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Ruiz Pérez M, Vandenabeele P, Tougaard P. The thymus road to a T cell: migration, selection, and atrophy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1443910. [PMID: 39257583 PMCID: PMC11384998 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1443910] [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: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The thymus plays a pivotal role in generating a highly-diverse repertoire of T lymphocytes while preventing autoimmunity. Thymus seeding progenitors (TSPs) are a heterogeneous group of multipotent progenitors that migrate to the thymus via CCR7 and CCR9 receptors. While NOTCH guides thymus progenitors toward T cell fate, the absence or disruption of NOTCH signaling renders the thymus microenvironment permissive to other cell fates. Following T cell commitment, developing T cells undergo multiple selection checkpoints by engaging with the extracellular matrix, and interacting with thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and other immune subsets across the different compartments of the thymus. The different selection checkpoints assess the T cell receptor (TCR) performance, with failure resulting in either repurposing (agonist selection), or cell death. Additionally, environmental cues such as inflammation and endocrine signaling induce acute thymus atrophy, contributing to the demise of most developing T cells during thymic selection. We discuss the occurrence of acute thymus atrophy in response to systemic inflammation. The thymus demonstrates high plasticity, shaping inflammation by abrogating T cell development and undergoing profound structural changes, and facilitating regeneration and restoration of T cell development once inflammation is resolved. Despite the challenges, thymic selection ensures a highly diverse T cell repertoire capable of discerning between self and non-self antigens, ultimately egressing to secondary lymphoid organs where they complete their maturation and exert their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Ruiz Pérez
- Molecular Signaling and Cell Death Unit, VIB-UGent, Center for Inflammation Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter Vandenabeele
- Molecular Signaling and Cell Death Unit, VIB-UGent, Center for Inflammation Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter Tougaard
- Molecular Signaling and Cell Death Unit, VIB-UGent, Center for Inflammation Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
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2
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Steier Z, Kim EJY, Aylard DA, Robey EA. The CD4 Versus CD8 T Cell Fate Decision: A Multiomics-Informed Perspective. Annu Rev Immunol 2024; 42:235-258. [PMID: 38271641 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-083122-040929] [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] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The choice of developing thymocytes to become CD8+ cytotoxic or CD4+ helper T cells has been intensely studied, but many of the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Recent multiomics approaches have provided much higher resolution analysis of gene expression in developing thymocytes than was previously achievable, thereby offering a fresh perspective on this question. Focusing on our recent studies using CITE-seq (cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes) analyses of mouse thymocytes, we present a detailed timeline of RNA and protein expression changes during CD8 versus CD4 T cell differentiation. We also revisit our current understanding of the links between T cell receptor signaling and expression of the lineage-defining transcription factors ThPOK and RUNX3. Finally, we propose a sequential selection model to explain the tight linkage between MHC-I versus MHC-II recognition and T cell lineage choice. This model incorporates key aspects of previously proposed kinetic signaling, instructive, and stochastic/selection models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoë Steier
- Department of Bioengineering and Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, and University of California, San Francisco, Berkeley and San Francisco, California, USA
- Current affiliation: Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; and Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Esther Jeong Yoon Kim
- Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA;
| | - Dominik A Aylard
- Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA;
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA;
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3
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Steier Z, Aylard DA, McIntyre LL, Baldwin I, Kim EJY, Lutes LK, Ergen C, Huang TS, Robey EA, Yosef N, Streets A. Single-cell multiomic analysis of thymocyte development reveals drivers of CD4 + T cell and CD8 + T cell lineage commitment. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:1579-1590. [PMID: 37580604 PMCID: PMC10457207 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01584-0] [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: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
The development of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells in the thymus is critical to adaptive immunity and is widely studied as a model of lineage commitment. Recognition of self-peptide major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or II by the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) determines the CD8+ or CD4+ T cell lineage choice, respectively, but how distinct TCR signals drive transcriptional programs of lineage commitment remains largely unknown. Here we applied CITE-seq to measure RNA and surface proteins in thymocytes from wild-type and T cell lineage-restricted mice to generate a comprehensive timeline of cell states for each T cell lineage. These analyses identified a sequential process whereby all thymocytes initiate CD4+ T cell lineage differentiation during a first wave of TCR signaling, followed by a second TCR signaling wave that coincides with CD8+ T cell lineage specification. CITE-seq and pharmaceutical inhibition experiments implicated a TCR-calcineurin-NFAT-GATA3 axis in driving the CD4+ T cell fate. Our data provide a resource for understanding cell fate decisions and implicate a sequential selection process in guiding lineage choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoë Steier
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA, USA
- UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley and San Francisco, CA, USA
- University of California, Berkeley, Center for Computational Biology, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dominik A Aylard
- University of California, Berkeley, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Laura L McIntyre
- University of California, Berkeley, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Isabel Baldwin
- University of California, Berkeley, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Esther Jeong Yoon Kim
- University of California, Berkeley, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lydia K Lutes
- University of California, Berkeley, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Can Ergen
- University of California, Berkeley, Center for Computational Biology, Berkeley, CA, USA
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Ellen A Robey
- University of California, Berkeley, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Nir Yosef
- University of California, Berkeley, Center for Computational Biology, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Systems Immunology, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Aaron Streets
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley and San Francisco, CA, USA.
- University of California, Berkeley, Center for Computational Biology, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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4
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Beckmann D, Langnaese K, Gottfried A, Hradsky J, Tedford K, Tiwari N, Thomas U, Fischer KD, Korthals M. Ca 2+ Homeostasis by Plasma Membrane Ca 2+ ATPase (PMCA) 1 Is Essential for the Development of DP Thymocytes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021442. [PMID: 36674959 PMCID: PMC9865543 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021442] [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: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The strength of Ca2+ signaling is a hallmark of T cell activation, yet the role of Ca2+ homeostasis in developing T cells before expressing a mature T cell receptor is poorly understood. We aimed to unveil specific functions of the two plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPases expressed in T cells, PMCA1 and PMCA4. On a transcriptional and protein level we found that PMCA4 was expressed at low levels in CD4-CD8- double negative (DN) thymocytes and was even downregulated in subsequent stages while PMCA1 was present throughout development and upregulated in CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) thymocytes. Mice with a targeted deletion of Pmca1 in DN3 thymocytes had an almost complete block of DP thymocyte development with an accumulation of DN4 thymocytes but severely reduced numbers of CD8+ immature single positive (ISP) thymocytes. The DN4 thymocytes of these mice showed strongly elevated basal cytosolic Ca2+ levels and a pre-mature CD5 expression, but in contrast to the DP thymocytes they were only mildly prone to apoptosis. Surprisingly, mice with a germline deletion of Pmca4 did not show any signs of altered progression through the developmental thymocyte stages, nor altered Ca2+ homeostasis throughout this process. PMCA1 is, therefore, non-redundant in keeping cellular Ca2+ levels low in the early thymocyte development required for the DN to DP transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Beckmann
- Institute for Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kristina Langnaese
- Institute for Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Anna Gottfried
- Institute for Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Hradsky
- Institute for Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kerry Tedford
- Institute for Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nikhil Tiwari
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Thomas
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Klaus-Dieter Fischer
- Institute for Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Mark Korthals
- Institute for Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
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5
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Lutes LK, Steier Z, McIntyre LL, Pandey S, Kaminski J, Hoover AR, Ariotti S, Streets A, Yosef N, Robey EA. T cell self-reactivity during thymic development dictates the timing of positive selection. eLife 2021; 10:e65435. [PMID: 33884954 PMCID: PMC8116051 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional tuning of T cells based on their degree of self-reactivity is established during positive selection in the thymus, although how positive selection differs for thymocytes with relatively low versus high self-reactivity is unclear. In addition, preselection thymocytes are highly sensitive to low-affinity ligands, but the mechanism underlying their enhanced T cell receptor (TCR) sensitivity is not fully understood. Here we show that murine thymocytes with low self-reactivity experience briefer TCR signals and complete positive selection more slowly than those with high self-reactivity. Additionally, we provide evidence that cells with low self-reactivity retain a preselection gene expression signature as they mature, including genes previously implicated in modulating TCR sensitivity and a novel group of ion channel genes. Our results imply that thymocytes with low self-reactivity downregulate TCR sensitivity more slowly during positive selection, and associate membrane ion channel expression with thymocyte self-reactivity and progress through positive selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia K Lutes
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Zoë Steier
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Laura L McIntyre
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Shraddha Pandey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - James Kaminski
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Ashley R Hoover
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Silvia Ariotti
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Aaron Streets
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Chan Zuckerberg BiohubSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Nir Yosef
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Chan Zuckerberg BiohubSan FranciscoUnited States
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
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6
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Zhang Y, Qian X, Yang X, Niu R, Song S, Zhu F, Zhu C, Peng X, Chen F. ASIC1a induces synovial inflammation via the Ca 2+/NFATc3/ RANTES pathway. Theranostics 2020; 10:247-264. [PMID: 31903118 PMCID: PMC6929608 DOI: 10.7150/thno.37200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Synovial inflammation is one of the main pathological features of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is a key factor leading to the progression of RA. Understanding the regulatory mechanism of synovial inflammation is crucial for the treatment of RA. Acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) is an H+-gated cation channel that promotes the progression of RA, but the role of ASIC1a in synovial inflammation is unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether ASIC1a is involved in the synovial inflammation and explore the underlying mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. Methods: The expression of ASIC1a and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFATs) were analyzed by Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry both in vitro and in vivo. The Ca2+ influx mediated by ASIC1a was detected by calcium imaging and flow cytometry. The role of ASIC1a in inflammation was studied in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA). Inflammatory cytokine profile was analyzed by protein chip in RA synovial fibroblasts (RASF) and verified by a magnetic multi-cytokine assay and ELISA. The NFATc3-regulated RANTES (Regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) gene transcription was investigated by ChIP-qPCR and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results: The expression of ASIC1a was significantly increased in human RA synovial tissues and primary human RASF as well as in ankle synovium of AA rats. Activated ASIC1a mediated Ca2+ influx to increase [Ca2+]i in RASF. The activation/overexpression of ASIC1a in RASF up-regulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines RANTES, sTNF RI, MIP-1a, IL-8, sTNF RII, and ICAM-1 among which RANTES was increased most remarkably. In vivo, ASIC1a promoted inflammation, synovial hyperplasia, articular cartilage, and bone destruction, leading to the progression of AA. Furthermore, activation of ASIC1a upregulated the nuclear translocation of NFATc3, which bound to RANTES promoter and directly regulated gene transcription to enhance RANTES expression. Conclusion: ASIC1a induces synovial inflammation, which leads to the progression of RA. Our study reveals a novel RA inflammation regulatory mechanism and indicates that ASIC1a might be a potential therapeutic target for RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihao Zhang
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xuewen Qian
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xiaojuan Yang
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ruowen Niu
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Sujing Song
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Fei Zhu
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Chuanjun Zhu
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xiaoqing Peng
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Feihu Chen
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei 230032, China
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7
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Yahia-Cherbal H, Rybczynska M, Lovecchio D, Stephen T, Lescale C, Placek K, Larghero J, Rogge L, Bianchi E. NFAT primes the human RORC locus for RORγt expression in CD4 + T cells. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4698. [PMID: 31619674 PMCID: PMC6795897 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12680-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
T helper 17 (Th17) cells have crucial functions in mucosal immunity and the pathogenesis of several chronic inflammatory diseases. The lineage-specific transcription factor, RORγt, encoded by the RORC gene modulates Th17 polarization and function, as well as thymocyte development. Here we define several regulatory elements at the human RORC locus in thymocytes and peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytes, with CRISPR/Cas9-guided deletion of these genomic segments supporting their role in RORγt expression. Mechanistically, T cell receptor stimulation induces cyclosporine A-sensitive histone modifications and P300/CBP acetylase recruitment at these elements in activated CD4+ T cells. Meanwhile, NFAT proteins bind to these regulatory elements and activate RORγt transcription in cooperation with NF-kB. Our data thus demonstrate that NFAT specifically regulate RORγt expression by binding to the RORC locus and promoting its permissive conformation. The master transcription factor RORγt, encoded by the RORC gene, controls the polarization of CD4+ T cells expressing interleukin-17 (Th17). Here the authors describe several regulatory elements at the RORC locus that are recognized by NFAT and NFkB to induce a permissive epigenetic configuration of the RORC gene for RORγt expression and Th17 differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanane Yahia-Cherbal
- Institut Pasteur, Immunoregulation Unit, Department of Immunology, Paris, France.,Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Cellule Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Magda Rybczynska
- Institut Pasteur, Immunoregulation Unit, Department of Immunology, Paris, France.,Laboratoire Colloides et Matériaux Divisés, École supérieure de Physique et de Chimie industrielles, Paris, France
| | - Domenica Lovecchio
- Institut Pasteur, Immunoregulation Unit, Department of Immunology, Paris, France
| | - Tharshana Stephen
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Technologie et Service Cytométrie et Biomarqueurs (UTechS CB), Centre de recherche translationnelle (CRT), Paris, France
| | - Chloé Lescale
- Institut Pasteur, Genome Integrity, Immunity and Cancer Unit, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Department of Immunology, Department of Genomes and Genetics, Paris, France
| | - Katarzyna Placek
- Institut Pasteur, Immunoregulation Unit, Department of Immunology, Paris, France.,Immunology and Metabolism, LIMES Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jérome Larghero
- Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Cell Therapy Unit and Cord Blood Bank; CIC de Biothérapies, CBT501, Paris, France
| | - Lars Rogge
- Institut Pasteur, Immunoregulation Unit, Department of Immunology, Paris, France
| | - Elisabetta Bianchi
- Institut Pasteur, Immunoregulation Unit, Department of Immunology, Paris, France.
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8
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Wang J, He N, Zhang N, Quan D, Zhang S, Zhang C, Yu RT, Atkins AR, Zhu R, Yang C, Cui Y, Liddle C, Downes M, Xiao H, Zheng Y, Auwerx J, Evans RM, Leng Q. NCoR1 restrains thymic negative selection by repressing Bim expression to spare thymocytes undergoing positive selection. Nat Commun 2017; 8:959. [PMID: 29038463 PMCID: PMC5643384 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00931-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymocytes must pass both positive and negative selections to become mature T cells. Negative selection purges thymocytes whose T-cell receptors (TCR) exhibit high affinity to self-peptide MHC complexes (self pMHC) to avoid autoimmune diseases, while positive selection ensures the survival and maturation of thymocytes whose TCRs display intermediate affinity to self pMHCs for effective immunity, but whether transcriptional regulation helps conserve positively selected thymocytes from being purged by negative selection remains unclear. Here we show that the specific deletion of nuclear receptor co-repressor 1 (NCoR1) in T cells causes excessive negative selection to reduce mature thymocyte numbers. Mechanistically, NCoR1 protects positively selected thymocytes from negative selection by suppressing Bim expression. Our study demonstrates a critical function of NCoR1 in coordinated positive and negative selections in the thymus.Thymocytes are screened by two processes, termed positive and negative selections, which are permissive only for immature thymocytes with intermediate avidity to the selecting ligands. Here the authors show that the nuclear receptor NCoR1 suppresses Bim1 to inhibit negative selection and promote thymocyte survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianrong Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Unit of Immune Regulation, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
| | - Nanhai He
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Na Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Unit of Immune Regulation, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-related Disease, the Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011 China
| | - Dexian Quan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Unit of Immune Regulation, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Unit of Immune Regulation, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
| | - Caroline Zhang
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Ruth T. Yu
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Annette R. Atkins
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Ruihong Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Unit of Immune Regulation, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
| | - Chunhui Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Unit of Immune Regulation, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
| | - Ying Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Unit of Immune Regulation, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
| | - Christopher Liddle
- Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Millennium Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Michael Downes
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Hui Xiao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Unit of Immune Regulation, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
| | - Ye Zheng
- Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory of Integrative and Systems Physiology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 15, Lausanne, CH-1015 Switzerland
| | - Ronald M. Evans
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Qibin Leng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Unit of Immune Regulation, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
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9
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The ESCRT protein CHMP5 escorts αβ T cells through positive selection. Cell Mol Immunol 2017; 15:654-656. [PMID: 28990583 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2017.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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10
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Tespa1 regulates T cell receptor-induced calcium signals by recruiting inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15732. [PMID: 28598420 PMCID: PMC5472764 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Thymocyte-expressed, positive selection-associated 1 (Tespa1) is important in T cell receptor (TCR)-driven thymocyte development. Downstream of the TCR, Tespa1 is a crucial component of the linker for activation of T cells (LAT) signalosome, facilitating calcium signalling and subsequent MAPK activation. However, it is unknown how Tespa1 elicits calcium signalling. Here, we show that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1 (IP3R1) is crucial for Tespa1-optimized, TCR-induced Ca2+ flux and thymocyte development. Upon TCR stimulation, Tespa1 directly interacts with IP3R1 and recruits it to the TCR complex, where IP3R1 is phosphorylated at Y353 by Fyn. This Tespa1-IP3R1 interaction is mediated by the F187 and F188 residues of Tespa1 and the amino-terminus of IP3R1. Tespa1-F187A/F188A mutant mice phenocopy Tespa1-deficient mice with impaired late thymocyte development due to reduced IP3R1 translocation to the TCR-proximal region. Our work elucidates the function of Tespa1 in T cell development and the regulation of TCR-induced Ca2+ signalling through IP3R1. The thymocyte development protein Tespa1 is known to translate T cell receptor signals by affecting the calcium signalling cascade, but it is not clear how. Here the authors show that Tespa1 recruits IP3R1 to the TCR signalling complex.
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11
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Post-translational control of T cell development by the ESCRT protein CHMP5. Nat Immunol 2017; 18:780-790. [DOI: 10.1038/ni.3764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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12
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Modular transcriptional repertoire and MicroRNA target analyses characterize genomic dysregulation in the thymus of Down syndrome infants. Oncotarget 2016; 7:7497-533. [PMID: 26848775 PMCID: PMC4884935 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Trisomy 21-driven transcriptional alterations in human thymus were characterized through gene coexpression network (GCN) and miRNA-target analyses. We used whole thymic tissue--obtained at heart surgery from Down syndrome (DS) and karyotipically normal subjects (CT)--and a network-based approach for GCN analysis that allows the identification of modular transcriptional repertoires (communities) and the interactions between all the system's constituents through community detection. Changes in the degree of connections observed for hierarchically important hubs/genes in CT and DS networks corresponded to community changes. Distinct communities of highly interconnected genes were topologically identified in these networks. The role of miRNAs in modulating the expression of highly connected genes in CT and DS was revealed through miRNA-target analysis. Trisomy 21 gene dysregulation in thymus may be depicted as the breakdown and altered reorganization of transcriptional modules. Leading networks acting in normal or disease states were identified. CT networks would depict the "canonical" way of thymus functioning. Conversely, DS networks represent a "non-canonical" way, i.e., thymic tissue adaptation under trisomy 21 genomic dysregulation. This adaptation is probably driven by epigenetic mechanisms acting at chromatin level and through the miRNA control of transcriptional programs involving the networks' high-hierarchy genes.
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Fric J, Lim CXF, Mertes A, Lee BTK, Viganò E, Chen J, Zolezzi F, Poidinger M, Larbi A, Strobl H, Zelante T, Ricciardi-Castagnoli P. Calcium and calcineurin-NFAT signaling regulate granulocyte-monocyte progenitor cell cycle via Flt3-L. Stem Cells 2015; 32:3232-44. [PMID: 25100642 PMCID: PMC4282522 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Maintenance of myeloid progenitor cells is controlled by complex regulatory mechanisms and is orchestrated by multiple different transcription factors. Here, we report that the activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) by calcium-sensing protein calcineurin inhibits the proliferation of myeloid granulocyte–monocyte progenitors (GMPs). Myeloid progenitor subtypes exhibit variable sensitivity to induced Ca2+ entry and consequently display differential engagement of the calcineurin-NFAT pathway. This study shows that inhibition of the calcineurin-NFAT pathway enhances the proliferation of GMPs both in vitro and in vivo and demonstrates that calcineurin-NFAT signaling in GMPs is initiated by Flt3-L. Inhibition of the calcineurin-NFAT pathway modified expression of the cell cycle regulation genes Cdk4, Cdk6, and Cdkn1a (p21), thus enabling rapid cell cycle progression specifically in GMPs. NFAT inhibitor drugs are extensively used in the clinic to restrict the pathological activation of lymphoid cells, and our data reveal for the first time that these therapies also exert potent effects on maintenance of the myeloid cell compartment through specific regulation of GMP proliferation. Stem Cells2014;32:3232–3244
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Fric
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
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Placing ion channels into a signaling network of T cells: from maturing thymocytes to healthy T lymphocytes or leukemic T lymphoblasts. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:750203. [PMID: 25866806 PMCID: PMC4383400 DOI: 10.1155/2015/750203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
T leukemogenesis is a multistep process, where the genetic errors during T cell maturation cause the healthy progenitor to convert into the leukemic precursor that lost its ability to differentiate but possesses high potential for proliferation, self-renewal, and migration. A new misdirecting "leukemogenic" signaling network appears, composed by three types of participants which are encoded by (1) genes implicated in determined stages of T cell development but deregulated by translocations or mutations, (2) genes which normally do not participate in T cell development but are upregulated, and (3) nondifferentially expressed genes which become highly interconnected with genes expressed differentially. It appears that each of three groups may contain genes coding ion channels. In T cells, ion channels are implicated in regulation of cell cycle progression, differentiation, activation, migration, and cell death. In the present review we are going to reveal a relationship between different genetic defects, which drive the T cell neoplasias, with calcium signaling and ion channels. We suggest that changes in regulation of various ion channels in different types of the T leukemias may provide the intracellular ion microenvironment favorable to maintain self-renewal capacity, arrest differentiation, induce proliferation, and enhance motility.
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Serrano-Candelas E, Alemán-Muench G, Solé-Sánchez S, Aubareda A, Martínez-Høyer S, Adán J, Aranguren-Ibáñez Á, Pritchard MA, Soldevila G, Pérez-Riba M. RCAN 1 and 3 proteins regulate thymic positive selection. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 460:295-301. [PMID: 25783055 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Cooperation between calcineurin (CN)-NFATc and RAF-MEK-ERK signaling pathways is essential in thymocyte positive selection. It is known that the Regulators of Calcineurin (RCAN) proteins can act either facilitating or suppressing CN-dependent signaling events. Here, we show that RCAN genes are expressed in lymphoid tissues, and address the role of RCAN proteins in T cell development. Overexpression of human RCAN3 and RCAN1 can modulate T cell development by increasing positive selection-related surface markers, as well as the "Erk(hi) competence state" in double positive thymocytes, a characteristic molecular signature of positive selection, without affecting CN activity. We also found that RCAN1/3 interact with RAF kinases and CN in a non-exclusive manner. Our data suggests that the balance of RCAN interactions with CN and/or RAF kinases may influence T cell positive selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Serrano-Candelas
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Cell Signaling Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08908, Spain
| | - Germán Alemán-Muench
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, Mexico
| | - Sònia Solé-Sánchez
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Cell Signaling Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08908, Spain
| | - Anna Aubareda
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Cell Signaling Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08908, Spain
| | - Sergio Martínez-Høyer
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Cell Signaling Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08908, Spain
| | - Jaume Adán
- LEITAT Technological Center, Biomed Divison, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Álvaro Aranguren-Ibáñez
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Cell Signaling Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08908, Spain
| | - Melanie A Pritchard
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Gloria Soldevila
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, Mexico.
| | - Mercè Pérez-Riba
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Cell Signaling Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08908, Spain.
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16
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N-glycosylation bidirectionally extends the boundaries of thymocyte positive selection by decoupling Lck from Ca²⁺ signaling. Nat Immunol 2014; 15:1038-45. [PMID: 25263124 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Positive selection of diverse yet self-tolerant thymocytes is vital to immunity and requires a limited degree of T cell antigen receptor (TCR) signaling in response to self peptide-major histocompatibility complexes (self peptide-MHCs). Affinity of newly generated TCR for peptide-MHC primarily sets the boundaries for positive selection. We report that N-glycan branching of TCR and the CD4 and CD8 coreceptors separately altered the upper and lower affinity boundaries from which interactions between peptide-MHC and TCR positively select T cells. During thymocyte development, N-glycan branching varied approximately 15-fold. N-glycan branching was required for positive selection and decoupled Lck signaling from TCR-driven Ca(2+) flux to simultaneously promote low-affinity peptide-MHC responses while inhibiting high-affinity ones. Therefore, N-glycan branching imposes a sliding scale on interactions between peptide-MHC and TCR that bidirectionally expands the affinity range for positive selection.
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17
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Loss of IP3R-dependent Ca2+ signalling in thymocytes leads to aberrant development and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4814. [PMID: 25215520 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium ions (Ca(2+)) function as universal second messengers in eukaryotic cells, including immune cells. Ca(2+) is crucial for peripheral T-lymphocyte activation and effector functions, and influences thymocyte selection and motility in the developing thymus. However, the role of Ca(2+) signalling in early T-lymphocyte development is not well understood. Here we show that the inositol triphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) Ca(2+) ion channels are required for proliferation, survival and developmental progression of T-lymphocyte precursors. Our studies indicate that signalling via IP3Rs represses Sox13, an antagonist of the developmentally important transcription factor Tcf-1. In the absence of IP3R-mediated Ca(2+) signalling, repression of key Notch transcriptional targets--including Hes1--fail to occur in post β-selection thymocytes, and mice develop aggressive T-cell malignancies that resemble human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). These data indicate that IP3R-mediated Ca(2+) signalling reinforces Tcf-1 activity to both ensure normal development and prevent thymocyte neoplasia.
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18
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Siggs OM, Yates AL, Schlenner S, Liston A, Lesage S, Goodnow CC. A ZAP-70 kinase domain variant prevents thymocyte-positive selection despite signalling CD69 induction. Immunology 2014; 141:587-95. [PMID: 24266404 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Revised: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative reductions in T-cell receptor (TCR) signalling are associated with severe immunodeficiency, yet in certain cases can lead to autoimmunity. Mutation of the tyrosine kinase ZAP-70 can cause either of these outcomes, yet the limits of its signal transducing capacity are not well defined. To investigate these limits we have made use of mrtless: a chemically induced mutation of Zap70 associated with T-cell deficiency. Unlike cells devoid of ZAP-70, mrtless thymocytes showed partial induction of CD5 and CD69, and were sensitive to TCR stimulation with a dose-response shifted approximately 10-fold. However, essentially no T cells were able to compensate for the mrtless mutation and mature beyond the CD4⁺ CD8⁺ stage. This outcome contrasts with a ZAP-70 Src Homology 2 domain mutant strain, where high-affinity self-reactive TCR are positively selected rather than deleted. We discuss these data with respect to current models of TCR signalling in thymocyte selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen M Siggs
- Department of Immunology, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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19
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Ando H, Asai T, Koide H, Okamoto A, Maeda N, Tomita K, Dewa T, Minamino T, Oku N. Advanced cancer therapy by integrative antitumor actions via systemic administration of miR-499. J Control Release 2014; 181:32-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2014.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2013] [Revised: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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20
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Diacylglycerol metabolism attenuates T-cell receptor signaling and alters thymocyte differentiation. Cell Death Dis 2013; 4:e912. [PMID: 24201811 PMCID: PMC3847306 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2013.396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Revised: 08/07/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Diacylglycerol (DAG) metabolism has a critical function in Ras-regulated functions in mature T cells, but causal data linking defects in DAG-based signals with altered thymus development are missing. To study the effect of increased DAG metabolism in T-cell development, we engineered a membrane-targeted constitutive active version of DAG kinase-α (DGKα). We show that transgenic expression of constitutive active DGK leads to developmental defects in T cells, with a marked accumulation of immature CD8 thymocytes and a reduction in positive selected populations. These alterations are reflected in the periphery by a CD4/CD8 cell imbalance and general T-cell lymphopenia. The results link DAG metabolism to T-cell homeostasis, and show that correctly controlled generation and consumption of this lipid at the plasma membrane ensure T-cell passage through quality-control checkpoints during differentiation.
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Thymic regulatory T cell development: role of signalling pathways and transcription factors. Clin Dev Immunol 2013; 2013:617595. [PMID: 24187564 PMCID: PMC3803129 DOI: 10.1155/2013/617595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subset of CD4 T cells that are key mediators of immune tolerance. Most Tregs develop in the thymus. In this review we summarise recent findings on the role of diverse signalling pathways and downstream transcription factors in thymic Treg development.
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22
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Thewes S, Schubert SK, Park K, Mutzel R. Stress and development inDictyostelium discoideum: the involvement of the catalytic calcineurin A subunit. J Basic Microbiol 2013; 54:607-13. [DOI: 10.1002/jobm.201200574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 01/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Thewes
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy; Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - Sebastian K. Schubert
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy; Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - Kyuhyeon Park
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy; Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - Rupert Mutzel
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy; Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin Germany
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The calcineurin dependent transcription factor TacA is involved in development and the stress response of Dictyostelium discoideum. Eur J Cell Biol 2012; 91:789-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2012.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2012] [Revised: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 07/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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24
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A voltage-gated sodium channel is essential for the positive selection of CD4(+) T cells. Nat Immunol 2012; 13:880-7. [PMID: 22842345 PMCID: PMC3426661 DOI: 10.1038/ni.2379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sustained Ca2+ entry into CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes is required for positive selection. We identified a voltage-gated Na+ channel (VGSC), essential for positive selection of CD4+ T cells. Pharmacological inhibition of VGSC activity inhibitedsustained Ca2+ influx induced by positive-selecting ligands and in vitro positive selection of CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells. In vivo shRNA knockdown of Scn5a specifically inhibited positive selection of CD4+ T cells. Ectopic expression of VGSC in peripheral AND CD4+ T cells bestowed the ability to respond to a positively selecting ligand, directly demonstrating VGSC expression was responsible for increased sensitivity. Thus active VGSCs in thymocytes provide a mechanism by which a weak positive selecting signal can induce sustained Ca2+ signals required for CD4+ T cell development.
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25
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Seiler MP, Mathew R, Liszewski MK, Spooner C, Barr K, Meng F, Singh H, Bendelac A. Elevated and sustained expression of the transcription factors Egr1 and Egr2 controls NKT lineage differentiation in response to TCR signaling. Nat Immunol 2012; 13:264-71. [PMID: 22306690 PMCID: PMC3288314 DOI: 10.1038/ni.2230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2011] [Accepted: 01/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Interactions driven by the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) determine the lineage fate of CD4(+)CD8(+) thymocytes, but the molecular mechanisms that induce the lineage-determining transcription factors are unknown. Here we found that TCR-induced transcription factors Egr2 and Egr1 had higher and more-prolonged expression in precursors of the natural killer T (NKT) than in cells of conventional lineages. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing showed that Egr2 directly bound and activated the promoter of Zbtb16, which encodes the NKT lineage-specific transcription factor PLZF. Egr2 also bound the promoter of Il2rb, which encodes the interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor β-chain, and controlled the responsiveness to IL-15, which signals the terminal differentiation of the NKT lineage. Thus, we propose that persistent higher expression of Egr2 specifies the early and late stages of NKT lineage differentiation, providing a discriminating mechanism that enables TCR signaling to 'instruct' a thymic lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Seiler
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Rebecca Mathew
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Megan K. Liszewski
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Chauncey Spooner
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Kenneth Barr
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Fanyong Meng
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Harinder Singh
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Albert Bendelac
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
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Li J, Hu M, Guo J, Su Z, Wei Q. Calcineurin subunit B is an immunostimulatory protein and acts as a vaccine adjuvant inducing protective cellular and humoral responses against pneumococcal infection. Immunol Lett 2011; 140:52-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2011.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2011] [Revised: 05/23/2011] [Accepted: 06/10/2011] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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27
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Staton TL, Lazarevic V, Jones DC, Lanser AJ, Takagi T, Ishii S, Glimcher LH. Dampening of death pathways by schnurri-2 is essential for T-cell development. Nature 2011; 472:105-9. [PMID: 21475200 PMCID: PMC3077958 DOI: 10.1038/nature09848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2010] [Accepted: 01/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Generation of a diverse and self-tolerant T cell repertoire requires appropriate interpretation of T cell receptor (TCR) signals by CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) thymocytes. Thymocyte cell fate is dictated by the nature of TCR:MHC-peptide interactions, with signals of higher strength leading to death (negative selection) and signals of intermediate strength leading to differentiation (positive selection)1. Molecules that regulate T cell development by modulating TCR signal strength have been described but components that specifically define the boundaries between positive and negative selection remain unknown. Here we show that repression of TCR-induced death pathways is critical for proper interpretation of positive selecting signals in vivo, and identify Schnurri2 (Shn2) as a crucial death dampener. Our results indicate that Shn2−/− DP thymocytes inappropriately undergo negative selection in response to positive selecting signals, thus leading to disrupted T cell development. Shn2−/− DP thymocytes are more sensitive to TCR-induced death in vitro and die in response to positive selection interactions in vivo. However, Shn2-deficient thymocytes can be positively selected when TCR-induced death is genetically-ablated. Shn2 levels increase after TCR stimulation suggesting that integration of multiple TCR:MHC-peptide interactions may fine tune the death threshold. Mechanistically, Shn2 functions downstream of TCR proximal signaling compenents to dampen Bax activation and the mitochondrial death pathway. Our findings uncover a critical regulator of T cell development that controls the balance between death and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L Staton
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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28
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Billard MJ, Gruver AL, Sempowski GD. Acute endotoxin-induced thymic atrophy is characterized by intrathymic inflammatory and wound healing responses. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17940. [PMID: 21437240 PMCID: PMC3060875 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2010] [Accepted: 02/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Productive thymopoiesis is essential for a robust and healthy immune system.
Thymus unfortunately is acutely sensitive to stress resulting in involution
and decreased T cell production. Thymic involution is a complication of many
clinical settings, including infection, malnutrition, starvation, and
irradiation or immunosuppressive therapies. Systemic rises in
glucocorticoids and inflammatory cytokines are known to contribute to thymic
atrophy. Little is known, however, about intrathymic mechanisms that may
actively contribute to thymus atrophy or initiate thymic recovery following
stress events. Methodology/Principal Findings Phenotypic, histologic and transcriptome/pathway analysis of murine thymic
tissue during the early stages of endotoxemia-induced thymic involution was
performed to identify putative mechanisms that drive thymic involution
during stress. Thymus atrophy in this murine model was confirmed by
down-regulation of genes involved in T cell development, cell activation,
and cell cycle progression, correlating with observed phenotypic and
histologic thymus involution. Significant gene changes support the
hypothesis that multiple key intrathymic pathways are differentially
activated during stress-induced thymic involution. These included direct
activation of thymus tissue by LPS through TLR signaling, local expression
of inflammatory cytokines, inhibition of T cell signaling, and induction of
wound healing/tissue remodeling. Conclusions/Significance Taken together, these observations demonstrated that in addition to the
classic systemic response, a direct intrathymic response to endotoxin
challenge concurrently contributes to thymic involution during endotoxemia.
These findings are a substantial advancement over current understanding of
thymus response to stress and may lead to the development of novel
therapeutic approaches to ameliorate immune deficiency associated with
stress events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Billard
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical
Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Amanda L. Gruver
- Department of Medicine, Department of Pathology, and the Duke University
Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina,
United States of America
| | - Gregory D. Sempowski
- Department of Medicine, Department of Pathology, and the Duke University
Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina,
United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Cyclosporin A and tacrolimus have been used as immunosuppressive agents initially in organ transplantation after their discovery, and are also used for treatment of the autoimmune disease, providing an excellent therapeutic effect. These agents act targeting on intracellular phosphatase calcineurin (CN), and subsequently inhibit activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), a key regulator of stimulation-dependent gene activation. The CN-NFAT system is involved not only in the immunoregulation including activation and development of helper T cells, regulatory T cells and NKT cells, but in a variety of cellular and developmental events other than immune system. CN inhibitors also affect organs outside of immune system leading to adverse effects, including nephrotoxicity and glucose intolerance. We review recent findings in CN-NFAT system, as well as development of potential CN inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiharu Amasaki
- The Center for Rheumatic Diseases/Tonan Hospital, KKR Sapporo Medical Center, Japan
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Hernandez JB, Newton RH, Walsh CM. Life and death in the thymus--cell death signaling during T cell development. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2011; 22:865-71. [PMID: 20810263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2010.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2010] [Revised: 07/31/2010] [Accepted: 08/05/2010] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The thymus is an organ vital to proper T cell development, and the regulation of cell survival and death contributes significantly to its efficient function. Vital to many of the developmental processes that occur in the thymus, control over cell survival and death is orchestrated by several signaling processes. In this review, we focus on the regulation of death in early thymocytes known as CD4/CD8 double negative cells, including the roles of interleukin-7 and Bcl-2 family members in this developmental stage. We next consider the survival and death of later thymocytes that express both CD4 and CD8, the 'double-positive' thymocytes. These findings are discussed within the context of recent studies demonstrating the existence of caspase-independent cell death pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeniffer B Hernandez
- The Institute for Immunology and the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, USA
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31
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Feng N, Vegh P, Rothenberg EV, Yui MA. Lineage divergence at the first TCR-dependent checkpoint: preferential γδ and impaired αβ T cell development in nonobese diabetic mice. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2010; 186:826-37. [PMID: 21148803 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1002630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The first TCR-dependent checkpoint in the thymus determines αβ versus γδ T lineage fate and sets the stage for later T cell differentiation decisions. We had previously shown that early T cells in NOD mice that are unable to rearrange a TCR exhibit a defect in checkpoint enforcement at this stage. To determine if T cell progenitors from wild-type NOD mice also exhibit cell-autonomous defects in development, we investigated their differentiation in the Notch-ligand-presenting OP9-DL1 coculture system, as well as by analysis of T cell development in vivo. Cultured CD4 and CD8 double-negative cells from NOD mice exhibited major defects in the generation of CD4 and CD8 double-positive αβ T cells, whereas γδ T cell development from bipotent precursors was enhanced. Limiting dilution and single-cell experiments show that the divergent effects on αβ and γδ T cell development did not spring from biased lineage choice but from increased proliferation of γδ T cells and impaired accumulation of αβ T lineage double-positive cells. In vivo, NOD early T cell subsets in the thymus also show characteristics indicative of defective β-selection, and peripheral αβ T cells are poorly established in mixed bone marrow chimeras, contrasting with strong γδ T as well as B cell repopulation. Thus, NOD T cell precursors reveal divergent, lineage-specific differentiation abnormalities in vitro and in vivo from the first TCR-dependent developmental choice point, which may have consequences for subsequent lineage decisions and effector functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Feng
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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32
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The essential function for serum response factor in T-cell development reflects its specific coupling to extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling. Mol Cell Biol 2010; 31:267-76. [PMID: 21098124 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.01058-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Serum response factor (SRF) recruits members of two families of signal-regulated coactivators, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-regulated ternary complex factors (TCFs) and the actin-regulated myocardin-related transcription factors (MRTFs), to its target genes through its DNA-binding domain. Whether coactivator association is required for SRF function in vivo and whether particular SRF functions reflect specific coupling to one or the other signal pathway have remained largely unexplored. We show that SRF is essential for thymocyte positive selection and thymic T(reg) and NK T-cell development but dispensable for early thymocyte development and negative selection. Expression of wild-type SRF, or mutants lacking the N-terminal phosphorylation sites or C-terminal transcriptional activation domain, restores positive selection in SRF null thymocytes. In contrast, SRF.V194E, which cannot recruit TCF or MRTF family members, is inactive, although it is recruited to target genes. Fusion of a TCF C-terminal activation domain to SRF.V194E effectively restores ERK-dependent single-positive (SP) thymocyte development. The resulting SP thymocytes exhibit normal surface marker expression and proliferation following T-cell receptor cross-linking. Thus, ERK signaling through the TCF pathway to SRF is necessary and sufficient for SRF function in thymocyte positive selection.
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Abstract
Second messenger molecules relay, amplify, and diversify cell surface receptor signals. Two important examples are phosphorylated D-myo-inositol derivatives, such as phosphoinositide lipids within cellular membranes, and soluble inositol phosphates. Here, we review how phosphoinositide metabolism generates multiple second messengers with important roles in T-cell development and function. They include soluble inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate, long known for its Ca(2+)-mobilizing function, and phosphatidylinositol(3,4,5)trisphosphate, whose generation by phosphoinositide 3-kinase and turnover by the phosphatases PTEN and SHIP control a key "hub" of TCR signaling. More recent studies unveiled important second messenger functions for diacylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, and soluble inositol(1,3,4,5)tetrakisphosphate (IP(4)) in immune cells. Inositol(1,3,4,5)tetrakisphosphate acts as a soluble phosphatidylinositol(3,4,5)trisphosphate analog to control protein membrane recruitment. We propose that phosphoinositide lipids and soluble inositol phosphates (IPs) can act as complementary partners whose interplay could have broadly important roles in cellular signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yina H Huang
- Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
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Wang L, Xiong Y, Bosselut R. Tenuous paths in unexplored territory: From T cell receptor signaling to effector gene expression during thymocyte selection. Semin Immunol 2010; 22:294-302. [PMID: 20537906 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2010.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2010] [Accepted: 04/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
During the last step of alphabeta T cell development, thymocytes that have rearranged genes encoding TCR chains and express CD4 and CD8 coreceptors are selected on the basis of their TCR reactivity to escape programmed cell death and become mature CD4 or CD8 T cells. This process is triggered by intrathymic TCR signaling, that activates 'sensor' transcription factors 'constitutively' expressed in DP thymocytes. Eventually, TCR-signaled thymocytes evolve effector transcriptional circuits that control basal metabolism, migration, survival and initiation of lineage-specific gene expression. This review examines how components of the 'sensing' transcription apparatus responds to positive selection signals, and highlights important differences with mature T cell responses. In a second part, we evaluate current observations and hypotheses on the connections between sensing transcription factors and effector circuitries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lie Wang
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-4259, USA
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36
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Abstract
The development of T cells in the thymus involves several differentiation and proliferation events, during which hematopoietic precursors give rise to T cells ready to respond to antigen stimulation and undergo effector differentiation. This review addresses signaling and transcriptional checkpoints that control the intrathymic journey of T cell precursors. We focus on the divergence of alphabeta and gammadelta lineage cells and the elaboration of the alphabeta T cell repertoire, with special emphasis on the emergence of transcriptional programs that direct lineage decisions.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cell Differentiation/genetics
- Cell Differentiation/immunology
- Cell Lineage
- Gene Expression Regulation/immunology
- Humans
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/immunology
- Signal Transduction/genetics
- Signal Transduction/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/cytology
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Thymus Gland/cytology
- Thymus Gland/immunology
- Transcription, Genetic/genetics
- Transcription, Genetic/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Carpenter
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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37
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Gruber T, Pfeifhofer-Obermair C, Baier G. PKCtheta is necessary for efficient activation of NFkappaB, NFAT, and AP-1 during positive selection of thymocytes. Immunol Lett 2010; 132:6-11. [PMID: 20433868 PMCID: PMC2937209 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2010.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2010] [Revised: 04/06/2010] [Accepted: 04/20/2010] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
While it has been shown in several publications that the serine-threonine kinase PKCθ is required for efficient activation of mature T lymphocytes, the role of PKCθ in T cell development in the thymus is somewhat controversial. In this study, using knockout mice, we show that PKCθ is important in positive selection. The thymus of PKCθ−/− animals contains significantly less mature single positive T cells compared to wild-type controls. Biochemically, PKCθ deficient thymocytes show defective activation of the transcription factors AP-1, NFAT and NFκB as well as impaired phosphorylation of the MAP kinase ERK after T cell receptor stimulation in vitro. Together, these results reveal a crucial role of PKCθ in positive selection of thymocytes in a pathway leading to the activation of ERK, AP-1, NFAT, and NFκB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Gruber
- Department of Medical Genetics, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Schöpfstrasse 41, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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38
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Lawson VJ, Weston K, Maurice D. Early growth response 2 regulates the survival of thymocytes during positive selection. Eur J Immunol 2010; 40:232-41. [PMID: 19877014 DOI: 10.1002/eji.200939567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The early growth response (Egr) transcription factor family regulates multiple steps during T-cell development. We examine here the role played by Egr2 in positive selection. In double-positive cells, Egr2 is upregulated immediately following TCR ligation, and its expression requires both the MAPK and calcineurin signaling pathways. Inducible transgenic and knockout mice were generated to cause gain- or loss-of-function of Egr2 in double-positive cells, and had reciprocal effects; more mature single-positive cells were made when Egr2 was overexpressed, and fewer when Egr2 was absent. These defects were associated with changes in the survival of positively selected cells rather than perturbation of positive selection or immediate post-selection signaling. The survival function of Egr2 at least partly depends upon its ability to activate the cytokine-mediated survival pathway, likely through negative regulation of both the IL-7R and suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (Socs1), the molecular switch whose downregulation normally results in restored responsiveness to cytokine signaling following selection. While gain of Egr2 caused a decrease in Socs1 mRNA, loss of Egr2 resulted in downregulation of IL-7R, upregulation of Socs1, and inhibition of Stat5 phosphorylation and IL-7-mediated survival post-selection. Therefore, expression of Egr2 following positive selection links the initial TCR signaling event to subsequent survival of signaled cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria J Lawson
- Section of Cell and Molecular Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
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39
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Kovalovsky D, Pezzano M, Ortiz BD, Sant'Angelo DB. A novel TCR transgenic model reveals that negative selection involves an immediate, Bim-dependent pathway and a delayed, Bim-independent pathway. PLoS One 2010; 5:e8675. [PMID: 20072628 PMCID: PMC2800196 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2009] [Accepted: 12/15/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A complete understanding of negative selection has been elusive due to the rapid apoptosis and clearance of thymocytes in vivo. We report a TCR transgenic model in which expression of the TCR during differentiation occurs only after V(D)J-like recombination. TCR expression from this transgene closely mimics expression of the endogenous TCRalpha locus allowing for development that is similar to wild type thymocytes. This model allowed us to characterize the phenotypic changes that occurred after TCR-mediated signaling in self-reactive thymocytes prior to their deletion in a highly physiological setting. Self-reactive thymocytes were identified as being immature, activated and CD4(lo)CD8(lo). These cells had upregulated markers of negative selection and were apoptotic. Elimination of Bim reduced the apoptosis of self-reactive thymocytes, but it did not rescue their differentiation and the cells remained at the immature CD4(lo)CD8(lo) stage of development. These cells upregulate Nur77 and do not contribute to the peripheral T cell repertoire in vivo. Remarkably, development past the CD4(lo)CD8(lo) stage was possible once the cells were removed from the negatively selecting thymic environment. In vitro development of these cells occurred despite their maintenance of high intracellular levels of Nur77. Therefore, in vivo, negatively selected Bim-deficient thymocytes are eliminated after prolonged developmental arrest via a Bim-independent pathway that is dependent on the thymic microenvironment. These data newly reveal a layering of immediate, Bim-dependent, and delayed Bim-independent pathways that both contribute to elimination of self-reactive thymocytes in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian Kovalovsky
- Immunology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Mark Pezzano
- Department of Biology, The City College of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Benjamin D. Ortiz
- Department of Biological Sciences, City University of New York, Hunter College, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Derek B. Sant'Angelo
- Immunology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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40
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Abstract
Transplantation specificity and protective immunity occur in both adaptive and innate branches of the vertebrate immune system. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie specificity and self-tolerance of immune function has major significance, from preventing a rejection reaction after transplantation to dissecting the causes of autoimmune disease. The core of vertebrate immunity is the ability to discriminate between highly polymorphic ligands, and this process is also found in allorecognition systems throughout the metazoa. Botryllus schlosseri is a tunicate, the modern-day descendents of the phylum that made the transition between invertebrates and vertebrates. In addition, B. schlosseri undergoes a natural transplantation reaction, which is controlled by a single, highly polymorphic locus called fuhc, reminiscent of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-based allorecognition. The life-history characteristics of Botryllus make it an excellent model to dissect the functional and developmental mechanisms underlying allorecognition, and have the potential to reveal novel insights into issues from innate recognition strategies to the evolution of genetic polymorphism. In addition, we hypothesize that allorecognition in Botryllus must be based on conserved processes that are fundamental to all immune function: education and tolerance, or the ontogeny and maintenance of specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony W. De Tomaso
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA (e-mail: )
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41
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Affiliation(s)
- Masatsugu Oh-hora
- Department of Cell Signaling, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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42
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Kovalovsky D, Yu Y, Dose M, Emmanouilidou A, Konstantinou T, Germar K, Aghajani K, Guo Z, Mandal M, Gounari F. Beta-catenin/Tcf determines the outcome of thymic selection in response to alphabetaTCR signaling. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 183:3873-84. [PMID: 19717519 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0901369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Thymic maturation of T cells depends on the intracellular interpretation of alphabetaTCR signals by processes that are poorly understood. In this study, we report that beta-catenin/Tcf signaling was activated in double-positive thymocytes in response to alphabetaTCR engagement and impacted thymocyte selection. TCR engagement combined with activation of beta-catenin signaled thymocyte deletion, whereas Tcf-1 deficiency rescued from negative selection. Survival/apoptotis mediators including Bim, Bcl-2, and Bcl-x(L) were alternatively influenced by stabilization of beta-catenin or ablation of Tcf-1, and Bim-mediated beta-catenin induced thymocyte deletion. TCR activation in double-positive cells with stabilized beta-catenin triggered signaling associated with negative selection, including sustained overactivation of Lat and Jnk and a transient activation of Erk. These observations are consistent with beta-catenin/Tcf signaling acting as a switch that determines the outcome of thymic selection downstream the alphabetaTCR cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian Kovalovsky
- Molecular Oncology Research Institute, Tufts New England Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA
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43
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Gatzka M, Newton RH, Walsh CM. Altered thymic selection and increased autoimmunity caused by ectopic expression of DRAK2 during T cell development. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 183:285-97. [PMID: 19542440 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0803530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Negative regulation of TCR signaling is an important mechanism enforcing immunological self-tolerance to prevent inappropriate activation of T cells and thus the development of autoimmune diseases. The lymphoid-restricted serine/threonine kinase death-associated protein-related apoptotic kinase-2 (DRAK2) raises the TCR activation threshold by targeting TCR-induced calcium mobilization in thymocytes and peripheral T cells and regulates positive thymic selection and peripheral T cell activation. Despite a hypersensitivity of peripheral drak2-deficient T cells, drak2-deficient mice are enigmatically resistant to induced autoimmunity in the model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. To further evaluate the differential role of DRAK2 in central vs peripheral tolerance and to assess its impact on the development of autoimmune diseases, we have generated a transgenic (Tg) mouse strain ectopically expressing DRAK2 via the lck proximal promoter (1017-DRAK2 Tg mice). This transgene led to highest expression levels in double-positive thymocytes that are normally devoid of DRAK2. 1017-DRAK2 Tg mice displayed a reduction of single-positive CD4(+) and CD8(+) thymocytes in context with diminished negative selection in male HY TCR x 1017-DRAK2 Tg mice as well as peripheral T cell hypersensitivity, enhanced susceptibility to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, and spontaneous autoimmunity. These findings suggest that alteration in thymocyte signaling thresholds impacts the sensitivity of peripheral T cell pools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Gatzka
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry/Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, 92697, USA
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44
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Johnson AL, Aravind L, Shulzhenko N, Morgun A, Choi SY, Crockford TL, Lambe T, Domaschenz H, Kucharska EM, Zheng L, Vinuesa CG, Lenardo MJ, Goodnow CC, Cornall RJ, Schwartz RH. Themis is a member of a new metazoan gene family and is required for the completion of thymocyte positive selection. Nat Immunol 2009; 10:831-9. [PMID: 19597497 PMCID: PMC2908989 DOI: 10.1038/ni.1769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2009] [Accepted: 06/09/2009] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
T cell antigen receptor (TCR) signaling in CD4(+)CD8(+) double-positive thymocytes determines cell survival and lineage commitment, but the genetic and molecular basis of this process is poorly defined. To address this issue, we used ethylnitrosourea mutagenesis to identify a previously unknown T lineage-specific gene, Themis, which is critical for the completion of positive selection. Themis contains a tandem repeat of a unique globular domain (called 'CABIT' here) that includes a cysteine motif that defines a family of five uncharacterized vertebrate proteins with orthologs in most animal species. Themis-deficient thymocytes showed no substantial impairment in early TCR signaling but did show altered expression of genes involved in the cell cycle and survival before and during positive selection. Our data suggest a unique function for Themis in sustaining positive selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy L Johnson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Oxford University, UK
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45
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Lawson VJ, Maurice D, Silk JD, Cerundolo V, Weston K. Aberrant Selection and Function of Invariant NKT Cells in the Absence of AP-1 Transcription Factor Fra-2. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 183:2575-84. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0803577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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46
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Godfrey DI, Stankovic S, Baxter AG. Developing NKT cells need their calcium. Nat Immunol 2009; 10:231-3. [DOI: 10.1038/ni0309-231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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47
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Lazarevic V, Zullo AJ, Schweitzer MN, Staton TL, Gallo EM, Crabtree GR, Glimcher LH. The gene encoding early growth response 2, a target of the transcription factor NFAT, is required for the development and maturation of natural killer T cells. Nat Immunol 2009; 10:306-13. [PMID: 19169262 DOI: 10.1038/ni.1696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2008] [Accepted: 12/04/2008] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The influence of signals transmitted by the phosphatase calcineurin and the transcription factor NFAT on the development and function of natural killer T (NKT) cells is unclear. In this report, we demonstrate that the transcription factor early growth response 2 (Egr2), a target gene of NFAT, was specifically required for the ontogeny of NKT cells but not that of conventional CD4(+) or CD8(+) T cells. NKT cells developed normally in the absence of Egr1 or Egr3, which suggests that Egr2 is a specific regulator of NKT cell differentiation. We found that Egr2 was important in the selection, survival and maturation of NKT cells. Our findings emphasize the importance of the calcineurin-NFAT-Egr2 pathway in the development of the NKT lymphocyte lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanja Lazarevic
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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48
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Morley SC, Weber KS, Kao H, Allen PM. Protein kinase C-theta is required for efficient positive selection. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2008; 181:4696-708. [PMID: 18802072 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.181.7.4696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinase C-theta (PKCtheta) is critical for TCR-initiated signaling in mature T cells, but initial reports found no requirement for PKCtheta in thymocyte development. Thymocytes and peripheral T cells utilize many of the same signaling components and, given the significant role of PKCtheta in peripheral T cells, it was surprising that it was not involved at all in TCR signaling in thymocytes. We decided to re-evaluate the role of PKCtheta in thymocyte development using the well-characterized class II-restricted n3.L2 TCR-transgenic TCR model. Analysis of n3.L2 PKCtheta(-/-) mice revealed a defect in thymocyte-positive selection, resulting in a 50% reduction in the generation of n3.L2 CD4 single-positive thymocytes and n3.L2 CD4 mature T cells. Competition between n3.L2 WT and n3.L2 PKCtheta(-/-) thymocytes in bone marrow chimeras revealed a more dramatic defect, with a >80% reduction in generation of n3.L2 CD4 single-positive thymocytes derived from PKCtheta(-/-) mice. Inefficient positive selection of n3.L2 PKCtheta(-/-) CD4 single-positive cells resulted from "weaker" signaling through the TCR and correlated with diminished ERK activation. The defect in positive selection was not complete in the PKCtheta(-/-) mice, most likely accounted for by compensation by other PKC isoforms not evident in peripheral cells. Similar decreased positive selection of both CD4 and CD8 single-positive thymocytes was also seen in nontransgenic PKCtheta(-/-) mice. These findings now place PKCtheta as a key signaling molecule in the positive selection of thymocytes as well as in the activation of mature T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Celeste Morley
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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49
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Oh-hora M, Rao A. Calcium signaling in lymphocytes. Curr Opin Immunol 2008; 20:250-8. [PMID: 18515054 PMCID: PMC2574011 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2008.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 298] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2008] [Revised: 03/24/2008] [Accepted: 04/10/2008] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
In cells of the immune system, calcium signals are essential for diverse cellular functions including differentiation, effector function, and gene transcription. After the engagement of immunoreceptors such as T-cell and B-cell antigen receptors and the Fc receptors on mast cells and NK cells, the intracellular concentration of calcium ions is increased through the sequential operation of two interdependent processes: depletion of endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) stores as a result of binding of inositol trisphosphate (IP(3)) to IP(3) receptors, followed by 'store-operated' Ca(2+) entry through plasma membrane Ca(2+) channels. In lymphocytes, mast cells and other immune cell types, store-operated Ca(2+) entry through specialized Ca(2+) release-activated calcium (CRAC) channels constitutes the major pathway of intracellular Ca(2+) increase. A recent breakthrough in our understanding of CRAC channel function is the identification of stromal interaction molecule (STIM) and ORAI, two essential regulators of CRAC channel function. This review focuses on the signaling pathways upstream and downstream of Ca(2+) influx (the STIM/ORAI and calcineurin/NFAT pathways, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Masatsugu Oh-hora
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Immune Disease Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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50
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Abstract
Sustained calcium signaling in T cells is critical for development and activation. In this issue of Immunity, Matza et al. (2007) demonstrate that the huge scaffold protein, AHNAK1, interacts with L-type calcium channels, regulates Ca2+ influx, and defends against Leishmania major infection.
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