1
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Zheng Y, Nie Y, Lu J, Yi H, Fu G. A novel predictive model for the recurrence of pediatric alopecia areata by bioinformatics analysis and a single-center prospective study. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1189134. [PMID: 37359017 PMCID: PMC10285523 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1189134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Alopecia areata (AA) is a disease featured by recurrent, non-scarring hair loss with a variety of clinical manifestations. The outcome of AA patients varies greatly. When they progress to the subtypes of alopecia totalis (AT) or alopecia universalis (AU), the outcome is unfavorable. Therefore, identifying clinically available biomarkers that predict the risk of AA recurrence could improve the prognosis for AA patients. Methods In this study, we conducted weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and functional annotation analysis to identify key genes that correlated to the severity of AA. Then, 80 AA children were enrolled at the Department of Dermatology, Wuhan Children's Hospital between January 2020 to December 2020. Clinical information and serum samples were collected before and after treatment. And the serum level of proteins coded by key genes were quantitatively detected by ELISA. Moreover, 40 serum samples of healthy children from the Department of Health Care, Wuhan Children's Hospital were used for healthy control. Results We identified four key genes that significantly increased (CD8A, PRF1, and XCL1) or decreased (BMP2) in AA tissues, especially in the subtypes of AT and AU. Then, the serum levels of these markers in different groups of AA patients were detected to validate the results of bioinformatics analysis. Similarly, the serum levels of these markers were found remarkedly correlated with the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score. Finally, a prediction model that combined multiple markers was established by conducting a logistic regression analysis. Conclusion In the present study, we construct a novel model based on serum levels of BMP2, CD8A, PRF1, and XCL1, which served as a potential non-invasive prognostic biomarker for forecasting the recurrence of AA patients with high accuracy.
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2
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Pașatu‑Cornea AM, Ciciu E, Tuță LA. Perforin: An intriguing protein in allograft rejection immunology (Review). Exp Ther Med 2022; 24:519. [DOI: 10.3892/etm.2022.11446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Elena Ciciu
- Department of Nephrology, Constanta County Emergency Hospital, 900591 Constanta, Romania
| | - Liliana-Ana Tuță
- Department of Nephrology, Constanta County Emergency Hospital, 900591 Constanta, Romania
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3
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Tsuda S, Pipkin ME. Transcriptional Control of Cell Fate Determination in Antigen-Experienced CD8 T Cells. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2022; 14:a037945. [PMID: 34127445 PMCID: PMC8805646 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a037945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Robust immunity to intracellular infections is mediated by antigen-specific naive CD8 T cells that become activated and differentiate into phenotypically and functionally diverse subsets of effector cells, some of which terminally differentiate and others that give rise to memory cells that provide long-lived protection. This developmental system is an outstanding model with which to elucidate how regulation of chromatin structure and transcriptional control establish gene expression programs that govern cell fate determination, insights from which are likely to be useful for informing the design of immunotherapeutic approaches to engineer durable immunity to infections and tumors. A unifying framework that describes how naive CD8 T cells develop into memory cells is still outstanding. We propose a model that incorporates a common early linear path followed by divergent paths that slowly lose capacity to interconvert and discuss classical and contemporary observations that support these notions, focusing on insights from transcriptional control and chromatin regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanel Tsuda
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, USA
| | - Matthew E Pipkin
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, USA
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4
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Perišić Nanut M, Pawelec G, Kos J. Human CD4+ T-Cell Clone Expansion Leads to the Expression of the Cysteine Peptidase Inhibitor Cystatin F. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8408. [PMID: 34445118 PMCID: PMC8395124 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The existence of CD4+ cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) at relatively high levels under different pathological conditions in vivo suggests their role in protective and/or pathogenic immune functions. CD4+ CTLs utilize the fundamental cytotoxic effector mechanisms also utilized by CD8+ CTLs and natural killer cells. During long-term cultivation, CD4+ T cells were also shown to acquire cytotoxic functions. In this study, CD4+ human T-cell clones derived from activated peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy young adults were examined for the expression of cytotoxic machinery components. Cystatin F is a protein inhibitor of cysteine cathepsins, synthesized by CD8+ CTLs and natural killer cells. Cystatin F affects the cytotoxic efficacy of these cells by inhibiting the major progranzyme convertases cathepsins C and H as well as cathepsin L, which is involved in perforin activation. Here, we show that human CD4+ T-cell clones express the cysteine cathepsins that are involved in the activation of granzymes and perforin. CD4+ T-cell clones contained both the inactive, dimeric form as well as the active, monomeric form of cystatin F. As in CD8+ CTLs, cysteine cathepsins C and H were the major targets of cystatin F in CD4+ T-cell clones. Furthermore, CD4+ T-cell clones expressed the active forms of perforin and granzymes A and B. The levels of the cystatin F decreased with time in culture concomitantly with an increase in the activities of granzymes A and B. Therefore, our results suggest that cystatin F plays a role in regulating CD4+ T cell cytotoxicity. Since cystatin F can be secreted and taken up by bystander cells, our results suggest that CD4+ CTLs may also be involved in regulating immune responses through cystatin F secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milica Perišić Nanut
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova Cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Graham Pawelec
- Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 15/3.008, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
- Health Sciences North Research Institute, 56 Walford Rd, Sudbury, ON P3E 2H2, Canada
| | - Janko Kos
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova Cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva Cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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5
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Pipkin ME. Runx proteins and transcriptional mechanisms that govern memory CD8 T cell development. Immunol Rev 2021; 300:100-124. [PMID: 33682165 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive immunity to intracellular pathogens and tumors is mediated by antigen-experienced CD8 T cells. Individual naive CD8 T cells have the potential to differentiate into a diverse array of antigen-experienced subsets that exhibit distinct effector functions, life spans, anatomic positioning, and potential for regenerating an entirely new immune response during iterative pathogenic exposures. The developmental process by which activated naive cells undergo diversification involves regulation of chromatin structure and transcription but is not entirely understood. This review examines how alterations in chromatin structure, transcription factor binding, extracellular signals, and single-cell gene expression explain the differential development of distinct effector (TEFF ) and memory (TMEM ) CD8 T cell subsets. Special emphasis is placed on how Runx proteins function with additional transcription factors to pioneer changes in chromatin accessibility and drive transcriptional programs that establish the core attributes of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, subdivide circulating and non-circulating TMEM cell subsets, and govern terminal differentiation. The discussion integrates the roles of specific cytokine signals, transcriptional circuits and how regulation of individual nucleosomes and RNA polymerase II activity can contribute to the process of differentiation. A model that integrates many of these features is discussed to conceptualize how activated CD8 T cells arrive at their fates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Pipkin
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute - FL, Jupiter, FL, USA
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6
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Krawczyk PA, Laub M, Kozik P. To Kill But Not Be Killed: Controlling the Activity of Mammalian Pore-Forming Proteins. Front Immunol 2020; 11:601405. [PMID: 33281828 PMCID: PMC7691655 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.601405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pore-forming proteins (PFPs) are present in all domains of life, and play an important role in host-pathogen warfare and in the elimination of cancers. They can be employed to deliver specific effectors across membranes, to disrupt membrane integrity interfering with cell homeostasis, and to lyse membranes either destroying intracellular organelles or entire cells. Considering the destructive potential of PFPs, it is perhaps not surprising that mechanisms controlling their activity are remarkably complex, especially in multicellular organisms. Mammalian PFPs discovered to date include the complement membrane attack complex (MAC), perforins, as well as gasdermins. While the primary function of perforin-1 and gasdermins is to eliminate infected or cancerous host cells, perforin-2 and MAC can target pathogens directly. Yet, all mammalian PFPs are in principle capable of generating pores in membranes of healthy host cells which-if uncontrolled-could have dire, and potentially lethal consequences. In this review, we will highlight the strategies employed to protect the host from destruction by endogenous PFPs, while enabling timely and efficient elimination of target cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja A Krawczyk
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry Division, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Laub
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry Division, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Patrycja Kozik
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry Division, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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7
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Abstract
Immune cells use a variety of membrane-disrupting proteins [complement, perforin, perforin-2, granulysin, gasdermins, mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL)] to induce different kinds of death of microbes and host cells, some of which cause inflammation. After activation by proteolytic cleavage or phosphorylation, these proteins oligomerize, bind to membrane lipids, and disrupt membrane integrity. These membrane disruptors play a critical role in both innate and adaptive immunity. Here we review our current knowledge of the functions, specificity, activation, and regulation of membrane-disrupting immune proteins and what is known about the mechanisms behind membrane damage, the structure of the pores they form, how the cells expressing these lethal proteins are protected, and how cells targeted for destruction can sometimes escape death by repairing membrane damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Liu
- Center for Microbes, Development and Health; Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology; Institut Pasteur of Shanghai; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China;
| | - Judy Lieberman
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
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8
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Wang D, Diao H, Getzler AJ, Rogal W, Frederick MA, Milner J, Yu B, Crotty S, Goldrath AW, Pipkin ME. The Transcription Factor Runx3 Establishes Chromatin Accessibility of cis-Regulatory Landscapes that Drive Memory Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Formation. Immunity 2019; 48:659-674.e6. [PMID: 29669249 PMCID: PMC6750808 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2018.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation of naive CD8+ T cells initiates reprogramming of cis-regulatory landscapes that specify effector and memory cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) differentiation. We mapped regions of hyper-accessible chromatin in naive cells during TCR stimulation and discovered that the transcription factor (TF) Runx3 promoted accessibility to memory CTL-specific cis-regulatory regions before the first cell division and was essential for memory CTL differentiation. Runx3 was specifically required for accessibility to regions highly enriched with IRF, bZIP and Prdm1-like TF motifs, upregulation of TFs Irf4 and Blimp1, and activation of fundamental CTL attributes in early effector and memory precursor cells. Runx3 ensured that nascent CTLs differentiated into memory CTLs by preventing high expression of the TF T-bet, slowing effector cell proliferation, and repressing terminal CTL differentiation. Runx3 overexpression enhanced memory CTL differentiation during iterative infections. Thus, Runx3 governs chromatin accessibility during TCR stimulation and enforces the memory CTL developmental program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dapeng Wang
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Huitian Diao
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Adam J Getzler
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Walter Rogal
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Megan A Frederick
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Justin Milner
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Bingfei Yu
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shane Crotty
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, The La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ananda W Goldrath
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Matthew E Pipkin
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA.
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9
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Decrease in Intracellular Perforin Levels and IFN- γ Production in Human CD8 + T Cell Line following Long-Term Exposure to Asbestos Fibers. J Immunol Res 2018; 2018:4391731. [PMID: 30426024 PMCID: PMC6218727 DOI: 10.1155/2018/4391731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the tumorigenicity of asbestos, which is thought to cause mesothelioma, has been clarified, its effect on antitumor immunity requires further investigation. We previously reported a decrease in the percentage of perforin+ cells of stimulated CD8+ lymphocytes derived from patients with malignant mesothelioma. Therefore, we examined the effects of long-term exposure to asbestos on CD8+ T cell functions by comparing long-term cultures of the human CD8+ T cell line EBT-8 with and without exposure to chrysotile (CH) asbestos as an in vitro model. Exposure to CH asbestos at 5 μg/ml or 30 μg/ml did not result in a decrease in intracellular granzyme B in EBT-8 cells. In contrast, the percentage of perforin+ cells decreased at both doses of CH exposure. CH exposure at 30 μg/ml did not suppress degranulation following stimulation with antibodies to CD3. Secreted production of IFN-γ stimulated via CD3 decreased by CH exposure at 30 μg/ml, although the percentage of IFN-γ+ cells induced by PMA/ionomycin did not decrease. These results indicate that long-term exposure to asbestos can potentially suppress perforin levels and the production of IFN-γ in human CD8+ T cells.
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10
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11
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Perforin gene transfer into hematopoietic stem cells improves immune dysregulation in murine models of perforin deficiency. Mol Ther 2014; 23:737-45. [PMID: 25523759 PMCID: PMC4395774 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2014.242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Defects in perforin lead to the failure of T and NK cell cytotoxicity, hypercytokinemia, and the immune dysregulatory condition known as familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL). The only curative treatment is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation which carries substantial risks. We used lentiviral vectors (LV) expressing the human perforin gene, under the transcriptional control of the ubiquitous phosphoglycerate kinase promoter or a lineage-specific perforin promoter, to correct the defect in different murine models. Following LV-mediated gene transfer into progenitor cells from perforin-deficient mice, we observed perforin expression in mature T and NK cells, and there was no evidence of progenitor cell toxicity when transplanted into irradiated recipients. The resulting perforin-reconstituted NK cells showed partial recovery of cytotoxicity, and we observed full recovery of cytotoxicity in polyclonal CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, reconstituted T cells with defined antigen specificity displayed normal cytotoxic function against peptide-loaded targets. Reconstituted CD8+ lymphoblasts had reduced interferon-γ secretion following stimulation in vitro, suggesting restoration of normal immune regulation. Finally, upon viral challenge, mice with >30% engraftment of gene-modified cells exhibited reduction of cytokine hypersecretion and cytopenias. This study demonstrates the potential of hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy as a curative treatment for perforin-deficient FHL.
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12
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Kučerová-Levisohn M, Lovett J, Lahiji A, Holmes R, Zúñiga-Pflücker JC, Ortiz BD. Derivation of T cells in vitro from mouse embryonic stem cells. J Vis Exp 2014:e52119. [PMID: 25349888 DOI: 10.3791/52119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The OP9/OP9-DL1 co-culture system has become a well-established method for deriving differentiated blood cell types from embryonic and hematopoietic progenitors of both mouse and human origin. It is now used to address a growing variety of complex genetic, cellular and molecular questions related to hematopoiesis, and is at the cutting edge of efforts to translate these basic findings to therapeutic applications. The procedures are straightforward and routinely yield robust results. However, achieving successful hematopoietic differentiation in vitro requires special attention to the details of reagent and cell culture maintenance. Furthermore, the protocol features technique sensitive steps that, while not difficult, take care and practice to master. Here we focus on the procedures for differentiation of T lymphocytes from mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC). We provide a detailed protocol with discussions of the critical steps and parameters that enable reproducibly robust cellular differentiation in vitro. It is in the interest of the field to consider wider adoption of this technology, as it has the potential to reduce animal use, lower the cost and shorten the timelines of both basic and translational experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jordana Lovett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College and Graduate Center, City University of New York
| | - Armin Lahiji
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College and Graduate Center, City University of New York
| | - Roxanne Holmes
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Department of Immunology, University of Toronto
| | | | - Benjamin D Ortiz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College and Graduate Center, City University of New York;
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13
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Ebel ME, Kansas GS. Defining the functional boundaries of the murine α1,3-fucosyltransferase Fut7 reveals a remarkably compact locus. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:6341-6349. [PMID: 24459148 PMCID: PMC3945301 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.511790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Revised: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Fut7 encodes an α1,3-fucosyltransferase critical for biosynthesis of glycan ligands for all three selectins. Consistent with this function, Fut7 expression is limited to hematopoietic cells and high endothelial cells which express selectin ligands. Mechanisms that govern Fut7 expression are poorly defined. To begin to understand the molecular genetic basis for transcriptional regulation of Fut7, a transgenic, gain-of-function, genetic complementation approach in mice was used to define the "functional boundaries" of the murine Fut7 locus, defined here as any uninterupted stretch of genomic DNA that contains all cis-acting genetic elements essential for accurate physiologic expression. A 12.7-kb contiguous genomic interval, which lies completely between the highly conserved flanking Npdc1 and Abca2 loci on chromosome 2 and which contains the complete transcriptional unit plus ∼7.4 kb upstream of the transcriptional start site and ∼2 kb downstream of the transcriptional termination and polyadenylation sites, was used as a transgene (Tg) on a Fut7 null background. Tg+ mice exhibited restoration of Fut7 gene expression and physiologic levels of selectin ligand expression and function on neutrophils, activated T cells, and high endothelial cells and corrected the functional defects in these cells found in Fut7 null mice without leading to detectable expression of Fut7 in normally non-expressing tissues. These results demonstrate that all genetic information essential for appropriate and selective expression of Fut7 in diverse cell types and in response to distinct developmental signals is contained within this comparatively small genetic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Ebel
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg Medical School of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - Geoffrey S Kansas
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg Medical School of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
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14
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Thiery J, Lieberman J. Perforin: a key pore-forming protein for immune control of viruses and cancer. Subcell Biochem 2014; 80:197-220. [PMID: 24798013 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-8881-6_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Perforin (PFN) is the key pore-forming molecule in the cytotoxic granules of immune killer cells. Expressed only in killer cells, PFN is the rate-limiting molecule for cytotoxic function, delivering the death-inducing granule serine proteases (granzymes) into target cells marked for immune elimination. In this chapter we describe our current understanding of how PFN accomplishes this task. We discuss where PFN is expressed and how its expression is regulated, the biogenesis and storage of PFN in killer cells and how they are protected from potential damage, how it is released, how it delivers Granzymes into target cells and the consequences of PFN deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Thiery
- INSERM U753, University Paris Sud and Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France,
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15
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Lahiji A, Kucerová-Levisohn M, Lovett J, Holmes R, Zúñiga-Pflücker JC, Ortiz BD. Complete TCR-α gene locus control region activity in T cells derived in vitro from embryonic stem cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2013; 191:472-9. [PMID: 23720809 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1300521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Locus control regions (LCRs) are cis-acting gene regulatory elements with the unique, integration site-independent ability to transfer the characteristics of their locus-of-origin's gene expression pattern to a linked transgene in mice. LCR activities have been discovered in numerous T cell lineage-expressed gene loci. These elements can be adapted to the design of stem cell gene therapy vectors that direct robust therapeutic gene expression to the T cell progeny of engineered stem cells. Currently, transgenic mice provide the only experimental approach that wholly supports all the critical aspects of LCR activity. In this study, we report the manifestation of all key features of mouse TCR-α gene LCR function in T cells derived in vitro from mouse embryonic stem cells. High-level, copy number-related TCR-α LCR-linked reporter gene expression levels are cell type restricted in this system, and upregulated during the expected stage transition of T cell development. We also report that de novo introduction of TCR-α LCR-linked transgenes into existing T cell lines yields incomplete LCR activity. These data indicate that establishing full TCR-α LCR activity requires critical molecular events occurring prior to final T lineage determination. This study also validates a novel, tractable, and more rapid approach for the study of LCR activity in T cells, and its translation to therapeutic genetic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Lahiji
- Department of Biological Sciences, City University of New York, Hunter College, New York, NY 10065, USA
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16
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Yigit E, Zhang Q, Xi L, Grilley D, Widom J, Wang JP, Rao A, Pipkin ME. High-resolution nucleosome mapping of targeted regions using BAC-based enrichment. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:e87. [PMID: 23413004 PMCID: PMC3627574 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a target enrichment method to map nucleosomes of large genomes at unprecedented coverage and resolution by deeply sequencing locus-specific mononucleosomal DNA enriched via hybridization with bacterial artificial chromosomes. We achieved ∼10 000-fold enrichment of specific loci, which enabled sequencing nucleosomes at up to ∼500-fold higher coverage than has been reported in a mammalian genome. We demonstrate the advantages of generating high-sequencing coverage for mapping the center of discrete nucleosomes, and we show the use of the method by mapping nucleosomes during T cell differentiation using nuclei from effector T-cells differentiated from clonal, isogenic, naïve, primary murine CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes. The analysis reveals that discrete nucleosomes exhibit cell type-specific occupancy and positioning depending on differentiation status and transcription. This method is widely applicable to mapping many features of chromatin and discerning its landscape in large genomes at unprecedented resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erbay Yigit
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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17
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Dubey P. Reporter gene imaging of immune responses to cancer: progress and challenges. Am J Cancer Res 2012; 2:355-62. [PMID: 22509199 PMCID: PMC3326719 DOI: 10.7150/thno.3903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2011] [Accepted: 02/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune responses to cancer are dynamic processes which take place through the concerted activity of innate and adaptive cell populations. In order to fully understand the efficacy of immune therapies for cancer, it is critical to understand how the treatment modulates the function of each cell type involved in the anti-tumor immune response. Molecular imaging is a versatile method for longitudinal studies of cellular localization and function. The development of reporter genes for tracking cell movement and function was a powerful addition to the immunologist's toolbox. This review will highlight the advances and challenges in the use of reporter gene imaging to track immune cell localization and function in cancer.
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18
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Cytotoxic CD4 T cells in antiviral immunity. J Biomed Biotechnol 2011; 2011:954602. [PMID: 22174559 PMCID: PMC3228492 DOI: 10.1155/2011/954602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2011] [Accepted: 09/09/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
CD4 T cells that acquire cytotoxic phenotype and function have been repeatedly identified in humans, mice, and other species in response to many diverse pathogens. Since CD4 cytotoxic T cells are able to recognize antigenic determinants unique from those recognized by the parallel CD8 cytotoxic T cells, they can potentially contribute additional immune surveillance and direct effector function by lysing infected or malignant cells. Here, we briefly review much of what is known about the generation of cytotoxic CD4 T cells and describe our current understanding of their role in antiviral immunity. Furthering our understanding of the many roles of CD4 T cells during an anti-viral response is important for developing effective vaccine strategies that promote long-lasting protective immunity.
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Brennan AJ, Chia J, Browne KA, Ciccone A, Ellis S, Lopez JA, Susanto O, Verschoor S, Yagita H, Whisstock JC, Trapani JA, Voskoboinik I. Protection from endogenous perforin: glycans and the C terminus regulate exocytic trafficking in cytotoxic lymphocytes. Immunity 2011; 34:879-92. [PMID: 21658975 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2011.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2010] [Revised: 01/18/2011] [Accepted: 04/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Cytotoxic lymphocyte-mediated apoptosis is dependent on the delivery of perforin to secretory granules and its ability to form calcium-dependent pores in the target cell after granule exocytosis. It is unclear how cytotoxic lymphocytes synthesize and store perforin without incurring damage or death. We discovered that the extreme C terminus of perforin was essential for rapid trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi compartment. Substitution of the C-terminal tryptophan residue resulted in retention of perforin in the ER followed by calcium-dependent toxic activity that eliminated host cells. We also found that N-linked glycosylation of perforin was critical for transport from the Golgi to secretory granules. Overall, an intact C terminus and N-linked glycosylation provide accurate and efficient export of perforin from the endoplasmic reticulum to the secretory granules and are critical for cytotoxic lymphocyte survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia J Brennan
- Cancer Immunology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, 3002, Australia
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20
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Zhang S, Rozell M, Verma RK, Albu DI, Califano D, VanValkenburgh J, Merchant A, Rangel-Moreno J, Randall TD, Jenkins NA, Copeland NG, Liu P, Avram D. Antigen-specific clonal expansion and cytolytic effector function of CD8+ T lymphocytes depend on the transcription factor Bcl11b. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 207:1687-99. [PMID: 20660613 PMCID: PMC2916134 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20092136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
CD8(+) T lymphocytes mediate the immune response to viruses, intracellular bacteria, protozoan parasites, and tumors. We provide evidence that the transcription factor Bcl11b/Ctip2 controls hallmark features of CD8(+) T cell immunity, specifically antigen (Ag)-dependent clonal expansion and cytolytic activity. The reduced clonal expansion in the absence of Bcl11b was caused by altered proliferation during the expansion phase, with survival remaining unaffected. Two genes with critical roles in TCR signaling were deregulated in Bcl11b-deficient CD8(+) T cells, CD8 coreceptor and Plcgamma1, both of which may contribute to the impaired responsiveness. Bcl11b was found to bind the E8I, E8IV, and E8V, but not E8II or E8III, enhancers. Thus, Bcl11b is one of the transcription factors implicated in the maintenance of optimal CD8 coreceptor expression in peripheral CD8(+) T cells through association with specific enhancers. Short-lived Klrg1(hi)CD127(lo) effector CD8(+) T cells were formed during the course of infection in the absence of Bcl11b, albeit in smaller numbers, and their Ag-specific cytolytic activity on a per-cell basis was altered, which was associated with reduced granzyme B and perforin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuning Zhang
- Center for Cell Biology and Cancer Research, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
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21
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Abstract
SUMMARY Natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) use cytotoxic granules containing perforin and granzymes to lyse infected or malignant host cells, thereby providing immunity to intracellular microbes and tumors. Perforin is essential for cytotoxic granule-mediated killing. Perforin expression is regulated transcriptionally and correlates tightly with the development of cells that can exhibit cytotoxic activity. Although a number of genes transcribed by T cells and NK cells have been studied, the cell-specificity of perforin gene expression makes it an ideal model system in which to clarify the transcriptional mechanisms that guide the development and activation of cytotoxic lymphocytes. In this review, we discuss what is known about perforin expression and its regulation, then elaborate on recent studies that utilized chromosome transfer and bacterial artificial chromosome transgenics to define a comprehensive set of cis-regulatory regions that control transcription of the human PRF1 gene in a near-physiologic context. In addition, we compare the human and murine Prf1 loci and discuss how transcription factors known to be important for driving CTL differentiation might also directly regulate the cis-acting domains that control Prf1. Our review emphasizes how studies of PRF1/Prf1 gene transcription can illuminate not only the mechanisms of cytotoxic lymphocyte differentiation but also some basic principles of transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Pipkin
- Department of Signaling and Gene Expression, The La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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22
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Interleukin-2 and inflammation induce distinct transcriptional programs that promote the differentiation of effector cytolytic T cells. Immunity 2010; 32:79-90. [PMID: 20096607 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2009.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 594] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2007] [Revised: 08/12/2009] [Accepted: 11/03/2009] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin(IL)-2 and inflammation regulate effector and memory cytolytic T-lymphocyte (CTL) generation during infection. We demonstrate a complex interplay between IL-2 and inflammatory signals during CTL differentiation. IL-2 stimulation induced the transcription factor eomesodermin (Eomes), upregulated perforin (Prf1) transcription, and repressed re-expression of memory CTL markers Bcl6 and IL-7Ralpha. Binding of Eomes and STAT5 to Prf1 cis-regulatory regions correlated with transcriptional initiation (increased recruitment of RNA polymerase II to the Prf1 promoter). Inflammation (CpG, IL-12) enhanced expression of IL-2Ralpha and the transcription factor T-bet, but countered late Eomes and perforin induction while preventing IL-7Ralpha repression by IL-2. After infection of mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, IL-2Ralpha-deficient effector CD8(+) T cells expressed more Bcl6 but less perforin and granzyme B, formed fewer KLRG-1(+) and T-bet-expressing CTL, and killed poorly. Thus, inflammation influences both effector and memory CTL differentiation, whereas persistent IL-2 stimulation promotes effector at the expense of memory CTL development.
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23
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Abstract
Cytotoxic lymphocytes (CLs) are the killer cells that destroy intracellular pathogen-infected and transformed cells, predominantly through the cytotoxic granule-mediated death pathway. Soluble cytotoxic granule components, including pore-forming perforin and pro-apoptotic serine proteases, granzymes, synergize to induce unscheduled apoptosis of the target cell. A complete loss of CL function results in an aggressive immunoregulatory disorder, familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, whereas a partial loss of function seems to be a factor strongly predisposing to hematological malignancies. This review discusses the pathological manifestations of CL deficiencies due to impaired perforin function and describes novel aspects of perforin biology.
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24
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Büchau AS, Morizane S, Trowbridge J, Schauber J, Kotol P, Bui JD, Gallo RL. The host defense peptide cathelicidin is required for NK cell-mediated suppression of tumor growth. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2010; 184:369-78. [PMID: 19949065 PMCID: PMC2908520 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0902110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Tumor surveillance requires the interaction of multiple molecules and cells that participate in innate and the adaptive immunity. Cathelicidin was initially identified as an antimicrobial peptide, although it is now clear that it fulfills a variety of immune functions beyond microbial killing. Recent data have suggested contrasting roles for cathelicidin in tumor development. Because its role in tumor surveillance is not well understood, we investigated the requirement of cathelicidin in controlling transplantable tumors in mice. Cathelicidin was observed to be abundant in tumor-infiltrating NK1.1(+) cells in mice. The importance of this finding was demonstrated by the fact that cathelicidin knockout mice (Camp(-/-)) permitted faster tumor growth than wild type controls in two different xenograft tumor mouse models (B16.F10 and RMA-S). Functional in vitro analyses found that NK cells derived from Camp(-/-) versus wild type mice showed impaired cytotoxic activity toward tumor targets. These findings could not be solely attributed to an observed perforin deficiency in freshly isolated Camp(-/-) NK cells, because this deficiency could be partially restored by IL-2 treatment, whereas cytotoxic activity was still defective in IL-2-activated Camp(-/-) NK cells. Thus, we demonstrate a previously unrecognized role of cathelicidin in NK cell antitumor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda S. Büchau
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- VA Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92103
| | - Shin Morizane
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- VA Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92103
| | - Janet Trowbridge
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- VA Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92103
| | - Jürgen Schauber
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- VA Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92103
- Klinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität and Städtisches Klinikum München, GmbH, Munich, Germany
| | - Paul Kotol
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- VA Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92103
| | - Jack D. Bui
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Richard L. Gallo
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- VA Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92103
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25
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Vastert SJ, van Wijk R, D'Urbano LE, de Vooght KMK, de Jager W, Ravelli A, Magni-Manzoni S, Insalaco A, Cortis E, van Solinge WW, Prakken BJ, Wulffraat NM, de Benedetti F, Kuis W. Mutations in the perforin gene can be linked to macrophage activation syndrome in patients with systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2009; 49:441-9. [PMID: 20019066 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kep418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) in systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SoJIA) is considered to be an acquired form of familial haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (fHLH). FHLH is an autosomal recessive disorder, characterized by diminished NK cell function and caused by mutations in the perforin gene (PRF1) in 20-50% of patients. Interestingly, SoJIA patients display decreased levels of perforin in NK cells and diminished NK cell function as well. Here, we analysed PRF1 and its putative promoter in SoJIA patients with or without a history of MAS. METHODS DNA of 56 SoJIA patients (41 Italian and 15 Dutch) was isolated. Of these, 15 (27%) had a confirmed history of MAS. We sequenced PRF1 and 1.5 kb of the 5'-upstream region. DNA sequence variations in the promoter region were functionally tested in transfection experiments using a human NK cell line. RESULTS We detected a previously undescribed sequence variation (-499 C > T) in the promoter of PRF1 in 18% of the SoJIA patients. However, transfection experiments did not show functional implications of this variation. Secondly, we found that 11 of 56 (20%) SoJIA patients were heterozygous for missense mutations in PRF1. In particular, we found a high prevalence of the Ala91Val mutation, a variant known to result in defective function of perforin. Interestingly, the prevalence of Ala91Val in SoJIA patients with a history of MAS (20%) was increased compared with SoJIA patients without MAS (9.8%). One SoJIA patient, heterozygous for Ala91Val, showed profound decreased perforin levels at the time of MAS. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that PRF1 mutations play a role in the development of MAS in SoJIA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan J Vastert
- Department of Paediatric Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, 3584 EA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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26
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Hoves S, Trapani JA, Voskoboinik I. The battlefield of perforin/granzyme cell death pathways. J Leukoc Biol 2009; 87:237-43. [DOI: 10.1189/jlb.0909608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
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27
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Cruz-Guilloty F, Pipkin ME, Djuretic IM, Levanon D, Lotem J, Lichtenheld MG, Groner Y, Rao A. Runx3 and T-box proteins cooperate to establish the transcriptional program of effector CTLs. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 206:51-9. [PMID: 19139168 PMCID: PMC2626671 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20081242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 360] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Activation of naive CD8+ T cells with antigen induces their differentiation into effector cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTLs). CTLs lyse infected or aberrant target cells by exocytosis of lytic granules containing the pore-forming protein perforin and a family of proteases termed granzymes. We show that effector CTL differentiation occurs in two sequential phases in vitro, characterized by early induction of T-bet and late induction of Eomesodermin (Eomes), T-box transcription factors that regulate the early and late phases of interferon (IFN) γ expression, respectively. In addition, we demonstrate a critical role for the transcription factor Runx3 in CTL differentiation. Runx3 regulates Eomes expression as well as expression of three cardinal markers of the effector CTL program: IFN-γ, perforin, and granzyme B. Our data point to the existence of an elaborate transcriptional network in which Runx3 initially induces and then cooperates with T-box transcription factors to regulate gene transcription in differentiating CTLs.
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28
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Wang L, Wildt KF, Castro E, Xiong Y, Feigenbaum L, Tessarollo L, Bosselut R. The zinc finger transcription factor Zbtb7b represses CD8-lineage gene expression in peripheral CD4+ T cells. Immunity 2008; 29:876-87. [PMID: 19062319 PMCID: PMC3392968 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2008.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2008] [Revised: 09/04/2008] [Accepted: 09/30/2008] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
How CD4-CD8 differentiation is maintained in mature T cells is largely unknown. The present study has examined the role in this process of the zinc finger protein Zbtb7b, a critical factor for the commitment of MHC II-restricted thymocytes to the CD4+ lineage. We showed that Zbtb7b acted in peripheral CD4+ T cells to suppress CD8-lineage gene expression, including that of CD8 and cytotoxic effector genes perforin and Granzyme B, and was important for the proper repression of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) during effector differentiation. The inappropriate expression of IFN-gamma by Zbtb7b-deficient CD4+ T cells required the activities of Eomesodermin and Runx transcription factors. Runx activity was needed for Granzyme B expression, indicating that Runx proteins control expression of the cytotoxic program. We conclude that a key function of Zbtb7b in the mature CD4+ T cell compartment is to repress CD8-lineage gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lie Wang
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kathryn F. Wildt
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ehydel Castro
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yumei Xiong
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Rémy Bosselut
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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29
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Akins EJ, Dubey P. Noninvasive imaging of cell-mediated therapy for treatment of cancer. J Nucl Med 2008; 49 Suppl 2:180S-95S. [PMID: 18523073 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.107.045971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-mediated therapy (immunotherapy) for the treatment of cancer is an active area of investigation in animal models and clinical trials. Despite many advances, objective responses to immunotherapy are observed in a small number of cases, for certain tumor types. To better understand differences in outcomes, it is critical to develop assays for tracking effector cell localization and function in situ. The fairly recent use of molecular imaging techniques to track cell populations has presented researchers and clinicians with a powerful diagnostic tool for determining the efficacy of cell-mediated therapy for the treatment of cancer. This review highlights the application of whole-body noninvasive radioisotopic, magnetic, and optical imaging methods for monitoring effector cells in vivo. Issues that affect sensitivity of detection, such as methods of cell marking, efficiency of cell labeling, toxicity, and limits of detection of imaging modalities, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Akins
- Section on Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
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30
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Abstract
While the hereditary information encoded in the Watson-Crick base pairing of genomes is largely static within a given individual, access to this information is controlled by dynamic mechanisms. The human genome is pervasively transcribed, but the roles played by the majority of the non-protein-coding genome sequences are still largely unknown. In this review we focus on insights to gene transcriptional regulation by placing special emphasis on genome-wide approaches, and on how non-coding RNAs, which derive from global transcription of the genome, in turn control gene expression. We review recent progress in the field with highlights on the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Pipkin
- Immune Disease Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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31
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Voskoboinik I, Sutton VR, Ciccone A, House CM, Chia J, Darcy PK, Yagita H, Trapani JA. Perforin activity and immune homeostasis: the common A91V polymorphism in perforin results in both presynaptic and postsynaptic defects in function. Blood 2007; 110:1184-90. [PMID: 17475905 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2007-02-072850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Perforin (PRF), a pore-forming protein expressed in cytotoxic lymphocytes, plays a key role in immune surveillance and immune homeostasis. The A91V substitution has a prevalence of 8% to 9% in population studies. While this variant has been suspected of predisposing to various disorders of immune homeostasis, its effect on perforin's function has not been elucidated. Here we complemented, for the first time, the cytotoxic function of perforin-deficient primary cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) with wild-type (hPRF-WT) and A91V mutant (hPRF-A91V) perforin. The cytotoxicity of hPRF-A91V-expressing cells was about half that of hPRF-WT-expressing counterparts and coincided with a moderate reduction in hPRF-A91V expression. By contrast, the reduction in cytotoxic function was far more pronounced (more than 10-fold) when purified proteins were tested directly on target cells. The A91V substitution can therefore be manifested by abnormalities at both the lymphocyte (presynaptic) and target cell (postsynaptic) levels. However, the severe intrinsic defect in activity can be partly rescued by expression in the physiological setting of an intact CTL. These findings provide the first direct evidence that hPRF-A91V is functionally abnormal and provides a rationale for why it may be responsible for disordered immune homeostasis if inherited with another dysfunctional perforin allele.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Blotting, Western
- Chromatography, Gel
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic/immunology
- Erythrocytes/immunology
- Erythrocytes/metabolism
- Erythrocytes/pathology
- Humans
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Ovalbumin/genetics
- Ovalbumin/immunology
- Ovalbumin/metabolism
- Peptide Fragments/genetics
- Peptide Fragments/immunology
- Peptide Fragments/metabolism
- Perforin
- Polymorphism, Genetic/genetics
- Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins/genetics
- Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins/metabolism
- Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins/physiology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- Sheep
- Synaptic Transmission
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/pathology
- Thymoma/immunology
- Thymoma/metabolism
- Thymoma/pathology
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilia Voskoboinik
- Cancer Immunology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Australia.
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32
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Trapani JA, Voskoboinik I. The complex issue of regulating perforin expression. Trends Immunol 2007; 28:243-5. [PMID: 17466595 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2007.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2007] [Revised: 03/15/2007] [Accepted: 04/17/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Despite the major biological importance of perforin as a mediator of antiviral and anticancer immunity, the cis regulatory elements on mouse or human chromosome 10 that control perforin gene (PRF1) expression have long eluded our understanding. In a recent study of near-Herculean proportions, Pipkin, Lichtenheld and colleagues at the University of Miami have now defined both the functional boundaries of human PRF1, and identified the probable locus control region that bestows both cell lineage- and IL-2- and TCR-specific gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Trapani
- Cancer Immunology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St Andrew's Place, East Melbourne, 3002, Australia.
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33
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de Pooter R, Zúñiga-Pflücker JC. T-cell potential and development in vitro: the OP9-DL1 approach. Curr Opin Immunol 2007; 19:163-8. [PMID: 17303399 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2007.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2006] [Accepted: 02/02/2007] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In vivo, T cells develop in the thymus from bone marrow-derived hematopoietic progenitors. Similarly, T cells can develop in vitro in model systems that mimic thymic function. The recent development of the OP9-DL1 cell culture system, a two-dimensional T-inductive environment, has provided greater access to the processes of commitment and development in T lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée de Pooter
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
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