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Michelson DA, Mathis D. Thymic Mimetic Cells: Ontogeny as Immunology. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2024; 40:283-300. [PMID: 38608315 PMCID: PMC11446667 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-112122-023316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) generate immunological self-tolerance by ectopically expressing peripheral-tissue antigens (PTAs) within the thymus to preview the peripheral self to maturing T cells. Recent work, drawing inspiration from old histological observations, has shown that subtypes of mTECs, collectively termed mimetic cells, co-opt developmental programs from throughout the organism to express biologically coherent groups of PTAs. Here, we review key aspects of mimetic cells, especially as they relate to the larger contexts of molecular, cellular, developmental, and evolutionary biology. We highlight lineage-defining transcription factors as key regulators of mimetic cells and speculate as to what other factors, including Aire and the chromatin potential of mTECs, permit mimetic cell differentiation and function. Last, we consider what mimetic cells can teach us about not only the thymus but also other tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Michelson
- Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Diane Mathis
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
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2
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Waterfield MR, Anderson MS. A balancing act in the control of self-antigen expression. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:1520-1521. [PMID: 39169235 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01940-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Waterfield
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mark S Anderson
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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3
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Shirafkan F, Hensel L, Rattay K. Immune tolerance and the prevention of autoimmune diseases essentially depend on thymic tissue homeostasis. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1339714. [PMID: 38571951 PMCID: PMC10987875 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1339714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The intricate balance of immune reactions towards invading pathogens and immune tolerance towards self is pivotal in preventing autoimmune diseases, with the thymus playing a central role in establishing and maintaining this equilibrium. The induction of central immune tolerance in the thymus involves the elimination of self-reactive T cells, a mechanism essential for averting autoimmunity. Disruption of the thymic T cell selection mechanisms can lead to the development of autoimmune diseases. In the dynamic microenvironment of the thymus, T cell migration and interactions with thymic stromal cells are critical for the selection processes that ensure self-tolerance. Thymic epithelial cells are particularly significant in this context, presenting self-antigens and inducing the negative selection of autoreactive T cells. Further, the synergistic roles of thymic fibroblasts, B cells, and dendritic cells in antigen presentation, selection and the development of regulatory T cells are pivotal in maintaining immune responses tightly regulated. This review article collates these insights, offering a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted role of thymic tissue homeostasis in the establishment of immune tolerance and its implications in the prevention of autoimmune diseases. Additionally, the developmental pathways of the thymus are explored, highlighting how genetic aberrations can disrupt thymic architecture and function, leading to autoimmune conditions. The impact of infections on immune tolerance is another critical area, with pathogens potentially triggering autoimmunity by altering thymic homeostasis. Overall, this review underscores the integral role of thymic tissue homeostasis in the prevention of autoimmune diseases, discussing insights into potential therapeutic strategies and examining putative avenues for future research on developing thymic-based therapies in treating and preventing autoimmune conditions.
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4
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Matsumoto M, Matsumoto M. Learning the Autoimmune Pathogenesis Through the Study of Aire. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1444:19-32. [PMID: 38467970 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-9781-7_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
One of the difficulties in studying the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases is that the disease is multifactorial involving sex, age, MHC, environment, and some genetic factors. Because deficiency of Aire, a transcriptional regulator, is an autoimmune disease caused by a single gene abnormality, Aire is an ideal research target for approaching the enigma of autoimmunity, e.g., the mechanisms underlying Aire deficiency can be studied using genetically modified animals. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms of the breakdown of self-tolerance due to Aire's dysfunction have not yet been fully clarified. This is due, at least in part, to the lack of information on the exact target genes controlled by Aire. State-of-the-art research infrastructures such as single-cell analysis are now in place to elucidate the essential function of Aire. The knowledge gained through the study of Aire-mediated tolerance should help our understanding of the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease in general.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Minoru Matsumoto
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
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5
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Sin JH, Sucharov J, Kashyap S, Wang Y, Proekt I, Liu X, Parent AV, Gupta A, Kastner P, Chan S, Gardner JM, Ntranos V, Miller CN, Anderson MS, Schjerven H, Waterfield MR. Ikaros is a principal regulator of Aire + mTEC homeostasis, thymic mimetic cell diversity, and central tolerance. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eabq3109. [PMID: 37889983 PMCID: PMC11433069 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abq3109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in the gene encoding the zinc-finger transcription factor Ikaros (IKZF1) are found in patients with immunodeficiency, leukemia, and autoimmunity. Although Ikaros has a well-established function in modulating gene expression programs important for hematopoietic development, its role in other cell types is less well defined. Here, we uncover functions for Ikaros in thymic epithelial lineage development in mice and show that Ikzf1 expression in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) is required for both autoimmune regulator-positive (Aire+) mTEC development and tissue-specific antigen (TSA) gene expression. Accordingly, TEC-specific deletion of Ikzf1 in mice results in a profound decrease in Aire+ mTECs, a global loss of TSA gene expression, and the development of autoimmunity. Moreover, Ikaros shapes thymic mimetic cell diversity, and its deletion results in a marked expansion of thymic tuft cells and muscle-like mTECs and a loss of other Aire-dependent mimetic populations. Single-cell analysis reveals that Ikaros modulates core transcriptional programs in TECs that correlate with the observed cellular changes. Our findings highlight a previously undescribed role for Ikaros in regulating epithelial lineage development and function and suggest that failed thymic central tolerance could contribute to the autoimmunity seen in humans with IKZF1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Hyung Sin
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Juliana Sucharov
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sujit Kashyap
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- 10x Genomics, Pleasanton, CA, USA
| | - Irina Proekt
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Xian Liu
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Audrey V. Parent
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Gupta
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Philippe Kastner
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U 1258, CNRS UMR 7104, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch, France
| | - Susan Chan
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U 1258, CNRS UMR 7104, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch, France
| | - James M. Gardner
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vasilis Ntranos
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Corey N. Miller
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mark S. Anderson
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hilde Schjerven
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael R. Waterfield
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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6
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Aytekin ES, Cagdas D. APECED and the place of AIRE in the puzzle of the immune network associated with autoimmunity. Scand J Immunol 2023; 98:e13299. [PMID: 38441333 DOI: 10.1111/sji.13299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
In the last 20 years, discoveries about the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) protein and its critical role in immune tolerance have provided fundamental insights into understanding the molecular basis of autoimmunity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the effect of AIRE on immunological tolerance and the characteristics of autoimmune diseases in Autoimmune Polyendocrinopathy-Candidiasis-Ectodermal Dystrophy (APECED), which is caused by biallelic AIRE mutations. A better understanding of the immunological mechanisms of AIRE deficiency may enlighten immune tolerance mechanisms and new diagnostic and treatment strategies for autoimmune diseases. Considering that not all clinical features of APECED are present in a given follow-up period, the diagnosis is not easy in a patient at the first visit. Longer follow-up and a multidisciplinary approach are essential for diagnosis. It is challenging to prevent endocrine and other organ damage compared with other diseases associated with multiple autoimmunities, such as FOXP3, LRBA, and CTLA4 deficiencies. Unfortunately, no curative therapy like haematopoietic stem cell transplantation or specific immunomodulation is present that is successful in the treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Soyak Aytekin
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, SBU Dr. Sami Ulus Children Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Deniz Cagdas
- Division of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Ihsan Dogramaci Children`s Hospital, Institute of Child Health, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey
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7
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Matsumoto M, Yoshida H, Tsuneyama K, Oya T, Matsumoto M. Revisiting Aire and tissue-restricted antigens at single-cell resolution. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1176450. [PMID: 37207224 PMCID: PMC10191227 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1176450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The thymus is a highly specialized organ that plays an indispensable role in the establishment of self-tolerance, a process characterized by the "education" of developing T-cells. To provide competent T-cells tolerant to self-antigens, medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) orchestrate negative selection by ectopically expressing a wide range of genes, including various tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs). Notably, recent advancements in the high-throughput single-cell analysis have revealed remarkable heterogeneity in mTECs, giving us important clues for dissecting the mechanisms underlying TRA expression. We overview how recent single-cell studies have furthered our understanding of mTECs, with a focus on the role of Aire in inducing mTEC heterogeneity to encompass TRAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Matsumoto
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- *Correspondence: Minoru Matsumoto,
| | - Hideyuki Yoshida
- YCI Laboratory for Immunological Transcriptomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Koichi Tsuneyama
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Takeshi Oya
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
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8
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Hampton BK, Plante KS, Whitmore AC, Linnertz CL, Madden EA, Noll KE, Boyson SP, Parotti B, Xenakis JG, Bell TA, Hock P, Shaw GD, de Villena FPM, Ferris MT, Heise MT. Forward genetic screen of homeostatic antibody levels in the Collaborative Cross identifies MBD1 as a novel regulator of B cell homeostasis. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010548. [PMID: 36574452 PMCID: PMC9829176 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in immune homeostasis, the state in which the immune system is maintained in the absence of stimulation, is highly variable across populations. This variation is attributed to both genetic and environmental factors. However, the identity and function of specific regulators have been difficult to identify in humans. We evaluated homeostatic antibody levels in the serum of the Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse genetic reference population. We found heritable variation in all antibody isotypes and subtypes measured. We identified 4 quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with 3 IgG subtypes: IgG1, IgG2b, and IgG2c. While 3 of these QTL map to genome regions of known immunological significance (major histocompatibility and immunoglobulin heavy chain locus), Qih1 (associated with variation in IgG1) mapped to a novel locus on Chromosome 18. We further associated this locus with B cell proportions in the spleen and identify Methyl-CpG binding domain protein 1 under this locus as a novel regulator of homeostatic IgG1 levels in the serum and marginal zone B cells (MZB) in the spleen, consistent with a role in MZB differentiation to antibody secreting cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brea K. Hampton
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Kenneth S. Plante
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Alan C. Whitmore
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Colton L. Linnertz
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Emily A. Madden
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Kelsey E. Noll
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Samuel P. Boyson
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Breantie Parotti
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - James G. Xenakis
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Timothy A. Bell
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Pablo Hock
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ginger D. Shaw
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Fernando Pardo-Manuel de Villena
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Martin T. Ferris
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Mark T. Heise
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
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9
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Fraschilla I, Amatullah H, Rahman RU, Jeffrey KL. Immune chromatin reader SP140 regulates microbiota and risk for inflammatory bowel disease. Cell Host Microbe 2022; 30:1370-1381.e5. [PMID: 36130593 PMCID: PMC10266544 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is driven by host genetics and environmental factors, including commensal microorganisms. Speckled Protein 140 (SP140) is an immune-restricted chromatin "reader" that is associated with Crohn's disease (CD), multiple sclerosis (MS), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, the disease-causing mechanisms of SP140 remain undefined. Here, we identify an immune-intrinsic role for SP140 in regulating phagocytic defense responses to prevent the expansion of inflammatory bacteria. Mice harboring altered microbiota due to hematopoietic Sp140 deficiency exhibited severe colitis that was transmissible upon cohousing and ameliorated with antibiotics. Loss of SP140 results in blooms of Proteobacteria, including Helicobacter in Sp140-/- mice and Enterobacteriaceae in humans bearing the CD-associated SP140 loss-of-function variant. Phagocytes from patients with the SP140 loss-of-function variant and Sp140-/- mice exhibited altered antimicrobial defense programs required for control of pathobionts. Thus, mutations within this epigenetic reader may constitute a predisposing event in human diseases provoked by microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Fraschilla
- Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hajera Amatullah
- Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Raza-Ur Rahman
- Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kate L Jeffrey
- Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Microbiome, Informatics and Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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10
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Michelson DA, Mathis D. Thymic mimetic cells: tolerogenic masqueraders. Trends Immunol 2022; 43:782-791. [PMID: 36008259 PMCID: PMC9509455 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2022.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) clonally delete or divert autoreactive T cells by ectopically expressing a diverse array of peripheral-tissue antigens (PTAs) within the thymus. Although thymic stromal cells with histological features of extra-thymic cell types, like myocytes or neurons, have been observed by light microscopy since the mid-1800s, most modern work on PTA expression has focused on the transcription factor Aire. Here, we highlight recent work that has refocused attention on such 'misplaced' thymic cells, referred to collectively as thymic mimetic cells. We review the molecular underpinnings of mimetic cells and their roles in establishing T cell tolerance, and we propose that mimetic cells play important roles in autoimmunity. Finally, we suggest future directions for this emerging area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diane Mathis
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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11
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Benlaribi R, Gou Q, Takaba H. Thymic self-antigen expression for immune tolerance and surveillance. Inflamm Regen 2022; 42:28. [PMID: 36056452 PMCID: PMC9440513 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-022-00211-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells are a group of lymphocytes that play a central role in the immune system, notably, eliminating pathogens and attacking cancer while being tolerant of the self. Elucidating how immune tolerance is ensured has become a significant research issue for understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases as well as cancer immunity. T cell immune tolerance is established mainly in the thymic medulla by the removal of self-responsive T cells and the generation of regulatory T cells, this process depends mainly on the expression of a variety of tissue restricted antigens (TRAs) by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). The expression of TRAs is known to be regulated by at least two independent factors, Fezf2 and Aire, which play non-redundant and complementary roles by different mechanisms. In this review, we introduce the molecular logic of thymic self-antigen expression that underlies T cell selection for the prevention of autoimmunity and the establishment of immune surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayene Benlaribi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Qiao Gou
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takaba
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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12
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Qi Y, Zhang R, Lu Y, Zou X, Yang W. Aire and Fezf2, two regulators in medullary thymic epithelial cells, control autoimmune diseases by regulating TSAs: Partner or complementer? Front Immunol 2022; 13:948259. [PMID: 36110862 PMCID: PMC9468217 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.948259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression of tissue-specific antigens (TSAs) in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) is believed to be responsible for the elimination of autoreactive T cells, a critical process in the maintenance of central immune tolerance. The transcription factor autoimmune regulator (Aire) and FEZ family zinc finger 2(Fezf2) play an essential role in driving the expression of TSAs in mTECs, while their deficiency in humans and mice causes a range of autoimmune manifestations, such as type 1 diabetes, Sjögren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. However, because of their regulatory mechanisms, the expression profile of TSAs and their relationship with special autoimmune diseases are still in dispute. In this review, we compare the roles of Aire and Fezf2 in regulating TSAs, with an emphasis on their molecular mechanisms in autoimmune diseases, which provides the foundation for devising improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xueyang Zou
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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13
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Methyltransferase Setdb1 Promotes Osteoblast Proliferation by Epigenetically Silencing Macrod2 with the Assistance of Atf7ip. Cells 2022; 11:cells11162580. [PMID: 36010655 PMCID: PMC9406310 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone loss caused by mechanical unloading is a threat to prolonged space flight and human health. Epigenetic modifications play a crucial role in varied biological processes, but the mechanism of histone modification on unloading-induced bone loss has rarely been studied. Here, we discovered for the first time that the methyltransferase Setdb1 was downregulated under the mechanical unloading both in vitro and in vivo so as to attenuate osteoblast proliferation. Furthermore, we found these interesting processes depended on the repression of Macrod2 expression triggered by Setdb1 catalyzing the formation of H3K9me3 in the promoter region. Mechanically, we revealed that Macrod2 was upregulated under mechanical unloading and suppressed osteoblast proliferation through the GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. Moreover, Atf7ip cooperatively contributed to osteoblast proliferation by changing the localization of Setdb1 under mechanical loading. In summary, this research elucidated the role of the Atf7ip/Setdb1/Macrod2 axis in osteoblast proliferation under mechanical unloading for the first time, which can be a potential protective strategy against unloading-induced bone loss.
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14
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Sun IH, Gillis-Buck E, Mackenzie TC, Gardner JM. Thymic and extrathymic Aire-expressing cells in maternal-fetal tolerance. Immunol Rev 2022; 308:93-104. [PMID: 35535447 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Healthy pregnancy requires maternal immune tolerance to both fetal and placental tissues which contain a range of self- and non-self-antigens. While many of the components and mechanisms of maternal-fetal tolerance have been investigated in detail and previously and thoroughly reviewed (Erlebacher A. Annu Rev Immunol. 2013;31:387-411), the role of autoimmune regulator (Aire), a critical regulator of central tolerance expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), has been less explored. Aire is known to facilitate the expression of a range of otherwise tissue-specific antigens (TSAs) in mTECs, and here we highlight recent work showing a role for mTEC-mediated thymic selection in maintaining maternal-fetal tolerance. Recently, however, our group and others have identified additional populations of extrathymic Aire-expressing cells (eTACs) in the secondary lymphoid organs. These hematopoietic antigen-presenting cells possess the ability to induce functional inactivation and/or deletion of cognate T cells, and deletion of maternal eTACs during pregnancy increases T-cell activation in the lymph nodes and lymphocytic infiltration of the uterus, leading to pregnancy complications including intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and fetal resorption. In this review, we briefly summarize findings related to essential Aire biology, discuss the known roles of Aire-deficiency related to pregnancy complications and infertility, review the newly discovered role for eTACs in the maintenance of maternal-fetal tolerance-as well as recent work defining eTACs at the single-cell level-and postulate potential mechanisms by which eTACs may regulate this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Im-Hong Sun
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Eva Gillis-Buck
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Tippi C Mackenzie
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Center for Maternal-Fetal Precision Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - James M Gardner
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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15
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Sin JH, Kashyap S, Acenas D, Cortez JT, Lee J, Marson A, Matloubian M, Waterfield MR. ATF7ip Targets Transposable Elements for H3K9me3 Deposition to Modify CD8 + T Cell Effector and Memory Responses. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2022; 208:1155-1169. [PMID: 35110421 PMCID: PMC8881383 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CD8+ T cells are critical for the immune response to pathogens and tumors, and CD8+ T cell memory protects against repeat infections. In this study, we identify the activating transcription factor 7 interacting protein (ATF7ip) as a critical regulator of CD8+ T cell immune responses. Mice with a T cell-specific deletion of ATF7ip have a CD8+ T cell-intrinsic enhancement of Il7r expression and Il2 expression leading to enhanced effector and memory responses. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing studies identified ATF7ip as a repressor of Il7r and Il2 gene expression through the deposition of the repressive histone mark H3K9me3 at the Il7r gene and Il2-Il21 intergenic region. Interestingly, ATF7ip targeted transposable elements for H3K9me3 deposition at both the IL7r locus and the Il2-Il21 intergenic region, indicating that ATF7ip silencing of transposable elements is important for regulating CD8+ T cell function. These results demonstrate a new epigenetic pathway by which IL-7R and IL-2 production are constrained in CD8+ T cells, and this may open up new avenues for modulating their production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Hyung Sin
- Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA
| | - Sujit Kashyap
- Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Dante Acenas
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Jessica T Cortez
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - James Lee
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Alexander Marson
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA; and
| | - Mehrdad Matloubian
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Division of Rheumatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Michael R Waterfield
- Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA;
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA
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16
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Kaiser C, Bradu A, Gamble N, Caldwell JA, Koh AS. AIRE in context: Leveraging chromatin plasticity to trigger ectopic gene expression. Immunol Rev 2022; 305:59-76. [PMID: 34545959 PMCID: PMC9250823 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of antigen receptor diversity in clonotypic lymphocytes drove the evolution of a novel gene, Aire, that enabled the adaptive immune system to discriminate foreign invaders from self-constituents. AIRE functions in the epithelial cells of the thymus to express genes highly restricted to alternative cell lineages. This somatic plasticity facilitates the selection of a balanced repertoire of T cells that protects the host from harmful self-reactive clones, yet maintains a wide range of affinities for virtually any foreign antigen. Here, we review the latest understanding of AIRE's molecular actions with a focus on its interplay with chromatin. We argue that AIRE is a multi-valent chromatin effector that acts late in the transcription cycle to modulate the activity of previously poised non-coding regulatory elements of tissue-specific genes. We postulate a role for chromatin instability-caused in part by ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling-that variably sets the scope of the accessible landscape on which AIRE can act. We highlight AIRE's intrinsic repressive function and its relevance in providing feedback control. We synthesize these recent advances into a putative model for the mechanistic modes by which AIRE triggers ectopic transcription for immune repertoire selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Kaiser
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Alexandra Bradu
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Noah Gamble
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jason A. Caldwell
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrew S. Koh
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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17
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Martinez-Ruíz GU, Morales-Sánchez A, Bhandoola A. Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in thymic epithelial cells. Immunol Rev 2022; 305:43-58. [PMID: 34750841 PMCID: PMC8766885 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The thymus is required for the development of both adaptive and innate-like T cell subsets. There is keen interest in manipulating thymic function for therapeutic purposes in circumstances of autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, and for purposes of immunotherapy. Within the thymus, thymic epithelial cells play essential roles in directing T cell development. Several transcription factors are known to be essential for thymic epithelial cell development and function, and a few transcription factors have been studied in considerable detail. However, the role of many other transcription factors is less well understood. Further, it is likely that roles exist for other transcription factors not yet known to be important in thymic epithelial cells. Recent progress in understanding of thymic epithelial cell heterogeneity has provided some new insight into transcriptional requirements in subtypes of thymic epithelial cells. However, it is unknown whether progenitors of thymic epithelial cells exist in the adult thymus, and consequently, developmental relationships linking putative precursors with differentiated cell types are poorly understood. While we do not presently possess a clear understanding of stage-specific requirements for transcription factors in thymic epithelial cells, new single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic technologies should enable rapid progress in this field. Here, we review our current knowledge of transcription factors involved in the development, maintenance, and function of thymic epithelial cells, and the mechanisms by which they act.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Ulises Martinez-Ruíz
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Research Division, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
- Children’s Hospital of Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Abigail Morales-Sánchez
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Children’s Hospital of Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Avinash Bhandoola
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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18
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Duarte MJ, Mascarenhas RS, Assis AF, Tanaka PP, Speck-Hernandez CA, Passos GA. Autoimmune regulator act in synergism with thymocyte adhesion in the control of lncRNAs in medullary thymic epithelial cells. Mol Immunol 2021; 140:127-135. [PMID: 34700158 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/06/2022]
Abstract
The autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) encodes the AIRE protein, which interacts with its partners within the nucleus. This "Aire complex" induces stalled RNA Pol II on chromatin to proceed with transcription elongation of a large set of messenger RNAs and microRNAs. Considering that RNA Pol II also transcribes long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), we hypothesized that Aire might be implicated in the upstream control of this RNA species. To test this, we employed a loss-of-function approach in which Aire knockout mTECs were compared to Aire wild-type mTECs for lncRNA transcriptional profiling both in vitro and in vivo model systems. RNA sequencing enables the differential expression profiling of lncRNAs when these cells adhere in vitro to thymocytes or do not adhere to them as a way to test the effect of cell adhesion. Sets of lncRNAs that are unique and that are shared in vitro and in vivo were identified. Among these, we found the Aire-dependent lncRNAs as for example, Platr28, Ifi30, Morrbid, Malat1, and Xist. This finding represents the first evidence that Aire mediates the transcription of lncRNAs in mTECs. Microarray hybridizations enabled us to observe that temporal thymocyte adhesion modulates the expression levels of such lncRNAs as Morrbid, Xist, and Fbxl12o after 36 h of adhesion. This finding shows the existence of a synergistic mechanism involving a link between thymocyte adhesion, Aire, and lncRNAs in mTECs that might be important for immune self-representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Jordan Duarte
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Romário S Mascarenhas
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Amanda Freire Assis
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Pedro Paranhos Tanaka
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Cesar A Speck-Hernandez
- Program in Basic and Applied Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Geraldo Aleixo Passos
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Program in Basic and Applied Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Center for Cell-Based Therapy in Dentistry, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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19
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Shim S, Lee HG, Seo PJ. MET1-Dependent DNA Methylation Represses Light Signaling and Influences Plant Regeneration in Arabidopsis. Mol Cells 2021; 44:746-757. [PMID: 34711691 PMCID: PMC8560584 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2021.0160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant somatic cells can be reprogrammed into a pluripotent cell mass, called callus, which can be subsequently used for de novo shoot regeneration through a two-step in vitro tissue culture method. MET1-dependent CG methylation has been implicated in plant regeneration in Arabidopsis, because the met1-3 mutant exhibits increased shoot regeneration compared with the wild-type. To understand the role of MET1 in de novo shoot regeneration, we compared the genome-wide DNA methylomes and transcriptomes of wild-type and met1-3 callus and leaf. The CG methylation patterns were largely unchanged during leaf-to-callus transition, suggesting that the altered regeneration phenotype of met1-3 was caused by the constitutively hypomethylated genes, independent of the tissue type. In particular, MET1-dependent CG methylation was observed at the blue light receptor genes, CRYPTOCHROME 1 (CRY1) and CRY2, which reduced their expression. Coexpression network analysis revealed that the CRY1 gene was closely linked to cytokinin signaling genes. Consistently, functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes in met1-3 showed that gene ontology terms related to light and hormone signaling were overrepresented. Overall, our findings indicate that MET1-dependent repression of light and cytokinin signaling influences plant regeneration capacity and shoot identity establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangrea Shim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
- Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Hong Gil Lee
- Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Pil Joon Seo
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
- Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
- Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
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20
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Boyson SP, Gao C, Quinn K, Boyd J, Paculova H, Frietze S, Glass KC. Functional Roles of Bromodomain Proteins in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3606. [PMID: 34298819 PMCID: PMC8303718 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone acetylation is generally associated with an open chromatin configuration that facilitates many cellular processes including gene transcription, DNA repair, and DNA replication. Aberrant levels of histone lysine acetylation are associated with the development of cancer. Bromodomains represent a family of structurally well-characterized effector domains that recognize acetylated lysines in chromatin. As part of their fundamental reader activity, bromodomain-containing proteins play versatile roles in epigenetic regulation, and additional functional modules are often present in the same protein, or through the assembly of larger enzymatic complexes. Dysregulated gene expression, chromosomal translocations, and/or mutations in bromodomain-containing proteins have been correlated with poor patient outcomes in cancer. Thus, bromodomains have emerged as a highly tractable class of epigenetic targets due to their well-defined structural domains, and the increasing ease of designing or screening for molecules that modulate the reading process. Recent developments in pharmacological agents that target specific bromodomains has helped to understand the diverse mechanisms that bromodomains play with their interaction partners in a variety of chromatin processes, and provide the promise of applying bromodomain inhibitors into the clinical field of cancer treatment. In this review, we explore the expression and protein interactome profiles of bromodomain-containing proteins and discuss them in terms of functional groups. Furthermore, we highlight our current understanding of the roles of bromodomain-containing proteins in cancer, as well as emerging strategies to specifically target bromodomains, including combination therapies using bromodomain inhibitors alongside traditional therapeutic approaches designed to re-program tumorigenesis and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P. Boyson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Colchester, VT 05446, USA;
- Department of Pharmacology, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA;
| | - Cong Gao
- Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; (C.G.); (J.B.); (H.P.)
| | - Kathleen Quinn
- Department of Pharmacology, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA;
- Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; (C.G.); (J.B.); (H.P.)
| | - Joseph Boyd
- Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; (C.G.); (J.B.); (H.P.)
| | - Hana Paculova
- Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; (C.G.); (J.B.); (H.P.)
| | - Seth Frietze
- Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; (C.G.); (J.B.); (H.P.)
- University of Vermont Cancer Center, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Karen C. Glass
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Colchester, VT 05446, USA;
- Department of Pharmacology, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA;
- University of Vermont Cancer Center, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
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21
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Bacchetta R, Weinberg K. Thymic origins of autoimmunity-lessons from inborn errors of immunity. Semin Immunopathol 2021; 43:65-83. [PMID: 33532929 PMCID: PMC7925499 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-020-00835-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
During their intrathymic development, nascent T cells are empowered to protect against pathogens and to be operative for a life-long acceptance of self. While autoreactive effector T (Teff) cell progenitors are eliminated by clonal deletion, the intrathymic mechanisms by which thymic regulatory T cell (tTreg) progenitors maintain specificity for self-antigens but escape deletion to exert their regulatory functions are less well understood. Both tTreg and Teff development and selection result from finely coordinated interactions between their clonotypic T cell receptors (TCR) and peptide/MHC complexes expressed by antigen-presenting cells, such as thymic epithelial cells and thymic dendritic cells. tTreg function is dependent on expression of the FOXP3 transcription factor, and induction of FOXP3 gene expression by tTreg occurs during their thymic development, particularly within the thymic medulla. While initial expression of FOXP3 is downstream of TCR activation, constitutive expression is fixed by interactions with various transcription factors that are regulated by other extracellular signals like TCR and cytokines, leading to epigenetic modification of the FOXP3 gene. Most of the understanding of the molecular events underlying tTreg generation is based on studies of murine models, whereas gaining similar insight in the human system has been very challenging. In this review, we will elucidate how inborn errors of immunity illuminate the critical non-redundant roles of certain molecules during tTreg development, shedding light on how their abnormal development and function cause well-defined diseases that manifest with autoimmunity alone or are associated with states of immune deficiency and autoinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Bacchetta
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lokey Stem Cell Research Building 265 Campus Drive, West Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Center for Definitive and Curative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Kenneth Weinberg
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lokey Stem Cell Research Building 265 Campus Drive, West Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Center for Definitive and Curative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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22
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Ferré EMN, Lionakis MS. An AIREless Breath: Pneumonitis Caused by Impaired Central Immune Tolerance. Front Immunol 2021; 11:609253. [PMID: 33584685 PMCID: PMC7873437 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.609253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune-polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), a monogenic disorder caused by biallelic mutations in the AIRE gene, has historically been defined by the development of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis together with autoimmune endocrinopathies, primarily hypoparathyroidism and adrenal insufficiency. Recent work has drawn attention to the development of life-threatening non-endocrine manifestations such as autoimmune pneumonitis, which has previously been poorly recognized and under-reported. In this review, we present the clinical, radiographic, autoantibody, and pulmonary function abnormalities associated with APECED pneumonitis, we highlight the cellular and molecular basis of the autoimmune attack in the AIRE-deficient lung, and we provide a diagnostic and a therapeutic roadmap for patients with APECED pneumonitis. Beyond APECED, we discuss the relevance and potential broader applicability of these findings to other interstitial lung diseases seen in secondary AIRE deficiency states such as thymoma and RAG deficiency or in common polygenic autoimmune disorders such as idiopathic Sjögren's syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michail S. Lionakis
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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23
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Cinque L, Angeletti C, Orrico A, Castellana S, Ferrito L, Ciuoli C, Mazza T, Castori M, Guarnieri V. Novel Pathogenic Variants of the AIRE Gene in Two Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type I Cases with Atypical Presentation: Role of the NGS in Diagnostic Pathway and Review of the Literature. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8120631. [PMID: 33352647 PMCID: PMC7767245 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8120631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background. Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1) with or without reversible metaphyseal dysplasia is a rare genetic disorder due to inactivating variants of the autoimmune regulator, AIRE, gene. Clinical variability of APS-1 relates to pleiotropy, and the general dysfunction of self-tolerance to organ-specific antigens and autoimmune reactions towards peripheral tissues caused by the underlying molecular defect. Thus, early recognition of the syndrome is often delayed, mostly in cases with atypical presentation, and the molecular confirm through the genetic analysis of the AIRE gene might be of great benefit. Methods. Our methods were to investigate, with a multigene panel next generation sequencing approach, two clinical cases, both presenting with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism, also comprising the AIRE gene; as well as to comment our findings as part of a more extensive review of literature data. Results. In the first clinical case, two compound heterozygote pathogenic variants of the AIRE gene were identified, thus indicating an autosomal recessive inheritance of the disease. In the second case, only one AIRE gene variant was found and an atypical dominant negative form of APS-1 suggested, later confirmed by further medical ascertainments. Conclusions. APS-1 might present with variable and sometimes monosymptomatic presentations and, if not recognized, might associate with severe complications. In this context, next generation diagnostics focused on a set of genes causative of partially overlapping disorders may allow early diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigia Cinque
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy; (L.C.); (M.C.)
| | - Cristina Angeletti
- UOC Pediatrics and Neonatology, POU AV2, 60122 Senigallia, Italy; (C.A.); (L.F.)
| | - Alfredo Orrico
- Molecular Diagnosis and Characterization of Pathogenic Mechanisms of Rare Genetic Diseases, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, 53100 Siena, Italy;
- Clinical Genetics, ASL Toscana SudEst. Ospedale della Misericordia, 58100 Grosseto, Italy
| | - Stefano Castellana
- Unit of Bioinformatics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy; (S.C.); (T.M.)
| | - Lucia Ferrito
- UOC Pediatrics and Neonatology, POU AV2, 60122 Senigallia, Italy; (C.A.); (L.F.)
| | - Cristina Ciuoli
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, UOC Endocrinology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, 53100 Siena, Italy;
| | - Tommaso Mazza
- Clinical Genetics, ASL Toscana SudEst. Ospedale della Misericordia, 58100 Grosseto, Italy
| | - Marco Castori
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy; (L.C.); (M.C.)
| | - Vito Guarnieri
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy; (L.C.); (M.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0882-416347
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24
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Zheng P, Huang C, Leng D, Sun B, Zhang XD. Transcriptome analysis of peripheral whole blood identifies crucial lncRNAs implicated in childhood asthma. BMC Med Genomics 2020; 13:136. [PMID: 32948203 PMCID: PMC7501638 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-020-00785-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Asthma is a chronic disorder of both adults and children affecting more than 300 million people heath worldwide. Diagnose and treatment for asthma, particularly in childhood asthma have always remained a great challenge because of its complex pathogenesis and multiple triggers, such as allergen, viral infection, tobacco smoke, dust, etc. It is thereby great significant to deeply investigate the transcriptome changes in asthmatic children before and after desensitization treatment, in order that we could identify potential and key mRNAs and lncRNAs which might be considered as useful RNA molecules for observing and supervising desensitization therapy for asthma, which might guide the diagnose and therapy in childhood asthma. Methods In the present study, we performed a systematic transcriptome analysis based on the deep RNA sequencing of ten asthmatic children before and after desensitization treatment, including identification of lncRNAs using a stringent filtering pipeline, differential expression analysis and network analysis, etc. Results First, a large number of lncRNAs were identified and characterized. Then differential expression analysis revealed 39 mRNAs and 15 lncRNAs significantly differentially expressed which involved in two biological processes and pathways. A co-expressed network analysis figured out a desensitization-treatment-related module which contains 27 mRNAs and 21 lncRNAs using WGCNA R package. Module analysis disclosed 17 genes associated to asthma at distinct level. Subsequent network analysis based on PCC figured out several key lncRNAs probably interacted to those key asthma-related genes, i.e., LINC02145, GUSBP2. Our functional investigation indicated that their functions might involve in immune, inflammatory response and apoptosis process. Conclusions Our study successfully discovered many key noncoding RNA molecules related to pathogenesis of asthma and relevant treatment, which may provide some clues for asthmatic diagnose and therapy in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyan Zheng
- Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chen Huang
- CRDA, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Dongliang Leng
- CRDA, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Baoqing Sun
- Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Xiaohua Douglas Zhang
- CRDA, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China. .,Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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25
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Tomofuji Y, Takaba H, Suzuki HI, Benlaribi R, Martinez CDP, Abe Y, Morishita Y, Okamura T, Taguchi A, Kodama T, Takayanagi H. Chd4 choreographs self-antigen expression for central immune tolerance. Nat Immunol 2020; 21:892-901. [PMID: 32601470 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-020-0717-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Autoreactive T cells are eliminated in the thymus to prevent autoimmunity by promiscuous expression of tissue-restricted self-antigens in medullary thymic epithelial cells. This expression is dependent on the transcription factor Fezf2, as well as the transcriptional regulator Aire, but the entire picture of the transcriptional program has been obscure. Here, we found that the chromatin remodeler Chd4, also called Mi-2β, plays a key role in the self-antigen expression in medullary thymic epithelial cells. To maximize the diversity of self-antigen expression, Fezf2 and Aire utilized completely distinct transcriptional mechanisms, both of which were under the control of Chd4. Chd4 organized the promoter regions of Fezf2-dependent genes, while contributing to the Aire-mediated induction of self-antigens via super-enhancers. Mice deficient in Chd4 specifically in thymic epithelial cells exhibited autoimmune phenotypes, including T cell infiltration. Thus, Chd4 plays a critical role in integrating Fezf2- and Aire-mediated gene induction to establish central immune tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiko Tomofuji
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takaba
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi I Suzuki
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Rayene Benlaribi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Cristian David Peña Martinez
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Abe
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Morishita
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadashi Okamura
- Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Research Institute, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Section of Animal Models, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akashi Taguchi
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuhiko Kodama
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Takayanagi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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26
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Fraschilla I, Jeffrey KL. The Speckled Protein (SP) Family: Immunity's Chromatin Readers. Trends Immunol 2020; 41:572-585. [PMID: 32386862 PMCID: PMC8327362 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin 'readers' are central interpreters of the epigenome that facilitate cell-specific transcriptional programs and are therapeutic targets in cancer and inflammation. The Speckled Protein (SP) family of chromatin 'readers' in humans consists of SP100, SP110, SP140, and SP140L. SPs possess functional domains (SAND, PHD, bromodomain) that dock to DNA or post-translationally modified histones and a caspase activation and recruitment domain (CARD) to promote multimerization. Mutations within immune expressed SPs associate with numerous immunological diseases including Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, veno-occlusive disease with immunodeficiency, as well as Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, underscoring their importance in immune regulation. In this review, we posit that SPs are central chromatin regulators of gene silencing that establish immune cell identity and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Fraschilla
- Division of Gastroenterology and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kate L Jeffrey
- Division of Gastroenterology and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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Critical role of histone H3 lysine 27 demethylase Kdm6b in the homeostasis and function of medullary thymic epithelial cells. Cell Death Differ 2020; 27:2843-2855. [PMID: 32346138 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-020-0546-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) play a central role in the establishment of T cell central immunological tolerance by promiscuously expressing tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) and presenting them to developing T cells, leading to deletion of T cells responding to self-antigens. However, molecular mechanisms especially epigenetic regulation of mTEC homeostasis and TRA expression remain elusive. Here we show that the H3K27 demethylase Kdm6b is essential to maintain the postnatal thymic medulla by promoting mTEC survival and regulating the expression of TRA genes. Moreover, mice lacking Kdm6b developed pathological autoimmune disorders. Mechanically, Kdm6b exerted its function by reducing repressive H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) at the promoters of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl2 and a set of Aire-dependent TRA genes. Thus, our findings reveal a dual role of Kdm6b in the regulation of mTEC-mediated T cell central tolerance.
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28
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Tsusaka T, Shimura C, Shinkai Y. ATF7IP regulates SETDB1 nuclear localization and increases its ubiquitination. EMBO Rep 2019; 20:e48297. [PMID: 31576654 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201948297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding of the appropriate regulation of enzymatic activities of histone-modifying enzymes remains poor. The lysine methyltransferase, SETDB1, is one of the enzymes responsible for the methylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9) and plays a key role in H3K9 trimethylation-mediated silencing of genes and retrotransposons. Here, we reported that how SETDB1's enzymatic activities can be regulated by the nuclear protein, ATF7IP, a known binding partner of SETDB1. Mechanistically, ATF7IP mediates SETDB1 retention inside the nucleus, presumably by inhibiting its nuclear export by binding to the N-terminal region of SETDB1, which harbors the nuclear export signal motifs, and also by promoting its nuclear import. The nuclear localization of SETDB1 increases its ubiquitinated, enzymatically more active form. Our results provided an insight as to how ATF7IP can regulate the histone methyltransferase activity of SETDB1 accompanied by its nuclear translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Tsusaka
- Cellular Memory Laboratory, Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, Wako, Japan
| | - Chikako Shimura
- Cellular Memory Laboratory, Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, Wako, Japan
| | - Yoichi Shinkai
- Cellular Memory Laboratory, Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, Wako, Japan
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29
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Sin JH, Zuckerman C, Cortez JT, Eckalbar WL, Erle DJ, Anderson MS, Waterfield MR. The epigenetic regulator ATF7ip inhibits Il2 expression, regulating Th17 responses. J Exp Med 2019; 216:2024-2037. [PMID: 31217192 PMCID: PMC6719416 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20182316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
T helper 17 cells (Th17) are critical for fighting infections at mucosal surfaces; however, they have also been found to contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple autoimmune diseases and have been targeted therapeutically. Due to the role of Th17 cells in autoimmune pathogenesis, it is important to understand the factors that control Th17 development. Here we identify the activating transcription factor 7 interacting protein (ATF7ip) as a critical regulator of Th17 differentiation. Mice with T cell-specific deletion of Atf7ip have impaired Th17 differentiation secondary to the aberrant overproduction of IL-2 with T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation and are resistant to colitis in vivo. ChIP-seq studies identified ATF7ip as an inhibitor of Il2 gene expression through the deposition of the repressive histone mark H3K9me3 in the Il2-Il21 intergenic region. These results demonstrate a new epigenetic pathway by which IL-2 production is constrained, and this may open up new avenues for modulating its production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Hyung Sin
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Cassandra Zuckerman
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Jessica T Cortez
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Walter L Eckalbar
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- The Lung Biology Center and Functional Genomics Core, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - David J Erle
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- The Lung Biology Center and Functional Genomics Core, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Mark S Anderson
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Michael R Waterfield
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
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30
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Constantine GM, Lionakis MS. Lessons from primary immunodeficiencies: Autoimmune regulator and autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy. Immunol Rev 2019; 287:103-120. [PMID: 30565240 PMCID: PMC6309421 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) protein and the delineation of its critical contributions in the establishment of central immune tolerance has significantly expanded our understanding of the immunological mechanisms that protect from the development of autoimmune disease. The parallel identification and characterization of patient cohorts with the monogenic disorder autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), which is typically caused by biallelic AIRE mutations, has underscored the critical contribution of AIRE in fungal immune surveillance at mucosal surfaces and in prevention of multiorgan autoimmunity in humans. In this review, we synthesize the current clinical, genetic, molecular and immunological knowledge derived from basic studies in Aire-deficient animals and from APECED patient cohorts. We also outline major advances and research endeavors that show promise for informing improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with APECED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M Constantine
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Michail S Lionakis
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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31
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Morimoto J, Nishikawa Y, Kakimoto T, Furutani K, Kihara N, Matsumoto M, Tsuneyama K, Kozono Y, Kozono H, Hozumi K, Hosomichi K, Nishijima H, Matsumoto M. Aire Controls in Trans the Production of Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cells Expressing Ly-6C/Ly-6G. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2018; 201:3244-3257. [PMID: 30389776 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), which express a wide range of tissue-restricted Ags (TRAs), contribute to the establishment of self-tolerance by eliminating autoreactive T cells and/or inducing regulatory T cells. Aire controls a diverse set of TRAs within Aire-expressing cells by employing various transcriptional pathways. As Aire has a profound effect on transcriptomes of mTECs, including TRAs not only at the single-cell but also the population level, we suspected that Aire (Aire+ mTECs) might control the cellular composition of the thymic microenvironment. In this study, we confirmed that this is indeed the case by identifying a novel mTEC subset expressing Ly-6 family protein whose production was defective in Aire-deficient thymi. Reaggregated thymic organ culture experiments demonstrated that Aire did not induce the expression of Ly-6C/Ly-6G molecules from mTECs as Aire-dependent TRAs in a cell-intrinsic manner. Instead, Aire+ mTECs functioned in trans to maintain Ly-6C/Ly-6G+ mTECs. Thus, Aire not only controls TRA expression transcriptionally within the cell but also controls the overall composition of mTECs in a cell-extrinsic manner, thereby regulating the transcriptome from mTECs on a global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Morimoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yumiko Nishikawa
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Takumi Kakimoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
- Student Lab, Tokushima University Faculty of Medicine, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Kohei Furutani
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
- Student Lab, Tokushima University Faculty of Medicine, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Naoki Kihara
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
- Student Lab, Tokushima University Faculty of Medicine, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Minoru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Pathology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Koichi Tsuneyama
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Pathology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yuko Kozono
- Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-0022, Japan
| | - Haruo Kozono
- Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-0022, Japan
| | - Katsuto Hozumi
- Department of Immunology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Hosomichi
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-0934, Japan; and
| | - Hitoshi Nishijima
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan;
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development-Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
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Sadeghian-Rizi T, Alsahebfosoul F, Kazemi M, Khanahmad H, Jahanian-Najafabadi A. Association of AIRE Polymorphism and the Susceptibility to Multiple Sclerosis in Iranian Population. Avicenna J Med Biotechnol 2018; 10:110-114. [PMID: 29849988 PMCID: PMC5960056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of neurologic disability in young adults. Recently, the AIRE gene was identified as a genetic risk factor for several autoimmune diseases in genome wide association studies. The aim of this study was to further investigate the possible role of the AIRE gene in susceptibility to MS in Iranian population. Methods: A total of 112 MS patients and 94 ethnically matched controls were included in the study. The Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) (rs1800520, C>G) with a global MAF=0.2282/1143 was selected and genotyped using HRM real-time PCR method. Results: Results showed that AIRE SNP rs1800520 was significantly less common in the MS patients than in healthy controls (17.8 vs. 28.7%, pc=0.032, OR=0.54,95% CI 0.279, 1.042). Also, the frequency of allele G was significantly higher among the control group than in the case group (37.77 vs. 25%, pc=0.014). Interestingly, mRNA transcribed on the rs1800520 SNP showed decreased free energy than the wild type suggesting that its increased stability may be responsible for the different activities of the polymorphic AIRE molecule. Conclusions: This is the first study investigating the relationship between AIRE gene and the susceptibility to MS. These results indicated that the rs1800520 SNP is not a susceptibility gene variant for the development of MS in Iranian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahereh Sadeghian-Rizi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Alsahebfosoul
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Kazemi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hossein Khanahmad
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Ali Jahanian-Najafabadi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Conteduca G, Indiveri F, Filaci G, Negrini S. Beyond APECED: An update on the role of the autoimmune regulator gene (AIRE) in physiology and disease. Autoimmun Rev 2018; 17:325-330. [PMID: 29427825 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2017.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The autoimmune regulator gene (AIRE) is a transcription factor expressed both in the thymus, by medullary thymic epithelial cells, and in secondary lymphoid organs. AIRE controls the local transcription of organ- specific proteins typically expressed in peripheral tissues, thus allowing the negative selection of self- reactive T cells. The crucial role played by AIRE in central immune tolerance emerged in the studies on the pathogenesis of Autoimmune Polyendocrinopathy-Candidiasis-Ectodermal Dystrophy, a rare inherited polyendocrine/autoimmune disease. Thereafter, several studies found evidences indicating that AIRE impairment might be pathogenically involved in several autoimmune diseases and in tumorigenesis. In this review, we focus on recent advances relative to AIRE's effect on T cell development in physiology and disease. In particular, we address the following issues: 1) AIRE function and mTECs biology, 2) the impact of AIRE gene mutations in autoimmune diseases, and 3) the role of AIRE gene in anti-tumor immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Conteduca
- Groupe Interdisciplinaire de Génoprotéomique Appliquée (GIGA)-I3, Laboratory of Hematology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Francesco Indiveri
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gilberto Filaci
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Simone Negrini
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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34
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Dobeš J, Edenhofer F, Vobořil M, Brabec T, Dobešová M, Čepková A, Klein L, Rajewsky K, Filipp D. A novel conditional Aire allele enables cell-specific ablation of the immune tolerance regulator Aire. Eur J Immunol 2018; 48:546-548. [PMID: 29193031 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201747267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2017] [Revised: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Medullary thymic epithelial cell (mTEC)-restricted expression of autoimmune regulator (Aire) is essential for establishment of immune tolerance. Recently, Aire was also shown to be expressed in cells of hematopietic and reproductive lineages. Thus, the generation of Airefl/fl mouse strain enables the investigation of the cell-specific function of Aire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Dobeš
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Frank Edenhofer
- Institute of Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Matouš Vobořil
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Cell biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Brabec
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Dobešová
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Adéla Čepková
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ludger Klein
- Laboratory of Thymusfuction, Institute for Immunology, Ludwig-Maxmilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Klaus Rajewsky
- Institute of Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Dominik Filipp
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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35
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Abstract
About two decades ago, cloning of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene materialized one of the most important actors on the scene of self-tolerance. Thymic transcription of genes encoding tissue-specific antigens (ts-ags) is activated by AIRE protein and embodies the essence of thymic self-representation. Pathogenic AIRE variants cause the autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1, which is a rare and complex disease that is gaining attention in research on autoimmunity. The animal models of disease, although not identically reproducing the human picture, supply fundamental information on mechanisms and extent of AIRE action: thanks to its multidomain structure, AIRE localizes to chromatin enclosing the target genes, binds to histones, and offers an anchorage to multimolecular complexes involved in initiation and post-initiation events of gene transcription. In addition, AIRE enhances mRNA diversity by favoring alternative mRNA splicing. Once synthesized, ts-ags are presented to, and cause deletion of the self-reactive thymocyte clones. However, AIRE function is not restricted to the activation of gene transcription. AIRE would control presentation and transfer of self-antigens for thymic cellular interplay: such mechanism is aimed at increasing the likelihood of engagement of the thymocytes that carry the corresponding T-cell receptors. Another fundamental role of AIRE in promoting self-tolerance is related to the development of thymocyte anergy, as thymic self-representation shapes at the same time the repertoire of regulatory T cells. Finally, AIRE seems to replicate its action in the secondary lymphoid organs, albeit the cell lineage detaining such property has not been fully characterized. Delineation of AIRE functions adds interesting data to the knowledge of the mechanisms of self-tolerance and introduces exciting perspectives of therapeutic interventions against the related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Perniola
- Department of Pediatrics, Neonatal Intensive Care, Vito Fazzi Regional Hospital, Lecce, Italy
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36
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The molecular basis of immune regulation in autoimmunity. Clin Sci (Lond) 2018; 132:43-67. [PMID: 29305419 DOI: 10.1042/cs20171154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases can be triggered and modulated by various molecular and cellular characteristics. The mechanisms of autoimmunity and the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases have been investigated for several decades. It is well accepted that autoimmunity is caused by dysregulated/dysfunctional immune susceptible genes and environmental factors. There are multiple physiological mechanisms that regulate and control self-reactivity, but which can also lead to tolerance breakdown when in defect. The majority of autoreactive T or B cells are eliminated during the development of central tolerance by negative selection. Regulatory cells such as Tregs (regulatory T) and MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells), and molecules such as CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4) and IL (interleukin) 10 (IL-10), help to eliminate autoreactive cells that escaped to the periphery in order to prevent development of autoimmunity. Knowledge of the molecular basis of immune regulation is needed to further our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of loss of tolerance in autoimmune diseases and pave the way for the development of more effective, specific, and safer therapeutic interventions.
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Passos GA, Speck‐Hernandez CA, Assis AF, Mendes‐da‐Cruz DA. Update on Aire and thymic negative selection. Immunology 2018; 153:10-20. [PMID: 28871661 PMCID: PMC5721245 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Twenty years ago, the autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene was associated with autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy, and was cloned and sequenced. Its importance goes beyond its abstract link with human autoimmune disease. Aire identification opened new perspectives to better understand the molecular basis of central tolerance and self-non-self distinction, the main properties of the immune system. Since 1997, a growing number of immunologists and molecular geneticists have made important discoveries about the function of Aire, which is essentially a pleiotropic gene. Aire is one of the functional markers in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), controlling their differentiation and expression of peripheral tissue antigens (PTAs), mTEC-thymocyte adhesion and the expression of microRNAs, among other functions. With Aire, the immunological tolerance became even more apparent from the molecular genetics point of view. Currently, mTECs represent the most unusual cells because they express almost the entire functional genome but still maintain their identity. Due to the enormous diversity of PTAs, this uncommon gene expression pattern was termed promiscuous gene expression, the interpretation of which is essentially immunological - i.e. it is related to self-representation in the thymus. Therefore, this knowledge is strongly linked to the negative selection of autoreactive thymocytes. In this update, we focus on the most relevant results of Aire as a transcriptional and post-transcriptional controller of PTAs in mTECs, its mechanism of action, and its influence on the negative selection of autoreactive thymocytes as the bases of the induction of central tolerance and prevention of autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldo A. Passos
- Molecular Immunogenetics GroupDepartment of GeneticsRibeirão Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
- Discipline of Genetics and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Morphology, Physiology and Basic PathologySchool of Dentistry of Ribeirão PretoUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
| | - Cesar A. Speck‐Hernandez
- Graduate Programme in Basic and Applied ImmunologyRibeirão Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
| | - Amanda F. Assis
- Molecular Immunogenetics GroupDepartment of GeneticsRibeirão Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
| | - Daniella A. Mendes‐da‐Cruz
- Laboratory on Thymus ResearchOswaldo Cruz InstituteOswaldo Cruz FoundationRio de JaneiroRJBrazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on NeuroimmunomodulationRio de JaneiroRJBrazil
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Timms RT, Tchasovnikarova IA, Antrobus R, Dougan G, Lehner PJ. ATF7IP-Mediated Stabilization of the Histone Methyltransferase SETDB1 Is Essential for Heterochromatin Formation by the HUSH Complex. Cell Rep 2017; 17:653-659. [PMID: 27732843 PMCID: PMC5081395 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.09.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The histone methyltransferase SETDB1 plays a central role in repressive chromatin processes, but the functional requirement for its binding partner ATF7IP has remained enigmatic. Here, we show that ATF7IP is essential for SETDB1 stability: nuclear SETDB1 protein is degraded by the proteasome upon ablation of ATF7IP. As a result, ATF7IP is critical for repression that requires H3K9 trimethylation by SETDB1, including transgene silencing by the HUSH complex. Furthermore, we show that loss of ATF7IP phenocopies loss of SETDB1 in genome-wide assays. ATF7IP and SETDB1 knockout cells exhibit near-identical defects in the global deposition of H3K9me3, which results in similar dysregulation of the transcriptome. Overall, these data identify a critical functional role for ATF7IP in heterochromatin formation by regulating SETDB1 abundance in the nucleus. The SETDB1-interacting partner ATF7IP is critical for HUSH-mediated silencing ATF7IP shields SETDB1 from proteasomal degradation in the nucleus Loss of ATF7IP phenocopies loss of SETDB1 in genome-wide assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard T Timms
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Iva A Tchasovnikarova
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Robin Antrobus
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Gordon Dougan
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Paul J Lehner
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK.
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Avin A, Levy M, Porat Z, Abramson J. Quantitative analysis of protein-protein interactions and post-translational modifications in rare immune populations. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1524. [PMID: 29142256 PMCID: PMC5688095 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01808-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In spite of recent advances in proteomics, quantitative analyses of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) or post-translational modifications (PTMs) in rare cell populations remain challenging. This is in particular true for analyses of rare immune and/or stem cell populations that are directly isolated from humans or animal models, and which are often characterized by multiple surface markers. To overcome these limitations, here we have developed proximity ligation imaging cytometry (PLIC), a protocol for proteomic analysis of rare cells. Specifically, by employing PLIC on medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), which serve as a paradigm for a rare immune population, we demonstrate that PLIC overcomes the inherent limitations of conventional proteomic approaches and enables a high-resolution detection and quantification of PPIs and PTMs at a single cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet Avin
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Maayan Levy
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Ziv Porat
- Department of Biological Services, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Jakub Abramson
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
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40
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Takaba H, Takayanagi H. The Mechanisms of T Cell Selection in the Thymus. Trends Immunol 2017; 38:805-816. [PMID: 28830733 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
T cells undergo positive and negative selection in the thymic cortex and medulla, respectively. A promiscuous expression of a wide array of self-antigens in the thymus is essential for the negative selection of self-reactive T cells and the establishment of central tolerance. Aire was originally thought to be the exclusive factor regulating the expression of tissue-restricted antigens, but Fezf2 recently emerged as a critical transcription factor in this regulatory activity. Fezf2 is selectively expressed in thymic medullary epithelial cells, regulates a large number of tissue-restricted antigens and suppresses the onset of autoimmune responses. Here, we discuss novel findings on the transcriptional mechanisms of tissue restricted-antigen expression in the medullary thymic epithelial cells and its effects on T cell selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Takaba
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Takayanagi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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41
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Torres-Odio S, Key J, Hoepken HH, Canet-Pons J, Valek L, Roller B, Walter M, Morales-Gordo B, Meierhofer D, Harter PN, Mittelbronn M, Tegeder I, Gispert S, Auburger G. Progression of pathology in PINK1-deficient mouse brain from splicing via ubiquitination, ER stress, and mitophagy changes to neuroinflammation. J Neuroinflammation 2017; 14:154. [PMID: 28768533 PMCID: PMC5541666 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-017-0928-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background PINK1 deficiency causes the autosomal recessive PARK6 variant of Parkinson’s disease. PINK1 activates ubiquitin by phosphorylation and cooperates with the downstream ubiquitin ligase PARKIN, to exert quality control and control autophagic degradation of mitochondria and of misfolded proteins in all cell types. Methods Global transcriptome profiling of mouse brain and neuron cultures were assessed in protein-protein interaction diagrams and by pathway enrichment algorithms. Validation by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunoblots was performed, including human neuroblastoma cells and patient primary skin fibroblasts. Results In a first approach, we documented Pink1-deleted mice across the lifespan regarding brain mRNAs. The expression changes were always subtle, consistently affecting “intracellular membrane-bounded organelles”. Significant anomalies involved about 250 factors at age 6 weeks, 1300 at 6 months, and more than 3500 at age 18 months in the cerebellar tissue, including Srsf10, Ube3a, Mapk8, Creb3, and Nfkbia. Initially, mildly significant pathway enrichment for the spliceosome was apparent. Later, highly significant networks of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and endoplasmic reticulum protein processing occurred. Finally, an enrichment of neuroinflammation factors appeared, together with profiles of bacterial invasion and MAPK signaling changes—while mitophagy had minor significance. Immunohistochemistry showed pronounced cellular response of Iba1-positive microglia and GFAP-positive astrocytes; brain lipidomics observed increases of ceramides as neuroinflammatory signs at old age. In a second approach, we assessed PINK1 deficiency in the presence of a stressor. Marked dysregulations of microbial defense factors Ifit3 and Rsad2 were consistently observed upon five analyses: (1) Pink1−/− primary neurons in the first weeks after brain dissociation, (2) aged Pink1−/− midbrain with transgenic A53T-alpha-synuclein overexpression, (3) human neuroblastoma cells with PINK1-knockdown and murine Pink1−/− embryonal fibroblasts undergoing acute starvation, (4) triggering mitophagy in these cells with trifluoromethoxy carbonylcyanide phenylhydrazone (FCCP), and (5) subjecting them to pathogenic RNA-analogue poly(I:C). The stress regulation of MAVS, RSAD2, DDX58, IFIT3, IFIT1, and LRRK2 was PINK1 dependent. Dysregulation of some innate immunity genes was also found in skin fibroblast cells from PARK6 patients. Conclusions Thus, an individual biomarker with expression correlating to progression was not identified. Instead, more advanced disease stages involved additional pathways. Hence, our results identify PINK1 deficiency as an early modulator of innate immunity in neurons, which precedes late stages of neuroinflammation during alpha-synuclein spreading. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12974-017-0928-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Torres-Odio
- Experimental Neurology, Goethe University Medical School, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jana Key
- Experimental Neurology, Goethe University Medical School, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Hans-Hermann Hoepken
- Experimental Neurology, Goethe University Medical School, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Júlia Canet-Pons
- Experimental Neurology, Goethe University Medical School, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lucie Valek
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University Medical School, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Bastian Roller
- Edinger-Institute (Institute of Neurology), Goethe University Medical School, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael Walter
- Institute for Medical Genetics, Eberhard-Karls-University of Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Blas Morales-Gordo
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital San Cecilio, 18012, Granada, Spain
| | - David Meierhofer
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestraße 63-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrick N Harter
- Edinger-Institute (Institute of Neurology), Goethe University Medical School, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michel Mittelbronn
- Edinger-Institute (Institute of Neurology), Goethe University Medical School, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Luxembourg Centre of Neuropathology (LCNP), Luxembourg, Luxembourg.,Department of Pathology, Laboratoire National de Santé, Dudelange, Luxembourg.,Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.,Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, NORLUX Neuro-Oncology Laboratory, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Irmgard Tegeder
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University Medical School, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Suzana Gispert
- Experimental Neurology, Goethe University Medical School, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Georg Auburger
- Experimental Neurology, Goethe University Medical School, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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Gu B, Lambert JP, Cockburn K, Gingras AC, Rossant J. AIRE is a critical spindle-associated protein in embryonic stem cells. eLife 2017; 6:e28131. [PMID: 28742026 PMCID: PMC5560860 DOI: 10.7554/elife.28131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic stem (ES) cells go though embryo-like cell cycles regulated by specialized molecular mechanisms. However, it is not known whether there are ES cell-specific mechanisms regulating mitotic fidelity. Here we showed that Autoimmune Regulator (Aire), a transcription coordinator involved in immune tolerance processes, is a critical spindle-associated protein in mouse ES(mES) cells. BioID analysis showed that AIRE associates with spindle-associated proteins in mES cells. Loss of function analysis revealed that Aire was important for centrosome number regulation and spindle pole integrity specifically in mES cells. We also identified the c-terminal LESLL motif as a critical motif for AIRE's mitotic function. Combined maternal and zygotic knockout further revealed Aire's critical functions for spindle assembly in preimplantation embryos. These results uncovered a previously unappreciated function for Aire and provide new insights into the biology of stem cell proliferation and potential new angles to understand fertility defects in humans carrying Aire mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Gu
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Katie Cockburn
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Janet Rossant
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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43
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Kondo K, Takada K, Takahama Y. Antigen processing and presentation in the thymus: implications for T cell repertoire selection. Curr Opin Immunol 2017; 46:53-57. [PMID: 28477557 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2017.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The processing and presentation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-associated antigens depend on the intracellular digestion of self- and nonself-proteins, the loading of digested peptides onto MHC molecules, and the traffic of peptide-MHC complexes to plasma membrane surface for display to interacting T cells. Recent studies have revealed unique machineries for antigen processing and presentation in thymic antigen-presenting cells that display self-antigens to developing thymocytes for the formation of functionally competent yet self-tolerant T cell repertoire. Here, we briefly summarize those machineries, focusing on the biology of cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Kondo
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, University of Tokushima, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Kensuke Takada
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, University of Tokushima, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan; Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, N18W9 Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Yousuke Takahama
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, University of Tokushima, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
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44
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Abstract
Intrathymic T cell development is a complex process that depends upon continuous guidance from thymus stromal cell microenvironments. The thymic epithelium within the thymic stroma comprises highly specialized cells with a high degree of anatomic, phenotypic, and functional heterogeneity. These properties are collectively required to bias thymocyte development toward production of self-tolerant and functionally competent T cells. The importance of thymic epithelial cells (TECs) is evidenced by clear links between their dysfunction and multiple diseases where autoimmunity and immunodeficiency are major components. Consequently, TECs are an attractive target for cell therapies to restore effective immune system function. The pathways and molecular regulators that control TEC development are becoming clearer, as are their influences on particular stages of T cell development. Here, we review both historical and the most recent advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling TEC development, function, dysfunction, and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Abramson
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
| | - Graham Anderson
- MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom;
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45
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Mehta S, Cronkite DA, Basavappa M, Saunders TL, Adiliaghdam F, Amatullah H, Morrison SA, Pagan JD, Anthony RM, Tonnerre P, Lauer GM, Lee JC, Digumarthi S, Pantano L, Ho Sui SJ, Ji F, Sadreyev R, Zhou C, Mullen AC, Kumar V, Li Y, Wijmenga C, Xavier RJ, Means TK, Jeffrey KL. Maintenance of macrophage transcriptional programs and intestinal homeostasis by epigenetic reader SP140. Sci Immunol 2017; 2:eaag3160. [PMID: 28783698 PMCID: PMC5549562 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aag3160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic "readers" that recognize defined posttranslational modifications on histones have become desirable therapeutic targets for cancer and inflammation. SP140 is one such bromodomain- and plant homeodomain (PHD)-containing reader with immune-restricted expression, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within SP140 associate with Crohn's disease (CD). However, the function of SP140 and the consequences of disease-associated SP140 SNPs have remained unclear. We show that SP140 is critical for transcriptional programs that uphold the macrophage state. SP140 preferentially occupies promoters of silenced, lineage-inappropriate genes bearing the histone modification H3K27me3, such as the HOXA cluster in human macrophages, and ensures their repression. Depletion of SP140 in mouse or human macrophages resulted in severely compromised microbe-induced activation. We reveal that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or B cells from individuals carrying CD-associated SNPs within SP140 have defective SP140 messenger RNA splicing and diminished SP140 protein levels. Moreover, CD patients carrying SP140 SNPs displayed suppressed innate immune gene signatures in a mixed population of PBMCs that stratified them from other CD patients. Hematopoietic-specific knockdown of Sp140 in mice resulted in exacerbated dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, and low SP140 levels in human CD intestinal biopsies correlated with relatively lower intestinal innate cytokine levels and improved response to anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. Thus, the epigenetic reader SP140 is a key regulator of macrophage transcriptional programs for cellular state, and a loss of SP140 due to genetic variation contributes to a molecularly defined subset of CD characterized by ineffective innate immunity, normally critical for intestinal homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuti Mehta
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - D Alexander Cronkite
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Megha Basavappa
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Tahnee L Saunders
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Fatemeh Adiliaghdam
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hajera Amatullah
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Sara A Morrison
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jose D Pagan
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Robert M Anthony
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Pierre Tonnerre
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Georg M Lauer
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - James C Lee
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, U.K
| | - Sreehaas Digumarthi
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Lorena Pantano
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shannan J Ho Sui
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fei Ji
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ruslan Sadreyev
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Chan Zhou
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Alan C Mullen
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Cisca Wijmenga
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Ramnik J Xavier
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Terry K Means
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Kate L Jeffrey
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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Jin R, Aili A, Wang Y, Wu J, Sun X, Zhang Y, Ge Q. Critical role of SP thymocyte motility in regulation of thymic output in neonatal Aire-/- mice. Oncotarget 2017; 8:83-94. [PMID: 27965471 PMCID: PMC5352200 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune regulator (Aire) is essential in the perinatal period to prevent the multiorgan autoimmunity. Here we show that Aire-regulated single positive thymocyte trafficking in neonatal period is critical for thymic egress. Reduced thymic emigration was found in Aire-/- mice during neonatal period, leading to enhanced homeostatic expansion of peripheral T cells as early as 2 weeks of age. In neonatal Aire-/- mice, thymic expression of CCR7 ligands were dramatically reduced, resulting in decreased thymocyte motility and thymocyte emigration. This reduction of thymic egress in Aire-/- mice was alleviated beyond 3 weeks of age by an early upregulation of S1P1 signaling. As the numbers and quality of thymic emigrants are essential for the establishment and maintenance of peripheral tolerance, the reduced thymic emigration during neonatal period may deteriorate autoimmunity caused by the emigration of autoreactive T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Jin
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Ministry of Health. Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Abudureyimujiang Aili
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Ministry of Health. Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yuqing Wang
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Ministry of Health. Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Wu
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Ministry of Health. Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuyuan Sun
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Ministry of Health. Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Ministry of Health. Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Ge
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Ministry of Health. Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
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47
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Bruserud Ø, Oftedal BE, Wolff AB, Husebye ES. AIRE-mutations and autoimmune disease. Curr Opin Immunol 2016; 43:8-15. [PMID: 27504588 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The gene causing the severe organ-specific autoimmune disease autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type-1 (APS-1) was identified in 1997 and named autoimmune regulator (AIRE). AIRE plays a key role in shaping central immunological tolerance by facilitating negative selection of T cells in the thymus, building the thymic microarchitecture, and inducing a specific subset of regulatory T cells. So far, about 100 mutations have been identified. Recent advances suggest that certain mutations located in the SAND and PHD1 domains exert a dominant negative effect on wild type AIRE resulting in milder seemingly common forms of autoimmune diseases, including pernicious anemia, vitiligo and autoimmune thyroid disease. These findings indicate that AIRE also contribute to autoimmunity in more common organ-specific autoimmune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Øyvind Bruserud
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Bergithe E Oftedal
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Anette B Wolff
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Eystein S Husebye
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway; Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway.
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48
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Shao W, Zumer K, Fujinaga K, Peterlin BM. FBXO3 Protein Promotes Ubiquitylation and Transcriptional Activity of AIRE (Autoimmune Regulator). J Biol Chem 2016; 291:17953-63. [PMID: 27365398 PMCID: PMC5016183 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.724401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a transcription factor which is expressed in medullary thymic epithelial cells. It directs the expression of otherwise tissue-specific antigens, which leads to the elimination of autoreactive T cells during development. AIRE is modified post-translationally by phosphorylation and ubiquitylation. In this report we connected these modifications. AIRE, which is phosphorylated on two specific residues near its N terminus, then binds to the F-box protein 3 (FBXO3) E3 ubiquitin ligase. In turn, this SCF(FBXO3) (SKP1-CUL1-F box) complex ubiquitylates AIRE, increases its binding to the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb), and potentiates its transcriptional activity. Because P-TEFb is required for the transition from initiation to elongation of transcription, this interaction ensures proper expression of AIRE-responsive tissue-specific antigens in the thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Shao
- From the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-07030703 and
| | - Kristina Zumer
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biology, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Koh Fujinaga
- From the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-07030703 and
| | - B Matija Peterlin
- From the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-07030703 and
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Abramson J, Husebye ES. Autoimmune regulator and self-tolerance - molecular and clinical aspects. Immunol Rev 2016; 271:127-40. [PMID: 27088911 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of central tolerance in the thymus is critical for avoiding deleterious autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune regulator (AIRE), the causative gene in autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type-1 (APS-1), is crucial for the establishment of self-tolerance in the thymus by promoting promiscuous expression of a wide array of tissue-restricted self-antigens. This step is critical for elimination of high-affinity self-reactive T cells from the immunological repertoire, and for the induction of a specific subset of Foxp3(+) T-regulatory (Treg ) cells. In this review, we discuss the most recent advances in our understanding of how AIRE operates on molecular and cellular levels, as well as of how its loss of function results in breakdown of self-tolerance mechanisms characterized by a broad and heterogeneous repertoire of autoimmune phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Abramson
- Department of Immunology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eystein S Husebye
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
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50
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Zhu ML, Bakhru P, Conley B, Nelson JS, Free M, Martin A, Starmer J, Wilson EM, Su MA. Sex bias in CNS autoimmune disease mediated by androgen control of autoimmune regulator. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11350. [PMID: 27072778 PMCID: PMC5512610 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Male gender is protective against multiple sclerosis and other T-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. This protection may be due, in part, to higher androgen levels in males. Androgen binds to the androgen receptor (AR) to regulate gene expression, but how androgen protects against autoimmunity is not well understood. Autoimmune regulator (Aire) prevents autoimmunity by promoting self-antigen expression in medullary thymic epithelial cells, such that developing T cells that recognize these self-antigens within the thymus undergo clonal deletion. Here we show that androgen upregulates Aire-mediated thymic tolerance to protect against autoimmunity. Androgen recruits AR to Aire promoter regions, with consequent enhancement of Aire transcription. In mice and humans, thymic Aire expression is higher in males compared with females. Androgen administration and male gender protect against autoimmunity in a multiple sclerosis mouse model in an Aire-dependent manner. Thus, androgen control of an intrathymic Aire-mediated tolerance mechanism contributes to gender differences in autoimmunity.
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MESH Headings
- Androgens/pharmacology
- Animals
- Antigens/metabolism
- Autoimmune Diseases/metabolism
- Autoimmune Diseases/pathology
- Central Nervous System/pathology
- Dihydrotestosterone/pharmacology
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/metabolism
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/pathology
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/prevention & control
- Female
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique
- Humans
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein/genetics
- Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein/metabolism
- Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Receptors, Androgen/metabolism
- Sexism
- Thymus Gland/drug effects
- Thymus Gland/metabolism
- Transcription Factors/genetics
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Up-Regulation/drug effects
- AIRE Protein
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Lei Zhu
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Pearl Bakhru
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Bridget Conley
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Jennifer S. Nelson
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Meghan Free
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Aaron Martin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Joshua Starmer
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Wilson
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Maureen A. Su
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
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