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Paucar Iza YA, Brown CC. Early life imprinting of intestinal immune tolerance and tissue homeostasis. Immunol Rev 2024; 323:303-315. [PMID: 38501766 PMCID: PMC11102293 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13321] [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: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Besides its canonical role in protecting the host from pathogens, the immune system plays an arguably equally important role in maintaining tissue homeostasis. Within barrier tissues that interface with the external microenvironment, induction of immune tolerance to innocuous antigens, such as commensal, dietary, and environmental antigens, is key to establishing immune homeostasis. The early postnatal period represents a critical window of opportunity in which parallel development of the tissue, immune cells, and microbiota allows for reciprocal regulation that shapes the long-term immunological tone of the tissue and subsequent risk of immune-mediated diseases. During early infancy, the immune system appears to sacrifice pro-inflammatory functions, prioritizing the establishment of tissue tolerance. In this review, we discuss mechanisms underlying early life windows for intestinal tolerance with a focus on newly identified RORγt+ antigen-presenting cells-Thetis cells-and highlight the role of the intestinal microenvironment in shaping intestinal immune system development and tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoselin A. Paucar Iza
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, New York, USA
- Immuno-Oncology, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Chrysothemis C. Brown
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, New York, USA
- Immuno-Oncology, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
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2
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Shirafkan F, Hensel L, Rattay K. Immune tolerance and the prevention of autoimmune diseases essentially depend on thymic tissue homeostasis. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1339714. [PMID: 38571951 PMCID: PMC10987875 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1339714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The intricate balance of immune reactions towards invading pathogens and immune tolerance towards self is pivotal in preventing autoimmune diseases, with the thymus playing a central role in establishing and maintaining this equilibrium. The induction of central immune tolerance in the thymus involves the elimination of self-reactive T cells, a mechanism essential for averting autoimmunity. Disruption of the thymic T cell selection mechanisms can lead to the development of autoimmune diseases. In the dynamic microenvironment of the thymus, T cell migration and interactions with thymic stromal cells are critical for the selection processes that ensure self-tolerance. Thymic epithelial cells are particularly significant in this context, presenting self-antigens and inducing the negative selection of autoreactive T cells. Further, the synergistic roles of thymic fibroblasts, B cells, and dendritic cells in antigen presentation, selection and the development of regulatory T cells are pivotal in maintaining immune responses tightly regulated. This review article collates these insights, offering a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted role of thymic tissue homeostasis in the establishment of immune tolerance and its implications in the prevention of autoimmune diseases. Additionally, the developmental pathways of the thymus are explored, highlighting how genetic aberrations can disrupt thymic architecture and function, leading to autoimmune conditions. The impact of infections on immune tolerance is another critical area, with pathogens potentially triggering autoimmunity by altering thymic homeostasis. Overall, this review underscores the integral role of thymic tissue homeostasis in the prevention of autoimmune diseases, discussing insights into potential therapeutic strategies and examining putative avenues for future research on developing thymic-based therapies in treating and preventing autoimmune conditions.
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3
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Massoni-Badosa R, Aguilar-Fernández S, Nieto JC, Soler-Vila P, Elosua-Bayes M, Marchese D, Kulis M, Vilas-Zornoza A, Bühler MM, Rashmi S, Alsinet C, Caratù G, Moutinho C, Ruiz S, Lorden P, Lunazzi G, Colomer D, Frigola G, Blevins W, Romero-Rivero L, Jiménez-Martínez V, Vidal A, Mateos-Jaimez J, Maiques-Diaz A, Ovejero S, Moreaux J, Palomino S, Gomez-Cabrero D, Agirre X, Weniger MA, King HW, Garner LC, Marini F, Cervera-Paz FJ, Baptista PM, Vilaseca I, Rosales C, Ruiz-Gaspà S, Talks B, Sidhpura K, Pascual-Reguant A, Hauser AE, Haniffa M, Prosper F, Küppers R, Gut IG, Campo E, Martin-Subero JI, Heyn H. An atlas of cells in the human tonsil. Immunity 2024; 57:379-399.e18. [PMID: 38301653 PMCID: PMC10869140 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.01.006] [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: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Palatine tonsils are secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) representing the first line of immunological defense against inhaled or ingested pathogens. We generated an atlas of the human tonsil composed of >556,000 cells profiled across five different data modalities, including single-cell transcriptome, epigenome, proteome, and immune repertoire sequencing, as well as spatial transcriptomics. This census identified 121 cell types and states, defined developmental trajectories, and enabled an understanding of the functional units of the tonsil. Exemplarily, we stratified myeloid slan-like subtypes, established a BCL6 enhancer as locally active in follicle-associated T and B cells, and identified SIX5 as putative transcriptional regulator of plasma cell maturation. Analyses of a validation cohort confirmed the presence, annotation, and markers of tonsillar cell types and provided evidence of age-related compositional shifts. We demonstrate the value of this resource by annotating cells from B cell-derived mantle cell lymphomas, linking transcriptional heterogeneity to normal B cell differentiation states of the human tonsil.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juan C Nieto
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Soler-Vila
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Marta Kulis
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amaia Vilas-Zornoza
- Hemato-Oncology Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, IDISNA, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marco Matteo Bühler
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Hematopathology Section, Pathology Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonal Rashmi
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Alsinet
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ginevra Caratù
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Catia Moutinho
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Ruiz
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patricia Lorden
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giulia Lunazzi
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dolors Colomer
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain; Hematopathology Section, Pathology Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Fonaments Clínics, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gerard Frigola
- Hematopathology Section, Pathology Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Will Blevins
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucia Romero-Rivero
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Anna Vidal
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Judith Mateos-Jaimez
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Maiques-Diaz
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Ovejero
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Jérôme Moreaux
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France; Department of Clinical Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Sara Palomino
- Translational Bioinformatics Unit (TransBio), Navarrabiomed, Navarra Health Department (CHN), Public University of Navarra (UPNA), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - David Gomez-Cabrero
- Translational Bioinformatics Unit (TransBio), Navarrabiomed, Navarra Health Department (CHN), Public University of Navarra (UPNA), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain; Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Xabier Agirre
- Hemato-Oncology Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, IDISNA, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marc A Weniger
- Institute of Cell Biology (Cancer Research), Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Hamish W King
- Epigenetics and Development Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
| | - Lucy C Garner
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Federico Marini
- Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Peter M Baptista
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Isabel Vilaseca
- Otorhinolaryngology Head-Neck Surgery Department, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cecilia Rosales
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Ruiz-Gaspà
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Benjamin Talks
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK; Department of Otolaryngology, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Keval Sidhpura
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Anna Pascual-Reguant
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Immune Dynamics, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja E Hauser
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Immune Dynamics, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), Berlin, Germany
| | - Muzlifah Haniffa
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK; Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK; Department of Dermatology and NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Felipe Prosper
- Hemato-Oncology Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, IDISNA, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Hematología, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ralf Küppers
- Institute of Cell Biology (Cancer Research), Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ivo Glynne Gut
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elias Campo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain; Hematopathology Section, Pathology Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Fonaments Clínics, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Ignacio Martin-Subero
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Fonaments Clínics, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Holger Heyn
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.
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4
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Zhou JZ, Huang B, Pei B, Sun GW, Pawlitz MD, Zhang W, Li X, Hokynar KC, Yao F, Perera MLW, Wei S, Zheng S, Polin LA, Poulik JM, Ranki A, Krohn K, Cunningham-Rundles C, Yang N, Bhagwat AS, Yu K, Peterson P, Kisand K, Vuong BQ, Cerutti A, Chen K. A Germinal Center Checkpoint of AIRE in B Cells Limits Antibody Diversification. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.10.574926. [PMID: 38260362 PMCID: PMC10802573 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.10.574926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
In response to antigens, B cells undergo affinity maturation and class switching mediated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) in germinal centers (GCs) of secondary lymphoid organs, but uncontrolled AID activity can precipitate autoimmunity and cancer. The regulation of GC antibody diversification is of fundamental importance but not well understood. We found that autoimmune regulator (AIRE), the molecule essential for T cell tolerance, is expressed in GC B cells in a CD40-dependent manner, interacts with AID and negatively regulates antibody affinity maturation and class switching by inhibiting AID function. AIRE deficiency in B cells caused altered antibody repertoire, increased somatic hypermutations, elevated autoantibodies to T helper 17 effector cytokines and defective control of skin Candida albicans. These results define a GC B cell checkpoint of humoral immunity and illuminate new approaches of generating high-affinity neutralizing antibodies for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Z Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Bihui Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Bo Pei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Guang Wen Sun
- School of Applied Science, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore 738984, Singapore
| | - Michael D Pawlitz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI)-Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
| | - Xinyang Li
- Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI)-Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
| | - Kati C Hokynar
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00029, Finland
| | - Fayi Yao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | | | - Shanqiao Wei
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Simin Zheng
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
| | - Lisa A Polin
- Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Department of Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Janet M Poulik
- Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Annamari Ranki
- Department of Dermatology and Allergic Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki 00250, Finland
| | - Kai Krohn
- Helsinki University Hospital Research Institute, Biomedicum, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | | | - Naibo Yang
- Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI)-Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
- Complete Genomics Inc., Mountain View, California 94043, USA
| | - Ashok S Bhagwat
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Kefei Yu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Pärt Peterson
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | - Kai Kisand
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | - Bao Q Vuong
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Andrea Cerutti
- Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mucosal Immunology Studies Team, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Kang Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
- Lead Contact
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5
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Filipp D, Manning J, Petrusová J. Extrathymic AIRE-Expressing Cells: A Historical Perspective. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1444:33-49. [PMID: 38467971 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-9781-7_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Since its discovery, Aire has been the topic of numerous studies in its role as a transcriptional regulator in the thymus where it promotes the "promiscuous" expression of a large repertoire of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) that are normally expressed only in the immune periphery. This process occurs in specialized medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) and mediates the elimination of self-reactive T cells or promotes their conversion to the Foxp3+ regulatory T cell lineage, both of which are required for the prevention of autoimmunity. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the role of extrathymic Aire expression in peripheral organs. The focus has primarily been on the identification of the cellular source(s) and mechanism(s) by which extrathymic AIRE affects tolerance-related or other physiological processes. A cadre of OMICs tools including single cell RNA sequencing and novel transgenic models to trace Aire expression to perform lineage tracing experiments have shed light on a phenomenon that is more complex than previously thought. In this chapter, we provide a deeper analysis of how extrathymic Aire research has developed and progressed, how cellular sources were identified, and how the function of AIRE was determined. Current data suggests that extrathymic AIRE fulfills a function that differs from what has been observed in the thymus and strongly argues that its main purpose is to regulate transcriptional programs in a cell content-dependent manner. Surprisingly, there is data that also suggests a non-transcriptional role of extrathymic AIRE in the cytoplasm. We have arrived at a potential turning point that will take the field from the classical understanding of AIRE as a transcription factor in control of TRA expression to its role in immunological and non-immunological processes in the periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Filipp
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jasper Manning
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Petrusová
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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6
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Peterson P. Novel Insights into the Autoimmunity from the Genetic Approach of the Human Disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1444:3-18. [PMID: 38467969 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-9781-7_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Autoimmune-polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a monogenic inborn error of autoimmunity that is caused by damaging germline variants in the AIRE gene and clinically manifests with multiple autoimmune diseases in patients. Studies on the function of the AIRE gene, discovered in 1997, have contributed to fundamental aspects of human immunology as they have been important in understanding the basic mechanism of immune balance between self and non-self. This chapter looks back to the discovery of the AIRE gene, reviews its main properties, and discusses the key findings of its function in the thymus. However, more recent autoantibody profilings in APECED patients have highlighted a gap in our knowledge of the disease pathology and point to the need to revisit the current paradigm of AIRE function. The chapter reviews these new findings in APECED patients, which potentially trigger new thoughts on the mechanism of immune tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pärt Peterson
- Institute of Biomedical and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
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7
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Abramson J, Dobeš J, Lyu M, Sonnenberg GF. The emerging family of RORγt + antigen-presenting cells. Nat Rev Immunol 2024; 24:64-77. [PMID: 37479834 PMCID: PMC10844842 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00906-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are master regulators of the immune response by directly interacting with T cells to orchestrate distinct functional outcomes. Several types of professional APC exist, including conventional dendritic cells, B cells and macrophages, and numerous other cell types have non-classical roles in antigen presentation, such as thymic epithelial cells, endothelial cells and granulocytes. Accumulating evidence indicates the presence of a new family of APCs marked by the lineage-specifying transcription factor retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) and demonstrates that these APCs have key roles in shaping immunity, inflammation and tolerance, particularly in the context of host-microorganism interactions. These RORγt+ APCs include subsets of group 3 innate lymphoid cells, extrathymic autoimmune regulator-expressing cells and, potentially, other emerging populations. Here, we summarize the major findings that led to the discovery of these RORγt+ APCs and their associated functions. We discuss discordance in recent reports and identify gaps in our knowledge in this burgeoning field, which has tremendous potential to advance our understanding of fundamental immune concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Abramson
- Department of Immunology and Regenerative Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Jan Dobeš
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mengze Lyu
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gregory F Sonnenberg
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
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8
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Feng Y, Yao S, Li S, Peng Z, Feng G, Ma Y, Guo B, Liu H. Autoimmune regulator (Aire) deficiency results in reduced memory CD8 + T cells after Listeria monocytogenes infection in a murine model. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2185-2195. [PMID: 37418594 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14696] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Homozygous mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene that cripple thymic negative selection of autoreactive T cells result in autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED). However, how AIRE regulates the T-cell response against foreign pathogens is not well understood. Here, we observed comparable primary CD8+ T cells but a markedly reduced memory T-cell population and protective function in Aire-/- mice compared with wild-type after infection with a strain of recombinant Listeria monocytogenes. In adoptive transfer models, exogenous congenic CD8+ T cells transferred into Aire-/- mice also showed a reduction in the memory T-cell population, indicating an important role for extrathymic Aire-expressing cells in shaping or sustaining memory T cells. Moreover, using a bone marrow chimeric model, we found that Aire expressed in radioresistant cells plays an important role in maintaining the memory phenotype. These results provide important insights into the role of extrathymic Aire in the T-cell response to infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Feng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shu Yao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shan Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zuxiang Peng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guoying Feng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Ma
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bo Guo
- Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, Baoan Womens's and Children's Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hongming Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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9
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Aytekin ES, Cagdas D. APECED and the place of AIRE in the puzzle of the immune network associated with autoimmunity. Scand J Immunol 2023; 98:e13299. [PMID: 38441333 DOI: 10.1111/sji.13299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
In the last 20 years, discoveries about the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) protein and its critical role in immune tolerance have provided fundamental insights into understanding the molecular basis of autoimmunity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the effect of AIRE on immunological tolerance and the characteristics of autoimmune diseases in Autoimmune Polyendocrinopathy-Candidiasis-Ectodermal Dystrophy (APECED), which is caused by biallelic AIRE mutations. A better understanding of the immunological mechanisms of AIRE deficiency may enlighten immune tolerance mechanisms and new diagnostic and treatment strategies for autoimmune diseases. Considering that not all clinical features of APECED are present in a given follow-up period, the diagnosis is not easy in a patient at the first visit. Longer follow-up and a multidisciplinary approach are essential for diagnosis. It is challenging to prevent endocrine and other organ damage compared with other diseases associated with multiple autoimmunities, such as FOXP3, LRBA, and CTLA4 deficiencies. Unfortunately, no curative therapy like haematopoietic stem cell transplantation or specific immunomodulation is present that is successful in the treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Soyak Aytekin
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, SBU Dr. Sami Ulus Children Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Deniz Cagdas
- Division of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Ihsan Dogramaci Children`s Hospital, Institute of Child Health, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey
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10
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Li JH, Hepworth MR, O'Sullivan TE. Regulation of systemic metabolism by tissue-resident immune cell circuits. Immunity 2023; 56:1168-1186. [PMID: 37315533 PMCID: PMC10321269 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that tissue homeostasis and metabolic function are dependent on distinct tissue-resident immune cells that form functional cell circuits with structural cells. Within these cell circuits, immune cells integrate cues from dietary contents and commensal microbes in addition to endocrine and neuronal signals present in the tissue microenvironment to regulate structural cell metabolism. These tissue-resident immune circuits can become dysregulated during inflammation and dietary overnutrition, contributing to metabolic diseases. Here, we review the evidence describing key cellular networks within and between the liver, gastrointestinal tract, and adipose tissue that control systemic metabolism and how these cell circuits become dysregulated during certain metabolic diseases. We also identify open questions in the field that have the potential to enhance our understanding of metabolic health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joey H Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 900953, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matthew R Hepworth
- Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Timothy E O'Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 900953, USA.
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11
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Autoimmune Regulator Gene Polymorphisms and the Risk of Primary Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura: A Case-Control Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24055007. [PMID: 36902438 PMCID: PMC10003684 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24055007] [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: 12/25/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the possible association between two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene (rs2075876 G/A and rs760426 A/G) with the risk of primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), as well as AIRE serum levels, in the Egyptian population. In this case-control study, 96 cases with primary ITP and 100 healthy subjects were included. Two SNPs of the AIRE gene (rs2075876 G/A and rs760426 A/G) were genotyped via Taqman allele discrimination real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, serum AIRE levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. After adjusting for age, gender, and family history of ITP, the AIRE rs2075876 AA genotype and A allele were associated with increased ITP risk (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 4.299, p = 0.008; aOR: 1.847, p = 0.004, respectively). Furthermore, there was no significant association between AIRE rs760426 A/G different genetic models and ITP risk. A linkage disequilibrium revealed that A-A haplotypes were associated with an increased ITP risk (aOR: 1.821, p = 0.020). Serum AIRE levels were found to be significantly lower in the ITP group, positively correlated with platelet counts, and were even lower in the AIRE rs2075876 AA genotype and A allele, as well as A-G and A-A haplotype carriers (all p < 0.001). The AIRE rs2075876 genetic variants (AA genotype and A allele) and A-A haplotype are associated with an increased ITP risk in the Egyptian population and lower serum AIRE levels, whereas the SNP rs760426 A/G is not.
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12
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Matsumoto M, Yoshida H, Tsuneyama K, Oya T, Matsumoto M. Revisiting Aire and tissue-restricted antigens at single-cell resolution. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1176450. [PMID: 37207224 PMCID: PMC10191227 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1176450] [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: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The thymus is a highly specialized organ that plays an indispensable role in the establishment of self-tolerance, a process characterized by the "education" of developing T-cells. To provide competent T-cells tolerant to self-antigens, medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) orchestrate negative selection by ectopically expressing a wide range of genes, including various tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs). Notably, recent advancements in the high-throughput single-cell analysis have revealed remarkable heterogeneity in mTECs, giving us important clues for dissecting the mechanisms underlying TRA expression. We overview how recent single-cell studies have furthered our understanding of mTECs, with a focus on the role of Aire in inducing mTEC heterogeneity to encompass TRAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Matsumoto
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- *Correspondence: Minoru Matsumoto,
| | - Hideyuki Yoshida
- YCI Laboratory for Immunological Transcriptomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Koichi Tsuneyama
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Takeshi Oya
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
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13
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Miyazawa R, Nagao JI, Arita-Morioka KI, Matsumoto M, Morimoto J, Yoshida M, Oya T, Tsuneyama K, Yoshida H, Tanaka Y, Matsumoto M. Dispensable Role of Aire in CD11c+ Conventional Dendritic Cells for Antigen Presentation and Shaping the Transcriptome. Immunohorizons 2023; 7:140-158. [PMID: 36695731 PMCID: PMC10563386 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.2200103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Aire, the defect of which is responsible for the development of autoimmunity, is predominantly expressed in medullary thymic epithelial cells, and it controls a wide variety of genes, including those of tissue-restricted Ags, for establishing thymic tolerance. Aire is also expressed from APCs in the periphery, called extrathymic Aire-expressing cells (eTACs), and their complementing role to thymic tolerance has been suggested. eTACs are composed of two distinct classes of APCs, conventional dendritic cell (cDC)-type and group 3 innate lymphoid cell (ILC3)-like-type expressing retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt). Although the essential role of Aire in the latter in the Th17-mediated immune response against Candida albicans has been reported, the role of Aire in the cDC-type eTACs for this action has not been examined. Furthermore, the significance of Aire in the production of the transcriptome of the cDC-type eTACs remains unknown. We have approached these issues using a high-fidelity Aire-reporter mouse strain. We found that although the cDC-type eTACs dominated ILC3-like-type eTACs in number and they served as efficient APCs for the immune response against an exogenous Ag as well as for the C. albicans-specific Th17 immune response, loss of Aire in cDC-type eTACs showed no clear effect on these functions. Furthermore, loss of Aire showed no major impact on the transcriptome from cDC-type eTACs. These results suggested that Aire in cDC-type eTACs may not have a cell-intrinsic role in the immune response in contrast to the role of Aire in ILC3-like-type eTACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuichiro Miyazawa
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Jun-ichi Nagao
- Section of Infection Biology, Department of Functional Bioscience, Fukuoka Dental College, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
- Oral Medicine Research Center, Fukuoka Dental College, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ken-ichi Arita-Morioka
- Section of Infection Biology, Department of Functional Bioscience, Fukuoka Dental College, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Minoru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Junko Morimoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Masaki Yoshida
- YCI Laboratory for Immunological Transcriptomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Science, Yokohama, Japan; and
| | - Takeshi Oya
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Koichi Tsuneyama
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Yoshida
- YCI Laboratory for Immunological Transcriptomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Science, Yokohama, Japan; and
| | - Yoshihiko Tanaka
- Section of Infection Biology, Department of Functional Bioscience, Fukuoka Dental College, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
- Oral Medicine Research Center, Fukuoka Dental College, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
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14
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Abstract
Recent studies shed light on new populations and potential roles of Aire+ and RORγt+ antigen-presenting cells-including unique subsets with surprising properties-in immune homeostasis and host-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Gardner
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Adrian Liston
- Immunology Programme, Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT UK
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15
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AIRE in Male Fertility: A New Hypothesis. Cells 2022; 11:cells11193168. [PMID: 36231130 PMCID: PMC9563308 DOI: 10.3390/cells11193168] [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: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Male infertility affects approximately 14% of all European men, of which ~44% are characterized as idiopathic. There is an urgency to identify the factors that affect male fertility. One such factor, Autoimmune Regulator (AIRE), a protein found in the thymus, has been studied in the context of central tolerance functioning as a nuclear transcription modulator, responsible for the expression of tissue-restricted antigens in specialized thymic cells that prevent autoimmunity. While its expression in the testes remains enigmatic, we recently observed that sterility in mice correlates with the absence of Aire in the testes, regardless of the deficient expression in medullary thymic epithelial cells or cells of the hematopoietic system. By assessing the Aire transcript levels, we discovered that Sertoli cells are the exclusive source of Aire in the testes, where it most likely plays a non-immune role, suggesting an unknown mechanism by which testicular Aire regulates fertility. Here, we discuss these results in the context of previous reports which have suggested that infertility observed in Aire deficient mice is of an autoimmune aetiology. We present an alternative point of view for the role of Aire in testes in respect to fertility altering the perspective of how Aire's function in the testes is currently perceived.
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16
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Lyu M, Suzuki H, Kang L, Gaspal F, Zhou W, Goc J, Zhou L, Zhou J, Zhang W, Shen Z, Fox JG, Sockolow RE, Laufer TM, Fan Y, Eberl G, Withers DR, Sonnenberg GF. ILC3s select microbiota-specific regulatory T cells to establish tolerance in the gut. Nature 2022; 610:744-751. [PMID: 36071169 PMCID: PMC9613541 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05141-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial colonization of the mammalian intestine elicits inflammatory or tolerogenic T cell responses, but the mechanisms controlling these distinct outcomes remain poorly understood, and accumulating evidence indicates that aberrant immunity to intestinal microbiota is causally associated with infectious, inflammatory and malignant diseases1-8. Here we define a critical pathway controlling the fate of inflammatory versus tolerogenic T cells that respond to the microbiota and express the transcription factor RORγt. We profiled all RORγt+ immune cells at single-cell resolution from the intestine-draining lymph nodes of mice and reveal a dominant presence of T regulatory (Treg) cells and lymphoid tissue inducer-like group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s), which co-localize at interfollicular regions. These ILC3s are distinct from extrathymic AIRE-expressing cells, abundantly express major histocompatibility complex class II, and are necessary and sufficient to promote microbiota-specific RORγt+ Treg cells and prevent their expansion as inflammatory T helper 17 cells. This occurs through ILC3-mediated antigen presentation, αV integrin and competition for interleukin-2. Finally, single-cell analyses suggest that interactions between ILC3s and RORγt+ Treg cells are impaired in inflammatory bowel disease. Our results define a paradigm whereby ILC3s select for antigen-specific RORγt+ Treg cells, and against T helper 17 cells, to establish immune tolerance to the microbiota and intestinal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengze Lyu
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hiroaki Suzuki
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- EA Pharma, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Lan Kang
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fabrina Gaspal
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Wenqing Zhou
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jeremy Goc
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lei Zhou
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jordan Zhou
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wen Zhang
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zeli Shen
- Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - James G Fox
- Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Robbyn E Sockolow
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Terri M Laufer
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yong Fan
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Gerard Eberl
- Microenvironment and Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - David R Withers
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Gregory F Sonnenberg
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
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17
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Andryukhova ES, Tashireva LA, Isaeva AV, Vtorushin SV, Zavyalova MV, Perelmuter VM. The Rarity of Metastasis to the Spleen — a Phenomenon with an Unknown Mechanism. Bull Exp Biol Med 2022; 173:575-582. [DOI: 10.1007/s10517-022-05591-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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18
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Human Fetal Liver Parenchyma CD71+ Cells Have AIRE and Tissue-Specific Antigen Gene Expression. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13071278. [PMID: 35886060 PMCID: PMC9317677 DOI: 10.3390/genes13071278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a multifunctional protein that is capable of inducing tissue-specific antigens’ (TSAs) gene expression, a key event in the induction of self-tolerance, that is usually expressed and functions in the thymus. However, its expression has been detected outside the thymus and cells expressing the gene have been named extra-thymic AIRE expressing cells (eTACs). Here, we discuss the finding of AIRE and TSAs gene expression in CD71+ cells from human fetal liver parenchyma, which are mostly represented by CD71+ erythroid cells.
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19
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van Laar GG, van Hamburg JP, Tas SW. Extrathymic AIRE-expressing cells: Friends or foes in autoimmunity and cancer? Clin Exp Rheumatol 2022; 21:103141. [PMID: 35840039 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2022.103141] [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: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Auto-immune regulator (AIRE) is a transcription factor that is mainly known for its crucial role in the thymus. Here, AIRE ensures central tolerance by promoting the expression of peripheral tissue antigens in thymic epithelial cells, which is essential for the negative selection of autoreactive T cells. Intriguingly, AIRE expressing cells have recently been identified in other tissues outside the thymus as well. However, the exact function of these extrathymic AIRE expressing cells (eTACs) remains largely enigmatic. Human eTACs are mainly found in secondary lymphoid tissues under homeostatic conditions, but are also found in pathologies such as the inflamed tissues of patients with autoimmune diseases and in various cancer tissues. eTACs have been demonstrated to express dendritic cell (DC)-like markers, such as MHCII, CD40 and CD127, but also CCR7, IDO and PD-L1. Interestingly, eTACs lack high expression of co-stimulatory molecules, such as CD80 or CD86. In mice, different types of peripheral AIRE expressing cells have been described, including cells with an innate lymphoid cell-like phenotype and antigen presenting cell (APC) function. These findings suggest that eTACs are APCs with the possibility to modulate or inhibit immune responses, which is confirmed by functional murine studies demonstrating the ability of eTACs to induce tolerance in autoreactive T cells. The potential immunomodulatory function of eTACs makes them promising targets to restore tolerance in autoimmunity or improve immunotherapy in cancer settings. Yet, this requires a better understanding of these cells and the molecular mechanisms involved. In this review we aim to summarize the current knowledge and understanding of eTACs, including their putative roles in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustaaf G van Laar
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan Piet van Hamburg
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sander W Tas
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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20
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Sun IH, Gillis-Buck E, Mackenzie TC, Gardner JM. Thymic and extrathymic Aire-expressing cells in maternal-fetal tolerance. Immunol Rev 2022; 308:93-104. [PMID: 35535447 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Healthy pregnancy requires maternal immune tolerance to both fetal and placental tissues which contain a range of self- and non-self-antigens. While many of the components and mechanisms of maternal-fetal tolerance have been investigated in detail and previously and thoroughly reviewed (Erlebacher A. Annu Rev Immunol. 2013;31:387-411), the role of autoimmune regulator (Aire), a critical regulator of central tolerance expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), has been less explored. Aire is known to facilitate the expression of a range of otherwise tissue-specific antigens (TSAs) in mTECs, and here we highlight recent work showing a role for mTEC-mediated thymic selection in maintaining maternal-fetal tolerance. Recently, however, our group and others have identified additional populations of extrathymic Aire-expressing cells (eTACs) in the secondary lymphoid organs. These hematopoietic antigen-presenting cells possess the ability to induce functional inactivation and/or deletion of cognate T cells, and deletion of maternal eTACs during pregnancy increases T-cell activation in the lymph nodes and lymphocytic infiltration of the uterus, leading to pregnancy complications including intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and fetal resorption. In this review, we briefly summarize findings related to essential Aire biology, discuss the known roles of Aire-deficiency related to pregnancy complications and infertility, review the newly discovered role for eTACs in the maintenance of maternal-fetal tolerance-as well as recent work defining eTACs at the single-cell level-and postulate potential mechanisms by which eTACs may regulate this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Im-Hong Sun
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Eva Gillis-Buck
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Tippi C Mackenzie
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Center for Maternal-Fetal Precision Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - James M Gardner
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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21
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Elmentaite R, Domínguez Conde C, Yang L, Teichmann SA. Single-cell atlases: shared and tissue-specific cell types across human organs. Nat Rev Genet 2022; 23:395-410. [PMID: 35217821 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-022-00449-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The development of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics methods was instrumental in the conception of the Human Cell Atlas initiative, which aims to generate an integrated map of all cells across the human body. These technology advances are bringing increasing depth and resolution to maps of human organs and tissues, as well as our understanding of individual human cell types. Commonalities as well as tissue-specific features of primary and supportive cell types across human organs are beginning to emerge from these human tissue maps. In this Review, we highlight key biological insights obtained from cross-tissue studies into epithelial, fibroblast, vascular and immune cells based on single-cell gene expression data in humans and contrast it with mechanisms reported in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasa Elmentaite
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Lu Yang
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sarah A Teichmann
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
- Theory of Condensed Matter, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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22
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Gulla S, Reddy MC, Reddy VC, Chitta S, Bhanoori M, Lomada D. Role of thymus in health and disease. Int Rev Immunol 2022; 42:347-363. [PMID: 35593192 DOI: 10.1080/08830185.2022.2064461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ, essential for the development of T-cells that will protect from invading pathogens, immune disorders, and cancer. The thymus decreases in size and cellularity with age referred to as thymus involution or atrophy. This involution causes decreased T-cell development and decreased naive T-cell emigration to the periphery, increased proportion of memory T cells, and a restricted, altered T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. The changes in composition and function of the circulating T cell pool as a result of thymic involution led to increased susceptibility to infectious diseases including the recent COVID and a higher risk for autoimmune disorders and cancers. Thymic involution consisting of both structural and functional loss of the thymus has a deleterious effect on T cell development, T cell selection, and tolerance. The mechanisms which act on the structural (cortex and medulla) matrix of the thymus, the gradual accumulation of genetic mutations, and altered gene expressions may lead to immunosenescence as a result of thymus involution. Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind thymic involution is critical for identifying diagnostic biomarkers and targets for treatment help to develop strategies to mitigate thymic involution-associated complications. This review is focused on the consequences of thymic involution in infections, immune disorders, and diseases, identifying potential checkpoints and potential approaches to sustain or restore the function of the thymus particularly in elderly and immune-compromised individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surendra Gulla
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Madhava C Reddy
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Vajra C Reddy
- Katuri Medical College and Hospital, Chinnakondrupadu, Guntur, India
| | | | - Manjula Bhanoori
- Department of Biochemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India
| | - Dakshayani Lomada
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, India
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23
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Domínguez Conde C, Xu C, Jarvis LB, Rainbow DB, Wells SB, Gomes T, Howlett SK, Suchanek O, Polanski K, King HW, Mamanova L, Huang N, Szabo PA, Richardson L, Bolt L, Fasouli ES, Mahbubani KT, Prete M, Tuck L, Richoz N, Tuong ZK, Campos L, Mousa HS, Needham EJ, Pritchard S, Li T, Elmentaite R, Park J, Rahmani E, Chen D, Menon DK, Bayraktar OA, James LK, Meyer KB, Yosef N, Clatworthy MR, Sims PA, Farber DL, Saeb-Parsy K, Jones JL, Teichmann SA. Cross-tissue immune cell analysis reveals tissue-specific features in humans. Science 2022; 376:eabl5197. [PMID: 35549406 PMCID: PMC7612735 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl5197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 131.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Despite their crucial role in health and disease, our knowledge of immune cells within human tissues remains limited. We surveyed the immune compartment of 16 tissues from 12 adult donors by single-cell RNA sequencing and VDJ sequencing generating a dataset of ~360,000 cells. To systematically resolve immune cell heterogeneity across tissues, we developed CellTypist, a machine learning tool for rapid and precise cell type annotation. Using this approach, combined with detailed curation, we determined the tissue distribution of finely phenotyped immune cell types, revealing hitherto unappreciated tissue-specific features and clonal architecture of T and B cells. Our multitissue approach lays the foundation for identifying highly resolved immune cell types by leveraging a common reference dataset, tissue-integrated expression analysis, and antigen receptor sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Domínguez Conde
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - C Xu
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - LB Jarvis
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge
| | - DB Rainbow
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge
| | - SB Wells
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - T Gomes
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - SK Howlett
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge
| | - O Suchanek
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - K Polanski
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - HW King
- Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - L Mamanova
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - N Huang
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - PA Szabo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - L Richardson
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - L Bolt
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - ES Fasouli
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - KT Mahbubani
- Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - M Prete
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - L Tuck
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - N Richoz
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - ZK Tuong
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - L Campos
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust, Bury Saint Edmunds, UK
| | - HS Mousa
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge
| | - EJ Needham
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge
| | - S Pritchard
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - T Li
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - R Elmentaite
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - J Park
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - E Rahmani
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - D Chen
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - DK Menon
- Department of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - OA Bayraktar
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - LK James
- Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - KB Meyer
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - N Yosef
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - MR Clatworthy
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - PA Sims
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - DL Farber
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - K Saeb-Parsy
- Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - JL Jones
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge
| | - SA Teichmann
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Theory of Condensed Matter, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Ave, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
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24
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Nishijima H, Sugita M, Umezawa N, Kimura N, Sasaki H, Kawano H, Nishioka Y, Matsumoto M, Oya T, Tsuneyama K, Morimoto J, Matsumoto M. Development of organ‐specific autoimmunity by dysregulated Aire expression. Immunol Cell Biol 2022; 100:371-377. [PMID: 35313042 PMCID: PMC9541787 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Deficiency for AIRE/Aire in both humans and mice results in the development of organ‐specific autoimmune disease. We tested whether augmented and/or dysregulated AIRE/Aire expression might be also prone to the breakdown of self‐tolerance. To define the effect of augmented Aire expression on the development of autoimmunity, antigen‐specific clonal deletion and production of clonotypic regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the thymus were examined using mice expressing two additional copies of Aire in a heterozygous state (3xAire‐knockin mice: 3xAire‐KI). We found that both clonal deletion of autoreactive T cells and production of clonotypic Tregs in the thymus from 3xAire‐KI were impaired in a T‐cell receptor‐transgenic system. Furthermore, 3xAire‐KI females showed higher scores of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced by myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein than wild‐type littermates, suggesting that augmented Aire expression exacerbates organ‐specific autoimmunity under disease‐prone conditions. In humans, we found that one patient with amyopathic dermatomyositis showed CD3–CD19– cells expressing AIRE in the peripheral blood before the treatment but not during the remission phase treated with immunosuppressive drugs. Thus, not only loss of function of AIRE/Aire but also augmented and/or dysregulated expression of AIRE/Aire should be considered for the pathogenesis of organ‐specific autoimmunity. We suggest that further analyses should be pursued to establish a novel link between organ‐specific autoimmune disease and dysregulated AIRE expression in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Nishijima
- Division of Molecular Immunology Institute for Enzyme Research Tokushima University Tokushima Japan
| | - Mizuki Sugita
- Division of Molecular Immunology Institute for Enzyme Research Tokushima University Tokushima Japan
| | - Natsuka Umezawa
- Department of Rheumatology Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Tokyo Medical and Dental University Tokyo Japan
| | - Naoki Kimura
- Department of Rheumatology Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Tokyo Medical and Dental University Tokyo Japan
| | - Hirokazu Sasaki
- Department of Rheumatology Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Tokyo Medical and Dental University Tokyo Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kawano
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Tokushima Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Nishioka
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Tokushima Japan
| | - Minoru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology Institute for Enzyme Research Tokushima University Tokushima Japan
- Department of Molecular Pathology Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Tokushima Japan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Tokushima Japan
| | - Takeshi Oya
- Department of Molecular Pathology Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Tokushima Japan
| | - Koichi Tsuneyama
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Tokushima Japan
| | - Junko Morimoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology Institute for Enzyme Research Tokushima University Tokushima Japan
| | - Mitsuru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology Institute for Enzyme Research Tokushima University Tokushima Japan
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25
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Jacobelli J, Buser AE, Heiden DL, Friedman RS. Autoimmunity in motion: Mechanisms of immune regulation and destruction revealed by in vivo imaging. Immunol Rev 2022; 306:181-199. [PMID: 34825390 PMCID: PMC9135487 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13043] [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: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmunity arises when mechanisms of immune tolerance fail. Here we discuss mechanisms of T cell activation and tolerance and the dynamics of the autoimmune response at the site of disease. Live imaging of autoimmunity provides the ability to analyze immune cell dynamics at the single-cell level within the complex intact environment where disease occurs. These analyses have revealed mechanisms of T cell activation and tolerance in the lymph nodes, mechanisms of T cell entry into sites of autoimmune disease, and mechanisms leading to pathogenesis or protection in the autoimmune lesions. The overarching conclusions point to stable versus transient T cell antigen presenting cell interactions dictating the balance between T cell activation and tolerance, and T cell restimulation as a driver of pathogenesis at the site of autoimmunity. Findings from models of multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes are highlighted, however, the results have implications for basic mechanisms of T cell regulation during immune responses, tumor immunity, and autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Jacobelli
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Alan E. Buser
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Dustin L. Heiden
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Rachel S. Friedman
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
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26
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Shevyrev D, Tereshchenko V, Kozlov V, Sennikov S. Phylogeny, Structure, Functions, and Role of AIRE in the Formation of T-Cell Subsets. Cells 2022; 11:194. [PMID: 35053310 PMCID: PMC8773594 DOI: 10.3390/cells11020194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well known that the most important feature of adaptive immunity is the specificity that provides highly precise recognition of the self, altered-self, and non-self. Due to the high specificity of antigen recognition, the adaptive immune system participates in the maintenance of genetic homeostasis, supports multicellularity, and protects an organism from different pathogens at a qualitatively different level than innate immunity. This seemingly simple property is based on millions of years of evolution that led to the formation of diversification mechanisms of antigen-recognizing receptors and later to the emergence of a system of presentation of the self and non-self antigens. The latter could have a crucial significance because the presentation of nearly complete diversity of auto-antigens in the thymus allows for the "calibration" of the forming repertoires of T-cells for the recognition of self, altered-self, and non-self antigens that are presented on the periphery. The central role in this process belongs to promiscuous gene expression by the thymic epithelial cells that express nearly the whole spectrum of proteins encoded in the genome, meanwhile maintaining their cellular identity. This complex mechanism requires strict control that is executed by several transcription factors. One of the most important of them is AIRE. This noncanonical transcription factor not only regulates the processes of differentiation and expression of peripheral tissue-specific antigens in the thymic medullar epithelial cells but also controls intercellular interactions in the thymus. Besides, it participates in an increase in the diversity and transfer of presented antigens and thus influences the formation of repertoires of maturing thymocytes. Due to these complex effects, AIRE is also called a transcriptional regulator. In this review, we briefly described the history of AIRE discovery, its structure, functions, and role in the formation of antigen-recognizing receptor repertoires, along with other transcription factors. We focused on the phylogenetic prerequisites for the development of modern adaptive immunity and emphasized the importance of the antigen presentation system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniil Shevyrev
- Research Institute for Fundamental and Clinical Immunology (RIFCI), 630099 Novosibirsk, Russia; (V.T.); (V.K.); (S.S.)
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27
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Karvonen E, Krohn KJE, Ranki A, Hau A. Generation and Characterization of iPS Cells Derived from APECED Patients for Gene Correction. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:794327. [PMID: 35432216 PMCID: PMC9010864 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.794327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
APECED (Autoimmune-Polyendocrinopathy-Candidiasis-Ectodermal-Dystrophy) is a severe and incurable multiorgan autoimmune disease caused by mutations in the AIRE (autoimmune regulator) gene. Without functional AIRE, the development of central and peripheral immune tolerance is severely impaired allowing the accumulation of autoreactive immune cells in the periphery. This leads to multiple endocrine and non-endocrine autoimmune disorders and mucocutaneous candidiasis in APECED patients. Recent studies have suggested that AIRE also has novel functions in stem cells and contributes to the regulatory network of pluripotency. In preparation of therapeutic gene correction, we generated and assessed patient blood cell-derived iPSCs, potentially suitable for cell therapy in APECED. Here, we describe APECED-patient derived iPSCs's properties, expression of AIRE as well as classical stem cell markers by qPCR and immunocytochemistry. We further generated self-aggregated EBs of the iPSCs. We show that APECED patient-derived iPSCs and EBs do not have any major proliferative or apoptotic defects and that they express all the classical pluripotency markers similarly to healthy person iPSCs. The results suggest that the common AIRE R257X truncation mutation does not affect stem cell properties and that APECED iPSCs can be propagated in vitro and used for subsequent gene-correction. This first study on APECED patient-derived iPSCs validates their pluripotency and confirms their ability for differentiation and potential therapeutic use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eira Karvonen
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Clinical Research Institute Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kai J. E. Krohn
- Clinical Research Institute Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Annamari Ranki
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Clinical Research Institute Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Annika Hau
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Clinical Research Institute Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH), Helsinki, Finland
- *Correspondence: Annika Hau,
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28
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Wang J, Lareau CA, Bautista J, Gupta A, Sandor K, Germino J, Yin Y, Arvedson M, Reeder GC, Cramer NT, Xie F, Ntranos V, Satpathy AT, Anderson MS, Gardner JM. Single-cell multiomics defines tolerogenic extrathymic Aire-expressing populations with unique homology to thymic epithelium. Sci Immunol 2021; 6:eabl5053. [PMID: 34767455 PMCID: PMC8855935 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abl5053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The autoimmune regulator (Aire), a well-defined transcriptional regulator in the thymus, is also found in extrathymic Aire-expressing cells (eTACs) in the secondary lymphoid organs. eTACs are hematopoietic antigen-presenting cells and inducers of immune tolerance, but their precise identity has remained unclear. Here, we use single-cell multiomics, transgenic murine models, and functional approaches to define eTACs at the transcriptional, genomic, and proteomic level. We find that eTACs consist of two similar cell types: CCR7+ Aire-expressing migratory dendritic cells (AmDCs) and an Airehi population coexpressing Aire and retinoic acid receptor–related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) that we term Janus cells (JCs). Both JCs and AmDCs have the highest transcriptional and genomic homology to CCR7+ migratory dendritic cells. eTACs, particularly JCs, have highly accessible chromatin and broad gene expression, including a range of tissue-specific antigens, as well as remarkable homology to medullary thymic epithelium and RANK-dependent Aire expression. Transgenic self-antigen expression by eTACs is sufficient to induce negative selection and prevent autoimmune diabetes. This transcriptional, genomic, and functional symmetry between eTACs (both JCs and AmDCs) and medullary thymic epithelium—the other principal Aire-expressing population and a key regulator of central tolerance—identifies a core program that may influence self-representation and tolerance across the spectrum of immune development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxi Wang
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco
| | - Caleb A. Lareau
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Alexander Gupta
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco
| | - Katalin Sandor
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joe Germino
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco
| | - Yajie Yin
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Matt Arvedson
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco
| | | | | | - Fang Xie
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco
| | - Vasilis Ntranos
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ansuman T. Satpathy
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mark S. Anderson
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco
| | - James M. Gardner
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco
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29
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Ferré EMN, Schmitt MM, Lionakis MS. Autoimmune Polyendocrinopathy-Candidiasis-Ectodermal Dystrophy. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:723532. [PMID: 34790633 PMCID: PMC8591095 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.723532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), also known as autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type-1 (APS-1), is a rare monogenic autoimmune disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene. AIRE deficiency impairs immune tolerance in the thymus and results in the peripheral escape of self-reactive T lymphocytes and the generation of several cytokine- and tissue antigen-targeted autoantibodies. APECED features a classic triad of characteristic clinical manifestations consisting of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC), hypoparathyroidism, and primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease). In addition, APECED patients develop several non-endocrine autoimmune manifestations with variable frequencies, whose recognition by pediatricians should facilitate an earlier diagnosis and allow for the prompt implementation of targeted screening, preventive, and therapeutic strategies. This review summarizes our current understanding of the genetic, immunological, clinical, diagnostic, and treatment features of APECED.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michail S. Lionakis
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
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30
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Gillis-Buck E, Miller H, Sirota M, Sanders SJ, Ntranos V, Anderson MS, Gardner JM, MacKenzie TC. Extrathymic Aire-expressing cells support maternal-fetal tolerance. Sci Immunol 2021; 6:eabf1968. [PMID: 34272228 PMCID: PMC9363019 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abf1968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Healthy pregnancy requires tolerance to fetal alloantigens as well as syngeneic embryonic and placental antigens. Given the importance of the autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene in self-tolerance, we investigated the role of Aire-expressing cells in maternal-fetal tolerance. We report that maternal ablation of Aire-expressing (Aire +) cells during early mouse pregnancy caused intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in both allogeneic and syngeneic pregnancies. This phenotype is immune mediated, as IUGR was rescued in Rag1-deficient mice, and involved a memory response, demonstrated by recurrence of severe IUGR in second pregnancies. Single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrated that Aire + cell depletion in pregnancy results in expansion of activated T cells, particularly T follicular helper cells. Unexpectedly, selective ablation of either Aire-expressing medullary thymic epithelial cells or extrathymic Aire-expressing cells (eTACs) mapped the IUGR phenotype exclusively to eTACs. Thus, we report a previously undescribed mechanism for the maintenance of maternal-fetal immune homeostasis and demonstrate that eTACs protect the conceptus from immune-mediated IUGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Gillis-Buck
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Haleigh Miller
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Diabetes Center University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Marina Sirota
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stephan J Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Center for Maternal-Fetal Precision Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vasilis Ntranos
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Diabetes Center University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mark S Anderson
- Diabetes Center University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - James M Gardner
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Diabetes Center University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tippi C MacKenzie
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Center for Maternal-Fetal Precision Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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31
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Asam S, Nayar S, Gardner D, Barone F. Stromal cells in tertiary lymphoid structures: Architects of autoimmunity. Immunol Rev 2021; 302:184-195. [PMID: 34060101 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mediators present within the inflammatory microenvironment are able, in certain conditions, to favor the initiation of tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) development. TLS is organized lymphocyte clusters able to support antigen-specific immune response in non-immune organs. Importantly, chronic inflammation does not always result in TLS formation; instead, TLS has been observed to develop specifically in permissive organs, suggesting the presence of tissue-specific cues that are able to imprint the immune responses and form TLS hubs. Fibroblasts are tissue-resident cells that define the anatomy and function of a specific tissue. Fibroblast plasticity and specialization in inflammatory conditions have recently been unraveled in both immune and non-immune organs revealing a critical role for these structural cells in human physiology. Here, we describe the role of fibroblasts in the context of TLS formation and its functional maintenance in the tissue, highlighting their potential role as therapeutic disease targets in TLS-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Asam
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Saba Nayar
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,bNIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - David Gardner
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Francesca Barone
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Marx A, Yamada Y, Simon-Keller K, Schalke B, Willcox N, Ströbel P, Weis CA. Thymus and autoimmunity. Semin Immunopathol 2021; 43:45-64. [PMID: 33537838 PMCID: PMC7925479 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-021-00842-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The thymus prevents autoimmune diseases through mechanisms that operate in the cortex and medulla, comprising positive and negative selection and the generation of regulatory T-cells (Tregs). Egress from the thymus through the perivascular space (PVS) to the blood is another possible checkpoint, as shown by some autoimmune/immunodeficiency syndromes. In polygenic autoimmune diseases, subtle thymic dysfunctions may compound genetic, hormonal and environmental cues. Here, we cover (a) tolerance-inducing cell types, whether thymic epithelial or tuft cells, or dendritic, B- or thymic myoid cells; (b) tolerance-inducing mechanisms and their failure in relation to thymic anatomic compartments, and with special emphasis on human monogenic and polygenic autoimmune diseases and the related thymic pathologies, if known; (c) polymorphisms and mutations of tolerance-related genes with an impact on positive selection (e.g. the gene encoding the thymoproteasome-specific subunit, PSMB11), promiscuous gene expression (e.g. AIRE, PRKDC, FEZF2, CHD4), Treg development (e.g. SATB1, FOXP3), T-cell migration (e.g. TAGAP) and egress from the thymus (e.g. MTS1, CORO1A); (d) myasthenia gravis as the prototypic outcome of an inflamed or disordered neoplastic ‘sick thymus’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Marx
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Yosuke Yamada
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Katja Simon-Keller
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Berthold Schalke
- Department of Neurology, Bezirkskrankenhaus, University of Regensburg, 93042, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Nick Willcox
- Neurosciences Group, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurology, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philipp Ströbel
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, University of Göttigen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Cleo-Aron Weis
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany
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Bacchetta R, Weinberg K. Thymic origins of autoimmunity-lessons from inborn errors of immunity. Semin Immunopathol 2021; 43:65-83. [PMID: 33532929 PMCID: PMC7925499 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-020-00835-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
During their intrathymic development, nascent T cells are empowered to protect against pathogens and to be operative for a life-long acceptance of self. While autoreactive effector T (Teff) cell progenitors are eliminated by clonal deletion, the intrathymic mechanisms by which thymic regulatory T cell (tTreg) progenitors maintain specificity for self-antigens but escape deletion to exert their regulatory functions are less well understood. Both tTreg and Teff development and selection result from finely coordinated interactions between their clonotypic T cell receptors (TCR) and peptide/MHC complexes expressed by antigen-presenting cells, such as thymic epithelial cells and thymic dendritic cells. tTreg function is dependent on expression of the FOXP3 transcription factor, and induction of FOXP3 gene expression by tTreg occurs during their thymic development, particularly within the thymic medulla. While initial expression of FOXP3 is downstream of TCR activation, constitutive expression is fixed by interactions with various transcription factors that are regulated by other extracellular signals like TCR and cytokines, leading to epigenetic modification of the FOXP3 gene. Most of the understanding of the molecular events underlying tTreg generation is based on studies of murine models, whereas gaining similar insight in the human system has been very challenging. In this review, we will elucidate how inborn errors of immunity illuminate the critical non-redundant roles of certain molecules during tTreg development, shedding light on how their abnormal development and function cause well-defined diseases that manifest with autoimmunity alone or are associated with states of immune deficiency and autoinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Bacchetta
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lokey Stem Cell Research Building 265 Campus Drive, West Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Center for Definitive and Curative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Kenneth Weinberg
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lokey Stem Cell Research Building 265 Campus Drive, West Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Center for Definitive and Curative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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Brown CC, Rudensky AY. Conceiving the Inconceivable: The Function of Aire in Immune Tolerance to Peripheral Tissue-Restricted Antigens in the Thymus. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2021; 206:245-247. [PMID: 33397737 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2001285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chrysothemis C Brown
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Immunology Program, and Ludwig Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
| | - Alexander Y Rudensky
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Immunology Program, and Ludwig Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
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Abstract
The conventional perception asserts that immunology is the science of ‘discrimination’ between self and non-self. This concept is however no longer tenable as effector cells of the adaptive immune system are first conditioned to be tolerant to the body’s own antigens, collectively known as self until now. Only then attain these effectors the responsiveness to non-self. The acquisition of this essential state of tolerance to self occurs for T cells in the thymus, the last major organ of our body that revealed its intricate function in health and disease. The ‘thymus’ as an anatomical notion was first notably documented in Ancient Greece although our present understanding of the organ’s functions was only deciphered commencing in the 1960s. In the late 1980s, the thymus was identified as the site where clones of cells reactive to self, termed ‘forbidden’ thymocytes, are physically depleted as the result of a process now known as negative selection. The recognition of this mechanism further contributed to the belief that the central rationale of immunology as a science lies in the distinction between self and non-self. This review will discuss the evidence that the thymus serves as a unique lymphoid organ able to instruct T cells to recognize and be tolerant to harmless self before adopting the capacity to defend the body against potentially injurious non-self-antigens presented in the context of different challenges from infections to exposure to malignant cells. The emerging insight into the thymus’ cardinal functions now also provides an opportunity to exploit this knowledge to develop novel strategies that specifically prevent or even treat organ-specific autoimmune diseases.
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Cinque L, Angeletti C, Orrico A, Castellana S, Ferrito L, Ciuoli C, Mazza T, Castori M, Guarnieri V. Novel Pathogenic Variants of the AIRE Gene in Two Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type I Cases with Atypical Presentation: Role of the NGS in Diagnostic Pathway and Review of the Literature. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8120631. [PMID: 33352647 PMCID: PMC7767245 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8120631] [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: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background. Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1) with or without reversible metaphyseal dysplasia is a rare genetic disorder due to inactivating variants of the autoimmune regulator, AIRE, gene. Clinical variability of APS-1 relates to pleiotropy, and the general dysfunction of self-tolerance to organ-specific antigens and autoimmune reactions towards peripheral tissues caused by the underlying molecular defect. Thus, early recognition of the syndrome is often delayed, mostly in cases with atypical presentation, and the molecular confirm through the genetic analysis of the AIRE gene might be of great benefit. Methods. Our methods were to investigate, with a multigene panel next generation sequencing approach, two clinical cases, both presenting with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism, also comprising the AIRE gene; as well as to comment our findings as part of a more extensive review of literature data. Results. In the first clinical case, two compound heterozygote pathogenic variants of the AIRE gene were identified, thus indicating an autosomal recessive inheritance of the disease. In the second case, only one AIRE gene variant was found and an atypical dominant negative form of APS-1 suggested, later confirmed by further medical ascertainments. Conclusions. APS-1 might present with variable and sometimes monosymptomatic presentations and, if not recognized, might associate with severe complications. In this context, next generation diagnostics focused on a set of genes causative of partially overlapping disorders may allow early diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigia Cinque
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy; (L.C.); (M.C.)
| | - Cristina Angeletti
- UOC Pediatrics and Neonatology, POU AV2, 60122 Senigallia, Italy; (C.A.); (L.F.)
| | - Alfredo Orrico
- Molecular Diagnosis and Characterization of Pathogenic Mechanisms of Rare Genetic Diseases, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, 53100 Siena, Italy;
- Clinical Genetics, ASL Toscana SudEst. Ospedale della Misericordia, 58100 Grosseto, Italy
| | - Stefano Castellana
- Unit of Bioinformatics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy; (S.C.); (T.M.)
| | - Lucia Ferrito
- UOC Pediatrics and Neonatology, POU AV2, 60122 Senigallia, Italy; (C.A.); (L.F.)
| | - Cristina Ciuoli
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, UOC Endocrinology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, 53100 Siena, Italy;
| | - Tommaso Mazza
- Clinical Genetics, ASL Toscana SudEst. Ospedale della Misericordia, 58100 Grosseto, Italy
| | - Marco Castori
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy; (L.C.); (M.C.)
| | - Vito Guarnieri
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy; (L.C.); (M.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0882-416347
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The contribution of thymic tolerance to central nervous system autoimmunity. Semin Immunopathol 2020; 43:135-157. [PMID: 33108502 PMCID: PMC7925481 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-020-00822-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) are associated with high levels of morbidity and economic cost. Research efforts have previously focused on the contribution of the peripheral adaptive and innate immune systems to CNS autoimmunity. However, a failure of thymic negative selection is a necessary step in CNS-reactive T cells escaping into the periphery. Even with defective thymic or peripheral tolerance, the development of CNS inflammation is rare. The reasons underlying this are currently poorly understood. In this review, we examine evidence implicating thymic selection in the pathogenesis of CNS autoimmunity. Animal models suggest that thymic negative selection is an important factor in determining susceptibility to and severity of CNS inflammation. There are indirect clinical data that suggest thymic function is also important in human CNS autoimmune diseases. Specifically, the association between thymoma and paraneoplastic encephalitis and changes in T cell receptor excision circles in multiple sclerosis implicate thymic tolerance in these diseases. We identify potential associations between CNS autoimmunity susceptibility factors and thymic tolerance. The therapeutic manipulation of thymopoiesis has the potential to open up new treatment modalities, but a better understanding of thymic tolerance in CNS autoimmunity is required before this can be realised.
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Fawzy MS, Toraih EA. Analysis of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene variant rs2075876 (G/A) association with breast cancer susceptibility. J Clin Lab Anal 2020; 34:e23365. [PMID: 32426878 PMCID: PMC7521301 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.23365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, unexpected autoimmune regulator (AIRE) implication in the scenario of several cancers, including breast cancer (BC), has emerged. This study aims to explore for the first time the possible association between AIRE gene rs2075876 G>A variant and BC risk in a sample of the Middle East population. METHOD In this case-control study, we genotyped AIRE rs2075876 G>A variant in 200 unrelated patients with BC and 340 cancer-free controls using a real-time allelic discrimination polymerase chain reaction. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to estimate the strength of association under several genetic models. In silico analysis of AIRE was also executed. RESULTS The minor allele (A) frequency of the specified variant accounted for 0.28 in the controls. G/G homozygote was significantly more frequent among patients (94%) compared to controls (66%) (P < .001). After adjusting confounding variables, individuals with A allele conferred protection against developing BC under allelic model (OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.20-0.55), recessive model (OR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.10-0.60), dominant model (OR = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.05-0.29), and homozygote comparison (OR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.08-0.50). In silico analysis revealed AIRE enrichment in several cancer-related pathways. Kaplan-Meier plotter for the cancer databases showed association of AIRE expression with prognosis in triple-negative BC (HR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.44-4.15, log-rank P-value < .001). CONCLUSION The AIRE rs2075876 G>A variant showed association with BC risk in the study population. Further large-scale replication studies in different ethnicity are warranted to confirm the findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manal S. Fawzy
- Department of BiochemistryFaculty of MedicineNorthern Border UniversityArarSaudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyFaculty of MedicineSuez Canal UniversityIsmailiaEgypt
| | - Eman A. Toraih
- Department of SurgerySchool of MedicineTulane UniversityNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
- Genetics UnitDepartment of Histology and Cell BiologyFaculty of MedicineSuez Canal UniversityIsmailiaEgypt
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Benitez AA, Khalil-Agüero S, Nandakumar A, Gupta NT, Zhang W, Atwal GS, Murphy AJ, Sleeman MA, Haxhinasto S. Absence of central tolerance in Aire-deficient mice synergizes with immune-checkpoint inhibition to enhance antitumor responses. Commun Biol 2020; 3:355. [PMID: 32641748 PMCID: PMC7343867 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-1083-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The endogenous anti-tumor responses are limited in part by the absence of tumor-reactive T cells, an inevitable consequence of thymic central tolerance mechanisms ensuring prevention of autoimmunity. Here we show that tumor rejection induced by immune checkpoint blockade is significantly enhanced in Aire-deficient mice, the epitome of central tolerance breakdown. The observed synergy in tumor rejection extended to different tumor models, was accompanied by increased numbers of activated T cells expressing high levels of Gzma, Gzmb, Perforin, Cxcr3, and increased intratumoural levels of Cxcl9 and Cxcl10 compared to wild-type mice. Consistent with Aire's central role in T cell repertoire selection, single cell TCR sequencing unveiled expansion of several clones with high tumor reactivity. The data suggest that breakdown in central tolerance synergizes with immune checkpoint blockade in enhancing anti-tumor immunity and may serve as a model to unmask novel anti-tumor therapies including anti-tumor TCRs, normally purged during central tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asiel A Benitez
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
| | - Sara Khalil-Agüero
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
| | - Anjali Nandakumar
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
| | - Namita T Gupta
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
| | - Wen Zhang
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
| | - Gurinder S Atwal
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
| | - Andrew J Murphy
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
| | - Matthew A Sleeman
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
| | - Sokol Haxhinasto
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA.
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Matsumoto M, Tsuneyama K, Morimoto J, Hosomichi K, Matsumoto M, Nishijima H. Tissue-specific autoimmunity controlled by Aire in thymic and peripheral tolerance mechanisms. Int Immunol 2020; 32:117-131. [PMID: 31586207 PMCID: PMC7005526 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxz066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissue-specific autoimmune diseases are assumed to arise through malfunction of two checkpoints for immune tolerance: defective elimination of autoreactive T cells in the thymus and activation of these T cells by corresponding autoantigens in the periphery. However, evidence for this model and the outcome of such alterations in each or both of the tolerance mechanisms have not been sufficiently investigated. We studied these issues by expressing human AIRE (huAIRE) as a modifier of tolerance function in NOD mice wherein the defects of thymic and peripheral tolerance together cause type I diabetes (T1D). Additive huAIRE expression in the thymic stroma had no major impact on the production of diabetogenic T cells in the thymus. In contrast, huAIRE expression in peripheral antigen-presenting cells (APCs) rendered the mice resistant to T1D, while maintaining other tissue-specific autoimmune responses and antibody production against an exogenous protein antigen, because of the loss of Xcr1+ dendritic cells, an essential component for activating diabetogenic T cells in the periphery. These results contrast with our recent demonstration that huAIRE expression in both the thymic stroma and peripheral APCs resulted in the paradoxical development of muscle-specific autoimmunity. Our results reveal that tissue-specific autoimmunity is differentially controlled by a combination of thymic function and peripheral tolerance, which can be manipulated by expression of huAIRE/Aire in each or both of the tolerance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Koichi Tsuneyama
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Junko Morimoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Hosomichi
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Nishijima
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
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Martinov T, Fife BT. Type 1 diabetes pathogenesis and the role of inhibitory receptors in islet tolerance. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1461:73-103. [PMID: 31025378 PMCID: PMC6994200 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects over a million Americans, and disease incidence is on the rise. Despite decades of research, there is still no cure for this disease. Exciting beta cell replacement strategies are being developed, but in order for such approaches to work, targeted immunotherapies must be designed. To selectively halt the autoimmune response, researchers must first understand how this response is regulated and which tolerance checkpoints fail during T1D development. Herein, we discuss the current understanding of T1D pathogenesis in humans, genetic and environmental risk factors, presumed roles of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as B cells, and implicated autoantigens. We also highlight studies in non-obese diabetic mice that have demonstrated the requirement for CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and B cells in driving T1D pathology. We present an overview of central and peripheral tolerance mechanisms and comment on existing controversies in the field regarding central tolerance. Finally, we discuss T cell- and B cell-intrinsic tolerance mechanisms, with an emphasis on the roles of inhibitory receptors in maintaining islet tolerance in humans and in diabetes-prone mice, and strategies employed to date to harness inhibitory receptor signaling to prevent or reverse T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijana Martinov
- Department of Medicine, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Brian T Fife
- Department of Medicine, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Postigo-Fernandez J, Farber DL, Creusot RJ. Phenotypic alterations in pancreatic lymph node stromal cells from human donors with type 1 diabetes and NOD mice. Diabetologia 2019; 62:2040-2051. [PMID: 31486854 PMCID: PMC6812633 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-019-04984-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS Tolerance induction in lymph nodes can be mediated by both haematopoietic cells (e.g. specific dendritic cells subsets) and by non-haematopoietic cells (e.g. lymph node stromal cells [LNSCs]) when they present peripheral tissue antigens to autoreactive T cells. LNSCs normally regulate T cell trafficking and survival and help to maintain peripheral tolerance by exerting immunosuppressive effects. However, whether autoimmunity can be associated with defective tolerogenic functions of LNSCs is unknown and studies aimed at characterising LNSCs in humans are lacking. We hypothesised that dysregulated T cell responses in pancreatic lymph nodes (PLNs) from donors with type 1 diabetes and from NOD mice may be associated with altered LNSC function. METHODS We analysed PLNs from donors with type 1 diabetes and NOD mice for LNSC distribution and phenotype using flow cytometry. We assessed the expression of tolerance-related genes in different subsets of LNSCs from human donors, as well as in a population of dendritic cells enriched in autoimmune regulator (AIRE)+ cells and identified as HLA-DRhigh CD45low. RESULTS The relative frequency of different LNSC subsets was altered in both donors with type 1 diabetes and NOD mice, and both MHC class II and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression were upregulated in human type 1 diabetes. Tolerance-related genes showed similar expression profiles between mouse and human LNSCs at steady state but were generally upregulated in the context of human type 1 diabetes, while, at the same time, many such genes were downregulated in the AIRE-enriched dendritic cell population. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION Our study shows that LNSCs are substantially altered in type 1 diabetes, but, surprisingly, they exhibit an enhanced tolerogenic phenotype along with increased antigen-presenting potential, which may indicate an attempt to offset dendritic cell-related tolerogenic defects in tolerance. Thus, LNSCs could constitute alternative therapeutic targets in which to deliver antigens to help re-establish tolerance and prevent or treat type 1 diabetes. DATA AVAILABILITY All data generated or analysed during this study are included in the published article (and its online supplementary files). Biomark gene expression data were deposited on the Mendeley repository at https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/d9rdzdmvyf/1 . Any other raw datasets are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. No applicable resources were generated or analysed during the current study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Postigo-Fernandez
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, 650 W. 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Donna L Farber
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, 650 W. 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rémi J Creusot
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, 650 W. 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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Dembic Z. On integrity in immunity during ontogeny or how thymic regulatory T cells work. Scand J Immunol 2019; 90:e12806. [PMID: 31276223 DOI: 10.1111/sji.12806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Standard model of T cell recognition asserts that T cell receptor (TCR) specificities are positively and negatively selected during ontogeny in the thymus and that peripheral T cell repertoire has mild self-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) reactivity, known as MHC restriction of foreign antigen. Thus, the TCR must bind both a restrictive molecule (MHC allele) and a peptide reclining in its groove (pMHC ligand) in order to transmit signal into a T cell. The Standard and Cohn's Tritope models suggest contradictory roles for complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of the TCRs. Here, I discuss both concepts and propose a different solution to ontogenetic mechanism for TCR-MHC-conserved interaction. I suggest that double (CD4+ CD8+ )-positive (DP) developing thymocytes compete with their αβTCRs for binding to self-pMHC on cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) that present a selected set of tissue-restricted antigens. The competition between DPs involves TCR editing and secondary rearrangements, similar to germinal-centre B cell somatic hypermutation. These processes would generate cells with higher TCR affinity for self-pMHC, facilitating sufficiently long binding to cTECs to become thymic T regulatory cells (tTregs). Furthermore, CD4+ Foxp3+ tTregs can be generated by mTECs via Aire-dependent and Aire-independent pathways, and additionally on thymic bone marrow-derived APCs including thymic Aire-expressing B cells. Thymic Tregs differ from the induced peripheral Tregs, which comprise the negative feedback loop to restrain immune responses. The implication of thymocytes' competition for the highest binding to self-pMHC is the co-evolution of species-specific αβTCR V regions with MHC alleles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zlatko Dembic
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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44
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Huo F, Shi X, Zou X, Wang S, Zhang Y, Yang W, Li Y. Aire deficient dendritic cells promote the T follicular helper cells differentiation. Immunobiology 2019; 224:539-550. [PMID: 31023489 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Autoimmune regulator (Aire), primarily expressed in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), maintains central immune tolerance through the clearance of self-reactive T cells. Aire can also be expressed in dendritic cells (DCs), and DCs can mediate T follicular helper (TFH) cell differentiation and self-reactive B cell activation through inducible costimulator molecule ligand (ICOSL) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), which can cause autoimmune diseases. To confirm whether Aire in DCs affects TFH cell differentiation and to determine the role of Aire in the maintenance of peripheral immune tolerance, this study observed the effects of Aire deficiency on TFH cells using Aire knockout mice. The results showed that Aire deficiency caused increased number of TFH cells, both in vivo and in vitro. Further studies showed that Aire deficiency promoted TFH differentiation through the upregulation of ICOSL and IL-6 in DCs. Thus Aire could suppress the expression of ICOSL and IL-6 to inhibit TFH cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifei Huo
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China; Department of Intensive Care Unit, First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Xiaodong Shi
- Department of Rheumatology, First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Xueyang Zou
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China.
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China.
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45
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Liston A, Dooley J. The Aire family expands. J Exp Med 2019; 216:1010-1011. [PMID: 30923044 PMCID: PMC6504220 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20190246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell tolerance depends upon Aire-expressing cells to purge the T cell repertoire of autoreactive clones. Once thought to be the exclusive domain of thymic epithelial cells, a new study by Yamano et al. (https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20181430) in this issue of JEM identifies ILC3-like cells in the lymph nodes with similar properties.
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46
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Yamano T, Dobeš J, Vobořil M, Steinert M, Brabec T, Ziętara N, Dobešová M, Ohnmacht C, Laan M, Peterson P, Benes V, Sedláček R, Hanayama R, Kolář M, Klein L, Filipp D. Aire-expressing ILC3-like cells in the lymph node display potent APC features. J Exp Med 2019; 216:1027-1037. [PMID: 30918005 PMCID: PMC6504225 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20181430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The autoimmune regulator (Aire) serves an essential function for T cell tolerance by promoting the "promiscuous" expression of tissue antigens in thymic epithelial cells. Aire is also detected in rare cells in peripheral lymphoid organs, but the identity of these cells is poorly understood. Here, we report that Aire protein-expressing cells in lymph nodes exhibit typical group 3 innate lymphoid cell (ILC3) characteristics such as lymphoid morphology, absence of "classical" hematopoietic lineage markers, and dependence on RORγt. Aire+ cells are more frequent among lineage-negative RORγt+ cells of peripheral lymph nodes as compared with mucosa-draining lymph nodes, display a unique Aire-dependent transcriptional signature, express high surface levels of MHCII and costimulatory molecules, and efficiently present an endogenously expressed model antigen to CD4+ T cells. These findings define a novel type of ILC3-like cells with potent APC features, suggesting that these cells serve a function in the control of T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyoshi Yamano
- Institute for Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan Dobeš
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Matouš Vobořil
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Madlen Steinert
- Institute for Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Tomáš Brabec
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Natalia Ziętara
- Institute for Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Martina Dobešová
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Caspar Ohnmacht
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institut für Allergieforschung, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martti Laan
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Part Peterson
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Vladimir Benes
- Genomics Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Services and Technology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Radislav Sedláček
- Czech Centre for Phenogenomics and Laboratory of Transgenic Models of Diseases, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Rikinari Hanayama
- Department of Immunology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and World Premier International Research Center Initiative Nano Life Science Institute, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Michal Kolář
- Laboratory of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ludger Klein
- Institute for Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Dominik Filipp
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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47
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Geenen V, Trussart C, Michaux H, Halouani A, Jaïdane H, Collée C, Renard C, Daukandt M, Ledent P, Martens H. The presentation of neuroendocrine self-peptides in the thymus: an essential event for individual life and vertebrate survival. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2019; 1455:113-125. [PMID: 31008523 PMCID: PMC6899491 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Confirming Burnet's early hypothesis, elimination of self‐reactive T cells in the thymus was demonstrated in the late 1980s, and an important question immediately arose about the nature of the self‐peptides expressed in the thymus. Many genes encoding neuroendocrine‐related and tissue‐restricted antigens (TRAs) are transcribed in thymic epithelial cells (TECs). They are then processed for presentation by proteins of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) expressed by TECs and thymic dendritic cells. MHC presentation of self‐peptides in the thymus programs self‐tolerance by two complementary mechanisms: (1) negative selection of self‐reactive “forbidden” T cell clones starting already in fetal life, and (2) generation of self‐specific thymic regulatory T lymphocytes (tTreg cells), mainly after birth. Many studies, including the discovery of the transcription factors autoimmune regulator (AIRE) and fasciculation and elongation protein zeta family zinc finger (FEZF2), have shown that a defect in thymus central self‐tolerance is the earliest event promoting autoimmunity. AIRE and FEZF2 control the level of transcription of many neuroendocrine self‐peptides and TRAs in the thymic epithelium. Furthermore, AIRE and FEZF2 mutations are associated with the development of autoimmunity in peripheral organs. The discovery of the intrathymic presentation of self‐peptides has revolutionized our knowledge of immunology and is opening novel avenues for prevention/treatment of autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Geenen
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium
| | | | - Hélène Michaux
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium
| | - Aymen Halouani
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium.,Faculty of Sciences and Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Tunis El Manar, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Hela Jaïdane
- Faculty of Sciences and Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Tunis El Manar, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Caroline Collée
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium
| | - Chantal Renard
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium
| | - Marc Daukandt
- X-Press Biologics, Industrial Park of Milmort, Liège, Belgium
| | - Philippe Ledent
- X-Press Biologics, Industrial Park of Milmort, Liège, Belgium
| | - Henri Martens
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium
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48
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Lee YQ, Storry JR, Karamatic Crew V, Halverson GR, Thornton N, Olsson ML. A large deletion spanning
XG
and
GYG2
constitutes a genetic basis of the Xg
null
phenotype, underlying anti‐Xg
a
production. Transfusion 2019; 59:1843-1849. [DOI: 10.1111/trf.15242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Quan Lee
- Division of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Laboratory MedicineLund University Lund Sweden
| | - Jill R. Storry
- Division of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Laboratory MedicineLund University Lund Sweden
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion MedicineOffice of Medical Services Lund Sweden
| | - Vanja Karamatic Crew
- International Blood Group Reference Laboratory, NHS Blood and Transplant Bristol United Kingdom
| | | | - Nicole Thornton
- International Blood Group Reference Laboratory, NHS Blood and Transplant Bristol United Kingdom
| | - Martin L. Olsson
- Division of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Laboratory MedicineLund University Lund Sweden
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion MedicineOffice of Medical Services Lund Sweden
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49
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Fergusson JR, Morgan MD, Bruchard M, Huitema L, Heesters BA, van Unen V, van Hamburg JP, van der Wel NN, Picavet D, Koning F, Tas SW, Anderson MS, Marioni JC, Holländer GA, Spits H. Maturing Human CD127+ CCR7+ PDL1+ Dendritic Cells Express AIRE in the Absence of Tissue Restricted Antigens. Front Immunol 2019; 9:2902. [PMID: 30692988 PMCID: PMC6340304 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of the Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) outside of the thymus has long been suggested in both humans and mice, but the cellular source in humans has remained undefined. Here we identify AIRE expression in human tonsils and extensively analyzed these "extra-thymic AIRE expressing cells" (eTACs) using combinations of flow cytometry, CyTOF and single cell RNA-sequencing. We identified AIRE+ cells as dendritic cells (DCs) with a mature and migratory phenotype including high levels of antigen presenting molecules and costimulatory molecules, and specific expression of CD127, CCR7, and PDL1. These cells also possessed the ability to stimulate and re-stimulate T cells and displayed reduced responses to toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists compared to conventional DCs. While expression of AIRE was enriched within CCR7+CD127+ DCs, single-cell RNA sequencing revealed expression of AIRE to be transient, rather than stable, and associated with the differentiation to a mature phenotype. The role of AIRE in central tolerance induction within the thymus is well-established, however our study shows that AIRE expression within the periphery is not associated with an enriched expression of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs). This unexpected finding, suggestive of wider functions of AIRE, may provide an explanation for the non-autoimmune symptoms of APECED patients who lack functional AIRE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joannah R. Fergusson
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Melanie Bruchard
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Leonie Huitema
- Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology and Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Rheumatology & immunology Center (ARC), Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Balthasar A. Heesters
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Jan Piet van Hamburg
- Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology and Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Rheumatology & immunology Center (ARC), Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Daisy Picavet
- EMCA, Medical Biology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Frits Koning
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sander W. Tas
- Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology and Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Rheumatology & immunology Center (ARC), Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mark S. Anderson
- UCSF Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - John C. Marioni
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory - European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Laboratory of Developmental Immunology, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hergen Spits
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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50
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Constantine GM, Lionakis MS. Lessons from primary immunodeficiencies: Autoimmune regulator and autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy. Immunol Rev 2019; 287:103-120. [PMID: 30565240 PMCID: PMC6309421 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) protein and the delineation of its critical contributions in the establishment of central immune tolerance has significantly expanded our understanding of the immunological mechanisms that protect from the development of autoimmune disease. The parallel identification and characterization of patient cohorts with the monogenic disorder autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), which is typically caused by biallelic AIRE mutations, has underscored the critical contribution of AIRE in fungal immune surveillance at mucosal surfaces and in prevention of multiorgan autoimmunity in humans. In this review, we synthesize the current clinical, genetic, molecular and immunological knowledge derived from basic studies in Aire-deficient animals and from APECED patient cohorts. We also outline major advances and research endeavors that show promise for informing improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with APECED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M Constantine
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Michail S Lionakis
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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