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Schmidt M, Linder AT, Korn M, Schellenberg N, Meyer SJ, Nimmerjahn F, Werner A, Abeln M, Gerardy-Schahn R, Münster-Kühnel AK, Nitschke L. Sialic acids on T cells are crucial for their maintenance and survival. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1359494. [PMID: 38947328 PMCID: PMC11211268 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1359494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Sialic acids are found as terminal sugars on glycan structures on cellular surfaces. T cells carry these sialoglycans abundantly, and they are thought to serve multiple functions in cell adhesion, cell migration, and protection from complement attack. We studied the role of sialoglycans on T cells in a mouse model with a T cell-specific deletion of cytidine monophosphate-sialic acid synthase (CMAS), the enzyme that is crucial for the synthesis of sialoglycans. These mice showed a T-cell deficiency in peripheral lymphoid organs. Many T cells with an undeleted Cmas allele were found in the periphery, suggesting that they escaped the Cre-mediated deletion. The remaining peripheral T cells of T cell-specific Cmas KO mice had a memory-like phenotype. Additional depletion of the complement factor C3 could not rescue the phenotype, showing that the T-cell defect was not caused by a host complement activity. Cmas-deficient T cells showed a high level of activated caspase 3, indicating an ongoing apoptosis. In bone marrow chimeric cellular transfer experiments, we observed a strong competitive disadvantage of Cmas-deficient T cells compared to wild-type T cells. These results show that sialoglycans on the surface of T cells are crucial for T-cell survival and maintenance. This function has not been recognized before and is similar to the function of sialoglycans on B cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schmidt
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexandra T. Linder
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Marina Korn
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Nick Schellenberg
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sarah J. Meyer
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Falk Nimmerjahn
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anja Werner
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Markus Abeln
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Lars Nitschke
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
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Lauc G. Can we suppress chronic systemic inflammation and postpone age-related diseases by targeting the IgG glycome? Expert Opin Ther Targets 2024; 28:491-499. [PMID: 37897176 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2277218] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Glycans attached to immunoglobulin G are an important regulator of chronic systemic inflammation, one of the key drivers of aging. As people age, glycans that suppress inflammation are being replaced with inflammation-promoting glycans, but the rate of this conversion is highly individual and is affected by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. AREAS COVERED This review summarizes key studies of IgG glycosylation changes in aging and disease, effects of lifestyle and pharmacological interventions, and mechanisms that regulate IgG glycosylation. EXPERT OPINION IgG glycome is an important contributor to the process of aging that can be modulated by both lifestyle and pharmacological interventions. Small molecule drugs that would suppress chronic systemic inflammation by modulation of the IgG glycome are still not available, but since gene network regulating IgG glycosylation has been identified and a high-throughput in vitro screening system is available, it is likely that this highly innovative approach to manage chronic systemic inflammation will be developed soon.
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Affiliation(s)
- GordAn Lauc
- University of Zagreb Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry & Genos Glycoscience Research Laboratory, Zagreb, Croatia
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3
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Filipsky F, Läubli H. Regulation of sialic acid metabolism in cancer. Carbohydr Res 2024; 539:109123. [PMID: 38669826 DOI: 10.1016/j.carres.2024.109123] [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: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Sialic acid, the terminal structure of cell surface glycans, has essential functions in regulating immune response, cell-to-cell communication, and cell adhesion. More importantly, an increased level of sialic acid, termed hypersialylation, has emerged as a commonly observed phenotype in cancer. Therefore, targeting sialic acid ligands (sialoglycans) and their receptors (Siglecs) may provide a new therapeutic approach for cancer immunotherapy. We highlight the complexity of the sialic acid metabolism and its involvement in malignant transformation within individual cancer subtypes. In this review, we focus on the dysregulation of sialylation, the intricate nature of sialic acid synthesis, and clinical perspective. We aim to provide a brief insight into the mechanism of hypersialylation and how our understanding of these processes can be leveraged for the development of novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Filipsky
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital and University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Heinz Läubli
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital and University of Basel, Switzerland; Division of Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
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Niveau C, Sosa Cuevas E, Roubinet B, Pezet M, Thépaut M, Mouret S, Charles J, Fieschi F, Landemarre L, Chaperot L, Saas P, Aspord C. Melanoma tumour-derived glycans hijack dendritic cell subsets through C-type lectin receptor binding. Immunology 2024; 171:286-311. [PMID: 37991344 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cell (DC) subsets play a crucial role in shaping anti-tumour immunity. Cancer escapes from the control immune system by hijacking DC functions. Yet, bases for such subversion are only partially understood. Tumour cells display aberrant glycan motifs on surface glycoproteins and glycolipids. Such carbohydrate patterns can be sensed by DCs through C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) that are critical to shape and orientate immune responses. We recently demonstrated that melanoma tumour cells harboured an aberrant 'glyco-code,' and that circulating and tumour-infiltrating DCs from melanoma patients displayed major perturbations in their CLR profiles. To decipher whether melanoma, through aberrant glycan patterns, may exploit CLR pathways to mislead DCs and evade immune control, we explored the impact of glycan motifs aberrantly found in melanoma (neoglycoproteins [NeoGP] functionalised with Gal, Man, GalNAc, s-Tn, fucose [Fuc] and GlcNAc residues) on features of human DC subsets (cDC2s, cDC1s and pDCs). We examined the ability of glycans to bind to purified DCs, and assessed their impact on DC basal properties and functional features using flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and multiplex secreted protein analysis. DC subsets differentially bound and internalised NeoGP depending on the nature of the glycan. Strikingly, Fuc directly remodelled the expression of activation markers and immune checkpoints, as well as the cytokine/chemokine secretion profile of DC subsets. NeoGP interfered with Toll like receptor (TLR)-signalling and pre-conditioned DCs to exhibit an altered response to subsequent TLR stimulation, dampening antitumor mediators while triggering pro-tumoral factors. We further demonstrated that DC subsets can bind NeoGP through CLRs, and identified GalNAc/MGL and s-Tn/ C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC2) as potential candidates. Moreover, DC dysfunction induced by tumour-associated carbohydrate molecules may be reversed by interfering with the glycan/CLR axis. These findings revealed the glycan/CLR axis as a promising checkpoint to exploit in order to reshape potent antitumor immunity while impeding immunosuppressive pathways triggered by aberrant tumour glycosylation patterns. This may rescue DCs from tumour hijacking and improve clinical success in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Niveau
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team: Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- R&D Laboratory, Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Eleonora Sosa Cuevas
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team: Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- R&D Laboratory, Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Mylène Pezet
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Plateforme de Microscopie Photonique-Imagerie Cellulaire et Cytométrie en Flux (Microcell), Inserm U1209-CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Michel Thépaut
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Grenoble, France
| | - Stéphane Mouret
- Dermatology, Allergology & Photobiology Department, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Julie Charles
- Dermatology, Allergology & Photobiology Department, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Franck Fieschi
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Grenoble, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | | | - Laurence Chaperot
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team: Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- R&D Laboratory, Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe Saas
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team: Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- R&D Laboratory, Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Caroline Aspord
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team: Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- R&D Laboratory, Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble, France
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Stewart N, Daly J, Drummond-Guy O, Krishnamoorthy V, Stark JC, Riley NM, Williams KC, Bertozzi CR, Wisnovsky S. The glycoimmune checkpoint receptor Siglec-7 interacts with T-cell ligands and regulates T-cell activation. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105579. [PMID: 38141764 PMCID: PMC10831161 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105579] [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: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Siglec-7 (sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin 7) is a glycan-binding immune receptor that is emerging as a significant target of interest for cancer immunotherapy. The physiological ligands that bind Siglec-7, however, remain incompletely defined. In this study, we characterized the expression of Siglec-7 ligands on peripheral immune cell subsets and assessed whether Siglec-7 functionally regulates interactions between immune cells. We found that disialyl core 1 O-glycans are the major immune ligands for Siglec-7 and that these ligands are particularly highly expressed on naïve T-cells. Densely glycosylated sialomucins are the primary carriers of these glycans, in particular a glycoform of the cell-surface marker CD43. Biosynthesis of Siglec-7-binding glycans is dynamically controlled on different immune cell subsets through a genetic circuit involving the glycosyltransferase GCNT1. Siglec-7 blockade was found to increase activation of both primary T-cells and antigen-presenting dendritic cells in vitro, indicating that Siglec-7 binds T-cell glycans to regulate intraimmune signaling. Finally, we present evidence that Siglec-7 directly activates signaling pathways in T-cells, suggesting a new biological function for this receptor. These studies conclusively demonstrate the existence of a novel Siglec-7-mediated signaling axis that physiologically regulates T-cell activity. Going forward, our findings have significant implications for the design and implementation of therapies targeting immunoregulatory Siglec receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Stewart
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - John Daly
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Olivia Drummond-Guy
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Vignesh Krishnamoorthy
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jessica C Stark
- Department of Chemistry & Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicholas M Riley
- Department of Chemistry & Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Karla C Williams
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Carolyn R Bertozzi
- Department of Chemistry & Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Simon Wisnovsky
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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Hale RC, Morais D, Chou J, Stowell SR. The role of glycosylation in clinical allergy and immunology. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 153:55-66. [PMID: 37717626 PMCID: PMC10872775 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.09.003] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
While glycans are among the most abundant macromolecules on the cell with widespread functions, their role in immunity has historically been challenging to study. This is in part due to difficulties assimilating glycan analysis into routine approaches used to interrogate immune cell function. Despite this, recent developments have illuminated fundamental roles for glycans in host immunity. The growing field of glycoimmunology continues to leverage new tools and approaches to uncover the function of glycans and glycan-binding proteins in immunity. Here we utilize clinical vignettes to examine key roles of glycosylation in allergy, inborn errors of immunity, and autoimmunity. We will discuss the diverse functions of glycans as epitopes, as modulators of antibody function, and as regulators of immune cell function. Finally, we will highlight immune modulatory therapies that harness the critical role of glycans in the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C Hale
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Department of Pathology, Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Dominique Morais
- Department of Pathology, Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Janet Chou
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
| | - Sean R Stowell
- Department of Pathology, Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Harvard Glycomics Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
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