treatment reduced the expression of granzyme B in human mNK cells. Thus Cd treatment impaired the development of NK cells in the BM and bidirectionally regulated the cytotoxicity of mNK cells in the peripheral immune organs, which may extend our current understanding for the immunotoxicity of Cd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufan Zhang
- School of Public Health and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, MOE, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yifan Zhao
- School of Public Health and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, MOE, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yue Zhai
- School of Public Health and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, MOE, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jinyi He
- School of Public Health and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, MOE, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Mengke Tang
- School of Public Health and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, MOE, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yalin Liu
- School of Public Health and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, MOE, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ye Yao
- School of Public Health and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, MOE, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Peng Xue
- School of Public Health and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, MOE, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Miao He
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qian Li
- School of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Yanyi Xu
- School of Public Health and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, MOE, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Weidong Qu
- School of Public Health and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, MOE, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yubin Zhang
- School of Public Health and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, MOE, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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21
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Zafarani A, Taghavi-Farahabadi M, Razizadeh MH, Amirzargar MR, Mansouri M, Mahmoudi M. The Role of NK Cells and Their Exosomes in Graft Versus Host Disease and Graft Versus Leukemia. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2023; 19:26-45. [PMID: 35994137 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-022-10449-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are one of the innate immune cells that play an important role in preventing and controlling tumors and viral diseases, but their role in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is not yet fully understood. However, according to some research, these cells can prevent infections and tumor relapse without causing graft versus host disease (GVHD). In addition to NK cells, several studies are about the anti-leukemia effects of NK cell-derived exosomes that can highlight their roles in graft-versus-leukemia (GVL). In this paper, we intend to investigate the results of various articles on the role of NK cells in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation and also their exosomes in GVL. Also, we have discussed the antiviral effects of these cells in post-HCT cytomegalovirus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Zafarani
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Taghavi-Farahabadi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Reza Amirzargar
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mansoure Mansouri
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mahmoudi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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22
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Hu X, Wu M, Ma T, Zhang Y, Zou C, Wang R, Zhang Y, Ren Y, Li Q, Liu H, Li H, Wang T, Sun X, Yang Y, Tang M, Li X, Li J, Gao X, Li T, Zhou X. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals distinct cell response between acute and chronic pulmonary infection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e193. [PMID: 36514779 PMCID: PMC9732387 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of the changes in the immune microenvironment during pulmonary bacterial acute and chronic infections is limited. The dissection of immune system may provide a basis for effective therapeutic strategies against bacterial infection. Here, we describe a single immune cell atlas of mouse lungs after acute and chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection using single-cell transcriptomics, multiplex immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry. Our single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed large-scale comprehensive changes in immune cell composition and high variation in cell-cell interactions after acute and chronic P. aeruginosa infection. Bacterial infection reprograms the genetic architecture of immune cell populations. We identified specific immune cell types, including Cxcl2+ B cells and interstitial macrophages, in response to acute and chronic infection, such as their proportions, distribution, and functional status. Importantly, the patterns of immune cell response are drastically different between acute and chronic infection models. The distinct molecular signatures highlight the importance of the highly dynamic cell-cell interaction process in different pathological conditions, which has not been completely revealed previously. These findings provide a comprehensive and unbiased immune cellular landscape for respiratory pathogenesis in mice, enabling further understanding of immunologic mechanisms in infection and inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueli Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Mingbo Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Teng Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Yige Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Chaoyu Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Ruihuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Yongxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Yuan Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina,State Key Laboratory of Oral DiseasesNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesChinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and ManagementWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Qianqian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Huan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Heyue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Taolin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Xiaolong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Miao Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Xuefeng Li
- Department of Radiation OncologyThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral DiseasesNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesChinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and ManagementWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xiang Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of NeurosurgeryState Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalWest China Medical SchoolSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Taiwen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral DiseasesNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesChinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and ManagementWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xikun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
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23
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Sato M, Arakaki R, Tawara H, Nagao R, Tanaka H, Tamura K, Kawahito Y, Otsuka K, Ushio A, Tsunematsu T, Ishimaru N. Disturbed natural killer cell homeostasis in the salivary gland enhances autoimmune pathology via IFN-γ in a mouse model of primary Sjögren's syndrome. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1036787. [PMID: 36388880 PMCID: PMC9643684 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1036787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), including natural killer (NK) cells, ILC1, ILC2, lymphoid tissue-inducer (LTi) cells, and ILC3 cell, play a key role in various immune responses. Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of exocrine glands, such as the lacrimal and salivary glands (SGs). The role of NK cells among ILCs in the pathogenesis of pSS is still unclear. In this study, the characteristics and subsets of NK cells in the salivary gland (SG) tissue were analyzed using a murine model of pSS. METHODS Multiple phenotypes and cytotoxic signature of the SG NK cells in control and pSS model mice were evaluated by flow cytometric analysis. Intracellular expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) among T cells and NK cells from the SG tissues was compared by in vitro experiments. In addition, pathological analysis was performed using anti-asialo-GM1 (ASGM1) antibody (Ab)-injected pSS model mice. RESULTS The number of conventional NK (cNK) cells in the SG of pSS model mice significantly increased compared with that in control mice at 6 weeks of age. The production level of IFN-γ was significantly higher in SG NK cells than in SG T cells. The depletion of NK cells by ASGM1 Ab altered the ratio of tissue resident NK (rNK) cells to cNK cells, which inhibited the injury to SG cells with the recovery of saliva secretion in pSS model mice. CONCLUSION The results indicate that SG cNK cells may enhance the autoreactive response in the target organ by upregulating of IFN-γ, whereas SG rNK cells protect target cells against T cell cytotoxicity. Therefore, the activation process and multiple functions of NK cells in the target organ could be helpful to develop potential markers for determining autoimmune disease activity and target molecules for incurable immune disorders.
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24
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Wong DCP, Lee EHC, Er J, Yow I, Koean RAG, Ang O, Xiao J, Low BC, Ding JL. Lung Cancer Induces NK Cell Contractility and Cytotoxicity Through Transcription Factor Nuclear Localization. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:871326. [PMID: 35652099 PMCID: PMC9149376 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.871326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Actomyosin-mediated cellular contractility is highly conserved for mechanotransduction and signalling. While this phenomenon has been observed in adherent cell models, whether/how contractile forces regulate the function of suspension cells like natural killer (NK) cells during cancer surveillance, is unknown. Here, we demonstrated in coculture settings that the evolutionarily conserved NK cell transcription factor, Eomes, undergoes nuclear shuttling during lung cancer cell surveillance. Biophysical and biochemical analyses revealed mechanistic enhancement of NK cell actomyosin-mediated contractility, which is associated with nuclear flattening, thus enabling nuclear entry of Eomes associated with enhanced NK cytotoxicity. We found that NK cells responded to the presumed immunosuppressive TGFβ in the NK-lung cancer coculture medium to sustain its intracellular contractility through myosin light chain phosphorylation, thereby promoting Eomes nuclear localization. Therefore, our results demonstrate that lung cancer cells provoke NK cell contractility as an early phase activation mechanism and that Eomes is a plausible mechano-responsive protein for increased NK cytotoxicity. There is scope for strategic application of actomyosin-mediated contractility modulating drugs ex vivo, to reinvigorate NK cells prior to adoptive cancer immunotherapy in vivo (177 words).
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren Chen Pei Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Mechanobiology Institute Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - E Hui Clarissa Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Junzhi Er
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ivan Yow
- Mechanobiology Institute Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Owen Ang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jingwei Xiao
- Mechanobiology Institute Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Boon Chuan Low
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Mechanobiology Institute Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,University Scholars Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jeak Ling Ding
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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25
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Chu J, Gao F, Yan M, Zhao S, Yan Z, Shi B, Liu Y. Natural killer cells: a promising immunotherapy for cancer. J Transl Med 2022; 20:240. [PMID: 35606854 PMCID: PMC9125849 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03437-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As a promising alternative platform for cellular immunotherapy, natural killer cells (NK) have recently gained attention as an important type of innate immune regulatory cell. NK cells can rapidly kill multiple adjacent cancer cells through non-MHC-restrictive effects. Although tumors may develop multiple resistance mechanisms to endogenous NK cell attack, in vitro activation, expansion, and genetic modification of NK cells can greatly enhance their anti-tumor activity and give them the ability to overcome drug resistance. Some of these approaches have been translated into clinical applications, and clinical trials of NK cell infusion in patients with hematological malignancies and solid tumors have thus far yielded many encouraging clinical results. CAR-T cells have exhibited great success in treating hematological malignancies, but their drawbacks include high manufacturing costs and potentially fatal toxicity, such as cytokine release syndrome. To overcome these issues, CAR-NK cells were generated through genetic engineering and demonstrated significant clinical responses and lower adverse effects compared with CAR-T cell therapy. In this review, we summarize recent advances in NK cell immunotherapy, focusing on NK cell biology and function, the types of NK cell therapy, and clinical trials and future perspectives on NK cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Chu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Fengcai Gao
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Meimei Yan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Shuang Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Zheng Yan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Bian Shi
- Department of Chinese and Western Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China.
| | - Yanyan Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China.
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26
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Cubitt CC, McClain E, Becker-Hapak M, Foltz JA, Wong P, Wagner JA, Neal CC, Marin ND, Marsala L, Foster M, Schappe T, Soon-Shiong P, Lee J, Berrien-Elliott MM, Fehniger TA. A novel fusion protein scaffold 18/12/TxM activates the IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18 receptors to induce human memory-like natural killer cells. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2022; 24:585-596. [PMID: 35284622 PMCID: PMC8889352 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2022.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic innate lymphoid cells that are emerging as a cellular immunotherapy for various malignancies. NK cells are particularly dependent on interleukin (IL)-15 for their survival, proliferation, and cytotoxic function. NK cells differentiate into memory-like cells with enhanced effector function after a brief activation with IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18. N-803 is an IL-15 superagonist composed of an IL-15 mutant (IL-15N72D) bound to the sushi domain of IL-15Rα fused to the Fc region of IgG1, which results in physiological trans-presentation of IL-15. Here, we describe the creation of a novel triple-cytokine fusion molecule, 18/12/TxM, using the N-803 scaffold fused to IL-18 via the IL-15N72D domain and linked to a heteromeric single-chain IL-12 p70 by the sushi domain of the IL-15Rα. This molecule displays trispecific cytokine activity through its binding and signaling through the individual cytokine receptors. Compared with activation with the individual cytokines, 18/12/TxM induces similar short-term activation and memory-like differentiation of NK cells on both the transcriptional and protein level and identical in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity. Thus, N-803 can be modified as a functional scaffold for the creation of cytokine immunotherapies with multiple receptor specificities to activate NK cells for adoptive cellular therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia C. Cubitt
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ethan McClain
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Michelle Becker-Hapak
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Foltz
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Pamela Wong
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Julia A. Wagner
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Carly C. Neal
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nancy D. Marin
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Lynne Marsala
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Mark Foster
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Timothy Schappe
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | | | - John Lee
- ImmunityBio, Culver City, CA 90232, USA
| | - Melissa M. Berrien-Elliott
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Todd A. Fehniger
- Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8007, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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27
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Peng WS, Zhou X, Yan WB, Li YJ, Du CR, Wang XS, Shen CY, Wang QF, Ying HM, Lu XG, Xu TT, Hu CS. Dissecting the heterogeneity of the microenvironment in primary and recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinomas using single-cell RNA sequencing. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2026583. [PMID: 35096485 PMCID: PMC8794254 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2026583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a 10–15% recurrence rate, while no long term or durable treatment options are currently available. Single-cell profiling in recurrent NPC (rNPC) may aid in designing effective anticancer therapies, including immunotherapies. For the first time, we profiled the transcriptomes of ∼60,000 cells from four primary NPC and two rNPC cases to provide deeper insights into the dynamic changes in rNPC within radiation fields. Heterogeneity of both immune cells (T, natural killer, B, and myeloid cells) and tumor cells was characterized. Recurrent samples showed increased infiltration of regulatory T cells in a highly immunosuppressive state and CD8+ T cells in a highly cytotoxic and dysfunctional state. Enrichment of M2-polarized macrophages and LAMP3+ dendritic cells conferred enhanced immune suppression to rNPC. Furthermore, malignant cells showed enhanced immune-related features, such as antigen presentation. Elevated regulatory T cell levels were associated with a worse prognosis, with certain receptor-ligand communication pairs identified in rNPC. Even with relatively limited samples, our study provides important clues to complement the exploitation of rNPC immune environment and will help advance targeted immunotherapy of rNPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Sa Peng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Bin Yan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Jiao Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng-Run Du
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Shen Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun-Ying Shen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi-Feng Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Mei Ying
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xue-Guan Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting-Ting Xu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao-Su Hu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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28
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Zhang J, Rousseaux N, Walzer T. Eomes and T‐bet, a dynamic duo regulating NK cell differentiation. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2100281. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Zhang
- Department of Dermatology Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Noémi Rousseaux
- CIRI Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Lyon France
| | - Thierry Walzer
- CIRI Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Lyon France
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29
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Yu H, Li E, Liu S, Wu Z, Gao F. Identification of Signature Genes in the PD-1 Relative Gastric Cancer Using a Combined Analysis of Gene Expression and Methylation Data. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:4994815. [PMID: 36568638 PMCID: PMC9780002 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4994815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The morbidity and mortality rates for gastric cancer (GC) rank second among all cancers, indicating the serious threat it poses to human health, as well as human life. This study aims to identify the pathways and genes as well as investigate the molecular mechanisms of tumor-related genes in gastric cancer (GC). METHOD We compared differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially methylated genes (DMGs) in gastric cancer and normal tissue samples using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) and the Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis' pathway annotations were conducted on DMGs and DEGs using a clusterProfiler R package to identify the important functions, as well as the biological processes and pathways involved. The intersection of the two was chosen and defined as differentially methylated and expressed genes (DMEGs). For DMEGs, we used the principal component analysis (PCA) to differentiate gastric cancer from adjacent samples. The linear discriminant analysis method was applied to categorize the samples using DMEGs methylation data and DMEGs expression profiles data and was validated using the leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) method. We plotted the ROC curve for the classification and calculated the AUC (area under the ROC curve) value for a more intuitive view of the classification effect. We also used the NetworkAnalyst 3.0 tool to analyze DMEGs, using DrugBank to acquire information on protein-drug interactions and generate a network map of gene-drug interactions. RESULTS We identified a total of 971 DMGs in 188 PD-1 negative and 187 PD-1 positive gastric cancer samples obtained from TCGA. The KEGG and GO enrichment analysis showed the involvement of the regulation of ion transmembrane transport, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, cell-cell junction, and peptidase regulator activity. We simultaneously obtained 1,189 DEGs, out of which 986 were downregulated, while 203 were upregulated in tumors. The enriched analysis of the GO's and KEGG's pathways indicated that the most significant pathways included an intestinal immune network for IgA production, Staphylococcus aureus infection, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor, which have previously been linked with gastric cancer. The compound DB01830 can bind well to the active site of the LCK protein and shows good stability, thus making it a potential inhibitor of the LCK protein. To observe the relationship between DMEGs' expression and prognosis, we observed 10 genes, among which were TRIM29, TSPAN8, EOMES, PPP1R16B, SELL, PCED1B, IYD, JPH1, CEACAM5, and RP11-44K6.2. Their high expressions were related to high risks. Besides, those genes were validated in different internal and external validation sets. CONCLUSION These results may provide potential molecular biological therapy for PD-1 negative gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Yu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Meizhou People's Hospital, Huangtang Road, Meijiang District, Meizhou 514031, Guangdong Province, China
| | - En Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Meizhou People's Hospital, Huangtang Road, Meijiang District, Meizhou 514031, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Sha Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Meizhou People's Hospital, Huangtang Road, Meijiang District, Meizhou 514031, Guangdong Province, China
| | - ZuGuang Wu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Meizhou People's Hospital, Huangtang Road, Meijiang District, Meizhou 514031, Guangdong Province, China
| | - FenFei Gao
- Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xinling Road, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
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30
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Bou-Tayeh B, Laletin V, Salem N, Just-Landi S, Fares J, Leblanc R, Balzano M, Kerdiles YM, Bidaut G, Hérault O, Olive D, Aurrand-Lions M, Walzer T, Nunès JA, Fauriat C. Chronic IL-15 Stimulation and Impaired mTOR Signaling and Metabolism in Natural Killer Cells During Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Front Immunol 2021; 12:730970. [PMID: 34975835 PMCID: PMC8718679 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.730970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural Killer (NK) cells are potent anti-leukemic immune effectors. However, they display multiple defects in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients leading to reduced anti-tumor potential. Our limited understanding of the mechanisms underlying these defects hampers the development of strategies to restore NK cell potential. Here, we have used a mouse model of AML to gain insight into these mechanisms. We found that leukemia progression resulted in NK cell maturation defects and functional alterations. Next, we assessed NK cell cytokine signaling governing their behavior. We showed that NK cells from leukemic mice exhibit constitutive IL-15/mTOR signaling and type I IFN signaling. However, these cells failed to respond to IL-15 stimulation in vitro as illustrated by reduced activation of the mTOR pathway. Moreover, our data suggest that mTOR-mediated metabolic responses were reduced in NK cells from AML-bearing mice. Noteworthy, the reduction of mTOR-mediated activation of NK cells during AML development partially rescued NK cell metabolic and functional defects. Altogether, our data strongly suggest that NK cells from leukemic mice are metabolically and functionally exhausted as a result of a chronic cytokine activation, at least partially IL-15/mTOR signaling. NK cells from AML patients also displayed reduced IL-2/15Rβ expression and showed cues of reduced metabolic response to IL-15 stimulation in vitro, suggesting that a similar mechanism might occur in AML patients. Our study pinpoints the dysregulation of cytokine stimulation pathways as a new mechanism leading to NK cell defects in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna Bou-Tayeh
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
| | - Vladimir Laletin
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
| | - Nassim Salem
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
| | - Sylvaine Just-Landi
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
- IBiSA Immunomonitoring Platform, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
| | - Joanna Fares
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
| | - Raphael Leblanc
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
| | - Marielle Balzano
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
| | - Yann M. Kerdiles
- Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML), Marseille, France
| | - Ghislain Bidaut
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
- Cibi Technological Platform, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
| | - Olivier Hérault
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7292, LNOx Team, François Rabelais University, Tours, France
| | - Daniel Olive
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
- IBiSA Immunomonitoring Platform, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
| | - Michel Aurrand-Lions
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
| | - Thierry Walzer
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5308, Lyon, France
| | - Jacques A. Nunès
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
| | - Cyril Fauriat
- Aix-Marseille Université UM105, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR7258, Inserm UMR1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM), Marseille, France
- *Correspondence: Cyril Fauriat,
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31
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Tang Y, Xu Q, Hu L, Yan X, Feng X, Yokota A, Wang W, Zhan D, Krishnamurthy D, Ochayon DE, Wen L, Huo L, Zeng H, Luo Y, Huang LF, Wunderlich M, Zhang J, Vivier E, Zhou J, Waggoner SN, Huang G. Tumor Microenvironment-Derived R-spondins Enhance Antitumor Immunity to Suppress Tumor Growth and Sensitize for Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy. Cancer Discov 2021; 11:3142-3157. [PMID: 34193438 PMCID: PMC8716674 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-0833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells and T cells are key effectors of antitumor immune responses and major targets of checkpoint inhibitors. In multiple cancer types, we find that the expression of Wnt signaling potentiator R-spondin genes (e.g., RSPO3) is associated with favorable prognosis and positively correlates with gene signatures of both NK cells and T cells. Although endothelial cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts comprise the R-spondin 3-producing cells, NK cells and T cells correspondingly express the R-spondin 3 receptor LGR6 within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Exogenous expression or intratumor injection of R-spondin 3 in tumors enhanced the infiltration and function of cytotoxic effector cells, which led to tumor regression. NK cells and CD8+ T cells independently and cooperatively contributed to R-spondin 3-induced control of distinct tumor types. The effect of R-spondin 3 was mediated in part through upregulation of MYC and ribosomal biogenesis. Importantly, R-spondin 3 expression enhanced tumor sensitivity to anti-PD-1 therapy, thereby highlighting new therapeutic avenues. SIGNIFICANCE Our study identifies novel targets in enhancing antitumor immunity and sensitizing immune checkpoint inhibition, which provides a rationale for developing new immunotherapies against cancers. It also offers mechanistic insights on Wnt signaling-mediated modulation of anticancer immunity in the TME and implications for a putative R-spondin-LGR6 axis in regulating NK-cell biology. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2945.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Tang
- Divisions of Pathology and Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Qian Xu
- Divisions of Pathology and Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Liang Hu
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Xiaomei Yan
- Divisions of Pathology and Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Xiaomin Feng
- Divisions of Pathology and Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Asumi Yokota
- Divisions of Pathology and Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Weinan Wang
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Di Zhan
- Divisions of Pathology and Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Durga Krishnamurthy
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - David E. Ochayon
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Lijun Wen
- Divisions of Pathology and Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
- National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Li Huo
- Divisions of Pathology and Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
- National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Huimin Zeng
- Divisions of Pathology and Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Yingwan Luo
- Divisions of Pathology and Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - L. Frank Huang
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Mark Wunderlich
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Jiwang Zhang
- Oncology Institute, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153
- Department of Pathology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153
| | - Eric Vivier
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France
- Immunology, Marseille Immunopole, Hôpital de la Timone, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille, France
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France
| | - Jianfeng Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Stephen N. Waggoner
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Gang Huang
- Divisions of Pathology and Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
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32
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Nagel S, Meyer C. Establishment of the TBX-code reveals aberrantly activated T-box gene TBX3 in Hodgkin lymphoma. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259674. [PMID: 34807923 PMCID: PMC8608327 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
T-box genes encode transcription factors which control basic processes in development of several tissues including cell differentiation in the hematopoietic system. Here, we analyzed the physiological activities of all 17 human T-box genes in early hematopoiesis and in lymphopoiesis including developing and mature B-cells, T-cells, natural killer (NK)-cells and innate lymphoid cells. The resultant expression pattern comprised six genes, namely EOMES, MGA, TBX1, TBX10, TBX19 and TBX21. We termed this gene signature TBX-code which enables discrimination of normal and aberrant activities of T-box genes in lymphoid malignancies. Accordingly, expression analysis of T-box genes in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients using a public profiling dataset revealed overexpression of EOMES, TBX1, TBX2, TBX3, TBX10, TBX19, TBX21 and TBXT while MGA showed aberrant downregulation. Analysis of T-cell acute lymphoid leukemia patients indicated aberrant overexpression of six T-box genes while no deregulated T-box genes were detected in anaplastic large cell lymphoma patients. As a paradigm we focused on TBX3 which was ectopically activated in about 6% of HL patients analyzed. Normally, TBX3 is expressed in tissues like lung, adrenal gland and retina but not in hematopoiesis. HL cell line KM-H2 expressed enhanced TBX3 levels and was used as an in vitro model to identify upstream regulators and downstream targets in this malignancy. Genomic studies of this cell line showed focal amplification of the TBX3 locus at 12q24 which may underlie its aberrant expression. In addition, promoter analysis and comparative expression profiling of HL cell lines followed by knockdown experiments revealed overexpressed transcription factors E2F4 and FOXC1 and chromatin modulator KDM2B as functional activators. Furthermore, we identified repressed target genes of TBX3 in HL including CDKN2A, NFKBIB and CD19, indicating its respective oncogenic function in proliferation, NFkB-signaling and B-cell differentiation. Taken together, we have revealed a lymphoid TBX-code and used it to identify an aberrant network around deregulated T-box gene TBX3 in HL which promotes hallmark aberrations of this disease. These findings provide a framework for future studies to evaluate deregulated T-box genes in lymphoid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Nagel
- Department of Human and Animal Cell Lines, Leibniz-Institute DSMZ–German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Corinna Meyer
- Department of Human and Animal Cell Lines, Leibniz-Institute DSMZ–German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
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33
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George TB, Strawn NK, Leviyang S. Tree-Based Co-Clustering Identifies Chromatin Accessibility Patterns Associated With Hematopoietic Lineage Structure. Front Genet 2021; 12:707117. [PMID: 34659332 PMCID: PMC8517275 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.707117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin accessibility, as measured by ATACseq, varies between hematopoietic cell types in different lineages of the hematopoietic differentiation tree, e.g. T cells vs. B cells, but methods that associate variation in chromatin accessibility to the lineage structure of the differentiation tree are lacking. Using an ATACseq dataset recently published by the ImmGen consortium, we construct associations between chromatin accessibility and hematopoietic cell types using a novel co-clustering approach that accounts for the structure of the hematopoietic, differentiation tree. Under a model in which all loci and cell types within a co-cluster have a shared accessibility state, we show that roughly 80% of cell type associated accessibility variation can be captured through 12 cell type clusters and 20 genomic locus clusters, with the cell type clusters reflecting coherent components of the differentiation tree. Using publicly available ChIPseq datasets, we show that our clustering reflects transcription factor binding patterns with implications for regulation across cell types. We show that traditional methods such as hierarchical and kmeans clusterings lead to cell type clusters that are more dispersed on the tree than our tree-based algorithm. We provide a python package, chromcocluster, that implements the algorithms presented.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sivan Leviyang
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States
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34
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Zhang J, Le Gras S, Pouxvielh K, Faure F, Fallone L, Kern N, Moreews M, Mathieu AL, Schneider R, Marliac Q, Jung M, Berton A, Hayek S, Vidalain PO, Marçais A, Dodard G, Dejean A, Brossay L, Ghavi-Helm Y, Walzer T. Sequential actions of EOMES and T-BET promote stepwise maturation of natural killer cells. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5446. [PMID: 34521844 PMCID: PMC8440589 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25758-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
EOMES and T-BET are related T-box transcription factors that control natural killer (NK) cell development. Here we demonstrate that EOMES and T-BET regulate largely distinct gene sets during this process. EOMES is dominantly expressed in immature NK cells and drives early lineage specification by inducing hallmark receptors and functions. By contrast, T-BET is dominant in mature NK cells, where it induces responsiveness to IL-12 and represses the cell cycle, likely through transcriptional repressors. Regardless, many genes with distinct functions are co-regulated by the two transcription factors. By generating two gene-modified mice facilitating chromatin immunoprecipitation of endogenous EOMES and T-BET, we show a strong overlap in their DNA binding targets, as well as extensive epigenetic changes during NK cell differentiation. Our data thus suggest that EOMES and T-BET may distinctly govern, via differential expression and co-factors recruitment, NK cell maturation by inserting partially overlapping epigenetic regulations.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- Bone Marrow Cells/cytology
- Bone Marrow Cells/immunology
- CD11b Antigen/genetics
- CD11b Antigen/immunology
- Cell Cycle/drug effects
- Cell Cycle/genetics
- Cell Cycle/immunology
- Cell Differentiation
- Cell Lineage/drug effects
- Cell Lineage/genetics
- Cell Lineage/immunology
- Epigenesis, Genetic/immunology
- Interleukin-12/pharmacology
- Killer Cells, Natural/cytology
- Killer Cells, Natural/drug effects
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Protein Binding
- Spleen/cytology
- Spleen/immunology
- T-Box Domain Proteins/deficiency
- T-Box Domain Proteins/genetics
- T-Box Domain Proteins/immunology
- Transcription, Genetic
- Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7/genetics
- Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Zhang
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Stéphanie Le Gras
- IGBMC, CNRS UMR7104, Inserm U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
- Plateforme GenomEast, infrastructure France Génomique, Illkirch, France
| | - Kevin Pouxvielh
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - Fabrice Faure
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, INSERM U1217/CNRS UMR5310, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Lucie Fallone
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - Nicolas Kern
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - Marion Moreews
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - Anne-Laure Mathieu
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - Raphaël Schneider
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allée d'Italie, F-69364, Lyon, France
| | - Quentin Marliac
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - Mathieu Jung
- IGBMC, CNRS UMR7104, Inserm U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
- Plateforme GenomEast, infrastructure France Génomique, Illkirch, France
| | - Aurore Berton
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - Simon Hayek
- Equipe Chimie et Biologie, Modélisation et Immunologie pour la Thérapie (CBMIT), Université Paris Descartes, CNRS UMR 8601, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Pierre-Olivier Vidalain
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
- Equipe Chimie et Biologie, Modélisation et Immunologie pour la Thérapie (CBMIT), Université Paris Descartes, CNRS UMR 8601, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Marçais
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - Garvin Dodard
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Anne Dejean
- Institut Toulousain des Maladies Infectieuses et Inflammatoires (Infinity), INSERM UMR1291 - CNRS UMR5051 - Université Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - Laurent Brossay
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Yad Ghavi-Helm
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allée d'Italie, F-69364, Lyon, France
| | - Thierry Walzer
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France.
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35
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Natural Killer Cells and Type 1 Innate Lymphoid Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22169044. [PMID: 34445750 PMCID: PMC8396475 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22169044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells and type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1) are specific innate lymphoid cell subsets that are key for the detection and elimination of pathogens and cancer cells. In liver, while they share a number of characteristics, they differ in many features. These include their developmental pathways, tissue distribution, phenotype and functions. NK cells and ILC1 contribute to organ homeostasis through the production of key cytokines and chemokines and the elimination of potential harmful bacteria and viruses. In addition, they are equipped with a wide range of receptors, allowing them to detect “stressed cells’ such as cancer cells. Our understanding of the role of innate lymphoid cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is growing owing to the development of mouse models, the progress in immunotherapeutic treatment and the recent use of scRNA sequencing analyses. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of NK cells and ILC1 in hepatocellular carcinoma and discuss future strategies to take advantage of these innate immune cells in anti-tumor immunity. Immunotherapies hold great promise in HCC, and a better understanding of the role and function of NK cells and ILC1 in liver cancer could pave the way for new NK cell and/or ILC1-targeted treatment.
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36
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Piersma SJ, Brizić I. Natural killer cell effector functions in antiviral defense. FEBS J 2021; 289:3982-3999. [PMID: 34125493 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells involved in the control of tumors and viral infections. They provide protection by producing cytokines and by directly lysing target cells. Both effector mechanisms have been identified to contribute to viral control, depending on the context of infection. Activation of NK cells depends on the integration of signals received by cytokine receptors and activation and inhibitory receptors recognizing ligands expressed by virus-infected cells. While the control of viral infections by NK cells is well established, the signals perceived by NK cells and how these signals integrate to mediate optimal viral control have been focus of ongoing research. Here, we discuss the current knowledge on NK cell activation and integration of signals that lead to interferon gamma production and cytotoxicity in viral infections. We review NK cell interactions with viruses, with particular focus on murine cytomegalovirus studies, which helped elucidate crucial aspects of antiviral NK cell immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sytse J Piersma
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ilija Brizić
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia
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37
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Mah-Som AY, Keppel MP, Tobin JM, Kolicheski A, Saucier N, Sexl V, French AR, Wagner JA, Fehniger TA, Cooper MA. Reliance on Cox10 and oxidative metabolism for antigen-specific NK cell expansion. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109209. [PMID: 34077722 PMCID: PMC8229496 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cell effector functions are dependent on metabolic regulation of cellular function; however, less is known about in vivo metabolic pathways required for NK cell antiviral function. Mice with an inducible NK-specific deletion of Cox10, which encodes a component of electron transport chain complex IV, were generated to investigate the role of oxidative phosphorylation in NK cells during murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection. Ncr1-Cox10Δ/Δ mice had normal numbers of NK cells but impaired expansion of antigen-specific Ly49H+ NK cells and impaired NK cell memory formation. Proliferation in vitro and homeostatic expansion were intact, indicating a specific metabolic requirement for antigen-driven proliferation. Cox10-deficient NK cells upregulated glycolysis, associated with increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation, although this was insufficient to protect the host. These data demonstrate that oxidative metabolism is required for NK cell antiviral responses in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelise Y Mah-Som
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Molly P Keppel
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Joshua M Tobin
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ana Kolicheski
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nermina Saucier
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Veronika Sexl
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anthony R French
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Julia A Wagner
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Todd A Fehniger
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Megan A Cooper
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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Wong P, Wagner JA, Berrien-Elliott MM, Schappe T, Fehniger TA. Flow cytometry-based ex vivo murine NK cell cytotoxicity assay. STAR Protoc 2021; 2:100262. [PMID: 33490978 PMCID: PMC7806516 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2020.100262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct killing of diseased cells is a hallmark function of NK cells. This protocol describes a flow-based assay to measure in vivo activated murine NK cells’ ability to kill target cells ex vivo. Existing published protocols for assaying ex vivo NK cell killing utilized the radioactive chromium release assay or were designed for human NK cells. This protocol details specifically an ex vivo cytotoxicity assay using primary murine NK cells enriched from splenocytes that were activated in vivo with poly(I:C). For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wagner et al. (2020). This protocol describes a flow-based assay to assess mouse NK cell killing ex vivo Protocol details the procedure for enriching NK cells from mouse splenocytes In vivo poly(I:C) activated NK cells are used as effectors to kill labeled targets
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Wong
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Julia A. Wagner
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Melissa M. Berrien-Elliott
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Timothy Schappe
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Todd A. Fehniger
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Corresponding author
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Wang X, Zhao XY. Transcription Factors Associated With IL-15 Cytokine Signaling During NK Cell Development. Front Immunol 2021; 12:610789. [PMID: 33815365 PMCID: PMC8013977 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.610789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes primarily involved in innate immunity and possess important functional properties in anti-viral and anti-tumor responses; thus, these cells have broad potential for clinical utilization. NK cells originate from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) through the following two independent and continuous processes: early commitment from HSCs to IL-15-responsive NK cell progenitors (NKPs) and subsequent differentiation into mature NK cells in response to IL-15. IL-15 is the most important cytokine for NK cell development, is produced by both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells, and functions through a distinct delivery process termed transpresentation. Upon being transpresented to NK cells, IL-15 contributes to NK cell development via the activation of several downstream signaling pathways, including the Ras-MEK-MAPK, JAK-STAT5, and PI3K-ATK-mTOR pathways. Nonetheless, the exact role of IL-15 in NK cell development has not been discussed in a consecutive and comprehensive manner. Here, we review current knowledge about the indispensable role of IL-15 in NK cell development and address which cells produce IL-15 to support NK cell development and when IL-15 exerts its function during multiple developmental stages. Specifically, we highlight how IL-15 supports NK cell development by elucidating the distinct transpresentation of IL-15 to NK cells and revealing the downstream target of IL-15 signaling during NK cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Wang
- Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Disease, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang-Yu Zhao
- Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Disease, Beijing, China.,Beijing Engineering Laboratory for Cellular Therapy, Beijing, China
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40
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Michieletto MF, Henao-Mejia J. Ontogeny and heterogeneity of innate lymphoid cells and the noncoding genome. Immunol Rev 2021; 300:152-166. [PMID: 33559175 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Since their discovery a decade ago, it has become evident that innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) play critical roles in protective immune responses against intracellular and extracellular pathogens but are also central regulators of epithelial barrier integrity and tissue homeostasis. ILCs populate almost every tissue in mammalian organisms; therefore, not surprisingly, dysregulation of their functions contributes to the development and progression of multiple inflammatory and metabolic diseases. Our knowledge of the transcriptional programs governing the development, differentiation, and functions of the different groups of ILCs has increased dramatically in the last ten years. However, with the advent of new technologies, an unprecedented level of heterogeneity, plasticity, and developmental complexity has started to be revealed. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of ILC development and their biological functions. In particular, we aim to emphasize how our increasing knowledge of the chromatin landscape and the noncoding genome of these innate lymphocytes is allowing us to better understand their development and functions in different contexts during homeostasis and inflammation. Moreover, we propose that the design of more refined genetic tools to study tissue-specific ILCs and their functions can be accomplished by leveraging our understanding of how specific noncoding elements of the genome regulate gene expression in ILCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël F Michieletto
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jorge Henao-Mejia
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Division of Protective Immunity, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Adams NM, Diaz-Salazar C, Dang C, Lanier LL, Sun JC. Cutting Edge: Heterogeneity in Cell Age Contributes to Functional Diversity of NK Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 206:465-470. [PMID: 33443057 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2001163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Heterogeneity among naive adaptive lymphocytes determines their individual functions and fate decisions during an immune response. NK cells are innate lymphocytes capable of generating "adaptive" responses during infectious challenges. However, the factors that govern various NK cell functions are not fully understood. In this study, we use a reporter mouse model to permanently "time stamp" NK cells and type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s) to characterize the dynamics of their homeostatic turnover. We found that the homeostatic turnover of tissue-resident ILC1s is much slower than that of circulating NK cells. NK cell homeostatic turnover is further accelerated without the transcription factor Eomes. Finally, heterogeneity in NK cell age diversifies NK cell function, with "older" NK cells exhibiting more potent IFN-γ production to activating stimuli and more robust adaptive responses during CMV infection. These results provide insight into how the functional response of an NK cell varies over its lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Adams
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
| | - Carlos Diaz-Salazar
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065.,Department of Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065
| | - Celeste Dang
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065.,Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
| | - Lewis L Lanier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143; and.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94129
| | - Joseph C Sun
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065; .,Department of Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065.,Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
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