1
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Pervizaj-Oruqaj L, Selvakumar B, Ferrero MR, Heiner M, Malainou C, Glaser RD, Wilhelm J, Bartkuhn M, Weiss A, Alexopoulos I, Witte B, Gattenlöhner S, Vadász I, Morty RE, Seeger W, Schermuly RT, Vazquez-Armendariz AI, Herold S. Alveolar macrophage-expressed Plet1 is a driver of lung epithelial repair after viral pneumonia. Nat Commun 2024; 15:87. [PMID: 38167746 PMCID: PMC10761876 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44421-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Influenza A virus (IAV) infection mobilizes bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) that gradually undergo transition to tissue-resident alveolar macrophages (TR-AM) in the inflamed lung. Combining high-dimensional single-cell transcriptomics with complex lung organoid modeling, in vivo adoptive cell transfer, and BMDM-specific gene targeting, we found that transitioning ("regenerative") BMDM and TR-AM highly express Placenta-expressed transcript 1 (Plet1). We reveal that Plet1 is released from alveolar macrophages, and acts as important mediator of macrophage-epithelial cross-talk during lung repair by inducing proliferation of alveolar epithelial cells and re-sealing of the epithelial barrier. Intratracheal administration of recombinant Plet1 early in the disease course attenuated viral lung injury and rescued mice from otherwise fatal disease, highlighting its therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Learta Pervizaj-Oruqaj
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
| | - Balachandar Selvakumar
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maximiliano Ruben Ferrero
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Monika Heiner
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
| | - Christina Malainou
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
| | - Rolf David Glaser
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Biomedical Informatics and Systems Medicine, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jochen Wilhelm
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
| | - Marek Bartkuhn
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Biomedical Informatics and Systems Medicine, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Astrid Weiss
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
| | - Ioannis Alexopoulos
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
| | - Biruta Witte
- Department of General and Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - István Vadász
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
| | - Rory Edward Morty
- Department of Translational Pulmonology and the Translational Lung Research Center, University Hospital Heidelberg, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Werner Seeger
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
| | - Ralph Theo Schermuly
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
| | - Ana Ivonne Vazquez-Armendariz
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
- University of Bonn, Transdisciplinary Research Area Life and Health, Organoid Biology, Life & Medical Sciences Institute, Bonn, Germany
| | - Susanne Herold
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany.
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
- Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany.
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2
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Ragazzini R, Boeing S, Zanieri L, Green M, D'Agostino G, Bartolovic K, Agua-Doce A, Greco M, Watson SA, Batsivari A, Ariza-McNaughton L, Gjinovci A, Scoville D, Nam A, Hayday AC, Bonnet D, Bonfanti P. Defining the identity and the niches of epithelial stem cells with highly pleiotropic multilineage potency in the human thymus. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2428-2446.e9. [PMID: 37652013 PMCID: PMC10957394 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Thymus is necessary for lifelong immunological tolerance and immunity. It displays a distinctive epithelial complexity and undergoes age-dependent atrophy. Nonetheless, it also retains regenerative capacity, which, if harnessed appropriately, might permit rejuvenation of adaptive immunity. By characterizing cortical and medullary compartments in the human thymus at single-cell resolution, in this study we have defined specific epithelial populations, including those that share properties with bona fide stem cells (SCs) of lifelong regenerating epidermis. Thymic epithelial SCs display a distinctive transcriptional profile and phenotypic traits, including pleiotropic multilineage potency, to give rise to several cell types that were not previously considered to have shared origin. Using here identified SC markers, we have defined their cortical and medullary niches and shown that, in vitro, the cells display long-term clonal expansion and self-organizing capacity. These data substantively broaden our knowledge of SC biology and set a stage for tackling thymic atrophy and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Ragazzini
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, Division of Infection & Immunity, UCL, Pears Building, Rosslyn Hill, London NW3 2PP, UK
| | - Stefan Boeing
- Bioinformatics & Biostatistics, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Luca Zanieri
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, Division of Infection & Immunity, UCL, Pears Building, Rosslyn Hill, London NW3 2PP, UK
| | - Mary Green
- Experimental Histopathology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Giuseppe D'Agostino
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Plasticell Limited, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Kerol Bartolovic
- Flow Cytometry Core, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Ana Agua-Doce
- Flow Cytometry Core, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Maria Greco
- Single Cell Facility, MRC WIMM, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Sara A Watson
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Antoniana Batsivari
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Linda Ariza-McNaughton
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Asllan Gjinovci
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, Division of Infection & Immunity, UCL, Pears Building, Rosslyn Hill, London NW3 2PP, UK
| | | | - Andy Nam
- NanoString Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adrian C Hayday
- Immunosurveillance Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dominique Bonnet
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Paola Bonfanti
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, Division of Infection & Immunity, UCL, Pears Building, Rosslyn Hill, London NW3 2PP, UK.
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3
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Farley AM, Chengrui A, Palmer S, Liu D, Kousa AI, Rouse P, Major V, Sweetman J, Morys J, Corsinotti A, Nichols J, Ure J, McLay R, Boulter L, Chapman SJ, Tomlinson SR, Blackburn CC. Thymic epithelial cell fate and potency in early organogenesis assessed by single cell transcriptional and functional analysis. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1202163. [PMID: 37559721 PMCID: PMC10407560 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1202163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
During development, cortical (c) and medullary (m) thymic epithelial cells (TEC) arise from the third pharyngeal pouch endoderm. Current models suggest that within the thymic primordium most TEC exist in a bipotent/common thymic epithelial progenitor cell (TEPC) state able to generate both cTEC and mTEC, at least until embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5) in the mouse. This view, however, is challenged by recent transcriptomics and genetic evidence. We therefore set out to investigate the fate and potency of TEC in the early thymus. Here using single cell (sc) RNAseq we identify a candidate mTEC progenitor population at E12.5, consistent with recent reports. Via lineage-tracing we demonstrate this population as mTEC fate-restricted, validating our bioinformatics prediction. Using potency analyses we also establish that most E11.5 and E12.5 progenitor TEC are cTEC-fated. Finally we show that overnight culture causes most if not all E12.5 cTEC-fated TEPC to acquire functional bipotency, and provide a likely molecular mechanism for this changed differentiation potential. Collectively, our data overturn the widely held view that a common TEPC predominates in the E12.5 thymus, showing instead that sublineage-primed progenitors are present from the earliest stages of thymus organogenesis but that these early fetal TEPC exhibit cell-fate plasticity in response to extrinsic factors. Our data provide a significant advance in the understanding of fetal thymic epithelial development and thus have implications for thymus-related clinical research, in particular research focussed on generating TEC from pluripotent stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Mary Farley
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - An Chengrui
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Palmer
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Dong Liu
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Anastasia I. Kousa
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Rouse
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Viktoria Major
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna Sweetman
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Morys
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Corsinotti
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Nichols
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Janice Ure
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Renee McLay
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Luke Boulter
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - S. Jon Chapman
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Simon R. Tomlinson
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - C. Clare Blackburn
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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4
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Li J, Wachsmuth LP, Xiao S, Condie BG, Manley NR. Foxn1 overexpression promotes thymic epithelial progenitor cell proliferation and mTEC maintenance, but does not prevent thymic involution. Development 2023; 150:dev200995. [PMID: 36975725 PMCID: PMC10263147 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor FOXN1 is essential for fetal thymic epithelial cell (TEC) differentiation and proliferation. Postnatally, Foxn1 levels vary widely between TEC subsets, from low/undetectable in putative TEC progenitors to highest in differentiated TEC subsets. Correct Foxn1 expression is required to maintain the postnatal microenvironment; premature downregulation of Foxn1 causes a rapid involution-like phenotype, and transgenic overexpression can cause thymic hyperplasia and/or delayed involution. We investigated a K5.Foxn1 transgene that drives overexpression in mouse TECs, but causes neither hyperplasia nor delay or prevention of aging-related involution. Similarly, this transgene cannot rescue thymus size in Foxn1lacZ/lacZ mice, which undergo premature involution as a result of reduced Foxn1 levels. However, TEC differentiation and cortico-medullary organization are maintained with aging in both K5.Foxn1 and Foxn1lacZ/lacZ mice. Analysis of candidate TEC markers showed co-expression of progenitor and differentiation markers as well as increased proliferation in Plet1+ TECs associated with Foxn1 expression. These results demonstrate that the functions of FOXN1 in promoting TEC proliferation and differentiation are separable and context dependent, and suggest that modulating Foxn1 levels can regulate the balance of proliferation and differentiation in TEC progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Li
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | | | - Shiyun Xiao
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Brian G. Condie
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Nancy R. Manley
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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5
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Hino C, Xu Y, Xiao J, Baylink DJ, Reeves ME, Cao H. The potential role of the thymus in immunotherapies for acute myeloid leukemia. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1102517. [PMID: 36814919 PMCID: PMC9940763 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1102517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the factors which shape T-lymphocyte immunity is critical for the development and application of future immunotherapeutic strategies in treating hematological malignancies. The thymus, a specialized central lymphoid organ, plays important roles in generating a diverse T lymphocyte repertoire during the infantile and juvenile stages of humans. However, age-associated thymic involution and diseases or treatment associated injury result in a decline in its continuous role in the maintenance of T cell-mediated anti-tumor/virus immunity. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy that mainly affects older adults, and the disease's progression is known to consist of an impaired immune surveillance including a reduction in naïve T cell output, a restriction in T cell receptor repertoire, and an increase in frequencies of regulatory T cells. As one of the most successful immunotherapies thus far developed for malignancy, T-cell-based adoptive cell therapies could be essential for the development of a durable effective treatment to eliminate residue leukemic cells (blasts) and prevent AML relapse. Thus, a detailed cellular and molecular landscape of how the adult thymus functions within the context of the AML microenvironment will provide new insights into both the immune-related pathogenesis and the regeneration of a functional immune system against leukemia in AML patients. Herein, we review the available evidence supporting the potential correlation between thymic dysfunction and T-lymphocyte impairment with the ontogeny of AML (II-VI). We then discuss how the thymus could impact current and future therapeutic approaches in AML (VII). Finally, we review various strategies to rejuvenate thymic function to improve the precision and efficacy of cancer immunotherapy (VIII).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Hino
- Department of Internal Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Yi Xu
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States.,Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States.,Loma Linda University Cancer Center, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey Xiao
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - David J Baylink
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Mark E Reeves
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States.,Loma Linda University Cancer Center, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Huynh Cao
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States.,Loma Linda University Cancer Center, Loma Linda, CA, United States
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6
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Shichkin VP, Antica M. Key Factors for Thymic Function and Development. Front Immunol 2022; 13:926516. [PMID: 35844535 PMCID: PMC9280625 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.926516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus is the organ responsible for T cell development and the formation of the adaptive immunity function. Its multicellular environment consists mainly of the different stromal cells and maturing T lymphocytes. Thymus-specific progenitors of epithelial, mesenchymal, and lymphoid cells with stem cell properties represent only minor populations. The thymic stromal structure predominantly determines the function of the thymus. The stromal components, mostly epithelial and mesenchymal cells, form this specialized area. They support the consistent developmental program of functionally distinct conventional T cell subpopulations. These include the MHC restricted single positive CD4+ CD8- and CD4- CD8+ cells, regulatory T lymphocytes (Foxp3+), innate natural killer T cells (iNKT), and γδT cells. Several physiological causes comprising stress and aging and medical treatments such as thymectomy and chemo/radiotherapy can harm the thymus function. The present review summarizes our knowledge of the development and function of the thymus with a focus on thymic epithelial cells as well as other stromal components and the signaling and transcriptional pathways underlying the thymic cell interaction. These critical thymus components are significant for T cell differentiation and restoring the thymic function after damage to reach the therapeutic benefits.
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7
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Gao H, Cao M, Deng K, Yang Y, Song J, Ni M, Xie C, Fan W, Ou C, Huang D, Lin L, Liu L, Li Y, Sun H, Cheng X, Wu J, Xia C, Deng X, Mou L, Chen P. The Lineage Differentiation and Dynamic Heterogeneity of Thymic Epithelial Cells During Thymus Organogenesis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:805451. [PMID: 35273595 PMCID: PMC8901506 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.805451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although much progress has been made recently in revealing the heterogeneity of the thymic stromal components, the molecular programs of cell lineage divergency and temporal dynamics of thymic epithelial cell (TEC) development are largely elusive. Here, we constructed a single-cell transcriptional landscape of non-hematopoietic cells from mouse thymus spanning embryonic to adult stages, producing transcriptomes of 30,959 TECs. We resolved the transcriptional heterogeneity of developing TECs and highlighted the molecular nature of early TEC lineage determination and cortico-medullary thymic epithelial cell lineage divergency. We further characterized the differentiation dynamics of TECs by clarification of molecularly distinct cell states in the thymus developing trajectory. We also identified a population of Bpifa1+ Plet1+ mTECs that was preserved during thymus organogenesis and highly expressed tissue-resident adult stem cell markers. Finally, we highlighted the expression of Aire-dependent tissue-restricted antigens mainly in Aire+ Csn2+ mTECs and Spink5+ Dmkn+ mTECs in postnatal thymus. Overall, our data provided a comprehensive characterization of cell lineage differentiation, maturation, and temporal dynamics of thymic epithelial cells during thymus organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanchao Gao
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mengtao Cao
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kai Deng
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jinqi Song
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ming Ni
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chuntao Xie
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenna Fan
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunpei Ou
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dinggen Huang
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lizhong Lin
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lixia Liu
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yangyang Li
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huimin Sun
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinyu Cheng
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jinmei Wu
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Cuilan Xia
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuefeng Deng
- Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lisha Mou
- Shenzhen Xenotransplantation Medical Engineering Research and Development Center, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Chen
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenzhen Longhua District, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China
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8
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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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9
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Hosaka N, Kanda S, Shimono T, Nishiyama T. Induction of γδT cells from HSC-enriched BMCs co-cultured with iPSC-derived thymic epithelial cells. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:10604-10613. [PMID: 34687276 PMCID: PMC8581322 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16993] [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: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells bearing γδ antigen receptors have been investigated as potential treatments for several diseases, including malignant tumours. However, the clinical application of γδT cells has been hampered by their relatively low abundance in vivo and the technical difficulty of inducing their differentiation from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in vitro. Here, we describe a novel method for generating mouse γδT cells by co-culturing HSC-enriched bone marrow cells (HSC-eBMCs) with induced thymic epithelial cells (iTECs) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We used BMCs from CD45.1 congenic C57BL/6 mice to distinguish them from iPSCs, which expressed CD45.2. We showed that HSC-eBMCs and iTECs cultured with IL-2 + IL-7 for up to 21 days induced CD45.1+ γδT cells that expressed a broad repertoire of Vγ and Vδ T-cell receptors. Notably, the induced lymphocytes contained few or no αβT cells, NK1.1+ natural killer cells, or B220+ B cells. Adoptive transfer of the induced γδT cells to leukemia-bearing mice significantly reduced tumour growth and prolonged mouse survival with no obvious side effects, such as tumorigenesis and autoimmune diseases. This new method suggests that it could also be used to produce human γδT cells for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Hosaka
- Department of Pathology, Fuchu Hospital, Izumi, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hitakata, Osaka, Japan
| | - Seiji Kanda
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hitakata, Osaka, Japan.,Regenerative Research Center for Intractable Diseases, Kansai Medical University, Hitakata, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takaki Shimono
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hitakata, Osaka, Japan.,Regenerative Research Center for Intractable Diseases, Kansai Medical University, Hitakata, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshimasa Nishiyama
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hitakata, Osaka, Japan
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10
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Montero-Herradón S, Zapata AG. Delayed maturation of thymic epithelium in mice with specific deletion of β-catenin gene in FoxN1 positive cells. Histochem Cell Biol 2021; 156:315-332. [PMID: 34254201 PMCID: PMC8550644 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-021-02012-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Wnt signalling pathways have been reported to be involved in thymus development but their precise role in the development of both thymic epithelium (TE) and thymocytes is controversial. Herein, we examined embryonic, postnatal and adult thymi of mice with a specific deletion of β-catenin gene in FoxN1+ thymic epithelial cells (TECs). Together with a high postnatal mouse mortality, the analysis showed severe thymic hypocellularity, largely due an important reduction in numbers of developing thymocytes, and delayed, partially blocked maturation of mutant TECs. Affected TECs included largely cortical (c) TEC subsets, such as immature MTS20+ TECs, Ly51+ cTECs and a remarkable, rare Ly51+MTS20+MHCIIhi cell subpopulation previously reported to contain thymic epithelial progenitor cells (TEPCs) (Ulyanchenko et al., Cell Rep 14:2819-2832, 2016). In addition, altered postnatal organization of mutant thymic medulla failed to organize a unique, central epithelial area. This delayed maturation of TE cell components correlated with low transcript production of some molecules reported to be masters for TEC maturation, such as EphB2, EphB3 and RANK. Changes in the thymic lymphoid component became particularly evident after birth, when molecules expressed by TECs and involved in early T-cell maturation, such as CCL25, CXCL12 and Dll4, exhibited minimal values. This represented a partial blockade of the progression of DN to DP cells and reduced proportions of this last thymocyte subset. At 1 month, in correlation with a significant increase in transcript production, the DP cell percentage increased in correlation with a significant fall in the number of mature TCRαβhi thymocytes and peripheral T lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Montero-Herradón
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/ José Antonio Nováis 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain.,Health Research Institute, Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín G Zapata
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/ José Antonio Nováis 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain. .,Health Research Institute, Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain.
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11
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Granadier D, Iovino L, Kinsella S, Dudakov JA. Dynamics of thymus function and T cell receptor repertoire breadth in health and disease. Semin Immunopathol 2021; 43:119-134. [PMID: 33608819 PMCID: PMC7894242 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-021-00840-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
T cell recognition of unknown antigens relies on the tremendous diversity of the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire; generation of which can only occur in the thymus. TCR repertoire breadth is thus critical for not only coordinating the adaptive response against pathogens but also for mounting a response against malignancies. However, thymic function is exquisitely sensitive to negative stimuli, which can come in the form of acute insult, such as that caused by stress, infection, or common cancer therapies; or chronic damage such as the progressive decline in thymic function with age. Whether it be prolonged T cell deficiency after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) or constriction in the breadth of the peripheral TCR repertoire with age; these insults result in poor adaptive immune responses. In this review, we will discuss the importance of thymic function for generation of the TCR repertoire and how acute and chronic thymic damage influences immune health. We will also discuss methods that are used to measure thymic function in patients and strategies that have been developed to boost thymic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Granadier
- Program in Immunology, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lorenzo Iovino
- Program in Immunology, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sinéad Kinsella
- Program in Immunology, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jarrod A Dudakov
- Program in Immunology, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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12
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Besnard M, Padonou F, Provin N, Giraud M, Guillonneau C. AIRE deficiency, from preclinical models to human APECED disease. Dis Model Mech 2021; 14:dmm046359. [PMID: 33729987 PMCID: PMC7875492 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.046359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a rare life-threatening autoimmune disease that attacks multiple organs and has its onset in childhood. It is an inherited condition caused by a variety of mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene that encodes a protein whose function has been uncovered by the generation and study of Aire-KO mice. These provided invaluable insights into the link between AIRE expression in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), and the broad spectrum of self-antigens that these cells express and present to the developing thymocytes. However, these murine models poorly recapitulate all phenotypic aspects of human APECED. Unlike Aire-KO mice, the recently generated Aire-KO rat model presents visual features, organ lymphocytic infiltrations and production of autoantibodies that resemble those observed in APECED patients, making the rat model a main research asset. In addition, ex vivo models of AIRE-dependent self-antigen expression in primary mTECs have been successfully set up. Thymus organoids based on pluripotent stem cell-derived TECs from APECED patients are also emerging, and constitute a promising tool to engineer AIRE-corrected mTECs and restore the generation of regulatory T cells. Eventually, these new models will undoubtedly lead to main advances in the identification and assessment of specific and efficient new therapeutic strategies aiming to restore immunological tolerance in APECED patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Besnard
- Université de Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Francine Padonou
- Université de Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Nathan Provin
- Université de Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Matthieu Giraud
- Université de Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Carole Guillonneau
- Université de Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, F-44000 Nantes, France
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13
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Kinsella S, Dudakov JA. When the Damage Is Done: Injury and Repair in Thymus Function. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1745. [PMID: 32903477 PMCID: PMC7435010 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Even though the thymus is exquisitely sensitive to acute insults like infection, shock, or common cancer therapies such as cytoreductive chemo- or radiation-therapy, it also has a remarkable capacity for repair. This phenomenon of endogenous thymic regeneration has been known for longer even than its primary function to generate T cells, however, the underlying mechanisms controlling the process have been largely unstudied. Although there is likely continual thymic involution and regeneration in response to stress and infection in otherwise healthy people, acute and profound thymic damage such as that caused by common cancer cytoreductive therapies or the conditioning regimes as part of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), leads to prolonged T cell deficiency; precipitating high morbidity and mortality from opportunistic infections and may even facilitate cancer relapse. Furthermore, this capacity for regeneration declines with age as a function of thymic involution; which even at steady state leads to reduced capacity to respond to new pathogens, vaccines, and immunotherapy. Consequently, there is a real clinical need for strategies that can boost thymic function and enhance T cell immunity. One approach to the development of such therapies is to exploit the processes of endogenous thymic regeneration into novel pharmacologic strategies to boost T cell reconstitution in clinical settings of immune depletion such as HCT. In this review, we will highlight recent work that has revealed the mechanisms by which the thymus is capable of repairing itself and how this knowledge is being used to develop novel therapies to boost immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad Kinsella
- Program in Immunology, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jarrod A. Dudakov
- Program in Immunology, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
- Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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14
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Li J, Gordon J, Chen ELY, Xiao S, Wu L, Zúñiga-Pflücker JC, Manley NR. NOTCH1 signaling establishes the medullary thymic epithelial cell progenitor pool during mouse fetal development. Development 2020; 147:dev.178988. [PMID: 32467240 DOI: 10.1242/dev.178988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cell (cTEC and mTEC) lineages are essential for inducing T cell lineage commitment, T cell positive selection and the establishment of self-tolerance, but the mechanisms controlling their fetal specification and differentiation are poorly understood. Here, we show that notch signaling is required to specify and expand the mTEC lineage. Notch1 is expressed by and active in TEC progenitors. Deletion of Notch1 in TECs resulted in depletion of mTEC progenitors and dramatic reductions in mTECs during fetal stages, consistent with defects in mTEC specification and progenitor expansion. Conversely, forced notch signaling in all TECs resulted in widespread expression of mTEC progenitor markers and profound defects in TEC differentiation. In addition, lineage-tracing analysis indicated that all mTECs have a history of receiving a notch signal, consistent with notch signaling occurring in mTEC progenitors. These data provide strong evidence for a requirement for notch signaling in specification of the mTEC lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Li
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Julie Gordon
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Edward L Y Chen
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, and Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Shiyun Xiao
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Luying Wu
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Zúñiga-Pflücker
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, and Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Nancy R Manley
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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15
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Liu D, Kousa AI, O'Neill KE, Rouse P, Popis M, Farley AM, Tomlinson SR, Ulyanchenko S, Guillemot F, Seymour PA, Jørgensen MC, Serup P, Koch U, Radtke F, Blackburn CC. Canonical Notch signaling controls the early thymic epithelial progenitor cell state and emergence of the medullary epithelial lineage in fetal thymus development. Development 2020; 147:dev.178582. [PMID: 32467237 PMCID: PMC7328009 DOI: 10.1242/dev.178582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Thymus function depends on the epithelial compartment of the thymic stroma. Cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) regulate T cell lineage commitment and positive selection, while medullary (m) TECs impose central tolerance on the T cell repertoire. During thymus organogenesis, these functionally distinct sub-lineages are thought to arise from a common thymic epithelial progenitor cell (TEPC). However, the mechanisms controlling cTEC and mTEC production from the common TEPC are not understood. Here, we show that emergence of the earliest mTEC lineage-restricted progenitors requires active NOTCH signaling in progenitor TEC and that, once specified, further mTEC development is NOTCH independent. In addition, we demonstrate that persistent NOTCH activity favors maintenance of undifferentiated TEPCs at the expense of cTEC differentiation. Finally, we uncover a cross-regulatory relationship between NOTCH and FOXN1, a master regulator of TEC differentiation. These data establish NOTCH as a potent regulator of TEPC and mTEC fate during fetal thymus development, and are thus of high relevance to strategies aimed at generating/regenerating functional thymic tissue in vitro and in vivo. Summary: Notch signaling regulates the initial emergence of medullary thymic epithelial sublineage, implicating Notch in the maintenance of primitive thymic epithelial progenitors and uncovering its cross-interaction with Foxn1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Liu
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Anastasia I Kousa
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Kathy E O'Neill
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Paul Rouse
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Martyna Popis
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Alison M Farley
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Simon R Tomlinson
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Svetlana Ulyanchenko
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Philip A Seymour
- NNF Center for Stem Cell Biology, University of Copenhagen, Nørre Alle 14, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Mette C Jørgensen
- NNF Center for Stem Cell Biology, University of Copenhagen, Nørre Alle 14, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Palle Serup
- NNF Center for Stem Cell Biology, University of Copenhagen, Nørre Alle 14, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Ute Koch
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Freddy Radtke
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - C Clare Blackburn
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
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16
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Differentiation Paths of Peyer’s Patch LysoDCs Are Linked to Sampling Site Positioning, Migration, and T Cell Priming. Cell Rep 2020; 31:107479. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.03.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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17
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Wang HX, Pan W, Zheng L, Zhong XP, Tan L, Liang Z, He J, Feng P, Zhao Y, Qiu YR. Thymic Epithelial Cells Contribute to Thymopoiesis and T Cell Development. Front Immunol 2020; 10:3099. [PMID: 32082299 PMCID: PMC7005006 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus is the primary lymphoid organ responsible for the generation and maturation of T cells. Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) account for the majority of thymic stromal components. They are further divided into cortical and medullary TECs based on their localization within the thymus and are involved in positive and negative selection, respectively. Establishment of self-tolerance in the thymus depends on promiscuous gene expression (pGE) of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) by TECs. Such pGE is co-controlled by the autoimmune regulator (Aire) and forebrain embryonic zinc fingerlike protein 2 (Fezf2). Over the past two decades, research has found that TECs contribute greatly to thymopoiesis and T cell development. In turn, signals from T cells regulate the differentiation and maturation of TECs. Several signaling pathways essential for the development and maturation of TECs have been discovered. New technology and animal models have provided important observations on TEC differentiation, development, and thymopoiesis. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in classification, development, and maintenance of TECs and mechanisms that control TEC functions during thymic involution and central tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Xia Wang
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenrong Pan
- Department of General Surgery, Taihe Branch of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Zheng
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Ping Zhong
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Liang Tan
- Department of Urological Organ Transplantation, Center of Organ Transplantation, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhanfeng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing He
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pingfeng Feng
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Rong Qiu
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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18
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Yue S, Zheng X, Zheng Y. Cell-type-specific role of lamin-B1 in thymus development and its inflammation-driven reduction in thymus aging. Aging Cell 2019; 18:e12952. [PMID: 30968547 PMCID: PMC6612680 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular architectural proteins often participate in organ development and maintenance. Although functional decay of some of these proteins during aging is known, the cell-type-specific developmental role and the cause and consequence of their subsequent decay remain to be established especially in mammals. By studying lamins, the nuclear structural proteins, we demonstrate that lamin-B1 functions specifically in the thymic epithelial cells (TECs) for proper thymus organogenesis. An up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines in the intra-thymic myeloid immune cells during aging accompanies a gradual reduction of lamin-B1 in adult TECs. We show that these cytokines can cause senescence and lamin-B1 reduction of the young adult TECs. Lamin-B1 supports the expression of TEC genes that can help maintain the adult TEC subtypes we identified by single-cell RNA-sequencing, thymic architecture, and function. Thus, structural proteins involved in organ building and maintenance can undergo inflammation-driven decay which can in turn contribute to age-associated organ degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibiao Yue
- Department of EmbryologyCarnegie Institution for ScienceBaltimoreMaryland
- Department of BiologyJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMaryland
| | - Xiaobin Zheng
- Department of BiologyJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMaryland
| | - Yixian Zheng
- Department of EmbryologyCarnegie Institution for ScienceBaltimoreMaryland
- Department of BiologyJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMaryland
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19
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Luan R, Liang Z, Zhang Q, Sun L, Zhao Y. Molecular regulatory networks of thymic epithelial cell differentiation. Differentiation 2019; 107:42-49. [PMID: 31238242 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Functional mature T cells are generated in the thymus. Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) provide the essential microenvironment for T cell development and maturation. According to their function and localization, TECs are roughly divided into cortical TECs (cTECs) and medullary TECs (mTECs), which are responsible for positive and negative selection, respectively. This review summarizes the current understanding of TEC biology, the identification of fetal and adult bipotent TEC progenitors, and the signaling pathways that control the development and maturation of TECs. The understanding of the ontogeny, differentiation, maturation and function of cTECs lags behind that of mTECs. Better understanding TEC biology will provide clues about TEC development and the applications of thymus engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Luan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhanfeng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liguang Sun
- Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
| | - Yong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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20
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Karrich JJ, Romera-Hernández M, Papazian N, Veenbergen S, Cornelissen F, Aparicio-Domingo P, Stenhouse FH, Peddie CD, Hoogenboezem RM, den Hollander CWJ, Gaskell T, Medley T, Boon L, Blackburn CC, Withers DR, Samsom JN, Cupedo T. Expression of Plet1 controls interstitial migration of murine small intestinal dendritic cells. Eur J Immunol 2018; 49:290-301. [PMID: 30537036 PMCID: PMC6492104 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201847671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Under homeostatic conditions, dendritic cells (DCs) continuously patrol the intestinal lamina propria. Upon antigen encounter, DCs initiate C‐C motif chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) expression and migrate into lymph nodes to direct T cell activation and differentiation. The mechanistic underpinnings of DC migration from the tissues to lymph nodes have been largely elucidated, contributing greatly to our understanding of DC functionality and intestinal immunity. In contrast, the molecular mechanisms allowing DCs to efficiently migrate through the complex extracellular matrix of the intestinal lamina propria prior to antigen encounter are still incompletely understood. Here we show that small intestinal murine CD11b+CD103+ DCs express Placenta‐expressed transcript 1 (Plet1), a glycophoshatidylinositol (GPI)‐anchored surface protein involved in migration of keratinocytes during wound healing. In the absence of Plet1, CD11b+CD103+ DCs display aberrant migratory behavior, and accumulate in the small intestine, independent of CCR7 responsiveness. RNA‐sequencing indicated involvement of Plet1 in extracellular matrix‐interactiveness, and subsequent in‐vitro migration assays revealed that Plet1 augments the ability of DCs to migrate through extracellular matrix containing environments. In conclusion, our findings reveal that expression of Plet1 facilitates homeostatic interstitial migration of small intestinal DCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien J Karrich
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Natalie Papazian
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sharon Veenbergen
- Laboratory of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ferry Cornelissen
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Frances H Stenhouse
- MRC, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - C Diana Peddie
- MRC, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Remco M Hoogenboezem
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Terri Gaskell
- MRC, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tanya Medley
- MRC, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - C Clare Blackburn
- MRC, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David R Withers
- MRC, Centre for Immune Regulation, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Janneke N Samsom
- Laboratory of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tom Cupedo
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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21
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Michel C, Miller CN, Küchler R, Brors B, Anderson MS, Kyewski B, Pinto S. Revisiting the Road Map of Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cell Differentiation. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2017; 199:3488-3503. [PMID: 28993517 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1700203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The basic two-step terminal differentiation model of the medullary thymic epithelial cell (mTEC) lineage from immature MHC class II (MHCII)lo to mature MHCIIhi mTECs has recently been extended to include a third stage, namely the post-Aire MHCIIlo subset as identified by lineage-tracing models. However, a suitable surface marker distinguishing the phenotypically overlapping pre- from the post-Aire MHCIIlo stage has been lacking. In this study, we introduce the lectin Tetragonolobus purpureas agglutinin (TPA) as a novel cell surface marker that allows for such delineation. Based on our data, we derived the following sequence of mTEC differentiation: TPAloMHCIIlo → TPAloMHCIIhi → TPAhiMHCIIhi → TPAhiMHCIIlo Surprisingly, in the steady-state postnatal thymus TPAloMHCIIlo pre-Aire rather than terminally differentiated post-Aire TPAhiMHCIIlo mTECs were marked for apoptosis at an exceptionally high rate of ∼70%. Hence, only the minor cycling fraction of the MHCIIlo subset (<20%) potentially qualified as mTEC precursors. FoxN1 expression inversely correlated with the fraction of slow cycling and apoptotic cells within the four TPA subsets. TPA also further subdivided human mTECs, although with different subset distribution. Our revised road map emphazises close parallels of terminal mTEC development with that of skin, undergoing an alternative route of cell death, namely cornification rather than apoptosis. The high rate of apoptosis in pre-Aire MHCIIlo mTECs points to a "quality control" step during early mTEC differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Michel
- Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Corey N Miller
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Rita Küchler
- Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Benedikt Brors
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; and
- German Cancer Consortium, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Mark S Anderson
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Bruno Kyewski
- Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany;
| | - Sheena Pinto
- Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany;
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22
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Zepp JA, Zhao J, Liu C, Bulek K, Wu L, Chen X, Hao Y, Wang Z, Wang X, Ouyang W, Kalady MF, Carman J, Yang WP, Zhu J, Blackburn C, Huang YH, Hamilton TA, Su B, Li X. IL-17A-Induced PLET1 Expression Contributes to Tissue Repair and Colon Tumorigenesis. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 199:3849-3857. [PMID: 29070673 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This study identifies a novel mechanism linking IL-17A with colon tissue repair and tumor development. Abrogation of IL-17A signaling in mice attenuated tissue repair of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced damage in colon epithelium and markedly reduced tumor development in an azoxymethane/DSS model of colitis-associated cancer. A novel IL-17A target gene, PLET1 (a progenitor cell marker involved in wound healing), was highly induced in DSS-treated colon tissues and tumors in an IL-17RC-dependent manner. PLET1 expression was induced in LGR5+ colon epithelial cells after DSS treatment. LGR5+PLET1+ marks a highly proliferative cell population with enhanced expression of IL-17A target genes. PLET1 deficiency impaired tissue repair of DSS-induced damage in colon epithelium and reduced tumor formation in an azoxymethane/DSS model of colitis-associated cancer. Our results suggest that IL-17A-induced PLET1 expression contributes to tissue repair and colon tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarod A Zepp
- Department of Immunology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195
| | - Junjie Zhao
- Department of Immunology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195
| | - Caini Liu
- Department of Immunology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195
| | - Katazyna Bulek
- Department of Immunology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195
| | - Ling Wu
- Department of Immunology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195.,Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
| | - Xing Chen
- Department of Immunology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195
| | - Yujun Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106
| | - Zhenghe Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106
| | - Xinxin Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755.,Department of Pathology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Wenjun Ouyang
- Department of Immunology, Genentech, San Francisco, CA 94080
| | - Matthew F Kalady
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195
| | - Julie Carman
- Discovery Biology, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08540
| | - Wen-Pin Yang
- Discovery Biology, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08540
| | - Jun Zhu
- Discovery Biology, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08540
| | - Clare Blackburn
- Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, United Kingdom
| | - Yina H Huang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755.,Department of Pathology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Thomas A Hamilton
- Department of Immunology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195
| | - Bing Su
- Department of Immunobiology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200125, China; and .,Department of Immunobiology, The Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Xiaoxia Li
- Department of Immunology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195; .,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195.,Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
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23
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Zhang C, Li Y, Zhang XY, Liu L, Tong HZ, Han TL, Li WD, Jin XL, Yin NB, Song T, Li HD, Zhi J, Zhao ZM, Lu L. Therapeutic potential of human minor salivary gland epithelial progenitor cells in liver regeneration. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12707. [PMID: 28983091 PMCID: PMC5629247 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11880-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver disease is a serious problem affecting millions of people with continually increasing prevalence. Stem cell therapy has become a promising treatment for liver dysfunction. We previously reported on human minor salivary gland mesenchymal stem cells (hMSGMSCs), which are highly self-renewable with multi-potent differentiation capability. In this study, keratinocyte-like cells with self-regeneration and hepatic differentiation potential were isolated and characterized, and named human minor salivary gland epithelial progenitor cells (hMSG-EpiPCs). hMSG-EpiPCs were easily obtained via minor intraoral incision; they expressed epithelial progenitor/stem cell and other tissue stem cell markers such as CD29, CD49f, cytokeratins, ABCG2, PLET-1, salivary epithelial cell markers CD44 and CD166, and the Wnt target related gene LGR5 and LGR6. The cells were induced into functional hepatocytes in vitro which expressed liver-associated markers ALB, CYP3A4, AAT, and CK18. Upon transplantation in vivo, they ameliorated severe acute liver damage in SCID mice caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) injection. In a two-thirds partial hepatectomy mouse model, the transplanted cells survived at least 4 weeks and exhibited hepatic potential. These findings demonstrate that hMSG-EpiPCs have potential as a cellular therapy basis for hepatic diseases, physiological and toxicology studies and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhang
- Department No.16, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Da Chu Road, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China
| | - Yan Li
- International Medical Plastic and Cosmetic Centre, China Meitan General Hospital, 29 Xi Ba He Nan Li Road, Beijing, 100028, P.R. China
| | - Xiang-Yu Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 Jian She East Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450003, P.R. China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Cleft Lip and Palate, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Da Chu Road, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China
| | - Hai-Zhou Tong
- Department of Cleft Lip and Palate, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Da Chu Road, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China
| | - Ting-Lu Han
- Department of Cleft Lip and Palate, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Da Chu Road, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China
| | - Wan-di Li
- Department of Cleft Lip and Palate, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Da Chu Road, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Lei Jin
- Department No.16, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Da Chu Road, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China
| | - Ning-Bei Yin
- Department of Cleft Lip and Palate, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Da Chu Road, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China
| | - Tao Song
- Department of Cleft Lip and Palate, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Da Chu Road, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China
| | - Hai-Dong Li
- Department of Cleft Lip and Palate, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Da Chu Road, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China
| | - Juan Zhi
- Department of Anesthesia, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Da Chu Road, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China
| | - Zhen-Min Zhao
- Department of Cleft Lip and Palate, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Da Chu Road, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China. .,Department of Stomatology, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, 56 Nan-Li-Shi Road, Beijing, 100045, P.R. China.
| | - Lin Lu
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, No. 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, P.R. China.
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24
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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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25
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Hamazaki Y, Sekai M, Minato N. Medullary thymic epithelial stem cells: role in thymic epithelial cell maintenance and thymic involution. Immunol Rev 2016; 271:38-55. [PMID: 27088906 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The thymus consists of two distinct anatomical regions, the cortex and the medulla; medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) play a crucial role in establishing central T-cell tolerance for self-antigens. Although the understanding of mTEC development in thymic organogenesis as well as the regulation of their differentiation and maturation has improved, the mechanisms of postnatal maintenance remain poorly understood. This issue has a central importance in immune homeostasis and physiological thymic involution as well as autoimmune disorders in various clinicopathological settings. Recently, several reports have demonstrated the existence of TEC stem or progenitor cells in the postnatal thymus, which are either bipotent or unipotent. We identified stem cells specified for mTEC-lineage that are generated in the thymic ontogeny and may sustain mTEC regeneration and lifelong central T-cell self-tolerance. This finding suggested that the thymic medulla is maintained autonomously by its own stem cells. Although several issues, including the relationship with other putative TEC stem/progenitors, remain unclear, further examination of mTEC stem cells (mTECSCs) and their regulatory mechanisms may contribute to the understanding of postnatal immune homeostasis. Possible relationships between decline of mTECSC activity and early thymic involution as well as various autoimmune disorders are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Hamazaki
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Miho Sekai
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Nagahiro Minato
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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26
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Teng L, Hong L, Liu R, Chen R, Li X, Yu M. Cellular Localization and Regulation of Expression of the PLET1 Gene in Porcine Placenta. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17122048. [PMID: 27941613 PMCID: PMC5187848 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17122048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The placenta expressed transcript 1 (PLET1) gene, which is expressed in placentas of pigs and mice, has been found to have a potential role in trophoblast cell fate decision in mice. Results of this study showed that the porcine PLET1 mRNA and protein were expressed exclusively in trophoblast cells on Days 15, 26, 50, and 95 of gestation (gestation length in the pig is 114 days), indicating that the PLET1 could be a useful marker for porcine trophoblast cells. Additionally, PLET1 protein was found to be redistributed from cytoplasm to the apical side of trophoblast cells as gestation progresses, which suggests a role of PLET1 in the establishment of a stable trophoblast and endometrial epithelial layers. In addition, two transcripts that differ in the 3′ UTR length but encode identical protein were identified to be generated by the alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA), and the expression of PLET1-L transcript was significantly upregulated in porcine placentas as gestation progresses. Furthermore, we demonstrated the interaction between the miR-365-3p and PLET1 gene using luciferase assay system. Our findings imply an important role of PLET1 in the placental development in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Teng
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education and the Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China.
| | - Linjun Hong
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education and the Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China.
| | - Ruize Liu
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education and the Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China.
| | - Ran Chen
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education and the Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China.
| | - Xinyun Li
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education and the Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China.
| | - Mei Yu
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education and the Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China.
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27
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Gunnarsson AP, Christensen R, Li J, Jensen UB. Global gene expression and comparison between multiple populations in the mouse epidermis. Stem Cell Res 2016; 17:191-202. [DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Revised: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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28
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Tajima A, Pradhan I, Trucco M, Fan Y. Restoration of Thymus Function with Bioengineered Thymus Organoids. CURRENT STEM CELL REPORTS 2016; 2:128-139. [PMID: 27529056 PMCID: PMC4982700 DOI: 10.1007/s40778-016-0040-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The thymus is the primary site for the generation of a diverse repertoire of T-cells that are essential to the efficient function of adaptive immunity. Numerous factors varying from aging, chemotherapy, radiation exposure, virus infection and inflammation contribute to thymus involution, a phenomenon manifested as loss of thymus cellularity, increased stromal fibrosis and diminished naïve T-cell output. Rejuvenating thymus function is a challenging task since it has limited regenerative capability and we still do not know how to successfully propagate thymic epithelial cells (TECs), the predominant population of the thymic stromal cells making up the thymic microenvironment. Here, we will discuss recent advances in thymus regeneration and the prospects of applying bioengineered artificial thymus organoids in regenerative medicine and solid organ transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asako Tajima
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
| | - Isha Pradhan
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
| | - Massimo Trucco
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Yong Fan
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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29
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Plet1 is an epigenetically regulated cell surface protein that provides essential cues to direct trophoblast stem cell differentiation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25112. [PMID: 27121762 PMCID: PMC4848516 DOI: 10.1038/srep25112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene loci that are hypermethylated and repressed in embryonic (ESCs) but hypomethylated and expressed in trophoblast (TSCs) stem cells are very rare and may have particularly important roles in early developmental cell fate decisions, as previously shown for Elf5. Here, we assessed another member of this small group of genes, Placenta Expressed Transcript 1 (Plet1), for its function in establishing trophoblast lineage identity and modulating trophoblast differentiation. We find that Plet1 is tightly repressed by DNA methylation in ESCs but expressed on the cell surface of TSCs and trophoblast giant cells. In hypomethylated ESCs that are prone to acquire some trophoblast characteristics, Plet1 is required to confer a trophoblast-specific gene expression pattern, including up-regulation of Elf5. Plet1 displays an unusual biphasic expression profile during TSC differentiation and thus may be pivotal in balancing trophoblast self-renewal and differentiation. Furthermore, overexpression and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout in TSCs showed that high Plet1 levels favour differentiation towards the trophoblast giant cell lineage, whereas lack of Plet1 preferentially induces syncytiotrophoblast formation. Thus, the endogenous dynamics of Plet1 expression establish important patterning cues within the trophoblast compartment by promoting differentiation towards the syncytiotrophoblast or giant cell pathway in Plet1-low and Plet1-high cells, respectively.
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30
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Montero-Herradón S, García-Ceca J, Sánchez Del Collado B, Alfaro D, Zapata AG. Eph/ephrin-B-mediated cell-to-cell interactions govern MTS20(+) thymic epithelial cell development. Histochem Cell Biol 2016; 146:167-82. [PMID: 27060907 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-016-1431-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Thymus development is a complex process in which cell-to-cell interactions between thymocytes and thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are essential to allow a proper maturation of both thymic cell components. Although signals that control thymocyte development are well known, mechanisms governing TEC maturation are poorly understood, especially those that regulate the maturation of immature TEC populations during early fetal thymus development. In this study, we show that EphB2-deficient, EphB2LacZ and EphB3-deficient fetal thymuses present a lower number of cells and delayed maturation of DN cell subsets compared to WT values. Moreover, deficits in the production of chemokines, known to be involved in the lymphoid seeding into the thymus, contribute in decreased proportions of intrathymic T cell progenitors (PIRA/B(+)) in the mutant thymuses from early stages of development. These features correlate with increased proportions of MTS20(+) cells but fewer MTS20(-) cells from E13.5 onward in the deficient thymuses, suggesting a delayed development of the first epithelial cells. In addition, in vitro the lack of thymocytes or the blockade of Eph/ephrin-B-mediated cell-to-cell interactions between either thymocytes-TECs or TECs-TECs in E13.5 fetal thymic lobes coursed with increased proportions of MTS20(+) TECs. This confirms, for the first time, that the presence of CD45(+) cells, corresponding at these stages to DN1 and DN2 cells, and Eph/ephrin-B-mediated heterotypic or homotypic cell interactions between thymocytes and TECs, or between TECs and themselves, contribute to the early maturation of MTS20(+) TECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Montero-Herradón
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier García-Ceca
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Sánchez Del Collado
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Alfaro
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín G Zapata
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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31
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Ulyanchenko S, O'Neill KE, Medley T, Farley AM, Vaidya HJ, Cook AM, Blair NF, Blackburn CC. Identification of a Bipotent Epithelial Progenitor Population in the Adult Thymus. Cell Rep 2016; 14:2819-32. [PMID: 26997270 PMCID: PMC4819909 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 12/28/2015] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are critically required for T cell development, but the cellular mechanisms that maintain adult TECs are poorly understood. Here, we show that a previously unidentified subpopulation, EpCam(+)UEA1(-)Ly-51(+)PLET1(+)MHC class II(hi), which comprises <0.5% of adult TECs, contains bipotent TEC progenitors that can efficiently generate both cortical (c) TECs and medullary (m) TECs. No other adult TEC population tested in this study contains this activity. We demonstrate persistence of PLET1(+)Ly-51(+) TEC-derived cells for 9 months in vivo, suggesting the presence of thymic epithelial stem cells. Additionally, we identify cTEC-restricted short-term progenitor activity but fail to detect high efficiency mTEC-restricted progenitors in the adult thymus. Our data provide a phenotypically defined adult thymic epithelial progenitor/stem cell that is able to generate both cTECs and mTECs, opening avenues for improving thymus function in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Ulyanchenko
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Kathy E O'Neill
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Tanya Medley
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Alison M Farley
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Harsh J Vaidya
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Alistair M Cook
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Natalie F Blair
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - C Clare Blackburn
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, 5, Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK.
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Mayer CE, Žuklys S, Zhanybekova S, Ohigashi I, Teh HY, Sansom SN, Shikama-Dorn N, Hafen K, Macaulay IC, Deadman ME, Ponting CP, Takahama Y, Holländer GA. Dynamic spatio-temporal contribution of single β5t+ cortical epithelial precursors to the thymus medulla. Eur J Immunol 2016; 46:846-56. [PMID: 26694097 PMCID: PMC4832341 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201545995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Intrathymic T‐cell development is critically dependent on cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (TECs). Both epithelial subsets originate during early thymus organogenesis from progenitor cells that express the thymoproteasome subunit β5t, a typical feature of cortical TECs. Using in vivo lineage fate mapping, we demonstrate in mice that β5t+ TEC progenitors give rise to the medullary TEC compartment early in life but significantly limit their contribution once the medulla has completely formed. Lineage‐tracing studies at single cell resolution demonstrate for young mice that the postnatal medulla is expanded from individual β5t+ cortical progenitors located at the cortico‐medullary junction. These results therefore not only define a developmental window during which the expansion of medulla is efficiently enabled by progenitors resident in the thymic cortex, but also reveal the spatio‐temporal dynamics that control the growth of the thymic medulla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Mayer
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Saulius Žuklys
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Izumi Ohigashi
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Japan
| | - Hong-Ying Teh
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stephen N Sansom
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Katrin Hafen
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Iain C Macaulay
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute-EBI Single Cell Genomics Centre, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mary E Deadman
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chris P Ponting
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute-EBI Single Cell Genomics Centre, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.,MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yousuke Takahama
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Japan
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Hamazaki Y. Adult thymic epithelial cell (TEC) progenitors and TEC stem cells: Models and mechanisms for TEC development and maintenance. Eur J Immunol 2015; 45:2985-93. [PMID: 26362014 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201545844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The thymus is the primary lymphoid organ for generating self-restricted and self-tolerant functional T cells. Its two distinct anatomical regions, the cortex and the medulla, are involved in positive and negative selection, respectively. Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) constitute the framework of this tissue and function as major stromal components. Extensive studies for more than a decade have revealed how TECs are generated during organogenesis; progenitors specific for medullary TECs (mTECs) and cortical TECs (cTECs) as well as bipotent progenitors for both lineages have been identified, and the signaling pathways required for the development and maturation of mTECs have been elucidated. However, little is known about the initial commitment of mTECs and cTECs during ontogeny, and how regeneration of both lineages is sustained in the postnatal/adult thymus. Recently, stem cell activities in TECs have been demonstrated, and TEC progenitors have been identified in the postnatal thymus. In this review, recent advances in studying the development and maintenance of TECs are summarized, and the possible mechanisms of thymic regeneration and involution are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Hamazaki
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
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Fan Y, Tajima A, Goh SK, Geng X, Gualtierotti G, Grupillo M, Coppola A, Bertera S, Rudert WA, Banerjee I, Bottino R, Trucco M. Bioengineering Thymus Organoids to Restore Thymic Function and Induce Donor-Specific Immune Tolerance to Allografts. Mol Ther 2015; 23:1262-1277. [PMID: 25903472 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2015.77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 04/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the major obstacles in organ transplantation is to establish immune tolerance of allografts. Although immunosuppressive drugs can prevent graft rejection to a certain degree, their efficacies are limited, transient, and associated with severe side effects. Induction of thymic central tolerance to allografts remains challenging, largely because of the difficulty of maintaining donor thymic epithelial cells in vitro to allow successful bioengineering. Here, the authors show that three-dimensional scaffolds generated from decellularized mouse thymus can support thymic epithelial cell survival in culture and maintain their unique molecular properties. When transplanted into athymic nude mice, the bioengineered thymus organoids effectively promoted homing of lymphocyte progenitors and supported thymopoiesis. Nude mice transplanted with thymus organoids promptly rejected skin allografts and were able to mount antigen-specific humoral responses against ovalbumin on immunization. Notably, tolerance to skin allografts was achieved by transplanting thymus organoids constructed with either thymic epithelial cells coexpressing both syngeneic and allogenic major histocompatibility complexes, or mixtures of donor and recipient thymic epithelial cells. Our results demonstrate the technical feasibility of restoring thymic function with bioengineered thymus organoids and highlight the clinical implications of this thymus reconstruction technique in organ transplantation and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Fan
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Asako Tajima
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Saik Kia Goh
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Xuehui Geng
- Division of Immunogenetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Giulio Gualtierotti
- Division of Immunogenetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Maria Grupillo
- Division of Immunogenetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Antonina Coppola
- Division of Immunogenetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Current address: Section of Endocrinology, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Suzanne Bertera
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - William A Rudert
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ipsita Banerjee
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rita Bottino
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Massimo Trucco
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Long-term persistence of functional thymic epithelial progenitor cells in vivo under conditions of low FOXN1 expression. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114842. [PMID: 25531271 PMCID: PMC4273964 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Normal thymus function reflects interactions between developing T-cells and several thymic stroma cell types. Within the stroma, key functions reside in the distinct cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cell (TEC) types. It has been demonstrated that, during organogenesis, all TECs can be derived from a common thymic epithelial progenitor cell (TEPC). The properties of this common progenitor are thus of interest. Differentiation of both cTEC and mTEC depends on the epithelial-specific transcription factor FOXN1, although formation of the common TEPC from which the TEC lineage originates does not require FOXN1. Here, we have used a revertible severely hypomorphic allele of Foxn1, Foxn1R, to test the stability of the common TEPC in vivo. By reactivating Foxn1 expression postnatally in Foxn1R/− mice we demonstrate that functional TEPCs can persist in the thymic rudiment until at least 6 months of age, and retain the potential to give rise to both cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (cTECs and mTECs). These data demonstrate that the TEPC-state is remarkably stable in vivo under conditions of low Foxn1 expression, suggesting that manipulation of FOXN1 activity may prove a valuable method for long term maintenance of TEPC in vitro.
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Ohigashi I, Takahama Y. CCRL1 marks heterogeneity in cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells. Eur J Immunol 2014; 44:2872-5. [PMID: 25216053 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201445091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Revised: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) and medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), which play essential roles in the establishment of a functionally competent and self-tolerant repertoire of T cells, are derived from common thymic epithelial progenitor cells (pTECs). Recent findings indicate that mTECs are derived from cells that express molecules that are abundant in cTECs rather than mTECs, and provide fresh insight into the characteristics of pTECs and their diversification pathways into TEC subpopulations. In this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, Ribeiro et al. [Eur. J. Immunol. 2014. 44: 2918-2924] focus on CCRL1, an atypical chemokine receptor that is highly expressed by cTECs rather than mTECs, and show that CCRL1-expressing embryonic TECs can give rise to mTECs. Interestingly, Ribeiro et al. further report that a fraction of postnatal mTECs express CCRL1 at a low level, suggesting novel complexity in mTECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izumi Ohigashi
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genomic Research, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan
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37
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Sekai M, Hamazaki Y, Minato N. Medullary thymic epithelial stem cells maintain a functional thymus to ensure lifelong central T cell tolerance. Immunity 2014; 41:753-61. [PMID: 25464854 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2014.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) are crucial for central T cell self-tolerance. Although progenitors of mTECs have been demonstrated in thymic organogenesis, the mechanism for postnatal mTEC maintenance remains elusive. We demonstrate that implantation of embryonic TECs expressing claudin-3 and claudin-4 (Cld3,4) in a medulla-defective thymic microenvironment restores medulla formation and suppresses multiorgan autoimmunity throughout life. A minor SSEA-1(+) fraction within the embryonic Cld3,4(hi) TECs contained self-renewable clonogenic TECs, capable of preferentially generating mature mTECs in vivo. Adult SSEA-1(+)Cld3,4(hi) TECs retained mTEC reconstitution potential, although the activity decreased. The clonogenicity of TECs also declined rapidly after birth in wild-type mice, whereas it persisted in Rag2(?/?) adult mice with defective thymopoiesis. The results suggest that unipotent mTEC-restricted stem cells that develop in the embryo have the capacity to functionally reconstitute the thymic medulla long-term, thus ensuring lifelong central T cell self-tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Sekai
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yoko Hamazaki
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Nagahiro Minato
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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38
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Reeh KAG, Cardenas KT, Bain VE, Liu Z, Laurent M, Manley NR, Richie ER. Ectopic TBX1 suppresses thymic epithelial cell differentiation and proliferation during thymus organogenesis. Development 2014; 141:2950-8. [PMID: 25053428 DOI: 10.1242/dev.111641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The thymus and parathyroid glands arise from a shared endodermal primordium in the third pharyngeal pouch (3rd pp). Thymus fate is specified in the ventral 3rd pp between E9.5 and E11, whereas parathyroid fate is specified in the dorsal domain. The molecular mechanisms that specify fate and regulate thymus and parathyroid development are not fully delineated. Previous reports suggested that Tbx1 is required for thymus organogenesis because loss of Tbx1 in individuals with DiGeorge syndrome and in experimental Tbx1 deletion mutants is associated with thymus aplasia or hypoplasia. However, the thymus phenotype is likely to be secondary to defects in pharyngeal pouch formation. Furthermore, the absence of Tbx1 expression in the thymus-fated domain of the wild-type 3rd pp suggested that Tbx1 is instead a negative regulator of thymus organogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we generated a novel mouse strain in which expression of a conditional Tbx1 allele was ectopically activated in the thymus-fated domain of the 3rd pp. Ectopic Tbx1 expression severely repressed expression of Foxn1, a transcription factor that marks the thymus-fated domain and is required for differentiation and proliferation of thymic epithelial cell (TEC) progenitors. By contrast, ectopic Tbx1 did not alter the expression pattern of Gcm2, a transcription factor restricted to the parathyroid-fated domain and required for parathyroid development. Ectopic Tbx1 expression impaired TEC proliferation and arrested TEC differentiation at an early progenitor stage. The results support the hypothesis that Tbx1 negatively regulates TEC growth and differentiation, and that extinction of Tbx1 expression in 3rd pp endoderm is a prerequisite for thymus organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin A G Reeh
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park Research Division, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
| | - Kim T Cardenas
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park Research Division, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
| | - Virginia E Bain
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park Research Division, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
| | - Zhijie Liu
- Department of Genetics, Paul D. Coverdell Center, 500 DW Brooks Drive, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Micheline Laurent
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park Research Division, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
| | - Nancy R Manley
- Department of Genetics, Paul D. Coverdell Center, 500 DW Brooks Drive, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Ellen R Richie
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park Research Division, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
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Multilineage Potential and Self-Renewal Define an Epithelial Progenitor Cell Population in the Adult Thymus. Cell Rep 2014; 8:1198-209. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Revised: 05/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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40
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Tan KKB, Salgado G, Connolly JE, Chan JKY, Lane EB. Characterization of fetal keratinocytes, showing enhanced stem cell-like properties: a potential source of cells for skin reconstruction. Stem Cell Reports 2014; 3:324-38. [PMID: 25254345 PMCID: PMC4175556 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2014.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Revised: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidermal stem cells have been in clinical application as a source of culture-generated grafts. Although applications for such cells are increasing due to aging populations and the greater incidence of diabetes, current keratinocyte grafting technology is limited by immunological barriers and the time needed for culture amplification. We studied the feasibility of using human fetal skin cells for allogeneic transplantation and showed that fetal keratinocytes have faster expansion times, longer telomeres, lower immunogenicity indicators, and greater clonogenicity with more stem cell indicators than adult keratinocytes. The fetal cells did not induce proliferation of T cells in coculture and were able to suppress the proliferation of stimulated T cells. Nevertheless, fetal keratinocytes could stratify normally in vitro. Experimental transplantation of fetal keratinocytes in vivo seeded on an engineered plasma scaffold yielded a well-stratified epidermal architecture and showed stable skin regeneration. These results support the possibility of using fetal skin cells for cell-based therapeutic grafting. Properties of fetal and adult keratinocytes are compared in tissue culture and grafts Fetal skin cells can be engrafted and show stable human-to-mouse skin regeneration Fetal keratinocytes are stem cell rich and need no differentiation before grafting Fetal keratinocytes are able to suppress proliferation of stimulated T cells in vitro
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth K B Tan
- A(∗)STAR Institute of Medical Biology, Immunos, Singapore 138648, Singapore; NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Giorgiana Salgado
- A(∗)STAR Institute of Medical Biology, Immunos, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - John E Connolly
- Singapore Immunology Network, A(∗)STAR, Immunos, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Jerry K Y Chan
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore 229899, Singapore; Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore 119228, Singapore.
| | - E Birgitte Lane
- A(∗)STAR Institute of Medical Biology, Immunos, Singapore 138648, Singapore.
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Bredenkamp N, Nowell CS, Blackburn CC. Regeneration of the aged thymus by a single transcription factor. Development 2014; 141:1627-37. [PMID: 24715454 PMCID: PMC3978836 DOI: 10.1242/dev.103614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Thymic involution is central to the decline in immune system function that occurs with age. By regenerating the thymus, it may therefore be possible to improve the ability of the aged immune system to respond to novel antigens. Recently, diminished expression of the thymic epithelial cell (TEC)-specific transcription factor Forkhead box N1 (FOXN1) has been implicated as a component of the mechanism regulating age-related involution. The effects of upregulating FOXN1 function in the aged thymus are, however, unknown. Here, we show that forced, TEC-specific upregulation of FOXN1 in the fully involuted thymus of aged mice results in robust thymus regeneration characterized by increased thymopoiesis and increased naive T cell output. We demonstrate that the regenerated organ closely resembles the juvenile thymus in terms of architecture and gene expression profile, and further show that this FOXN1-mediated regeneration stems from an enlarged TEC compartment, rebuilt from progenitor TECs. Collectively, our data establish that upregulation of a single transcription factor can substantially reverse age-related thymic involution, identifying FOXN1 as a specific target for improving thymus function and, thus, immune competence in patients. More widely, they demonstrate that organ regeneration in an aged mammal can be directed by manipulation of a single transcription factor, providing a provocative paradigm that may be of broad impact for regenerative biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Bredenkamp
- Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, SCRM Building, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
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Sun X, Xu J, Lu H, Liu W, Miao Z, Sui X, Liu H, Su L, Du W, He Q, Chen F, Shi Y, Deng H. Directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into thymic epithelial progenitor-like cells reconstitutes the thymic microenvironment in vivo. Cell Stem Cell 2014; 13:230-6. [PMID: 23910085 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2013.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Revised: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Thymus transplantation has great clinical potential for treating immunological disorders, but the shortage of transplant donors limits the progress of this therapy. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are promising cell sources for generating thymic epithelial cells. Here, we report a stepwise protocol to direct the differentiation of hESCs into thymic epithelial progenitor-like cells (TEPLCs) by mimicking thymus organogenesis with sequential regulation of Activin, retinoic acid, BMP, and WNT signals. The hESC-derived TEPLCs expressed the key thymic marker gene FOXN1 and could further develop in vivo into thymic epithelium expressing the functional thymic markers MHC II and AIRE upon transplantation. Moreover, the TEPLC-derived thymic epithelium could support mouse thymopoiesis in T-cell-deficient mice and promote human T cell generation in NOD/SCID mice engrafted with human hematopoietic stem cells (hHSCs). These findings could facilitate hESC-based replacement therapy and provide a valuable in vitro platform for studying human thymus organogenesis and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoning Sun
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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Chen P, Zhang J, Zhan Y, Su J, Du Y, Xu G, Shi Y, Siebenlist U, Zhang X. Established thymic epithelial progenitor/stem cell-like cell lines differentiate into mature thymic epithelial cells and support T cell development. PLoS One 2013; 8:e75222. [PMID: 24086471 PMCID: PMC3781041 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Common thymic epithelial progenitor/stem cells (TEPCs) differentiate into cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (TECs), which are required for the development and selection of thymocytes. Mature TEC lines have been widely established. However, the establishment of TEPC lines is rarely reported. Here we describe the establishment of thymic epithelial stomal cell lines, named TSCs, from fetal thymus. TSCs express some of the markers present on tissue progenitor/stem cells such as Sca-1. Gene expression profiling verifies the thymic identity of TSCs. RANK stimulation of these cells induces expression of autoimmune regulator (Aire) and Aire-dependent tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) in TSCs in vitro. TSCs could be differentiated into medullary thymic epithelial cell-like cells with exogenously expressed NF-κB subunits RelB and p52. Importantly, upon transplantation under the kidney capsules of nude mice, TSCs are able to differentiate into mature TEC-like cells that can support some limited development of T cells in vivo. These findings suggest that the TSC lines we established bear some characteristics of TEPC cells and are able to differentiate into functional TEC-like cells in vitro and in vivo. The cloned TEPC-like cell lines may provide useful tools to study the differentiation of mature TEC cells from precursors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, China
| | - Yu Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Juanjuan Su
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yarui Du
- The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoliang Xu
- The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yufang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ulrich Siebenlist
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Xiaoren Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Spencer TE, Forde N, Dorniak P, Hansen TR, Romero JJ, Lonergan P. Conceptus-derived prostaglandins regulate gene expression in the endometrium prior to pregnancy recognition in ruminants. Reproduction 2013; 146:377-87. [PMID: 23966582 DOI: 10.1530/rep-13-0165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In cattle, the blastocyst hatches from the zona pellucida on days 8-9 and then forms a conceptus that grows and elongates into an ovoid and then filamentous shape between days 9 and 16. The growing conceptus synthesizes and secretes prostaglandins (PGs) and interferon τ (IFNT). Our hypothesis was that the ovoid conceptus exerts a local effect on the endometrium prior to maternal recognition of pregnancy on day 16 in cattle. In study one, synchronized cyclic heifers received no blastocysts or 20 in vitro-produced blastocysts on day 7 and their uteri were collected on day 13. IFNT was not detected by RIA in the uterine flushing samples of pregnant heifers containing multiple ovoid conceptuses; however, total PG levels were higher in the uterine lumen of pregnant heifers than in that of cyclic heifers. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression of 44 genes was increased in the endometria of day 13 pregnant heifers when compared with that in the endometria of cyclic heifers, and many of these genes were classical Type I IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). In studies two and three, the effects of infusing PGs at the levels produced by the elongating day 14 conceptus into the uterine lumen of cyclic ewes on ISG expression in the endometrium were determined. Results indicated that the infusion of PGs increased the abundance of several ISGs in the endometrium. These studies support the hypothesis that the day 13 conceptus secretes PGs that act locally in a paracrine manner to alter gene expression in the endometrium prior to pregnancy recognition in cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Spencer
- Department of Animal Sciences, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.
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Ohigashi I, Zuklys S, Sakata M, Mayer CE, Zhanybekova S, Murata S, Tanaka K, Holländer GA, Takahama Y. Aire-expressing thymic medullary epithelial cells originate from β5t-expressing progenitor cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:9885-90. [PMID: 23720310 PMCID: PMC3683726 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1301799110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus provides multiple microenvironments that are essential for the development and repertoire selection of T lymphocytes. The thymic cortex induces the generation and positive selection of T lymphocytes, whereas the thymic medulla establishes self-tolerance among the positively selected T lymphocytes. Cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) and medullary TECs (mTECs) constitute the major stromal cells that structurally form and functionally characterize the cortex and the medulla, respectively. cTECs and mTECs are both derived from the endodermal epithelium of the third pharyngeal pouch. However, the molecular and cellular characteristics of the progenitor cells for the distinct TEC lineages are unclear. Here we report the preparation and characterization of mice that express the recombinase Cre instead of β5t, a proteasome subunit that is abundant in cTECs and not detected in other cell types, including mTECs. By crossing β5t-Cre knock-in mice with loxP-dependent GFP reporter mice, we found that β5t-Cre-mediated recombination occurs specifically in TECs but not in any other cell types in the mouse. Surprisingly, in addition to cTECs, β5t-Cre-loxP-mediated GFP expression was detected in almost all mTECs. These results indicate that the majority of mTECs, including autoimmune regulator-expressing mTECs, are derived from β5t-expressing progenitor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izumi Ohigashi
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Saulius Zuklys
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mie Sakata
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Carlos E. Mayer
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Saule Zhanybekova
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Shigeo Murata
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Keiji Tanaka
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan; and
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Yousuke Takahama
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
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Farley AM, Morris LX, Vroegindeweij E, Depreter MLG, Vaidya H, Stenhouse FH, Tomlinson SR, Anderson RA, Cupedo T, Cornelissen JJ, Blackburn CC. Dynamics of thymus organogenesis and colonization in early human development. Development 2013; 140:2015-26. [PMID: 23571219 PMCID: PMC3631974 DOI: 10.1242/dev.087320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The thymus is the central site of T-cell development and thus is of fundamental importance to the immune system, but little information exists regarding molecular regulation of thymus development in humans. Here we demonstrate, via spatial and temporal expression analyses, that the genetic mechanisms known to regulate mouse thymus organogenesis are conserved in humans. In addition, we provide molecular evidence that the human thymic epithelium derives solely from the third pharyngeal pouch, as in the mouse, in contrast to previous suggestions. Finally, we define the timing of onset of hematopoietic cell colonization and epithelial cell differentiation in the human thymic primordium, showing, unexpectedly, that the first colonizing hematopoietic cells are CD45(+)CD34(int/-). Collectively, our data provide essential information for translation of principles established in the mouse to the human, and are of particular relevance to development of improved strategies for enhancing immune reconstitution in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Farley
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, CRM Building, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh
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Vroegindeweij E, van Mourik I, Cupedo T, Cornelissen JJ. Characterization of Lgr5-positive epithelial cells in the murine thymus. Eur J Immunol 2013; 43:1243-51. [PMID: 23423968 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201242947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2012] [Revised: 12/18/2012] [Accepted: 02/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor (Lgr)5 is a marker for epithelial stem cells in the adult intestine of mice. Lgr5 transcripts have also been detected in the developing murine thymus, leading to speculation that Lgr5 is a marker for the long-sought stem cell of the thymus. To address the nature of the Lgr5-expressing thymic epithelial cells (TECs), we used Lgr5-GFP reporter mice. We show that epithelial cells expressing Lgr5 protein are present in the fetal thymus during a specific developmental window yet are no longer detectable at birth. To analyze the function of the Lgr5 protein during thymus development, we generated Lgr5(-/-) mice. These experiments unequivocally show that thymus development is not perturbed in the absence of Lgr5, that all TEC subsets develop in Lgr5(-/-) mice and that T cells are produced in the expected ratios. Finally, by using an inducible lineage tracing system to track the progeny of Lgr5(+) fetal TECs in vivo, we demonstrated that Lgr5(+) fetal TECs have no detectable progeny in the later fetal thymus. In sum, we show that presence of the Lgr5 protein is not a prerequisite for proper thymus organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vroegindeweij
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Peterson P, Laan M. Bipotency of thymic epithelial progenitors comes in sequence. Eur J Immunol 2013; 43:580-3. [PMID: 23404610 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201343323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2013] [Revised: 01/11/2013] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In the thymus, in order to become MHC-restricted self-tolerant T cells, developing thymocytes need to interact with cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (TECs). Although the presence of a common bipotent progenitor for these functionally and structurally distinct epithelial subsets has been clearly established, the initial developmental stages of these bipotent cells have not been well characterized. In this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, Baik et al. [Eur. J. Immunol. 2013.43: 589-594] focus on the phenotypical changes of the early bipotent populations and show how the cortical and medullary markers are sequentially acquired during TEC development. These findings argue against a binary model in which both cortical and medullary lineages diverge simultaneously from lineage-negative TEC progenitors and highlight an unexpected overlap in the phenotypic properties of these bipotent TECs with their lineage-restricted counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pärt Peterson
- Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
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Pinto S, Schmidt K, Egle S, Stark HJ, Boukamp P, Kyewski B. An organotypic coculture model supporting proliferation and differentiation of medullary thymic epithelial cells and promiscuous gene expression. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2013; 190:1085-93. [PMID: 23269248 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1201843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2023]
Abstract
Understanding intrathymic T cell differentiation has been greatly aided by the development of various reductionist in vitro models that mimic certain steps/microenvironments of this complex process. Most models focused on the faithful in vitro restoration of T cell differentiation and selection. In contrast, suitable in vitro models emulating the developmental pathways of the two major thymic epithelial cell lineages--cortical thymic epithelial cells and medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs)--are yet to be developed. In this regard, lack of an in vitro model mimicking the developmental biology of the mTEC lineage has hampered the molecular analysis of the so-called "promiscuous expression" of tissue-restricted genes, a key property of terminally differentiated mTECs. Based on the close biological relationship between the skin and thymus epithelial cell compartments, we adapted a three-dimensional organotypic coculture model, originally developed to provide a bona fide in vitro dermal equivalent, for the culture of isolated mTECs. This three-dimensional model preserves key features of mTECs: proliferation and terminal differentiation of CD80(lo), Aire(-) mTECs into CD80(hi), Aire(+) mTECs; responsiveness to RANKL; and sustained expression of FoxN1, Aire, and tissue-restricted genes in CD80(hi) mTECs. This in vitro culture model should facilitate the identification of molecular components and pathways involved in mTEC differentiation in general and in promiscuous gene expression in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena Pinto
- Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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50
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Seach N, Hammett M, Chidgey A. Isolation, characterization, and reaggregate culture of thymic epithelial cells. Methods Mol Biol 2013; 945:251-272. [PMID: 23097111 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-125-7_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The thymus organ is composed of a three-dimensional (3D) network of adjoining epithelium and stromal cells. Bone marrow-derived T cell precursors, upon entering the thymus, interact with and migrate through this cellular network as they differentiate and mature. An essential component of the stroma is the thymic epithelial cells (TEC), which play a vital role in T cell development and induction of self-tolerance for adaptive immunity. TEC can be isolated from the embryonic and adult thymus by a series of gentle enzymatic digestions and characterized into discrete subpopulations based on their expression of surface markers by flow cytometry. Enrichment of adult TEC can be achieved by depletion of hematopoietic cells, allowing sufficient numbers to be purified for subsequent functional and molecular analysis. Although monolayer cultures have been used to study TEC phenotype and T cell interaction, methods that mimic the 3D thymic microenvironment, such as fetal and reaggregate thymic organ cultures, are more accurate for the analysis of TEC function and support more complete T cell development. Herein, we describe methods for the efficient isolation and enrichment of TEC for downstream analyses as well as the reaggregation of embryonic progenitor epithelium to form a functional thymus graft under the kidney capsule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Seach
- Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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