1
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Gergen M, Hewitt A, Sanger CB, Striker R. Monitoring immune recovery on HIV therapy: critical, helpful, or waste of money in the current era? AIDS 2024; 38:937-943. [PMID: 38310348 PMCID: PMC11064897 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cristina B. Sanger
- Department of Surgery
- Department of Surgery, W. S. Middleton Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Rob Striker
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
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2
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Ullas S, Sinclair C. Applications of Flow Cytometry in Drug Discovery and Translational Research. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3851. [PMID: 38612661 PMCID: PMC11011675 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Flow cytometry is a mainstay technique in cell biology research, where it is used for phenotypic analysis of mixed cell populations. Quantitative approaches have unlocked a deeper value of flow cytometry in drug discovery research. As the number of drug modalities and druggable mechanisms increases, there is an increasing drive to identify meaningful biomarkers, evaluate the relationship between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD), and translate these insights into the evaluation of patients enrolled in early clinical trials. In this review, we discuss emerging roles for flow cytometry in the translational setting that supports the transition and evaluation of novel compounds in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Charles Sinclair
- Flagship Pioneering, 140 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA;
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3
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Herr LA, Fiala GJ, Sagar, Schaffer AM, Hummel JF, Zintchenko M, Raute K, Velasco Cárdenas RMH, Heizmann B, Ebert K, Fehrenbach K, Janowska I, Chan S, Tanriver Y, Minguet S, Schamel WW. Kidins220 and Aiolos promote thymic iNKT cell development by reducing TCR signals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj2802. [PMID: 38489359 PMCID: PMC10942104 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj2802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Development of T cells is controlled by the signal strength of the TCR. The scaffold protein kinase D-interacting substrate of 220 kilodalton (Kidins220) binds to the TCR; however, its role in T cell development was unknown. Here, we show that T cell-specific Kidins220 knockout (T-KO) mice have strongly reduced invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell numbers and modest decreases in conventional T cells. Enhanced apoptosis due to increased TCR signaling in T-KO iNKT thymocytes of developmental stages 2 and 3 shows that Kidins220 down-regulates TCR signaling at these stages. scRNA-seq indicated that the transcription factor Aiolos is down-regulated in Kidins220-deficient iNKT cells. Analysis of an Aiolos KO demonstrated that Aiolos is a downstream effector of Kidins220 during iNKT cell development. In the periphery, T-KO iNKT cells show reduced TCR signaling upon stimulation with α-galactosylceramide, suggesting that Kidins220 promotes TCR signaling in peripheral iNKT cells. Thus, Kidins220 reduces or promotes signaling dependent on the iNKT cell developmental stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurenz A. Herr
- Signaling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS; University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gina J. Fiala
- Signaling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS; University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sagar
- Department of Medicine II (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology, and Infectious Diseases), Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anna-Maria Schaffer
- Signaling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS; University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jonas F. Hummel
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marina Zintchenko
- Signaling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS; University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Raute
- Signaling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS; University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rubí M.-H. Velasco Cárdenas
- Signaling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS; University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Beate Heizmann
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U1258, CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Karolina Ebert
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kerstin Fehrenbach
- Signaling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS; University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Iga Janowska
- Signaling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS; University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Susan Chan
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U1258, CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Yakup Tanriver
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Medicine IV: Nephrology and Primary Care, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Susana Minguet
- Signaling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS; University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang W. Schamel
- Signaling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS; University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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4
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Redruello-Romero A, Benitez-Cantos MS, Lopez-Perez D, García-Rubio J, Tamayo F, Pérez-Bartivas D, Moreno-SanJuan S, Ruiz-Palmero I, Puentes-Pardo JD, Vilchez JR, López-Nevot MÁ, García F, Cano C, León J, Carazo Á. Human adipose tissue as a major reservoir of cytomegalovirus-reactive T cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1303724. [PMID: 38053998 PMCID: PMC10694288 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1303724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common herpesvirus with a high prevalence worldwide. After the acute infection phase, CMV can remain latent in several tissues. CD8 T cells in the lungs and salivary glands mainly control its reactivation control. White adipose tissue (WAT) contains a significant population of memory T cells reactive to viral antigens, but CMV specificity has mainly been studied in mouse WAT. Therefore, we obtained blood, omental WAT (oWAT), subcutaneous WAT (sWAT), and liver samples from 11 obese donors to characterize the human WAT adaptive immune landscape from a phenotypic and immune receptor specificity perspective. Methods We performed high-throughput sequencing of the T cell receptor (TCR) locus to analyze tissue and blood TCR repertoires of the 11 donors. The presence of TCRs specific to CMV epitopes was tested through ELISpot assays. Moreover, phenotypic characterization of T cells was carried out through flow cytometry. Results High-throughput sequencing analyses revealed that tissue TCR repertoires in oWAT, sWAT, and liver samples were less diverse and dominated by hyperexpanded clones when compared to blood samples. Additionally, we predicted the presence of TCRs specific to viral epitopes, particularly from CMV, which was confirmed by ELISpot assays. Remarkably, we found that oWAT has a higher proportion of CMV-reactive T cells than blood or sWAT. Finally, flow cytometry analyses indicated that most WAT-infiltrated lymphocytes were tissue-resident effector memory CD8 T cells. Discussion Overall, these findings postulate human oWAT as a major reservoir of CMV-specific T cells, presumably for latent viral reactivation control. This study enhances our understanding of the adaptive immune response in human WAT and highlights its potential role in antiviral defense.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria S. Benitez-Cantos
- Research Unit, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology III and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain
| | - David Lopez-Perez
- Research Unit, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | | | - Daniel Pérez-Bartivas
- Research Unit, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
| | - Sara Moreno-SanJuan
- Research Unit, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
- Cytometry and Microscopy Research Service, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
| | - Isabel Ruiz-Palmero
- Research Unit, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
| | - Jose D. Puentes-Pardo
- Research Unit, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jose R. Vilchez
- Research Unit, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
- Clinical Analyses and Immunology Unit, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, Spain
| | - Miguel Á. López-Nevot
- Research Unit, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology III and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Clinical Analyses and Immunology Unit, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, Spain
| | - Federico García
- Research Unit, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
- Clinical Microbiology Unit, San Cecilio University Hospital, Granada, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) of Infectious Diseases, Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Cano
- Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Josefa León
- Research Unit, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
- Digestive Unit, San Cecilio University Hospital, Granada, Spain
| | - Ángel Carazo
- Research Unit, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Granada, Spain
- Clinical Microbiology Unit, San Cecilio University Hospital, Granada, Spain
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5
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Lee NYS, Li M, Ang KS, Chen J. Establishing a human bone marrow single cell reference atlas to study ageing and diseases. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1127879. [PMID: 37006302 PMCID: PMC10050687 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1127879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Ageing in the human bone marrow is associated with immune function decline that results in the elderly being vulnerable to illnesses. A comprehensive healthy bone marrow consensus atlas can serve as a reference to study the immunological changes associated with ageing, and to identify and study abnormal cell states. Methods We collected publicly available single cell transcriptomic data of 145 healthy samples encompassing a wide spectrum of ages ranging from 2 to 84 years old to construct our human bone marrow atlas. The final atlas has 673,750 cells and 54 annotated cell types. Results We first characterised the changes in cell population sizes with respect to age and the corresponding changes in gene expression and pathways. Overall, we found significant age-associated changes in the lymphoid lineage cells. The naïve CD8+ T cell population showed significant shrinkage with ageing while the effector/memory CD4+ T cells increased in proportion. We also found an age-correlated decline in the common lymphoid progenitor population, in line with the commonly observed myeloid skew in haematopoiesis among the elderly. We then employed our cell type-specific ageing gene signatures to develop a machine learning model that predicts the biological age of bone marrow samples, which we then applied to healthy individuals and those with blood diseases. Finally, we demonstrated how to identify abnormal cell states by mapping disease samples onto the atlas. We accurately identified abnormal plasma cells and erythroblasts in multiple myeloma samples, and abnormal cells in acute myeloid leukaemia samples. Discussion The bone marrow is the site of haematopoiesis, a highly important bodily process. We believe that our healthy bone marrow atlas is a valuable reference for studying bone marrow processes and bone marrow-related diseases. It can be mined for novel discoveries, as well as serve as a reference scaffold for mapping samples to identify and investigate abnormal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Yee Shin Lee
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mengwei Li
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kok Siong Ang
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jinmiao Chen
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Immunology Translational Research Program, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, Singapore
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6
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Feliciangeli F, Dreiwi H, López-García M, Castro Ponce M, Molina-París C, Lythe G. Why are cell populations maintained via multiple compartments? J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220629. [PMID: 36349449 PMCID: PMC9653237 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We consider the maintenance of 'product' cell populations from 'progenitor' cells via a sequence of one or more cell types, or compartments, where each cell's fate is chosen stochastically. If there is only one compartment then large amplification, that is, a large ratio of product cells to progenitors comes with disadvantages. The product cell population is dominated by large families (cells descended from the same progenitor) and many generations separate, on average, product cells from progenitors. These disadvantages are avoided using suitably constructed sequences of compartments: the amplification factor of a sequence is the product of the amplification factors of each compartment, while the average number of generations is a sum over contributions from each compartment. Passing through multiple compartments is, in fact, an efficient way to maintain a product cell population from a small flux of progenitors, avoiding excessive clonality and minimizing the number of rounds of division en route. We use division, exit and death rates, estimated from measurements of single-positive thymocytes, to choose illustrative parameter values in the single-compartment case. We also consider a five-compartment model of thymocyte differentiation, from double-negative precursors to single-positive product cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Feliciangeli
- School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
- Systems Pharmacology and Medicine, Bayer AG, Leverkusen 51368, Germany
| | - Hanan Dreiwi
- School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | | | - Mario Castro Ponce
- Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica (ITT), Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Molina-París
- School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
- T-6, Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
| | - Grant Lythe
- School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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7
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Clonal dynamics underlying the skewed CD4/CD8 ratio of mouse thymocytes revealed by TCR-independent barcoding. Commun Biol 2022; 5:911. [PMID: 36064961 PMCID: PMC9445074 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03870-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell differentiation in the thymus generates CD4+ helper and cytotoxic CD8+ cells as the two principal T cell lineages. Curiously, at the end of this complex selection process, CD4+ cells invariably outnumber CD8+ cells. Here, we examine the dynamics of repertoire formation and the emergence of the skewed CD4/CD8 ratio using high-resolution endogenous CRISPR/Cas9 barcoding that indelibly marks immature T cells at the DN2/DN3 pre-TCR stage. In wild-type mice, greater clone size of CD4+ cells and an intrinsically greater probability of Tcr β clonotypes for pMHCII interactions are major contributors to the skewed CD4/CD8 ratio. Clonal perturbations of thymocyte differentiation following the precocious expression of a rearranged iNKT invariant TCR α chain are due to loss of Tcr β clonotypes from the CD4 lineage-committed pre-selection repertoire. The present barcoding scheme offers a novel means to examine the clonal dynamics of lymphocyte differentiation orthogonal to that using TCR clonotypes. CRSIPR-mediated barcoding of pre-TCR-expressing T cells is used to investigate the clonal dynamics of thymic T cells and reveals new fundamental understanding of how the skewed CD4/CD8 ratio arises during thymic selection.
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8
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McGuire MT, Tuckett AZ, Myint F, Zakrzewski JL. A Minimally Invasive, Accurate, and Efficient Technique for Intrathymic Injection in Mice. J Vis Exp 2022:10.3791/64309. [PMID: 36094273 PMCID: PMC9553093 DOI: 10.3791/64309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrathymic injection in mouse models is an important technique for studying thymic and immune function, including genetic and acquired T cell disorders. This requires methods for the direct deposition of reagents and/or cells into the thymus of living mice. Traditional methods of intrathymic injection include thoracic surgery or minimally invasive percutaneous blind injections, both of which have significant limitations. Ultra-high frequency ultrasound imaging devices have made image-guided percutaneous injections possible in mice, greatly improving the injection accuracy of the percutaneous injection approach and enabling the injection of smaller targets. However, image-guided injections rely on the utilization of an integrated rail system, making this a rigid and time-consuming procedure. A unique, safe, and efficient method for percutaneous intrathymic injections in mice is presented here, eliminating reliance on the rail system for injections. The technique relies on using a high-resolution micro-ultrasound unit to image the mouse thymus noninvasively. Using a free-hand technique, a radiologist can place a needle tip directly into the mouse thymus under sonographic guidance. Mice are cleaned and anesthetized before imaging. For an experienced radiologist adept at ultrasound-guided procedures, the learning period for the stated technique is quite short, typically within one session. The method has a low morbidity and mortality rate for the mice and is much faster than current mechanically assisted techniques for percutaneous injection. It allows the investigator to efficiently perform precise and reliable percutaneous injections of thymuses of any size (including very small organs such as the thymus of aged or immunodeficient mice) with minimal stress on the animal. This method enables the injection of individual lobes if desired and facilities large-scale experiments due to the time-saving nature of the procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Faith Myint
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health
| | - Johannes L Zakrzewski
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health; Department of Pediatrics, Hackensack University Medical Center; Department of Oncology, Georgetown University;
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9
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Covalent TCR-peptide-MHC interactions induce T cell activation and redirect T cell fate in the thymus. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4951. [PMID: 35999236 PMCID: PMC9399087 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32692-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between a T cell receptor (TCR) and a peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) ligand are typically mediated by noncovalent bonds. By studying T cells expressing natural or engineered TCRs, here we describe covalent TCR-pMHC interactions that involve a cysteine-cysteine disulfide bond between the TCR and the peptide. By introducing cysteines into a known TCR-pMHC combination, we demonstrate that disulfide bond formation does not require structural rearrangement of the TCR or the peptide. We further show these disulfide bonds still form even when the initial affinity of the TCR-pMHC interaction is low. Accordingly, TCR-peptide disulfide bonds facilitate T cell activation by pMHC ligands with a wide spectrum of affinities for the TCR. Physiologically, this mechanism induces strong Zap70-dependent TCR signaling, which triggers T cell deletion or agonist selection in the thymus cortex. Covalent TCR-pMHC interactions may thus underlie a physiological T cell activation mechanism that has applications in basic immunology and potentially in immunotherapy. Differentiation and activation of T cells are normally modulated by non-covalent interactions between T cell receptor (TCR) and antigenic peptides. Here the authors use step-wise mutations, biochemical characterization and structural insights to describe the contributions of natural covalent bonds between TCR and antigenic peptides during these processes.
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10
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Ng Chau K, George JT, Onuchic JN, Lin X, Levine H. Contact map dependence of a T-cell receptor binding repertoire. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:014406. [PMID: 35974642 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.014406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The T-cell arm of the adaptive immune system provides the host protection against unknown pathogens by discriminating between host and foreign material. This discriminatory capability is achieved by the creation of a repertoire of cells each carrying a T-cell receptor (TCR) specific to non-self-antigens displayed as peptides bound to the major histocompatibility complex (pMHC). The understanding of the dynamics of the adaptive immune system at a repertoire level is complex, due to both the nuanced interaction of a TCR-pMHC pair and to the number of different possible TCR-pMHC pairings, making computationally exact solutions currently unfeasible. To gain some insight into this problem, we study an affinity-based model for TCR-pMHC binding in which a crystal structure is used to generate a distance-based contact map that weights the pairwise amino acid interactions. We find that the TCR-pMHC binding energy distribution strongly depends both on the number of contacts and the repeat structure allowed by the topology of the contact map of choice; this in turn influences T-cell recognition probability during negative selection, with higher variances leading to higher survival probabilities. In addition, we quantify the degree to which neoantigens with mutations in sites with higher contacts are recognized at a higher rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Ng Chau
- Physics Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Jason T George
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - José N Onuchic
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry and Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Xingcheng Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and Departments of Physics and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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11
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Wang C, Daley SR. How Thymocyte Deletion in the Cortex May Curtail Antigen-Specific T-Regulatory Cell Development in the Medulla. Front Immunol 2022; 13:892498. [PMID: 35693793 PMCID: PMC9176388 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.892498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CD4+ T cell responses to self-antigens are pivotal for immunological self-tolerance. Activation of Foxp3– T-conventional (T-conv) cells can precipitate autoimmune disease, whereas activation of Foxp3+ T-regulatory (T-reg) cells is essential to prevent autoimmune disease. This distinction indicates the importance of the thymus in controlling the differentiation of self-reactive CD4+ T cells. Thymocytes and thymic antigen-presenting cells (APC) depend on each other for normal maturation and differentiation. In this Hypothesis and Theory article, we propose this mutual dependence dictates which self-antigens induce T-reg cell development in the thymic medulla. We postulate self-reactive CD4+ CD8– thymocytes deliver signals that stabilize and amplify the presentation of their cognate self-antigen by APC in the thymic medulla, thereby seeding a niche for the development of T-reg cells specific for the same self-antigen. By limiting the number of antigen-specific CD4+ thymocytes in the medulla, thymocyte deletion in the cortex may impede the formation of medullary T-reg niches containing certain self-antigens. Susceptibility to autoimmune disease may arise from cortical deletion creating a “hole” in the self-antigen repertoire recognized by T-reg cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Wang
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Stephen R Daley
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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12
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Abstract
A high diversity of αβ T cell receptors (TCRs), capable of recognizing virtually any pathogen but also self-antigens, is generated during T cell development in the thymus. Nevertheless, a strict developmental program supports the selection of a self-tolerant T cell repertoire capable of responding to foreign antigens. The steps of T cell selection are controlled by cortical and medullary stromal niches, mainly composed of thymic epithelial cells and dendritic cells. The integration of important cues provided by these specialized niches, including (a) the TCR signal strength induced by the recognition of self-peptide-MHC complexes, (b) costimulatory signals, and (c) cytokine signals, critically controls T cell repertoire selection. This review discusses our current understanding of the signals that coordinate positive selection, negative selection, and agonist selection of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. It also highlights recent advances that have unraveled the functional diversity of thymic antigen-presenting cell subsets implicated in T cell selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Irla
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML), CNRS, INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France;
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13
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Dong M, Chang J, Lebel MÈ, Gervais N, Fournier M, Mallet Gauthier È, Suh WK, Melichar HJ. The ICOS-ICOSL pathway tunes thymic selection. Immunol Cell Biol 2021; 100:205-217. [PMID: 34962663 PMCID: PMC9304562 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12520] [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: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Negative selection of developing T cells plays a significant role in T cell tolerance to self-antigen. This process relies on thymic antigen presenting cells which express both self-antigens as well as co-signaling molecules. Inducible T cell costimulator (ICOS) belongs to the CD28 family of co-signaling molecules and binds to ICOS ligand (ICOSL). The ICOS signaling pathway plays important roles in shaping the immune response to infections, but its role in central tolerance is less well understood. Here we show that ICOSL is expressed by subsets of thymic dendritic cells and medullary thymic epithelial cells as well as thymic B cells. ICOS expression is upregulated as T cells mature in the thymus and correlates with T cell receptor signal strength during thymic selection. We also provide evidence of a role for ICOS signaling in mediating negative selection. Our findings suggest that ICOS may fine-tune T cell receptor signals during thymic selection contributing to the generation of a tolerant T cell population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Dong
- Département de microbiologie, Université de Montréal, infectiologie et immunologie, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada.,Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Jinsam Chang
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H2W 1R7, Canada.,Programme de biologie moléculaire, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Lebel
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Noémie Gervais
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Marilaine Fournier
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Ève Mallet Gauthier
- Département de microbiologie, Université de Montréal, infectiologie et immunologie, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada.,Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Woong-Kyung Suh
- Département de microbiologie, Université de Montréal, infectiologie et immunologie, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada.,Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H2W 1R7, Canada.,Programme de biologie moléculaire, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Heather J Melichar
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada.,Département de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada
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14
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Haunerdinger V, Moccia MD, Opitz L, Vavassori S, Dave H, Hauri-Hohl MM. Novel Combination of Surface Markers for the Reliable and Comprehensive Identification of Human Thymic Epithelial Cells by Flow Cytometry: Quantitation and Transcriptional Characterization of Thymic Stroma in a Pediatric Cohort. Front Immunol 2021; 12:740047. [PMID: 34659232 PMCID: PMC8514761 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.740047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are essential in supporting the development of mature T cells from hematopoietic progenitor cells and facilitate their lineage-commitment, proliferation, T-cell receptor repertoire selection and maturation. While animal model systems have greatly aided in elucidating the contribution of stromal cells to these intricate processes, human tissue has been more difficult to study, partly due to a lack of suitable surface markers comprehensively defining human TECs. Here, we conducted a flow cytometry based surface marker screen to reliably identify and quantify human TECs and delineate medullary from cortical subsets. These findings were validated by transcriptomic and histologic means. The combination of EpCAM, podoplanin (pdpn), CD49f and CD200 comprehensively identified human TECs and not only allowed their reliable distinction in medullary and cortical subsets but also their detailed quantitation. Transcriptomic profiling of each subset in comparison to fibroblasts and endothelial cells confirmed the identity of the different stromal cell subsets sorted according to the proposed strategy. Our dataset not only demonstrated transcriptional similarities between TEC and cells of mesenchymal origin but furthermore revealed a subset-specific distribution of a specific set of extracellular matrix-related genes in TECs. This indicates that TECs significantly contribute to the distinct compartmentalization - and thus function - of the human thymus. We applied the strategy to quantify TEC subsets in 31 immunologically healthy children, which revealed sex-specific differences of TEC composition early in life. As the distribution of mature CD4- or CD8-single-positive thymocytes was correspondingly altered, the composition of the thymic epithelial compartment may directly impact on the CD4-CD8-lineage choice of thymocytes. We prove that the plain, reliable strategy proposed here to comprehensively identify human TEC subpopulations by flow cytometry based on surface marker expression is suitable to determine their frequency and phenotype in health and disease and allows sorting of live cells for downstream analysis. Its use reaches from a reliable diagnostic tool for thymic biopsies to improved phenotypic characterization of thymic grafts intended for therapeutic use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Haunerdinger
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Domenica Moccia
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lennart Opitz
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Vavassori
- Division of Immunology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Pediatric Immunology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hitendu Dave
- Division of Congenital Cardiovascular Surgery, University Children's Hospital and Children's Research Centre, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mathias M Hauri-Hohl
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Wirasinha RC, Davies AR, Srivastava M, Sheridan JM, Sng XYX, Delmonte OM, Dobbs K, Loh KL, Miosge LA, Lee CE, Chand R, Chan A, Yap JY, Keller MD, Chen K, Rossjohn J, La Gruta NL, Vinuesa CG, Reid HH, Lionakis MS, Notarangelo LD, Gray DHD, Goodnow CC, Cook MC, Daley SR. Nfkb2 variants reveal a p100-degradation threshold that defines autoimmune susceptibility. J Exp Med 2021; 218:211502. [PMID: 33107914 PMCID: PMC7595743 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20200476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
NF-κB2/p100 (p100) is an inhibitor of κB (IκB) protein that is partially degraded to produce the NF-κB2/p52 (p52) transcription factor. Heterozygous NFKB2 mutations cause a human syndrome of immunodeficiency and autoimmunity, but whether autoimmunity arises from insufficiency of p52 or IκB function of mutated p100 is unclear. Here, we studied mice bearing mutations in the p100 degron, a domain that harbors most of the clinically recognized mutations and is required for signal-dependent p100 degradation. Distinct mutations caused graded increases in p100-degradation resistance. Severe p100-degradation resistance, due to inheritance of one highly degradation-resistant allele or two subclinical alleles, caused thymic medullary hypoplasia and autoimmune disease, whereas the absence of p100 and p52 did not. We inferred a similar mechanism occurs in humans, as the T cell receptor repertoires of affected humans and mice contained a hydrophobic signature of increased self-reactivity. Autoimmunity in autosomal dominant NFKB2 syndrome arises largely from defects in nonhematopoietic cells caused by the IκB function of degradation-resistant p100.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rushika C Wirasinha
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Ainsley R Davies
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Translational Research Unit, Department of Immunology, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Immunology (NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence), John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Monika Srivastava
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Julie M Sheridan
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Xavier Y X Sng
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Ottavia M Delmonte
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Kerry Dobbs
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Khai L Loh
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Lisa A Miosge
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Cindy Eunhee Lee
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Translational Research Unit, Department of Immunology, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australia
| | - Rochna Chand
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Translational Research Unit, Department of Immunology, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australia
| | - Anna Chan
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Jin Yan Yap
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Michael D Keller
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC
| | - Karin Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.,Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
| | - Jamie Rossjohn
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | - Nicole L La Gruta
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Carola G Vinuesa
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Immunology (NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence), John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Hugh H Reid
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Michail S Lionakis
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Luigi D Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Daniel H D Gray
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christopher C Goodnow
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research & Cellular Genomics Futures Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Matthew C Cook
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Translational Research Unit, Department of Immunology, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Immunology (NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence), John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Stephen R Daley
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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16
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Lin X, George JT, Schafer NP, Chau KN, Birnbaum ME, Clementi C, Onuchic JN, Levine H. Rapid Assessment of T-Cell Receptor Specificity of the Immune Repertoire. NATURE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 1:362-373. [PMID: 36090450 PMCID: PMC9455901 DOI: 10.1038/s43588-021-00076-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Accurate assessment of TCR-antigen specificity at the whole immune repertoire level lies at the heart of improved cancer immunotherapy, but predictive models capable of high-throughput assessment of TCR-peptide pairs are lacking. Recent advances in deep sequencing and crystallography have enriched the data available for studying TCR-p-MHC systems. Here, we introduce a pairwise energy model, RACER, for rapid assessment of TCR-peptide affinity at the immune repertoire level. RACER applies supervised machine learning to efficiently and accurately resolve strong TCR-peptide binding pairs from weak ones. The trained parameters further enable a physical interpretation of interacting patterns encoded in each specific TCR-p-MHC system. When applied to simulate thymic selection of an MHC-restricted T-cell repertoire, RACER accurately estimates recognition rates for tumor-associated neoantigens and foreign peptides, thus demonstrating its utility in helping address the large computational challenge of reliably identifying the properties of tumor antigen-specific T-cells at the level of an individual patient's immune repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingcheng Lin
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
| | - Jason T. George
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Nicholas P. Schafer
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX
- Departments of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX
| | - Kevin Ng Chau
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
| | - Michael E. Birnbaum
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- Ragon Institute of MIT, MGH, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Cecilia Clementi
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX
- Departments of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX
- Department of Physics, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany
| | - José N. Onuchic
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX
- Departments of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: ,
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: ,
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17
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Modeling the Dynamics of T-Cell Development in the Thymus. ENTROPY 2021; 23:e23040437. [PMID: 33918050 PMCID: PMC8069328 DOI: 10.3390/e23040437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The thymus hosts the development of a specific type of adaptive immune cells called T cells. T cells orchestrate the adaptive immune response through recognition of antigen by the highly variable T-cell receptor (TCR). T-cell development is a tightly coordinated process comprising lineage commitment, somatic recombination of Tcr gene loci and selection for functional, but non-self-reactive TCRs, all interspersed with massive proliferation and cell death. Thus, the thymus produces a pool of T cells throughout life capable of responding to virtually any exogenous attack while preserving the body through self-tolerance. The thymus has been of considerable interest to both immunologists and theoretical biologists due to its multi-scale quantitative properties, bridging molecular binding, population dynamics and polyclonal repertoire specificity. Here, we review experimental strategies aimed at revealing quantitative and dynamic properties of T-cell development and how they have been implemented in mathematical modeling strategies that were reported to help understand the flexible dynamics of the highly dividing and dying thymic cell populations. Furthermore, we summarize the current challenges to estimating in vivo cellular dynamics and to reaching a next-generation multi-scale picture of T-cell development.
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18
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Elfaki Y, Robert PA, Binz C, Falk CS, Bruder D, Prinz I, Floess S, Meyer-Hermann M, Huehn J. Influenza A virus-induced thymus atrophy differentially affects dynamics of conventional and regulatory T-cell development in mice. Eur J Immunol 2021; 51:1166-1181. [PMID: 33638148 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202048981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Foxp3+ Treg cells, which are crucial for maintenance of self-tolerance, mainly develop within the thymus, where they arise from CD25+ Foxp3- or CD25- Foxp3+ Treg cell precursors. Although it is known that infections can cause transient thymic involution, the impact of infection-induced thymus atrophy on thymic Treg (tTreg) cell development is unknown. Here, we infected mice with influenza A virus (IAV) and studied thymocyte population dynamics post infection. IAV infection caused a massive, but transient thymic involution, dominated by a loss of CD4+ CD8+ double-positive (DP) thymocytes, which was accompanied by a significant increase in the frequency of CD25+ Foxp3+ tTreg cells. Differential apoptosis susceptibility could be experimentally excluded as a reason for the relative tTreg cell increase, and mathematical modeling suggested that enhanced tTreg cell generation cannot explain the increased frequency of tTreg cells. Yet, an increased death of DP thymocytes and augmented exit of single-positive (SP) thymocytes was suggested to be causative. Interestingly, IAV-induced thymus atrophy resulted in a significantly reduced T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity of newly produced tTreg cells. Taken together, IAV-induced thymus atrophy is substantially altering the dynamics of major thymocyte populations, finally resulting in a relative increase of tTreg cells with an altered TCR repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yassin Elfaki
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Philippe A Robert
- Department of Systems Immunology and Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Christoph Binz
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Christine S Falk
- Institute of Transplant Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Dunja Bruder
- Infection Immunology Group, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Infection Control and Prevention, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Immune Regulation Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Immo Prinz
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Stefan Floess
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Meyer-Hermann
- Department of Systems Immunology and Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jochen Huehn
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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19
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Kurd NS, Hoover A, Yoon J, Weist BM, Lutes L, Chan SW, Robey EA. Factors that influence the thymic selection of CD8αα intraepithelial lymphocytes. Mucosal Immunol 2021; 14:68-79. [PMID: 32483197 PMCID: PMC10443950 DOI: 10.1038/s41385-020-0295-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Thymocytes bearing αβ T cell receptors (TCRαβ) with high affinity for self-peptide-MHC complexes undergo negative selection or are diverted to alternate T cell lineages, a process termed agonist selection. Among thymocytes bearing TCRs restricted to MHC class I, agonist selection can lead to the development of precursors that can home to the gut and give rise to CD8αα-expressing intraepithelial lymphocytes (CD8αα IELs). The factors that influence the choice between negative selection versus CD8αα IEL development remain largely unknown. Using a synchronized thymic tissue slice model that supports both negative selection and CD8αα IEL development, we show that the affinity threshold for CD8αα IEL development is higher than for negative selection. We also investigate the impact of peptide presenting cells and cytokines, and the migration patterns associated with these alternative cell fates. Our data highlight the roles of TCR affinity and the thymic microenvironments on T cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia S Kurd
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ashley Hoover
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Jaewon Yoon
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Brian M Weist
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Gilead Sciences, Foster City, CA, 94404, USA
| | - Lydia Lutes
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Shiao Wei Chan
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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20
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Blanchett S, Boal-Carvalho I, Layzell S, Seddon B. NF-κB and Extrinsic Cell Death Pathways - Entwined Do-or-Die Decisions for T cells. Trends Immunol 2020; 42:76-88. [PMID: 33246882 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2020.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
NF-κB signaling is required at multiple stages of T cell development and function. The NF-κB pathway integrates signals from many receptors and involves diverse adapters and kinases. Recent advances demonstrate that kinases controlling NF-κB activation, such as the IKK complex, serve dual independent functions because they also control cell death checkpoints. Survival functions previously attributed to NF-κB are in fact mediated by these upstream kinases by novel mechanisms. This new understanding has led to a refined view of how NF-κB and cell death signaling are interlinked and how they regulate cell fate. We discuss how NF-κB activation and control of cell death signaling by common upstream triggers cooperate to regulate different aspects of T cell development and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Blanchett
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Ines Boal-Carvalho
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Scott Layzell
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Benedict Seddon
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, UK.
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21
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Mesman S, Smidt MP. Acquisition of the Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuronal Identity. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21134638. [PMID: 32629812 PMCID: PMC7369932 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) group of neurons comprises molecularly distinct subgroups, of which the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are the best known, due to the selective degeneration of the SN during Parkinson’s disease. However, although significant research has been conducted on the molecular build-up of these subsets, much is still unknown about how these subsets develop and which factors are involved in this process. In this review, we aim to describe the life of an mdDA neuron, from specification in the floor plate to differentiation into the different subsets. All mdDA neurons are born in the mesodiencephalic floor plate under the influence of both SHH-signaling, important for floor plate patterning, and WNT-signaling, involved in establishing the progenitor pool and the start of the specification of mdDA neurons. Furthermore, transcription factors, like Ngn2, Ascl1, Lmx1a, and En1, and epigenetic factors, like Ezh2, are important in the correct specification of dopamine (DA) progenitors. Later during development, mdDA neurons are further subdivided into different molecular subsets by, amongst others, Otx2, involved in the specification of subsets in the VTA, and En1, Pitx3, Lmx1a, and WNT-signaling, involved in the specification of subsets in the SN. Interestingly, factors involved in early specification in the floor plate can serve a dual function and can also be involved in subset specification. Besides the mdDA group of neurons, other systems in the embryo contain different subsets, like the immune system. Interestingly, many factors involved in the development of mdDA neurons are similarly involved in immune system development and vice versa. This indicates that similar mechanisms are used in the development of these systems, and that knowledge about the development of the immune system may hold clues for the factors involved in the development of mdDA neurons, which may be used in culture protocols for cell replacement therapies.
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22
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Affiliation(s)
- Pirooz Zareie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Carine Farenc
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Nicole L. La Gruta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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23
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Martinov T, Fife BT. Type 1 diabetes pathogenesis and the role of inhibitory receptors in islet tolerance. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1461:73-103. [PMID: 31025378 PMCID: PMC6994200 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects over a million Americans, and disease incidence is on the rise. Despite decades of research, there is still no cure for this disease. Exciting beta cell replacement strategies are being developed, but in order for such approaches to work, targeted immunotherapies must be designed. To selectively halt the autoimmune response, researchers must first understand how this response is regulated and which tolerance checkpoints fail during T1D development. Herein, we discuss the current understanding of T1D pathogenesis in humans, genetic and environmental risk factors, presumed roles of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as B cells, and implicated autoantigens. We also highlight studies in non-obese diabetic mice that have demonstrated the requirement for CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and B cells in driving T1D pathology. We present an overview of central and peripheral tolerance mechanisms and comment on existing controversies in the field regarding central tolerance. Finally, we discuss T cell- and B cell-intrinsic tolerance mechanisms, with an emphasis on the roles of inhibitory receptors in maintaining islet tolerance in humans and in diabetes-prone mice, and strategies employed to date to harness inhibitory receptor signaling to prevent or reverse T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijana Martinov
- Department of Medicine, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Brian T Fife
- Department of Medicine, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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24
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Kurd NS, Lutes LK, Yoon J, Chan SW, Dzhagalov IL, Hoover AR, Robey EA. A role for phagocytosis in inducing cell death during thymocyte negative selection. eLife 2019; 8:48097. [PMID: 31868579 PMCID: PMC6957271 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoreactive thymocytes are eliminated during negative selection in the thymus, a process important for establishing self-tolerance. Thymic phagocytes serve to remove dead thymocytes, but whether they play additional roles during negative selection remains unclear. Here, using a murine thymic slice model in which thymocytes undergo negative selection in situ, we demonstrate that phagocytosis promotes negative selection, and provide evidence for the escape of autoreactive CD8 T cells to the periphery when phagocytosis in the thymus is impaired. We also show that negative selection is more efficient when the phagocyte also presents the negative selecting peptide. Our findings support a model for negative selection in which the death process initiated following strong TCR signaling is facilitated by phagocytosis. Thus, the phagocytic capability of cells that present self-peptides is a key determinant of thymocyte fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia S Kurd
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Lydia K Lutes
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Jaewon Yoon
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Shiao Wei Chan
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Ivan L Dzhagalov
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Ashley R Hoover
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
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25
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Kaneko KB, Tateishi R, Miyao T, Takakura Y, Akiyama N, Yokota R, Akiyama T, Kobayashi TJ. Quantitative analysis reveals reciprocal regulations underlying recovery dynamics of thymocytes and thymic environment in mice. Commun Biol 2019; 2:444. [PMID: 31815199 PMCID: PMC6884561 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0688-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Thymic crosstalk, a set of reciprocal regulations between thymocytes and the thymic environment, is relevant for orchestrating appropriate thymocyte development as well as thymic recovery from various exogenous insults. In this work, interactions shaping thymic crosstalk and the resultant dynamics of thymocytes and thymic epithelial cells are inferred based on quantitative analysis and modeling of the recovery dynamics induced by irradiation. The analysis identifies regulatory interactions consistent with known molecular evidence and reveals their dynamic roles in the recovery process. Moreover, the analysis also predicts, and a subsequent experiment verifies, a previously unrecognized regulation of CD4+CD8+ double positive thymocytes which temporarily increases their proliferation rate upon the decrease in their population size. Our model establishes a pivotal step towards the dynamic understanding of thymic crosstalk as a regulatory network system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazumasa B. Kaneko
- Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo, 113-8656 Japan
| | - Ryosuke Tateishi
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045 Japan
| | - Takahisa Miyao
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045 Japan
| | - Yuki Takakura
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045 Japan
| | - Nobuko Akiyama
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045 Japan
| | - Ryo Yokota
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku Tokyo, 153-8505 Japan
| | - Taishin Akiyama
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045 Japan
| | - Tetsuya J. Kobayashi
- Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo, 113-8656 Japan
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku Tokyo, 153-8505 Japan
- PREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012 Japan
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26
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Thymic-specific regulation of TCR signaling by Tespa1. Cell Mol Immunol 2019; 16:897-907. [PMID: 31316154 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-019-0259-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Double-positive (DP) thymocytes undergo positive selection to become mature single-positive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in response to T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. Unlike mature T cells, DP cells must respond to low-affinity self-peptide-MHC ligands before full upregulation of their surface TCR expression can occur. Thus, DP thymocytes must be more sensitive to ligands than mature T cells. A number of molecules have been found that are able to enhance the strength of the TCR signal to facilitate positive selection. However, almost all of these molecules are also active in mature T cells. Themis (thymocyte expressed molecule involved in selection) and Tespa1 (thymocyte expressed positive selection associated 1) are two recently discovered molecules essential for optimal TCR signaling and thymocyte development. A deficiency in both molecules leads to defects in positive selection. Here, we compared the relative contributions of Themis and Tespa1 to positive selection in thymocytes. We show that Tespa1 deficiency led to more limited and specific gene expression profile changes in cells undergoing positive selection. In mixed bone marrow transfer experiments, Tespa1-/- cells showed more severe defects in thymocyte development than Themis-/- cells. However, Tespa1-/- cells showed a substantial degree of homeostatic expansion and became predominant in the peripheral lymphoid organs, suggesting that Tespa1 is a thymic-specific TCR signaling regulator. This hypothesis is further supported by our observations in Tespa1 conditional knockout mice, as Tespa1 deletion in peripheral T cells did not affect TCR signaling or cell proliferation. The different regulatory effects of Tespa1 and Themis are in accordance with their nonredundant roles in thymocyte selection, during which Tespa1 and Themis double knockouts showed additive defects.
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27
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Abstract
Generating and maintaining a diverse repertoire of naive T cells is essential for protection against pathogens, and developing a mechanistic and quantitative description of the processes involved lies at the heart of our understanding of vertebrate immunity. Here, we review the biology of naive T cells from birth to maturity and outline how the integration of mathematical models and experiments has helped us to develop a full picture of their life histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict Seddon
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, UCL, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK
| | - Andrew J Yates
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
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28
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Deletion of self-reactive CCR7- thymocytes in the absence of MHC expression on thymic epithelial cells. Cell Death Differ 2019; 26:2727-2739. [PMID: 31019259 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-019-0331-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The selection of αβ T cells in the thymus is punctuated by checkpoints at which thymocytes differentiate or undergo apoptosis. Wave 1 deletion is defined as apoptosis within nascent αβ T-cell antigen receptor (TCR)-signalled thymocytes that lack CCR7 expression. The antigen-presenting cell (APC) types that mediate wave 1 deletion are unclear. To measure wave 1 deletion, we compared the frequencies of TCRβ + CD5 + Helios + CCR7- cells in nascent thymocyte cohorts in mice with normal or defective apoptosis. This thymocyte population is small in mice lacking major histocompatibility complex (MHC) expression. The scale of wave 1 deletion was increased by transgenic expression of the self-reactive Yae62 TCRβ chain, was almost halved when haemopoietic APCs lacked MHC expression and, surprisingly, was unchanged when epithelial cells lacked MHC expression. These findings demonstrate efficiency, and some redundancy, in the APC types that mediate wave 1 deletion in the normal mouse thymus.
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29
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Major histocompatibility complex class I diversity limits the repertoire of T cell receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:5021-5026. [PMID: 30796191 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1807864116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode proteins that initiate adaptive immune responses through the presentation of foreign antigens to T cells. The high polymorphism found at these genes, thought to be promoted and maintained by pathogen-mediated selection, contrasts with the limited number of MHC loci found in most vertebrates. Although expressing many diverse MHC genes should broaden the range of detectable pathogens, it has been hypothesized to also cause deletion of larger fractions of self-reactive T cells, leading to a detrimental reduction of the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. However, a key prediction of this TCR depletion hypothesis, that the TCR repertoire should be inversely related to the individual MHC diversity, has never been tested. Here, using high-throughput sequencing and advanced sequencing error correction, we provide evidence of such an association in a rodent species with high interindividual variation in the number of expressed MHC molecules, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). Higher individual diversity of MHC class I, but not class II, was associated with smaller TCR repertoires. Our results thus provide partial support for the TCR depletion model, while also highlighting the complex, potentially MHC class-specific mechanisms by which autoreactivity may trade off against evolutionary expansion of the MHC gene family.
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30
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DeWitt WS, Smith A, Schoch G, Hansen JA, Matsen FA, Bradley P. Human T cell receptor occurrence patterns encode immune history, genetic background, and receptor specificity. eLife 2018; 7:e38358. [PMID: 30152754 PMCID: PMC6162092 DOI: 10.7554/elife.38358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire encodes immune exposure history through the dynamic formation of immunological memory. Statistical analysis of repertoire sequencing data has the potential to decode disease associations from large cohorts with measured phenotypes. However, the repertoire perturbation induced by a given immunological challenge is conditioned on genetic background via major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphism. We explore associations between MHC alleles, immune exposures, and shared TCRs in a large human cohort. Using a previously published repertoire sequencing dataset augmented with high-resolution MHC genotyping, our analysis reveals rich structure: striking imprints of common pathogens, clusters of co-occurring TCRs that may represent markers of shared immune exposures, and substantial variations in TCR-MHC association strength across MHC loci. Guided by atomic contacts in solved TCR:peptide-MHC structures, we identify sequence covariation between TCR and MHC. These insights and our analysis framework lay the groundwork for further explorations into TCR diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- William S DeWitt
- Public Health Sciences DivisionFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
- Department of Genome SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Anajane Smith
- Clinical DivisionFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Gary Schoch
- Clinical DivisionFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - John A Hansen
- Clinical DivisionFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
- Department of MedicineUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Frederick A Matsen
- Public Health Sciences DivisionFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
- Department of Genome SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Philip Bradley
- Public Health Sciences DivisionFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
- Institute for Protein DesignUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
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31
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Lythe G, Molina-París C. Some deterministic and stochastic mathematical models of naïve T-cell homeostasis. Immunol Rev 2018; 285:206-217. [DOI: 10.1111/imr.12696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grant Lythe
- School of Mathematics; University of Leeds; Leeds UK
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32
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Langdon S, Hughes A, Taylor MA, Kuczynski EA, Mele DA, Delpuech O, Jarvis L, Staniszewska A, Cosulich S, Carnevalli LS, Sinclair C. Combination of dual mTORC1/2 inhibition and immune-checkpoint blockade potentiates anti-tumour immunity. Oncoimmunology 2018; 7:e1458810. [PMID: 30221055 PMCID: PMC6136876 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1458810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
mTOR inhibition can promote or inhibit immune responses in a context dependent manner, but whether this will represent a net benefit or be contraindicated in the context of immunooncology therapies is less understood. Here, we report that the mTORC1/2 dual kinase inhibitor vistusertib (AZD2014) potentiates anti-tumour immunity in combination with anti-CTLA-4 (αCTLA-4), αPD-1 or αPD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade. Combination of vistusertib and immune checkpoint blocking antibodies led to tumour growth inhibition and improved survival of MC-38 or CT-26 pre-clinical syngeneic tumour models, whereas monotherapies were less effective. Underlying these combinatorial effects, vistusertib/immune checkpoint combinations reduced the occurrence of exhausted phenotype tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), whilst increasing frequencies of activated Th1 polarized T-cells in tumours. Vistusertib alone was shown to promote a Th1 polarizing proinflammatory cytokine profile by innate primary immune cells. Moreover, vistusertib directly enhanced activation of effector T-cell and survival, an effect that was critically dependent on inhibitor dose. Therefore, these data highlight direct, tumour-relevant immune potentiating benefits of mTOR inhibition that complement immune checkpoint blockade. Together, these data provide a clear rationale to investigate such combinations in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Langdon
- Bioscience, Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Adina Hughes
- Bioscience, Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Molly A Taylor
- Bioscience, Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Deanna A Mele
- Bioscience, Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Oona Delpuech
- Bioscience, Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Jarvis
- Bioscience, Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Staniszewska
- Bioscience, Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sabina Cosulich
- Bioscience, Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Charles Sinclair
- Bioscience, Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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33
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34
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Effects of thymic selection on T cell recognition of foreign and tumor antigenic peptides. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E7875-E7881. [PMID: 28874554 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1708573114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of cancer immunotherapy has generated renewed hope for the treatment of many malignancies by introducing a number of novel strategies that exploit various properties of the immune system. These therapies are based on the idea that cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) directly recognize and respond to tumor-associated neoantigens (TANs) in much the same way as they would to foreign peptides presented on cell surfaces. To date, however, nearly all attempts to optimize immunotherapeutic strategies have been empirical. Here, we develop a model of T cell selection based on the assumption of random interaction strengths between a self-peptide and the various T cell receptors. The model enables the analytical study of the effects of selection on the CTL recognition of TANs and completely foreign peptides and can estimate the number of CTLs that can detect donor-matched transplants. We show that negative selection thresholds chosen to reflect experimentally observed thymic survival rates result in near-optimal production of T cells that are capable of surviving selection and recognizing foreign antigen. These analytical results are confirmed by simulation.
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35
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Sinclair C, Bommakanti G, Gardinassi L, Loebbermann J, Johnson MJ, Hakimpour P, Hagan T, Benitez L, Todor A, Machiah D, Oriss T, Ray A, Bosinger S, Ravindran R, Li S, Pulendran B. mTOR regulates metabolic adaptation of APCs in the lung and controls the outcome of allergic inflammation. Science 2017; 357:1014-1021. [PMID: 28798047 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaj2155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) occupy diverse anatomical tissues, but their tissue-restricted homeostasis remains poorly understood. Here, working with mouse models of inflammation, we found that mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)-dependent metabolic adaptation was required at discrete locations. mTOR was dispensable for dendritic cell (DC) homeostasis in secondary lymphoid tissues but necessary to regulate cellular metabolism and accumulation of CD103+ DCs and alveolar macrophages in lung. Moreover, while numbers of mTOR-deficient lung CD11b+ DCs were not changed, they were metabolically reprogrammed to skew allergic inflammation from eosinophilic T helper cell 2 (TH2) to neutrophilic TH17 polarity. The mechanism for this change was independent of translational control but dependent on inflammatory DCs, which produced interleukin-23 and increased fatty acid oxidation. mTOR therefore mediates metabolic adaptation of APCs in distinct tissues, influencing the immunological character of allergic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Sinclair
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Gayathri Bommakanti
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Luiz Gardinassi
- Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Jens Loebbermann
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Matthew Joseph Johnson
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Paul Hakimpour
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Thomas Hagan
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Lydia Benitez
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Andrei Todor
- Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Deepa Machiah
- Yerkes Molecular Pathology Core Laboratory, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Timothy Oriss
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Asthma Institute at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Anuradha Ray
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Asthma Institute at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Steven Bosinger
- Primate Genomics Core, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Rajesh Ravindran
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Shuzhao Li
- Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Bali Pulendran
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA. .,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Department of Pathology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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36
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Daley SR, Teh C, Hu DY, Strasser A, Gray DH. Cell death and thymic tolerance. Immunol Rev 2017; 277:9-20. [DOI: 10.1111/imr.12532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R. Daley
- Infection and Immunity Program; Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Monash University; Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - Charis Teh
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research; Melbourne VIC Australia
- Department of Medical Biology; The University of Melbourne; Parkville VIC Australia
| | | | - Andreas Strasser
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research; Melbourne VIC Australia
- Department of Medical Biology; The University of Melbourne; Parkville VIC Australia
| | - Daniel H.D. Gray
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research; Melbourne VIC Australia
- Department of Medical Biology; The University of Melbourne; Parkville VIC Australia
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37
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Abstract
The goal of this study was to trace the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) by evaluating the lymphocyte subpopulation counts and the levels of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation using flow cytometry. Samples obtained from healthy subjects (N = 40) and patients with MS (N = 290) were analyzed. Lymphocytes were labeled for the surface markers CD4+, CD8+, CD3+, CD16+, CD19+, CD45+, and CD53+ and the activation marker HLA-DR+. Cell counts were then determined using flow cytometry. A high degree of inter-individual variability was observed in the counts of all lymphocyte subtypes in the MS group. A significantly lower proportion of CD3+ T cells (69 ± 14 % in healthy subjects and 60 ± 17 % as a percent of total lymphocytes in MS patients), CD4+ T cells (41 ± 11 and 28 ± 18 %, respectively), and a significantly higher proportion of NK T cells (12 ± 5 and 25 ± 21 %, respectively) were observed in patients with MS than in healthy subjects. These differences led to a lowered CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratio. Furthermore, a significantly lower proportion of activated CD4+ T cells (HLA-DR+ CD4+; from 48 ± 10 to 38 ± 15 % as a percent of CD4+ cells) was observed in patients with MS than in healthy subjects. The high level of inter-individual variability in lymphocyte cell counts and the counts of activated T cells suggest that MS is a complex and heterogeneous disease.
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38
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Wu K, Zhao M, Ma C, Zhang H, Liu X, Zhou L, Zhao J, Gao L, Wang D. Thyrotropin Alters T Cell Development in the Thymus in Subclinical Hypothyroidism Mouse Model. Scand J Immunol 2017; 85:35-42. [PMID: 27864993 DOI: 10.1111/sji.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is highly prevalent in the general population and is associated with potential deleterious effects. Although developing T cells express thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSH-R), the changes of T cell development in thymus in SCH have not been fully clarified. SCH mouse model, which is characterized by elevated serum TSH but similar thyroid hormone levels, was used to study the role of TSH in T cell development. Thymus weight of SCH mice increased 18% compared with controls. Importantly, the frequencies of CD4+ and CD8+ single-positive (SP) thymocytes increased 38% and 44%, respectively. We demonstrated that TSH protected thymocytes from apoptosis as evidenced by a significant decrease of Annexin V-positive thymocytes in SCH mice. Further analysis showed that extracellular-regulated kinases (ERK) 1/2 in thymus were activated in SCH mice. With analysis of T cell receptor excision circles (TREC), we found that TSH increased recent thymic emigrants (RTE) in spleen tissue in SCH mice. Thus, these results suggest that TSH promoted T cell development and enhanced the thymic recent output in SCH mice, possibly by suppression of apoptosis of thymocytes, indicating that modification of the ERK signalling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Wu
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shandong Academy of Clinical Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - M Zhao
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shandong Academy of Clinical Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - C Ma
- Scientific Center, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - H Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shandong Academy of Clinical Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - X Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shandong Academy of Clinical Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - L Zhou
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - J Zhao
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shandong Academy of Clinical Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - L Gao
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Scientific Center, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - D Wang
- Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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39
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Navarro J, Gozalbo-López B, Méndez AC, Dantzer F, Schreiber V, Martínez C, Arana DM, Farrés J, Revilla-Nuin B, Bueno MF, Ampurdanés C, Galindo-Campos MA, Knobel PA, Segura-Bayona S, Martin-Caballero J, Stracker TH, Aparicio P, Del Val M, Yélamos J. PARP-1/PARP-2 double deficiency in mouse T cells results in faulty immune responses and T lymphomas. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41962. [PMID: 28181505 PMCID: PMC5299517 DOI: 10.1038/srep41962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The maintenance of T-cell homeostasis must be tightly regulated. Here, we have identified a coordinated role of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and PARP-2 in maintaining T-lymphocyte number and function. Mice bearing a T-cell specific deficiency of PARP-2 in a PARP-1-deficient background showed defective thymocyte maturation and diminished numbers of peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Meanwhile, peripheral T-cell number was not affected in single PARP-1 or PARP-2-deficient mice. T-cell lymphopenia was associated with dampened in vivo immune responses to synthetic T-dependent antigens and virus, increased DNA damage and T-cell death. Moreover, double-deficiency in PARP-1/PARP-2 in T-cells led to highly aggressive T-cell lymphomas with long latency. Our findings establish a coordinated role of PARP-1 and PARP-2 in T-cell homeostasis that might impact on the development of PARP-centred therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Navarro
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Gozalbo-López
- Inmunología Viral, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrea C Méndez
- Inmunología Viral, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Françoise Dantzer
- Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, UMR7242-CNRS, Laboratory of Excellence Medalis, ESBS, Illkirch, France
| | - Valérie Schreiber
- Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, UMR7242-CNRS, Laboratory of Excellence Medalis, ESBS, Illkirch, France
| | - Carlos Martínez
- Experimental Pathology Unit, IMIB-LAIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Madrid, Spain
| | - David M Arana
- Inmunología Viral, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Farrés
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Revilla-Nuin
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Madrid, Spain.,Genomic Unit. IMIB-LAIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
| | - María F Bueno
- Inmunología Viral, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Coral Ampurdanés
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel A Galindo-Campos
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philip A Knobel
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sandra Segura-Bayona
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Travis H Stracker
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Aparicio
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Immunology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Margarita Del Val
- Inmunología Viral, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - José Yélamos
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Immunology, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
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40
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Artalejo JR, Gómez-Corral A, López-García M, Molina-París C. Stochastic descriptors to study the fate and potential of naive T cell clonotypes in the periphery. J Math Biol 2017; 74:673-708. [PMID: 27350044 PMCID: PMC5258823 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-016-1020-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The population of naive T cells in the periphery is best described by determining both its T cell receptor diversity, or number of clonotypes, and the sizes of its clonal subsets. In this paper, we make use of a previously introduced mathematical model of naive T cell homeostasis, to study the fate and potential of naive T cell clonotypes in the periphery. This is achieved by the introduction of several new stochastic descriptors for a given naive T cell clonotype, such as its maximum clonal size, the time to reach this maximum, the number of proliferation events required to reach this maximum, the rate of contraction of the clonotype during its way to extinction, as well as the time to a given number of proliferation events. Our results show that two fates can be identified for the dynamics of the clonotype: extinction in the short-term if the clonotype experiences too hostile a peripheral environment, or establishment in the periphery in the long-term. In this second case the probability mass function for the maximum clonal size is bimodal, with one mode near one and the other mode far away from it. Our model also indicates that the fate of a recent thymic emigrant (RTE) during its journey in the periphery has a clear stochastic component, where the probability of extinction cannot be neglected, even in a friendly but competitive environment. On the other hand, a greater deterministic behaviour can be expected in the potential size of the clonotype seeded by the RTE in the long-term, once it escapes extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Artalejo
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Faculty of Mathematics, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Gómez-Corral
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Faculty of Mathematics, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Ciencias Matemáticas, CSIC-UAM-UC3M-UCM, Calle Nicolás Cabrera 13-15, Campus de Cantoblanco UAM, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - M López-García
- Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - C Molina-París
- Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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41
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Identifying T Cell Receptors from High-Throughput Sequencing: Dealing with Promiscuity in TCRα and TCRβ Pairing. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005313. [PMID: 28103239 PMCID: PMC5289640 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterisation of the T cell receptors (TCR) involved in immune responses is important for the design of vaccines and immunotherapies for cancer and autoimmune disease. The specificity of the interaction between the TCR heterodimer and its peptide-MHC ligand derives largely from the juxtaposed hypervariable CDR3 regions on the TCRα and TCRβ chains, and obtaining the paired sequences of these regions is a standard for functionally defining the TCR. A brute force approach to identifying the TCRs in a population of T cells is to use high-throughput single-cell sequencing, but currently this process remains costly and risks missing small clones. Alternatively, CDR3α and CDR3β sequences can be associated using their frequency of co-occurrence in independent samples, but this approach can be confounded by the sharing of CDR3α and CDR3β across clones, commonly observed within epitope-specific T cell populations. The accurate, exhaustive, and economical recovery of TCR sequences from such populations therefore remains a challenging problem. Here we describe an algorithm for performing frequency-based pairing (alphabetr) that accommodates CDR3α- and CDR3β-sharing, cells expressing two TCRα chains, and multiple forms of sequencing error. The algorithm also yields accurate estimates of clonal frequencies.
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42
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Majumdar S, Deobagkar-Lele M, Adiga V, Raghavan A, Wadhwa N, Ahmed SM, Rananaware SR, Chakraborty S, Joy O, Nandi D. Differential susceptibility and maturation of thymocyte subsets during Salmonella Typhimurium infection: insights on the roles of glucocorticoids and Interferon-gamma. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40793. [PMID: 28091621 PMCID: PMC5238503 DOI: 10.1038/srep40793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus is known to atrophy during infections; however, a systematic study of changes in thymocyte subpopulations has not been performed. This aspect was investigated, using multi-color flow cytometry, during oral infection of mice with Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). The major highlights are: First, a block in the developmental pathway of CD4-CD8- double negative (DN) thymocytes is observed. Second, CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) thymocytes, mainly in the DP1 (CD5loCD3lo) and DP2 (CD5hiCD3int), but not DP3 (CD5intCD3hi), subsets are reduced. Third, single positive (SP) thymocytes are more resistant to depletion but their maturation is delayed, leading to accumulation of CD24hiCD3hi SP. Kinetic studies during infection demonstrated differences in sensitivity of thymic subpopulations: Immature single positive (ISP) > DP1, DP2 > DN3, DN4 > DN2 > CD4+ > CD8+. Upon infection, glucocorticoids (GC), inflammatory cytokines, e.g. Ifnγ, etc are induced, which enhance thymocyte death. Treatment with RU486, the GC receptor antagonist, increases the survival of most thymic subsets during infection. Studies with Ifnγ-/- mice demonstrated that endogenous Ifnγ produced during infection enhances the depletion of DN2-DN4 subsets, promotes the accumulation of DP3 and delays the maturation of SP thymocytes. The implications of these observations on host cellular responses during infections are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamik Majumdar
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mukta Deobagkar-Lele
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Vasista Adiga
- Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Abinaya Raghavan
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Nitin Wadhwa
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Syed Moiz Ahmed
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | | | | | - Omana Joy
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Dipankar Nandi
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
- Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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43
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CD5-CK2 Signaling Modulates Erk Activation and Thymocyte Survival. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168155. [PMID: 28030587 PMCID: PMC5193405 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
CD5 is well recognized for its importance in thymic selection. Although this property of CD5 has been attributed to its ITIM-domain dependent regulation of TCR-signal strength, the mechanism has not been established. A second major signaling domain within the cytoplasmic tail of CD5 is a CK2 binding/activation domain (CD5-CK2BD). Using a gene-targeted mouse in which the CD5-CK2BD is selectively ablated (CD5-ΔCK2BD), we determined that loss of function of CD5-CK2 signaling in a MHC-II selecting TCR transgenic (OT-II) mouse resulted in decrease in double positive (DP) thymocytes, which correlated with enhanced apoptosis. Remarkably, DP cells expressing high levels of CD5 and CD69 and single positive (CD4+SP) thymocytes were increased in CD5-ΔCK2BD mice indicating that CD5-CK2 signaling regulates positive selection and promotes survival. Consistent with this possibility, we determined that the activation and nuclear localization of ERK as well as apoptosis was greater in thymic populations from OTII CD5-ΔCK2BD mice than OTII CD5-WT mice following injection of OVA323-339-peptide. The mobilization of Ca2+, an early event of TCR activation, was not altered by the loss of CD5-CK2 signaling. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the CD5-CK2 signaling axis regulates positive selection by modulating activation of ERK and promoting survival independent of proximal TCR signals.
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44
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Abstract
The ability of T cells to respond to a wide array of foreign antigens while avoiding reactivity to self is largely determined by cellular selection of developing T cells in the thymus. While a great deal is known about the cell types and molecules involved in T-cell selection in the thymus, our understanding of the spatial and temporal aspects of this process remain relatively poorly understood. Thymocytes are highly motile within the thymus and travel between specialized microenvironments at different phases of their development while interacting with distinct sets of self-peptides and peptide presenting cells. A knowledge of when, where, and how thymocytes encounter self-peptide MHC ligands at different stages of thymic development is key to understanding T-cell selection. In the past several years, our laboratory has investigated this topic using two-photon time-lapse microscopy to directly visualize thymocyte migration and signaling events, together with a living thymic slice preparation to provide a synchronized experimental model of T-cell selection in situ. Here, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the temporal and spatial aspects of T-cell selection, highlighting our own work, and placing them in the context of work from other groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Kurd
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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45
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Krueger A, Ziętara N, Łyszkiewicz M. T Cell Development by the Numbers. Trends Immunol 2016; 38:128-139. [PMID: 27842955 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2016.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
T cells are continually generated in the thymus in a highly dynamic process comprising discrete steps of lineage commitment, T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement, and selection. These steps are linked to distinct rates of proliferation, survival, and cell death, but a quantitative picture of T cell development is only beginning to emerge. Here we summarize recent technical advances, including genetic fate mapping, barcoding, and molecular timers, that have allowed the implementation of computational models to quantify developmental dynamics in the thymus. Coupling new techniques with mathematical models has recently resulted in the emergence of new paradigms in early hematopoiesis and might similarly open new perspectives on T cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Krueger
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Natalia Ziętara
- Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Marcin Łyszkiewicz
- Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University, 80337 Munich, Germany
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46
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Mathematical Models for Immunology: Current State of the Art and Future Research Directions. Bull Math Biol 2016; 78:2091-2134. [PMID: 27714570 PMCID: PMC5069344 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-016-0214-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The advances in genetics and biochemistry that have taken place over the last 10 years led to significant advances in experimental and clinical immunology. In turn, this has led to the development of new mathematical models to investigate qualitatively and quantitatively various open questions in immunology. In this study we present a review of some research areas in mathematical immunology that evolved over the last 10 years. To this end, we take a step-by-step approach in discussing a range of models derived to study the dynamics of both the innate and immune responses at the molecular, cellular and tissue scales. To emphasise the use of mathematics in modelling in this area, we also review some of the mathematical tools used to investigate these models. Finally, we discuss some future trends in both experimental immunology and mathematical immunology for the upcoming years.
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47
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Genetic variation in MHC proteins is associated with T cell receptor expression biases. Nat Genet 2016; 48:995-1002. [PMID: 27479906 PMCID: PMC5010864 DOI: 10.1038/ng.3625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Within each individual, a highly diverse T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire interacts with peptides presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Despite extensive research, it remains controversial whether germline-encoded TCR-MHC contacts promote TCR-MHC specificity and if so, whether there exist differences in TCR V-gene compatibilities with different MHC alleles. We applied eQTL mapping to test for associations between genetic variation and TCR V-gene usage in a large human cohort. We report strong trans associations between variation in the MHC locus and TCR V-gene usage. Fine mapping of the association signals reveals specific amino acids in MHC genes that bias V-gene usage, many of which contact or are spatially proximal to the TCR or peptide. Hence, these MHC variants, several of which are linked to autoimmune diseases, can directly affect TCR-MHC interaction. These results provide the first examples of trans-QTLs mediated by protein-protein interactions, and are consistent with intrinsic TCR-MHC specificity.
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48
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Abstract
Mathematical and statistical methods enable multidisciplinary approaches that catalyse discovery. Together with experimental methods, they identify key hypotheses, define measurable observables and reconcile disparate results. We collect a representative sample of studies in T-cell biology that illustrate the benefits of modelling–experimental collaborations and that have proven valuable or even groundbreaking. We conclude that it is possible to find excellent examples of synergy between mathematical modelling and experiment in immunology, which have brought significant insight that would not be available without these collaborations, but that much remains to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Castro
- Universidad Pontificia Comillas , E28015 Madrid , Spain
| | - Grant Lythe
- Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Mathematics , University of Leeds , Leeds LS2 9JT , UK
| | - Carmen Molina-París
- Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Mathematics , University of Leeds , Leeds LS2 9JT , UK
| | - Ruy M Ribeiro
- Los Alamos National Laboratory , Theoretical Biology and Biophysics , Los Alamos, NM 87545 , USA
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49
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A timeline demarcating two waves of clonal deletion and Foxp3 upregulation during thymocyte development. Immunol Cell Biol 2015; 94:357-66. [DOI: 10.1038/icb.2015.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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50
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Lythe G, Callard RE, Hoare RL, Molina-París C. How many TCR clonotypes does a body maintain? J Theor Biol 2015; 389:214-24. [PMID: 26546971 PMCID: PMC4678146 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2015.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Revised: 09/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We consider the lifetime of a T cell clonotype, the set of T cells with the same T cell receptor, from its thymic origin to its extinction in a multiclonal repertoire. Using published estimates of total cell numbers and thymic production rates, we calculate the mean number of cells per TCR clonotype, and the total number of clonotypes, in mice and humans. When there is little peripheral division, as in a mouse, the number of cells per clonotype is small and governed by the number of cells with identical TCR that exit the thymus. In humans, peripheral division is important and a clonotype may survive for decades, during which it expands to comprise many cells. We therefore devise and analyse a computational model of homeostasis of a multiclonal population. Each T cell in the model competes for self pMHC stimuli, cells of any one clonotype only recognising a small fraction of the many subsets of stimuli. A constant mean total number of cells is maintained by a balance between cell division and death, and a stable number of clonotypes by a balance between thymic production of new clonotypes and extinction of existing ones. The number of distinct clonotypes in a human body may be smaller than the total number of naive T cells by only one order of magnitude. The number of T cells of one clonotype is an integer. The history of a clonotype starts with release from the thymus, and ends with extinction. Competition and cross-reactivity are included in a natural way. The average number of cells per clonotype, in a human body, is only of order 10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant Lythe
- Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Robin E Callard
- Institute for Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Rollo L Hoare
- Institute for Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Carmen Molina-París
- Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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