1
|
Watanabe J, Clutter MR, Gullette MJ, Sasaki T, Uchida E, Kaur S, Mo Y, Abe K, Ishi Y, Takata N, Natsumeda M, Gadd S, Zhang Z, Becher OJ, Hashizume R. BET bromodomain inhibition potentiates radiosensitivity in models of H3K27-altered diffuse midline glioma. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e174794. [PMID: 38771655 PMCID: PMC11213469 DOI: 10.1172/jci174794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) H3K27-altered is one of the most malignant childhood cancers. Radiation therapy remains the only effective treatment yet provides a 5-year survival rate of only 1%. Several clinical trials have attempted to enhance radiation antitumor activity using radiosensitizing agents, although none have been successful. Given this, there is a critical need for identifying effective therapeutics to enhance radiation sensitivity for the treatment of DMG. Using high-throughput radiosensitivity screening, we identified bromo- and extraterminal domain (BET) protein inhibitors as potent radiosensitizers in DMG cells. Genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of BET bromodomain activity reduced DMG cell proliferation and enhanced radiation-induced DNA damage by inhibiting DNA repair pathways. RNA-Seq and the CUT&RUN (cleavage under targets and release using nuclease) analysis showed that BET bromodomain inhibitors regulated the expression of DNA repair genes mediated by H3K27 acetylation at enhancers. BET bromodomain inhibitors enhanced DMG radiation response in patient-derived xenografts as well as genetically engineered mouse models. Together, our results highlight BET bromodomain inhibitors as potential radiosensitizer and provide a rationale for developing combination therapy with radiation for the treatment of DMG.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Watanabe
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Neuro-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | | | | | - Takahiro Sasaki
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Eita Uchida
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Neuro-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Savneet Kaur
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Yan Mo
- Institute for Cancer Genetics
- Department of Pediatrics, and
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kouki Abe
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Neuro-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yukitomo Ishi
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Neuro-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Nozomu Takata
- Center for Vascular and Developmental Biology, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, and
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Manabu Natsumeda
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Samantha Gadd
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Neuro-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Zhiguo Zhang
- Institute for Cancer Genetics
- Department of Pediatrics, and
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Oren J. Becher
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rintaro Hashizume
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Neuro-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Children’s of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Shirafkan F, Hensel L, Rattay K. Immune tolerance and the prevention of autoimmune diseases essentially depend on thymic tissue homeostasis. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1339714. [PMID: 38571951 PMCID: PMC10987875 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1339714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The intricate balance of immune reactions towards invading pathogens and immune tolerance towards self is pivotal in preventing autoimmune diseases, with the thymus playing a central role in establishing and maintaining this equilibrium. The induction of central immune tolerance in the thymus involves the elimination of self-reactive T cells, a mechanism essential for averting autoimmunity. Disruption of the thymic T cell selection mechanisms can lead to the development of autoimmune diseases. In the dynamic microenvironment of the thymus, T cell migration and interactions with thymic stromal cells are critical for the selection processes that ensure self-tolerance. Thymic epithelial cells are particularly significant in this context, presenting self-antigens and inducing the negative selection of autoreactive T cells. Further, the synergistic roles of thymic fibroblasts, B cells, and dendritic cells in antigen presentation, selection and the development of regulatory T cells are pivotal in maintaining immune responses tightly regulated. This review article collates these insights, offering a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted role of thymic tissue homeostasis in the establishment of immune tolerance and its implications in the prevention of autoimmune diseases. Additionally, the developmental pathways of the thymus are explored, highlighting how genetic aberrations can disrupt thymic architecture and function, leading to autoimmune conditions. The impact of infections on immune tolerance is another critical area, with pathogens potentially triggering autoimmunity by altering thymic homeostasis. Overall, this review underscores the integral role of thymic tissue homeostasis in the prevention of autoimmune diseases, discussing insights into potential therapeutic strategies and examining putative avenues for future research on developing thymic-based therapies in treating and preventing autoimmune conditions.
Collapse
|
3
|
Mickael M, Łazarczyk M, Kubick N, Gurba A, Kocki T, Horbańczuk JO, Atanasov AG, Sacharczuk M, Religa P. FEZF2 and AIRE1: An Evolutionary Trade-off in the Elimination of Auto-reactive T Cells in the Thymus. J Mol Evol 2024; 92:72-86. [PMID: 38285197 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10157-0] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Autoimmune Regulator 1 (AIRE1) and Forebrain Embryonic Zinc Finger-Like Protein 2 (FEZF2) play pivotal roles in orchestrating the expression of tissue-restricted antigens (TRA) to facilitate the elimination of autoreactive T cells. AIRE1's presence in the gonads of various vertebrates has raised questions about its potential involvement in gene expression control for germline cell selection. Nevertheless, the evolutionary history of these genes has remained enigmatic, as has the rationale behind their apparent redundancy in vertebrates. Furthermore, the origin of the elimination process itself has remained elusive. To shed light on these mysteries, we conducted a comprehensive evolutionary analysis employing a range of tools, including multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic tree construction, ancestral sequence reconstruction, and positive selection assessment. Our investigations revealed intriguing insights. AIRE1 homologs emerged during the divergence of T cells in higher vertebrates, signifying its role in this context. Conversely, FEZF2 exhibited multiple homologs spanning invertebrates, lampreys, and higher vertebrates. Ancestral sequence reconstruction demonstrated distinct origins for AIRE1 and FEZF2, underscoring that their roles in regulating TRA have evolved through disparate pathways. Furthermore, it became evident that both FEZF2 and AIRE1 govern a diverse repertoire of genes, encompassing ancient and more recently diverged targets. Notably, FEZF2 demonstrates expression in both vertebrate and invertebrate embryos and germlines, accentuating its widespread role. Intriguingly, FEZF2 harbors motifs associated with autophagy, such as DKFPHP, SYSELWKSSL, and SYSEL, a process integral to cell selection in invertebrates. Our findings suggest that FEZF2 initially emerged to regulate self-elimination in the gonads of invertebrates. As organisms evolved toward greater complexity, AIRE1 likely emerged to complement FEZF2's role, participating in the regulation of cell selection for elimination in both gonads and the thymus. This dynamic interplay between AIRE1 and FEZF2 underscores their multifaceted contributions to TRA expression regulation across diverse evolutionary contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michel Mickael
- Department of Experimental Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552, Jastrzebiec, Poland.
- Department of Immunology, PM Forskningscentreum, Väpnaregatan 22, 58649, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Marzena Łazarczyk
- Department of Experimental Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Norwin Kubick
- Department of Biology, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Agata Gurba
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Warsaw Medical University, L Banacha 1, 02-697, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Kocki
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8B, 20090, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jarosław Olav Horbańczuk
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Atanas G Atanasov
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552, Jastrzebiec, Poland
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mariusz Sacharczuk
- Department of Experimental Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552, Jastrzebiec, Poland
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Warsaw Medical University, L Banacha 1, 02-697, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Religa
- Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, 171 77, Solna, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhou JZ, Huang B, Pei B, Sun GW, Pawlitz MD, Zhang W, Li X, Hokynar KC, Yao F, Perera MLW, Wei S, Zheng S, Polin LA, Poulik JM, Ranki A, Krohn K, Cunningham-Rundles C, Yang N, Bhagwat AS, Yu K, Peterson P, Kisand K, Vuong BQ, Cerutti A, Chen K. A Germinal Center Checkpoint of AIRE in B Cells Limits Antibody Diversification. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.10.574926. [PMID: 38260362 PMCID: PMC10802573 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.10.574926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
In response to antigens, B cells undergo affinity maturation and class switching mediated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) in germinal centers (GCs) of secondary lymphoid organs, but uncontrolled AID activity can precipitate autoimmunity and cancer. The regulation of GC antibody diversification is of fundamental importance but not well understood. We found that autoimmune regulator (AIRE), the molecule essential for T cell tolerance, is expressed in GC B cells in a CD40-dependent manner, interacts with AID and negatively regulates antibody affinity maturation and class switching by inhibiting AID function. AIRE deficiency in B cells caused altered antibody repertoire, increased somatic hypermutations, elevated autoantibodies to T helper 17 effector cytokines and defective control of skin Candida albicans. These results define a GC B cell checkpoint of humoral immunity and illuminate new approaches of generating high-affinity neutralizing antibodies for immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Z Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Bihui Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Bo Pei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Guang Wen Sun
- School of Applied Science, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore 738984, Singapore
| | - Michael D Pawlitz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI)-Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
| | - Xinyang Li
- Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI)-Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
| | - Kati C Hokynar
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00029, Finland
| | - Fayi Yao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | | | - Shanqiao Wei
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Simin Zheng
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
| | - Lisa A Polin
- Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Department of Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Janet M Poulik
- Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Annamari Ranki
- Department of Dermatology and Allergic Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki 00250, Finland
| | - Kai Krohn
- Helsinki University Hospital Research Institute, Biomedicum, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | | | - Naibo Yang
- Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI)-Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
- Complete Genomics Inc., Mountain View, California 94043, USA
| | - Ashok S Bhagwat
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Kefei Yu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Pärt Peterson
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | - Kai Kisand
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | - Bao Q Vuong
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Andrea Cerutti
- Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mucosal Immunology Studies Team, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Kang Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
- Lead Contact
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Peterson P. Novel Insights into the Autoimmunity from the Genetic Approach of the Human Disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1444:3-18. [PMID: 38467969 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-9781-7_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Autoimmune-polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a monogenic inborn error of autoimmunity that is caused by damaging germline variants in the AIRE gene and clinically manifests with multiple autoimmune diseases in patients. Studies on the function of the AIRE gene, discovered in 1997, have contributed to fundamental aspects of human immunology as they have been important in understanding the basic mechanism of immune balance between self and non-self. This chapter looks back to the discovery of the AIRE gene, reviews its main properties, and discusses the key findings of its function in the thymus. However, more recent autoantibody profilings in APECED patients have highlighted a gap in our knowledge of the disease pathology and point to the need to revisit the current paradigm of AIRE function. The chapter reviews these new findings in APECED patients, which potentially trigger new thoughts on the mechanism of immune tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pärt Peterson
- Institute of Biomedical and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Michelson DA, Zuo C, Verzi M, Benoist C, Mathis D. Hnf4 activates mimetic-cell enhancers to recapitulate gut and liver development within the thymus. J Exp Med 2023; 220:e20230461. [PMID: 37399024 PMCID: PMC10318407 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20230461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mimetic cells are medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) that mimic extra-thymic cell types to tolerize T cells to self-antigens. Here, we dissected the biology of entero-hepato mTECs, mimetic cells expressing gut- and liver-associated transcripts. Entero-hepato mTECs conserved their thymic identity yet accessed wide swaths of enterocyte chromatin and transcriptional programs via the transcription factors Hnf4α and Hnf4γ. Deletion of Hnf4α and Hnf4γ in TECs ablated entero-hepato mTECs and downregulated numerous gut- and liver-associated transcripts, with a primary contribution from Hnf4γ. Loss of Hnf4 impaired enhancer activation and CTCF redistribution in mTECs but did not impact Polycomb-mediated repression or promoter-proximal histone marks. By single-cell RNA sequencing, Hnf4 loss produced three distinct effects on mimetic cell state, fate, and accumulation. Serendipitously, a requirement for Hnf4 in microfold mTECs was discovered, which exposed a requirement for Hnf4γ in gut microfold cells and the IgA response. Study of Hnf4 in entero-hepato mTECs thus revealed mechanisms of gene control in the thymus and periphery alike.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Chong Zuo
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Verzi
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | | | - Diane Mathis
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Matsumoto M, Yoshida H, Tsuneyama K, Oya T, Matsumoto M. Revisiting Aire and tissue-restricted antigens at single-cell resolution. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1176450. [PMID: 37207224 PMCID: PMC10191227 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1176450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The thymus is a highly specialized organ that plays an indispensable role in the establishment of self-tolerance, a process characterized by the "education" of developing T-cells. To provide competent T-cells tolerant to self-antigens, medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) orchestrate negative selection by ectopically expressing a wide range of genes, including various tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs). Notably, recent advancements in the high-throughput single-cell analysis have revealed remarkable heterogeneity in mTECs, giving us important clues for dissecting the mechanisms underlying TRA expression. We overview how recent single-cell studies have furthered our understanding of mTECs, with a focus on the role of Aire in inducing mTEC heterogeneity to encompass TRAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Matsumoto
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- *Correspondence: Minoru Matsumoto,
| | - Hideyuki Yoshida
- YCI Laboratory for Immunological Transcriptomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Koichi Tsuneyama
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Takeshi Oya
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Benlaribi R, Gou Q, Takaba H. Thymic self-antigen expression for immune tolerance and surveillance. Inflamm Regen 2022; 42:28. [PMID: 36056452 PMCID: PMC9440513 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-022-00211-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells are a group of lymphocytes that play a central role in the immune system, notably, eliminating pathogens and attacking cancer while being tolerant of the self. Elucidating how immune tolerance is ensured has become a significant research issue for understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases as well as cancer immunity. T cell immune tolerance is established mainly in the thymic medulla by the removal of self-responsive T cells and the generation of regulatory T cells, this process depends mainly on the expression of a variety of tissue restricted antigens (TRAs) by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). The expression of TRAs is known to be regulated by at least two independent factors, Fezf2 and Aire, which play non-redundant and complementary roles by different mechanisms. In this review, we introduce the molecular logic of thymic self-antigen expression that underlies T cell selection for the prevention of autoimmunity and the establishment of immune surveillance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rayene Benlaribi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Qiao Gou
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takaba
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Sun IH, Gillis-Buck E, Mackenzie TC, Gardner JM. Thymic and extrathymic Aire-expressing cells in maternal-fetal tolerance. Immunol Rev 2022; 308:93-104. [PMID: 35535447 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Healthy pregnancy requires maternal immune tolerance to both fetal and placental tissues which contain a range of self- and non-self-antigens. While many of the components and mechanisms of maternal-fetal tolerance have been investigated in detail and previously and thoroughly reviewed (Erlebacher A. Annu Rev Immunol. 2013;31:387-411), the role of autoimmune regulator (Aire), a critical regulator of central tolerance expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), has been less explored. Aire is known to facilitate the expression of a range of otherwise tissue-specific antigens (TSAs) in mTECs, and here we highlight recent work showing a role for mTEC-mediated thymic selection in maintaining maternal-fetal tolerance. Recently, however, our group and others have identified additional populations of extrathymic Aire-expressing cells (eTACs) in the secondary lymphoid organs. These hematopoietic antigen-presenting cells possess the ability to induce functional inactivation and/or deletion of cognate T cells, and deletion of maternal eTACs during pregnancy increases T-cell activation in the lymph nodes and lymphocytic infiltration of the uterus, leading to pregnancy complications including intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and fetal resorption. In this review, we briefly summarize findings related to essential Aire biology, discuss the known roles of Aire-deficiency related to pregnancy complications and infertility, review the newly discovered role for eTACs in the maintenance of maternal-fetal tolerance-as well as recent work defining eTACs at the single-cell level-and postulate potential mechanisms by which eTACs may regulate this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Im-Hong Sun
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Eva Gillis-Buck
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Tippi C Mackenzie
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Center for Maternal-Fetal Precision Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - James M Gardner
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Thymic epithelial cells co-opt lineage-defining transcription factors to eliminate autoreactive T cells. Cell 2022; 185:2542-2558.e18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
11
|
Tanaka PP, Oliveira EH, Vieira-Machado MC, Duarte MJ, Assis AF, Bombonato-Prado KF, Passos GA. miR-155 exerts posttranscriptional control of autoimmune regulator (Aire) and tissue-restricted antigen genes in medullary thymic epithelial cells. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:404. [PMID: 35643451 PMCID: PMC9145475 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08631-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene is critical for the appropriate establishment of central immune tolerance. As one of the main controllers of promiscuous gene expression in the thymus, Aire promotes the expression of thousands of downstream tissue-restricted antigen (TRA) genes, cell adhesion genes and transcription factor genes in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). Despite the increasing knowledge about the role of Aire as an upstream transcriptional controller, little is known about the mechanisms by which this gene could be regulated. RESULTS Here, we assessed the posttranscriptional control of Aire by miRNAs. The in silico miRNA-mRNA interaction analysis predicted thermodynamically stable hybridization between the 3'UTR of Aire mRNA and miR-155, which was confirmed to occur within the cellular milieu through a luciferase reporter assay. This finding enabled us to hypothesize that miR-155 might play a role as an intracellular posttranscriptional regulator of Aire mRNA. To test this hypothesis, we transfected a murine mTEC cell line with a miR-155 mimic in vitro, which reduced the mRNA and protein levels of Aire. Moreover, large-scale transcriptome analysis showed the modulation of 311 downstream mRNAs, which included 58 TRA mRNAs. Moreover, miR-155 mimic-transfected cells exhibited a decrease in their chemotaxis property compared with control thymocytes. CONCLUSION Overall, the results indicate that miR-155 may posttranscriptionally control Aire mRNA, reducing the respective Aire protein levels; consequently, the levels of mRNAs encode tissue-restricted antigens were affected. In addition, miR-155 regulated a crucial process by which mTECs allow thymocytes' migration through chemotaxis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Paranhos Tanaka
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Ernna Hérida Oliveira
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Mayara Cristina Vieira-Machado
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Max Jordan Duarte
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Amanda Freire Assis
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Karina Fittipaldi Bombonato-Prado
- Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
- Center for Cell-Based Therapy in Dentistry, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Geraldo Aleixo Passos
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
- Center for Cell-Based Therapy in Dentistry, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Shevyrev D, Tereshchenko V, Kozlov V, Sennikov S. Phylogeny, Structure, Functions, and Role of AIRE in the Formation of T-Cell Subsets. Cells 2022; 11:194. [PMID: 35053310 PMCID: PMC8773594 DOI: 10.3390/cells11020194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well known that the most important feature of adaptive immunity is the specificity that provides highly precise recognition of the self, altered-self, and non-self. Due to the high specificity of antigen recognition, the adaptive immune system participates in the maintenance of genetic homeostasis, supports multicellularity, and protects an organism from different pathogens at a qualitatively different level than innate immunity. This seemingly simple property is based on millions of years of evolution that led to the formation of diversification mechanisms of antigen-recognizing receptors and later to the emergence of a system of presentation of the self and non-self antigens. The latter could have a crucial significance because the presentation of nearly complete diversity of auto-antigens in the thymus allows for the "calibration" of the forming repertoires of T-cells for the recognition of self, altered-self, and non-self antigens that are presented on the periphery. The central role in this process belongs to promiscuous gene expression by the thymic epithelial cells that express nearly the whole spectrum of proteins encoded in the genome, meanwhile maintaining their cellular identity. This complex mechanism requires strict control that is executed by several transcription factors. One of the most important of them is AIRE. This noncanonical transcription factor not only regulates the processes of differentiation and expression of peripheral tissue-specific antigens in the thymic medullar epithelial cells but also controls intercellular interactions in the thymus. Besides, it participates in an increase in the diversity and transfer of presented antigens and thus influences the formation of repertoires of maturing thymocytes. Due to these complex effects, AIRE is also called a transcriptional regulator. In this review, we briefly described the history of AIRE discovery, its structure, functions, and role in the formation of antigen-recognizing receptor repertoires, along with other transcription factors. We focused on the phylogenetic prerequisites for the development of modern adaptive immunity and emphasized the importance of the antigen presentation system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniil Shevyrev
- Research Institute for Fundamental and Clinical Immunology (RIFCI), 630099 Novosibirsk, Russia; (V.T.); (V.K.); (S.S.)
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kaiser C, Bradu A, Gamble N, Caldwell JA, Koh AS. AIRE in context: Leveraging chromatin plasticity to trigger ectopic gene expression. Immunol Rev 2022; 305:59-76. [PMID: 34545959 PMCID: PMC9250823 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of antigen receptor diversity in clonotypic lymphocytes drove the evolution of a novel gene, Aire, that enabled the adaptive immune system to discriminate foreign invaders from self-constituents. AIRE functions in the epithelial cells of the thymus to express genes highly restricted to alternative cell lineages. This somatic plasticity facilitates the selection of a balanced repertoire of T cells that protects the host from harmful self-reactive clones, yet maintains a wide range of affinities for virtually any foreign antigen. Here, we review the latest understanding of AIRE's molecular actions with a focus on its interplay with chromatin. We argue that AIRE is a multi-valent chromatin effector that acts late in the transcription cycle to modulate the activity of previously poised non-coding regulatory elements of tissue-specific genes. We postulate a role for chromatin instability-caused in part by ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling-that variably sets the scope of the accessible landscape on which AIRE can act. We highlight AIRE's intrinsic repressive function and its relevance in providing feedback control. We synthesize these recent advances into a putative model for the mechanistic modes by which AIRE triggers ectopic transcription for immune repertoire selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Kaiser
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Alexandra Bradu
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Noah Gamble
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jason A. Caldwell
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrew S. Koh
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Martinez-Ruíz GU, Morales-Sánchez A, Bhandoola A. Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in thymic epithelial cells. Immunol Rev 2022; 305:43-58. [PMID: 34750841 PMCID: PMC8766885 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The thymus is required for the development of both adaptive and innate-like T cell subsets. There is keen interest in manipulating thymic function for therapeutic purposes in circumstances of autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, and for purposes of immunotherapy. Within the thymus, thymic epithelial cells play essential roles in directing T cell development. Several transcription factors are known to be essential for thymic epithelial cell development and function, and a few transcription factors have been studied in considerable detail. However, the role of many other transcription factors is less well understood. Further, it is likely that roles exist for other transcription factors not yet known to be important in thymic epithelial cells. Recent progress in understanding of thymic epithelial cell heterogeneity has provided some new insight into transcriptional requirements in subtypes of thymic epithelial cells. However, it is unknown whether progenitors of thymic epithelial cells exist in the adult thymus, and consequently, developmental relationships linking putative precursors with differentiated cell types are poorly understood. While we do not presently possess a clear understanding of stage-specific requirements for transcription factors in thymic epithelial cells, new single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic technologies should enable rapid progress in this field. Here, we review our current knowledge of transcription factors involved in the development, maintenance, and function of thymic epithelial cells, and the mechanisms by which they act.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Ulises Martinez-Ruíz
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Research Division, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
- Children’s Hospital of Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Abigail Morales-Sánchez
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Children’s Hospital of Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Avinash Bhandoola
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Liang Y, Tian J, Wu T. BRD4 in physiology and pathology: ''BET'' on its partners. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2100180. [PMID: 34697817 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Bromodomain-containing 4 (BRD4), a member of Bromo and Extra-Terminal (BET) family, recognizes acetylated histones and is of importance in transcription, replication, and DNA repair. It also binds non-histone proteins, DNA and RNA, contributing to development, tissue growth, and various physiological processes. Additionally, BRD4 has been implicated in driving diverse diseases, ranging from cancer, viral infection, inflammation to neurological disorders. Inhibiting its functions with BET inhibitors (BETis) suppresses the progression of several types of cancer, creating an impetus for translating these chemicals to the clinic. The diverse roles of BRD4 are largely dependent on its interaction partners in different contexts. In this review we discuss the molecular mechanisms of BRD4 with its interacting partners in physiology and pathology. Current development of BETis is also summarized. Further understanding the functions of BRD4 and its partners will facilitate resolving the liabilities of present BETis and accelerate their clinical translation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yin Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jieyi Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Bansal K, Michelson DA, Ramirez RN, Viny AD, Levine RL, Benoist C, Mathis D. Aire regulates chromatin looping by evicting CTCF from domain boundaries and favoring accumulation of cohesin on superenhancers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2110991118. [PMID: 34518235 PMCID: PMC8463806 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110991118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aire controls immunological tolerance by driving promiscuous expression of a large swath of the genome in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). Its molecular mechanism remains enigmatic. High-resolution chromosome-conformation capture (Hi-C) experiments on ex vivo mTECs revealed Aire to have a widespread impact on higher-order chromatin structure, disfavoring architectural loops while favoring transcriptional loops. In the presence of Aire, cohesin complexes concentrated on superenhancers together with mediator complexes, while the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) was relatively depleted from structural domain boundaries. In particular, Aire associated with the cohesin loader, NIPBL, strengthening this factor's affiliation with cohesin's enzymatic subunits. mTEC transcripts up-regulated in the presence of Aire corresponded closely to those down-regulated in the absence of one of the cohesin subunits, SA-2. A mechanistic model incorporating these findings explains many of the unusual features of Aire's impact on mTEC transcription, providing molecular insight into tolerance induction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kushagra Bansal
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore 560 064, India
| | - Daniel A Michelson
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Ricardo N Ramirez
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Aaron D Viny
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
- Center for Hematologic Malignancies, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
- Leukemia Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
- Center for Epigenetics Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
| | - Ross L Levine
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
- Center for Hematologic Malignancies, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
- Leukemia Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
- Center for Epigenetics Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
| | - Christophe Benoist
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115;
- Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Diane Mathis
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115;
- Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Xiang W, Wang Q, Ran K, Ren J, Shi Y, Yu L. Structure-guided discovery of novel potent and efficacious proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) degrader of BRD4. Bioorg Chem 2021; 115:105238. [PMID: 34390970 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) has been identified as a potential target in the treatment of many cancers and several BRD4 inhibitors have entered clinical studies. Previous studies have shown that BRD4 degraders have potential to overcome resistance to BRD4 inhibitors. However, most of the BRD4 degraders have poor solubility and bioavailability, one of which the reason is large molecular weight. Here, we describe the design, synthesis, and evaluation studies of a BRD4 degrader based on the proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTAC) concept. Our efforts have led to the discovery of compound 15, which is a weak inhibitor and potent BRD4 degrader with a molecular weight of 821.8. In vitro, 15 can completely degrade BRD4 at nanomolar concentration, with DC50 = 0.25 and 3.15 nM in MV4-11 and RS4-11 cell lines, respectively. Further optimization of compound 15 may reduce its molecular weight and improve druggabillity, and provide a new choice for the treatment of cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wang Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Qiwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Kai Ran
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Jing Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Yaojie Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China.
| | - Luoting Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Cribbs AP, Filippakopoulos P, Philpott M, Wells G, Penn H, Oerum H, Valge-Archer V, Feldmann M, Oppermann U. Dissecting the Role of BET Bromodomain Proteins BRD2 and BRD4 in Human NK Cell Function. Front Immunol 2021; 12:626255. [PMID: 33717143 PMCID: PMC7953504 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.626255] [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: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that play a pivotal role in the immune surveillance and elimination of transformed or virally infected cells. Using a chemo-genetic approach, we identify BET bromodomain containing proteins BRD2 and BRD4 as central regulators of NK cell functions, including direct cytokine secretion, NK cell contact-dependent inflammatory cytokine secretion from monocytes as well as NK cell cytolytic functions. We show that both BRD2 and BRD4 control inflammatory cytokine production in NK cells isolated from healthy volunteers and from rheumatoid arthritis patients. In contrast, knockdown of BRD4 but not of BRD2 impairs NK cell cytolytic responses, suggesting BRD4 as critical regulator of NK cell mediated tumor cell elimination. This is supported by pharmacological targeting where the first-generation pan-BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ1(+) displays anti-inflammatory effects and inhibit tumor cell eradication, while the novel bivalent BET bromodomain inhibitor AZD5153, which shows differential activity towards BET family members, does not. Given the important role of both cytokine-mediated inflammatory microenvironment and cytolytic NK cell activities in immune-oncology therapies, our findings present a compelling argument for further clinical investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam P Cribbs
- Botnar Research Center, Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, National Institute of Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Unit (BRU), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Martin Philpott
- Botnar Research Center, Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, National Institute of Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Unit (BRU), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Graham Wells
- Botnar Research Center, Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, National Institute of Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Unit (BRU), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Henry Penn
- Arthritis Centre, Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, United Kingdom
| | - Henrik Oerum
- Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen A/S, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Viia Valge-Archer
- Bioscience, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Feldmann
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Udo Oppermann
- Botnar Research Center, Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, National Institute of Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Unit (BRU), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Freiburg Institute of Advanced Studies, Freiburg, Germany.,Oxford Centre for Translational Myeloma Research, Oxford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Wang N, Wu R, Tang D, Kang R. The BET family in immunity and disease. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:23. [PMID: 33462181 PMCID: PMC7813845 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-00384-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Innate immunity serves as the rapid and first-line defense against invading pathogens, and this process can be regulated at various levels, including epigenetic mechanisms. The bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) family of proteins consists of four conserved mammalian members (BRD2, BRD3, BRD4, and BRDT) that regulate the expression of many immunity-associated genes and pathways. In particular, in response to infection and sterile inflammation, abnormally expressed or dysfunctional BETs are involved in the activation of pattern recognition receptor (e.g., TLR, NLR, and CGAS) pathways, thereby linking chromatin machinery to innate immunity under disease or pathological conditions. Mechanistically, the BET family controls the transcription of a wide range of proinflammatory and immunoregulatory genes by recognizing acetylated histones (mainly H3 and H4) and recruiting transcription factors (e.g., RELA) and transcription elongation complex (e.g., P-TEFb) to the chromatin, thereby promoting the phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II and subsequent transcription initiation and elongation. This review covers the accumulating data about the roles of the BET family in innate immunity, and discusses the attractive prospect of manipulating the BET family as a new treatment for disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nian Wang
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Runliu Wu
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Daolin Tang
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| | - Rui Kang
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lotke R, Schneeweiß U, Pietrek M, Günther T, Grundhoff A, Weidner-Glunde M, Schulz TF. Brd/BET Proteins Influence the Genome-Wide Localization of the Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus and Murine Gammaherpesvirus Major Latency Proteins. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:591778. [PMID: 33193257 PMCID: PMC7642799 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.591778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The rhadinoviruses Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and murine gammaherpesvirus (MHV-68) persist in infected hosts in a latent state that is characterized by the absence of virus production and by restricted viral gene expression. Their major latency protein, the latency-associated nuclear antigen (kLANA for KSHV and mLANA for MHV-68), is essential for viral genome maintenance and replication and involved in transcriptional regulation. Both kLANA and mLANA interact with cellular chromatin-associated proteins, among them the Bromodomain and Extra Terminal domain (Brd/BET) proteins, which recruit cellular and viral proteins to acetylated histones through their bromodomains and modulate cellular gene expression. Brd/BET proteins also play a role in the tethering, replication, segregation or integration of a diverse group of viral DNA genomes. In this study we explored if Brd/BET proteins influence the localization of the LANAs to preferential regions in the host chromatin and thereby contribute to kLANA- or mLANA-mediated transcriptional regulation. Using ChIP-Seq, we revealed a genome-wide co-enrichment of kLANA with Brd2/4 near cellular and viral transcriptional start sites (TSS). Treatment with I-BET151, an inhibitor of Brd/BET, displaced kLANA and Brd2/4 from TSS in the viral and host chromatin, but did not affect the direct binding of kLANA to kLANA-binding sites (LBS) in the KSHV latent origin of replication. Similarly, mLANA, but not a mLANA mutant deficient for binding to Brd2/4, also associated with cellular TSS. We compared the transcriptome of KSHV-infected with uninfected and kLANA-expressing human B cell lines, as well as a murine B cell line expressing mLANA or a Brd2/4-binding deficient mLANA mutant. We found that only a minority of cellular genes, whose TSS are occupied by kLANA or mLANA, is transcriptionally regulated by these latency proteins. Our findings extend previous reports on a preferential deposition of kLANA on cellular TSS and show that this characteristic chromatin association pattern is at least partially determined by the interaction of these viral latency proteins with members of the Brd/BET family of chromatin modulators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rishikesh Lotke
- Institut für Virologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hanover, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig and Hamburg Sites, Hanover, Germany
| | - Ulrike Schneeweiß
- Institut für Virologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Marcel Pietrek
- Institut für Virologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Thomas Günther
- Heinrich-Pette-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Experimentelle Virologie, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Adam Grundhoff
- German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig and Hamburg Sites, Hanover, Germany.,Heinrich-Pette-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Experimentelle Virologie, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Magdalena Weidner-Glunde
- Institut für Virologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hanover, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig and Hamburg Sites, Hanover, Germany
| | - Thomas F Schulz
- Institut für Virologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hanover, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig and Hamburg Sites, Hanover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lam FC, Kong YW, Huang Q, Vu Han TL, Maffa AD, Kasper EM, Yaffe MB. BRD4 prevents the accumulation of R-loops and protects against transcription-replication collision events and DNA damage. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4083. [PMID: 32796829 PMCID: PMC7428008 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17503-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper chromatin function and maintenance of genomic stability depends on spatiotemporal coordination between the transcription and replication machinery. Loss of this coordination can lead to DNA damage from increased transcription-replication collision events. We report that deregulated transcription following BRD4 loss in cancer cells leads to the accumulation of RNA:DNA hybrids (R-loops) and collisions with the replication machinery causing replication stress and DNA damage. Whole genome BRD4 and γH2AX ChIP-Seq with R-loop IP qPCR reveals that BRD4 inhibition leads to accumulation of R-loops and DNA damage at a subset of known BDR4, JMJD6, and CHD4 co-regulated genes. Interference with BRD4 function causes transcriptional downregulation of the DNA damage response protein TopBP1, resulting in failure to activate the ATR-Chk1 pathway despite increased replication stress, leading to apoptotic cell death in S-phase and mitotic catastrophe. These findings demonstrate that inhibition of BRD4 induces transcription-replication conflicts, DNA damage, and cell death in oncogenic cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fred C Lam
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Division of Neurosurgery, Hamilton General Hospital, McMaster University, 237 Barton St E, Hamilton, ON, L8L 2X2, Canada.
| | - Yi Wen Kong
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Qiuying Huang
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Tu-Lan Vu Han
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Amanda D Maffa
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Ekkehard M Kasper
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Division of Neurosurgery, Hamilton General Hospital, McMaster University, 237 Barton St E, Hamilton, ON, L8L 2X2, Canada
| | - Michael B Yaffe
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Departments of Biology and Bioengineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Tomofuji Y, Takaba H, Suzuki HI, Benlaribi R, Martinez CDP, Abe Y, Morishita Y, Okamura T, Taguchi A, Kodama T, Takayanagi H. Chd4 choreographs self-antigen expression for central immune tolerance. Nat Immunol 2020; 21:892-901. [PMID: 32601470 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-020-0717-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Autoreactive T cells are eliminated in the thymus to prevent autoimmunity by promiscuous expression of tissue-restricted self-antigens in medullary thymic epithelial cells. This expression is dependent on the transcription factor Fezf2, as well as the transcriptional regulator Aire, but the entire picture of the transcriptional program has been obscure. Here, we found that the chromatin remodeler Chd4, also called Mi-2β, plays a key role in the self-antigen expression in medullary thymic epithelial cells. To maximize the diversity of self-antigen expression, Fezf2 and Aire utilized completely distinct transcriptional mechanisms, both of which were under the control of Chd4. Chd4 organized the promoter regions of Fezf2-dependent genes, while contributing to the Aire-mediated induction of self-antigens via super-enhancers. Mice deficient in Chd4 specifically in thymic epithelial cells exhibited autoimmune phenotypes, including T cell infiltration. Thus, Chd4 plays a critical role in integrating Fezf2- and Aire-mediated gene induction to establish central immune tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiko Tomofuji
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takaba
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi I Suzuki
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Rayene Benlaribi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Cristian David Peña Martinez
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Abe
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Morishita
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadashi Okamura
- Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Research Institute, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Section of Animal Models, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akashi Taguchi
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuhiko Kodama
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Takayanagi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Oliveira EH, Assis AF, Speck-Hernandez CA, Duarte MJ, Passos GA. Aire Gene Influences the Length of the 3' UTR of mRNAs in Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cells. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1039. [PMID: 32547551 PMCID: PMC7270294 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aire is a transcriptional controller in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) modulating a set of peripheral tissue antigens (PTAs) and non-PTA mRNAs as well as miRNAs. Even miRNAs exerting posttranscriptional control of mRNAs in mTECs, the composition of miRNA-mRNA networks may differ. Under reduction in Aire expression, networks exhibited greater miRNA diversity controlling mRNAs. Variations in the number of 3'UTR binding sites of Aire-dependent mRNAs may represent a crucial factor that influence the miRNA interaction. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed through bioinformatics the length of 3'UTRs of a large set of Aire-dependent mRNAs. The data were obtained from existing RNA-seq of mTECs of wild type or Aire-knockout (KO) mice. We used computational algorithms as FASTQC, STAR and HTSEQ for sequence alignment and counting reads, DESEQ2 for the differential expression, 3USS for the alternative 3'UTRs and TAPAS for the alternative polyadenylation sites. We identified 152 differentially expressed mRNAs between these samples comprising those that encode PTAs as well as transcription regulators. In Aire KO mTECs, most of these mRNAs featured an increase in the length of their 3'UTRs originating additional miRNA binding sites and new miRNA controllers. Results from the in silico analysis were statistically significant and the predicted miRNA-mRNA interactions were thermodynamically stable. Even with no in vivo or in vitro experiments, they were adequate to show that lack of Aire in mTECs might favor the downregulation of PTA mRNAs and transcription regulators via miRNA control. This could unbalance the overall transcriptional activity in mTECs and thus the self-representation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ernna H. Oliveira
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Cesar A. Speck-Hernandez
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Max Jordan Duarte
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Geraldo A. Passos
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Huoh YS, Wu B, Park S, Yang D, Bansal K, Greenwald E, Wong WP, Mathis D, Hur S. Dual functions of Aire CARD multimerization in the transcriptional regulation of T cell tolerance. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1625. [PMID: 32242017 PMCID: PMC7118133 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15448-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregate-like biomolecular assemblies are emerging as new conformational states with functionality. Aire, a transcription factor essential for central T cell tolerance, forms large aggregate-like assemblies visualized as nuclear foci. Here we demonstrate that Aire utilizes its caspase activation recruitment domain (CARD) to form filamentous homo-multimers in vitro, and this assembly mediates foci formation and transcriptional activity. However, CARD-mediated multimerization also makes Aire susceptible to interaction with promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) bodies, sites of many nuclear processes including protein quality control of nuclear aggregates. Several loss-of-function Aire mutants, including those causing autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type-1, form foci with increased PML body association. Directing Aire to PML bodies impairs the transcriptional activity of Aire, while dispersing PML bodies with a viral antagonist restores this activity. Our study thus reveals a new regulatory role of PML bodies in Aire function, and highlights the interplay between nuclear aggregate-like assemblies and PML-mediated protein quality control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-San Huoh
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Sehoon Park
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Darren Yang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kushagra Bansal
- Department of Immunology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Molecular Biology & Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, 560 064, India
| | - Emily Greenwald
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Wesley P Wong
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Diane Mathis
- Department of Immunology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Sun Hur
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Zhang X, Wang Y, Chiang HC, Hsieh YP, Lu C, Park BH, Jatoi I, Jin VX, Hu Y, Li R. BRCA1 mutations attenuate super-enhancer function and chromatin looping in haploinsufficient human breast epithelial cells. Breast Cancer Res 2019; 21:51. [PMID: 30995943 PMCID: PMC6472090 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-019-1132-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background BRCA1-associated breast cancer originates from luminal progenitor cells. BRCA1 functions in multiple biological processes, including double-strand break repair, replication stress suppression, transcriptional regulation, and chromatin reorganization. While non-malignant cells carrying cancer-predisposing BRCA1 mutations exhibit increased genomic instability, it remains unclear whether BRCA1 haploinsufficiency affects transcription and chromatin dynamics in breast epithelial cells. Methods H3K27ac-associated super-enhancers were compared in primary breast epithelial cells from BRCA1 mutation carriers (BRCA1mut/+) and non-carriers (BRCA1+/+). Non-tumorigenic MCF10A breast epithelial cells with engineered BRCA1 haploinsufficiency were used to confirm the H3K27ac changes. The impact of BRCA1 mutations on enhancer function and enhancer-promoter looping was assessed in MCF10A cells. Results Here, we show that primary mammary epithelial cells from women with BRCA1 mutations display significant loss of H3K27ac-associated super-enhancers. These BRCA1-dependent super-enhancers are enriched with binding motifs for the GATA family. Non-tumorigenic BRCA1mut/+ MCF10A cells recapitulate the H3K27ac loss. Attenuated histone mark and enhancer activity in these BRCA1mut/+ MCF10A cells can be partially restored with wild-type BRCA1. Furthermore, chromatin conformation analysis demonstrates impaired enhancer-promoter looping in BRCA1mut/+ MCF10A cells. Conclusions H3K27ac-associated super-enhancer loss is a previously unappreciated functional deficiency in ostensibly normal BRCA1 mutation-carrying breast epithelium. Our findings offer new mechanistic insights into BRCA1 mutation-associated transcriptional and epigenetic abnormality in breast epithelial cells and tissue/cell lineage-specific tumorigenesis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13058-019-1132-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20037, USA
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Huai-Chin Chiang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20037, USA
| | - Yuan-Pang Hsieh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Chang Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Ben Ho Park
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Ismail Jatoi
- Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Victor X Jin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| | - Yanfen Hu
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20037, USA.
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20037, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Tzelepis K, De Braekeleer E, Aspris D, Barbieri I, Vijayabaskar MS, Liu WH, Gozdecka M, Metzakopian E, Toop HD, Dudek M, Robson SC, Hermida-Prado F, Yang YH, Babaei-Jadidi R, Garyfallos DA, Ponstingl H, Dias JML, Gallipoli P, Seiler M, Buonamici S, Vick B, Bannister AJ, Rad R, Prinjha RK, Marioni JC, Huntly B, Batson J, Morris JC, Pina C, Bradley A, Jeremias I, Bates DO, Yusa K, Kouzarides T, Vassiliou GS. SRPK1 maintains acute myeloid leukemia through effects on isoform usage of epigenetic regulators including BRD4. Nat Commun 2018; 9:5378. [PMID: 30568163 PMCID: PMC6300607 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07620-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We recently identified the splicing kinase gene SRPK1 as a genetic vulnerability of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here, we show that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of SRPK1 leads to cell cycle arrest, leukemic cell differentiation and prolonged survival of mice transplanted with MLL-rearranged AML. RNA-seq analysis demonstrates that SRPK1 inhibition leads to altered isoform levels of many genes including several with established roles in leukemogenesis such as MYB, BRD4 and MED24. We focus on BRD4 as its main isoforms have distinct molecular properties and find that SRPK1 inhibition produces a significant switch from the short to the long isoform at the mRNA and protein levels. This was associated with BRD4 eviction from genomic loci involved in leukemogenesis including BCL2 and MYC. We go on to show that this switch mediates at least part of the anti-leukemic effects of SRPK1 inhibition. Our findings reveal that SRPK1 represents a plausible new therapeutic target against AML.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Tzelepis
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK.
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK.
| | - Etienne De Braekeleer
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Demetrios Aspris
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Karaiskakio Foundation, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Isaia Barbieri
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Addenbrookes Hospital, CB2 0QQ, Cambridge, UK
| | - M S Vijayabaskar
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Wen-Hsin Liu
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Malgorzata Gozdecka
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Emmanouil Metzakopian
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Hamish D Toop
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Exonate Ltd, Milton Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - Monika Dudek
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Samuel C Robson
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, White Swan Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2DT, UK
| | - Francisco Hermida-Prado
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Yu Hsuen Yang
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | | | - Dimitrios A Garyfallos
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Hannes Ponstingl
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Joao M L Dias
- Cancer Molecular Diagnosis Laboratory, National Institute for Health Research, Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paolo Gallipoli
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
- Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PT, UK
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | | | | | - Binje Vick
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrew J Bannister
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Roland Rad
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Department of Medicine II and TranslaTUM Cancer Center, Technical University of Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rab K Prinjha
- Epigenetics DPU, Immunoinflammation and Oncology TA Unit, GSK Medicines Research Centre, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - John C Marioni
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
- European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SD, UK
- Stem Cell Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Brian Huntly
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
- Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PT, UK
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | | | - Jonathan C Morris
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Exonate Ltd, Milton Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - Cristina Pina
- Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PT, UK
| | - Allan Bradley
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Irmela Jeremias
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), 81377, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University München, 80337, Munich, Germany
| | - David O Bates
- Exonate Ltd, Milton Science Park, Cambridge, UK
- Cancer Biology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG2 7UH, UK
| | - Kosuke Yusa
- Stem Cell Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK.
| | - Tony Kouzarides
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK.
| | - George S Vassiliou
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK.
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK.
- Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PT, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Furlan A, Agbazahou F, Henry M, Gonzalez-Pisfil M, Le Nézet C, Champelovier D, Fournier M, Vandenbunder B, Bidaux G, Héliot L. P-TEFb et Brd4. Med Sci (Paris) 2018; 34:685-692. [DOI: 10.1051/medsci/20183408015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
La physiologie d’une cellule est dictée par l’intégration des signaux qu’elle reçoit et la mise en place de réponses adaptées par le biais, entre autres, de programmes transcriptionnels adéquats. Pour assurer un contrôle optimal de ces réponses, des mécanismes de régulation ont été sélectionnés, dont un processus de pause transcriptionnelle et de levée de cette pause par P-TEFb (positive transcription elongation factor) et Brd4 (bromodomain-containing protein 4). Le dérèglement de ce processus peut conduire à l’apparition de pathologies. P-TEFb et Brd4 ont ainsi émergé au cours des dernières années comme des cibles thérapeutiques potentielles dans le cadre des cancers et du syndrome d‘immunodéficience acquise (sida) notamment.
Collapse
|
28
|
Huang F, Shao W, Fujinaga K, Peterlin BM. Bromodomain-containing protein 4-independent transcriptional activation by autoimmune regulator (AIRE) and NF-κB. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:4993-5004. [PMID: 29463681 PMCID: PMC5892592 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) are transcription factors (TFs) that direct the expression of individual genes and gene clusters. Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is an epigenetic regulator that recognizes and binds to acetylated histones. BRD4 also has been reported to promote interactions between the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) and AIRE or P-TEFb and NF-κB subunit p65. Here, we report that AIRE and p65 bind to P-TEFb independently of BRD4. JQ1, a compound that disrupts interactions between BRD4 and acetylated proteins, does not decrease transcriptional activities of AIRE or p65. Moreover, siRNA-mediated inactivation of BRD4 alone or in combination with JQ1 had no effects on AIRE- and NF-κB-targeted genes on plasmids and in chromatin and on interactions between P-TEFb and AIRE or NF-κB. Finally, ChIP experiments revealed that recruitment of P-TEFb to AIRE or p65 to transcription complexes was independent of BRD4. We conclude that direct interactions between AIRE, NF-κB, and P-TEFb result in efficient transcription of their target genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fang Huang
- From the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143
| | - Wei Shao
- From the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143
| | - Koh Fujinaga
- From the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143
| | - B Matija Peterlin
- From the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Abstract
About two decades ago, cloning of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene materialized one of the most important actors on the scene of self-tolerance. Thymic transcription of genes encoding tissue-specific antigens (ts-ags) is activated by AIRE protein and embodies the essence of thymic self-representation. Pathogenic AIRE variants cause the autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1, which is a rare and complex disease that is gaining attention in research on autoimmunity. The animal models of disease, although not identically reproducing the human picture, supply fundamental information on mechanisms and extent of AIRE action: thanks to its multidomain structure, AIRE localizes to chromatin enclosing the target genes, binds to histones, and offers an anchorage to multimolecular complexes involved in initiation and post-initiation events of gene transcription. In addition, AIRE enhances mRNA diversity by favoring alternative mRNA splicing. Once synthesized, ts-ags are presented to, and cause deletion of the self-reactive thymocyte clones. However, AIRE function is not restricted to the activation of gene transcription. AIRE would control presentation and transfer of self-antigens for thymic cellular interplay: such mechanism is aimed at increasing the likelihood of engagement of the thymocytes that carry the corresponding T-cell receptors. Another fundamental role of AIRE in promoting self-tolerance is related to the development of thymocyte anergy, as thymic self-representation shapes at the same time the repertoire of regulatory T cells. Finally, AIRE seems to replicate its action in the secondary lymphoid organs, albeit the cell lineage detaining such property has not been fully characterized. Delineation of AIRE functions adds interesting data to the knowledge of the mechanisms of self-tolerance and introduces exciting perspectives of therapeutic interventions against the related diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Perniola
- Department of Pediatrics, Neonatal Intensive Care, Vito Fazzi Regional Hospital, Lecce, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Koh AS, Miller EL, Buenrostro JD, Moskowitz DM, Wang J, Greenleaf WJ, Chang HY, Crabtree GR. Rapid chromatin repression by Aire provides precise control of immune tolerance. Nat Immunol 2018; 19:162-172. [PMID: 29335648 PMCID: PMC6049828 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-017-0032-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Aire mediates the expression of tissue-specific antigens in thymic epithelial cells to promote tolerance against self-reactive T lymphocytes. However, the mechanism that allows expression of tissue-specific genes at levels that prevent harm is unknown. Here we show that Brg1 generates accessibility at tissue-specific loci to impose central tolerance. We found that Aire has an intrinsic repressive function that restricts chromatin accessibility and opposes Brg1 across the genome. Aire exerted this repressive influence within minutes after recruitment to chromatin and restrained the amplitude of active transcription. Disease-causing mutations that impair Aire-induced activation also impair the protein's repressive function, which indicates dual roles for Aire. Together, Brg1 and Aire fine-tune the expression of tissue-specific genes at levels that prevent toxicity yet promote immune tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Koh
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
| | - Erik L Miller
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jason D Buenrostro
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Society of Fellows, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David M Moskowitz
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - William J Greenleaf
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerburg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gerald R Crabtree
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
|
32
|
Passos GA, Speck‐Hernandez CA, Assis AF, Mendes‐da‐Cruz DA. Update on Aire and thymic negative selection. Immunology 2018; 153:10-20. [PMID: 28871661 PMCID: PMC5721245 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Twenty years ago, the autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene was associated with autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy, and was cloned and sequenced. Its importance goes beyond its abstract link with human autoimmune disease. Aire identification opened new perspectives to better understand the molecular basis of central tolerance and self-non-self distinction, the main properties of the immune system. Since 1997, a growing number of immunologists and molecular geneticists have made important discoveries about the function of Aire, which is essentially a pleiotropic gene. Aire is one of the functional markers in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), controlling their differentiation and expression of peripheral tissue antigens (PTAs), mTEC-thymocyte adhesion and the expression of microRNAs, among other functions. With Aire, the immunological tolerance became even more apparent from the molecular genetics point of view. Currently, mTECs represent the most unusual cells because they express almost the entire functional genome but still maintain their identity. Due to the enormous diversity of PTAs, this uncommon gene expression pattern was termed promiscuous gene expression, the interpretation of which is essentially immunological - i.e. it is related to self-representation in the thymus. Therefore, this knowledge is strongly linked to the negative selection of autoreactive thymocytes. In this update, we focus on the most relevant results of Aire as a transcriptional and post-transcriptional controller of PTAs in mTECs, its mechanism of action, and its influence on the negative selection of autoreactive thymocytes as the bases of the induction of central tolerance and prevention of autoimmune diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geraldo A. Passos
- Molecular Immunogenetics GroupDepartment of GeneticsRibeirão Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
- Discipline of Genetics and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Morphology, Physiology and Basic PathologySchool of Dentistry of Ribeirão PretoUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
| | - Cesar A. Speck‐Hernandez
- Graduate Programme in Basic and Applied ImmunologyRibeirão Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
| | - Amanda F. Assis
- Molecular Immunogenetics GroupDepartment of GeneticsRibeirão Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
| | - Daniella A. Mendes‐da‐Cruz
- Laboratory on Thymus ResearchOswaldo Cruz InstituteOswaldo Cruz FoundationRio de JaneiroRJBrazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on NeuroimmunomodulationRio de JaneiroRJBrazil
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ackloo S, Brown PJ, Müller S. Chemical probes targeting epigenetic proteins: Applications beyond oncology. Epigenetics 2017; 12:378-400. [PMID: 28080202 PMCID: PMC5453191 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2017.1279371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic chemical probes are potent, cell-active, small molecule inhibitors or antagonists of specific domains in a protein; they have been indispensable for studying bromodomains and protein methyltransferases. The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), comprising scientists from academic and pharmaceutical laboratories, has generated most of the current epigenetic chemical probes. Moreover, the SGC has shared about 4 thousand aliquots of these probes, which have been used primarily for phenotypic profiling or to validate targets in cell lines or primary patient samples cultured in vitro. Epigenetic chemical probes have been critical tools in oncology research and have uncovered mechanistic insights into well-established targets, as well as identify new therapeutic starting points. Indeed, the literature primarily links epigenetic proteins to oncology, but applications in inflammation, viral, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases are now being reported. We summarize the literature of these emerging applications and provide examples where existing probes might be used.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Ackloo
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Peter J. Brown
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Susanne Müller
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Max-von-Laue-Straβe 15, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
Intrathymic T cell development is a complex process that depends upon continuous guidance from thymus stromal cell microenvironments. The thymic epithelium within the thymic stroma comprises highly specialized cells with a high degree of anatomic, phenotypic, and functional heterogeneity. These properties are collectively required to bias thymocyte development toward production of self-tolerant and functionally competent T cells. The importance of thymic epithelial cells (TECs) is evidenced by clear links between their dysfunction and multiple diseases where autoimmunity and immunodeficiency are major components. Consequently, TECs are an attractive target for cell therapies to restore effective immune system function. The pathways and molecular regulators that control TEC development are becoming clearer, as are their influences on particular stages of T cell development. Here, we review both historical and the most recent advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling TEC development, function, dysfunction, and regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Abramson
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
| | - Graham Anderson
- MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom;
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Guha M, Saare M, Maslovskaja J, Kisand K, Liiv I, Haljasorg U, Tasa T, Metspalu A, Milani L, Peterson P. DNA breaks and chromatin structural changes enhance the transcription of autoimmune regulator target genes. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:6542-6554. [PMID: 28242760 PMCID: PMC5399106 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.764704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The autoimmune regulator (AIRE) protein is the key factor in thymic negative selection of autoreactive T cells by promoting the ectopic expression of tissue-specific genes in the thymic medullary epithelium. Mutations in AIRE cause a monogenic autoimmune disease called autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy. AIRE has been shown to promote DNA breaks via its interaction with topoisomerase 2 (TOP2). In this study, we investigated topoisomerase-induced DNA breaks and chromatin structural alterations in conjunction with AIRE-dependent gene expression. Using RNA sequencing, we found that inhibition of TOP2 religation activity by etoposide in AIRE-expressing cells had a synergistic effect on genes with low expression levels. AIRE-mediated transcription was not only enhanced by TOP2 inhibition but also by the TOP1 inhibitor camptothecin. The transcriptional activation was associated with structural rearrangements in chromatin, notably the accumulation of γH2AX and the exchange of histone H1 with HMGB1 at AIRE target gene promoters. In addition, we found the transcriptional up-regulation to co-occur with the chromatin structural changes within the genomic cluster of carcinoembryonic antigen-like cellular adhesion molecule genes. Overall, our results suggest that the presence of AIRE can trigger molecular events leading to an altered chromatin landscape and the enhanced transcription of low-expressed genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mithu Guha
- From the Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedical and Translational Medicine
| | - Mario Saare
- From the Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedical and Translational Medicine
| | - Julia Maslovskaja
- From the Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedical and Translational Medicine
| | - Kai Kisand
- From the Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedical and Translational Medicine
| | - Ingrid Liiv
- From the Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedical and Translational Medicine
| | - Uku Haljasorg
- From the Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedical and Translational Medicine
| | | | - Andres Metspalu
- Estonian Genome Center, and
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | | | - Pärt Peterson
- From the Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedical and Translational Medicine,
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Bansal K, Yoshida H, Benoist C, Mathis D. The transcriptional regulator Aire binds to and activates super-enhancers. Nat Immunol 2017; 18:263-273. [PMID: 28135252 PMCID: PMC5310976 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Aire is a transcription factor that controls T cell tolerance by inducing the expression of a large repertoire of genes specifically in thymic stromal cells. It interacts with scores of protein partners of diverse functional classes. We found that Aire and some of its partners, notably those implicated in the DNA-damage response, preferentially localized to and activated long chromatin stretches that were overloaded with transcriptional regulators, known as super-enhancers. We also identified topoisomerase 1 as a cardinal Aire partner that colocalized on super-enhancers and was required for the interaction of Aire with all of its other associates. We propose a model that entails looping of super-enhancers to efficiently deliver Aire-containing complexes to local and distal transcriptional start sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kushagra Bansal
- Division of Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02115
| | - Hideyuki Yoshida
- Division of Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02115
| | - Christophe Benoist
- Division of Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02115
| | - Diane Mathis
- Division of Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02115
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Shao W, Zumer K, Fujinaga K, Peterlin BM. FBXO3 Protein Promotes Ubiquitylation and Transcriptional Activity of AIRE (Autoimmune Regulator). J Biol Chem 2016; 291:17953-63. [PMID: 27365398 PMCID: PMC5016183 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.724401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a transcription factor which is expressed in medullary thymic epithelial cells. It directs the expression of otherwise tissue-specific antigens, which leads to the elimination of autoreactive T cells during development. AIRE is modified post-translationally by phosphorylation and ubiquitylation. In this report we connected these modifications. AIRE, which is phosphorylated on two specific residues near its N terminus, then binds to the F-box protein 3 (FBXO3) E3 ubiquitin ligase. In turn, this SCF(FBXO3) (SKP1-CUL1-F box) complex ubiquitylates AIRE, increases its binding to the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb), and potentiates its transcriptional activity. Because P-TEFb is required for the transition from initiation to elongation of transcription, this interaction ensures proper expression of AIRE-responsive tissue-specific antigens in the thymus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Shao
- From the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-07030703 and
| | - Kristina Zumer
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biology, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Koh Fujinaga
- From the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-07030703 and
| | - B Matija Peterlin
- From the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-07030703 and
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Devaiah BN, Gegonne A, Singer DS. Bromodomain 4: a cellular Swiss army knife. J Leukoc Biol 2016; 100:679-686. [PMID: 27450555 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.2ri0616-250r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bromodomain protein 4 (BRD4) is a transcriptional and epigenetic regulator that plays a pivotal role in cancer and inflammatory diseases. BRD4 binds and stays associated with chromatin during mitosis, bookmarking early G1 genes and reactivating transcription after mitotic silencing. BRD4 plays an important role in transcription, both as a passive scaffold via its recruitment of vital transcription factors and as an active kinase that phosphorylates RNA polymerase II, directly and indirectly regulating transcription. Through its HAT activity, BRD4 contributes to the maintenance of chromatin structure and nucleosome clearance. This review summarizes the known functions of BRD4 and proposes a model in which BRD4 actively coordinates chromatin structure and transcription.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ballachanda N Devaiah
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Anne Gegonne
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Dinah S Singer
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abramson J, Husebye ES. Autoimmune regulator and self-tolerance - molecular and clinical aspects. Immunol Rev 2016; 271:127-40. [PMID: 27088911 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of central tolerance in the thymus is critical for avoiding deleterious autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune regulator (AIRE), the causative gene in autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type-1 (APS-1), is crucial for the establishment of self-tolerance in the thymus by promoting promiscuous expression of a wide array of tissue-restricted self-antigens. This step is critical for elimination of high-affinity self-reactive T cells from the immunological repertoire, and for the induction of a specific subset of Foxp3(+) T-regulatory (Treg ) cells. In this review, we discuss the most recent advances in our understanding of how AIRE operates on molecular and cellular levels, as well as of how its loss of function results in breakdown of self-tolerance mechanisms characterized by a broad and heterogeneous repertoire of autoimmune phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Abramson
- Department of Immunology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eystein S Husebye
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Abstract
More than 15 years ago, mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene were identified as the cause of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS1). It is now clear that this transcription factor has a crucial role in promoting self-tolerance in the thymus by regulating the expression of a wide array of self-antigens that have the commonality of being tissue-restricted in their expression pattern in the periphery. In this Review, we highlight many of the recent advances in our understanding of the complex biology that is related to AIRE, with a particular focus on advances in genetics, molecular interactions and the effect of AIRE on thymic selection of regulatory T cells. Furthermore, we highlight new areas of biology that are potentially affected by this key regulator of immune tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maureen A. Su
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Microbiology/Immunology, School of Medicine, and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Mark S. Anderson
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Stonestrom AJ, Hsu SC, Werner MT, Blobel GA. Erythropoiesis provides a BRD's eye view of BET protein function. DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY. TECHNOLOGIES 2016; 19:23-28. [PMID: 27769353 PMCID: PMC5116323 DOI: 10.1016/j.ddtec.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacologic inhibitors of the bromodomain and extra-terminal motif (BET) protein family are in clinical trials for the treatment of hematologic malignancies, yet the functions of individual BET proteins remain largely uncharacterized. We review the molecular roles of BETs in the context of erythropoiesis. Studies in this lineage have provided valuable insights into their mechanisms of action, and helped define the individual and overlapping functions of BET protein family members BRD2, BRD3, and BRD4. These studies have important ramifications for our understanding of the molecular and physiologic roles of BET proteins, and provide a framework for elucidating some of the beneficial and adverse effects of pharmacologic inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Stonestrom
- Division of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sarah C Hsu
- Division of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael T Werner
- Division of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Gerd A Blobel
- Division of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Abramson J, Goldfarb Y. AIRE: From promiscuous molecular partnerships to promiscuous gene expression. Eur J Immunol 2016; 46:22-33. [PMID: 26450177 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201545792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a unique transcriptional regulator that induces promiscuous expression of thousands of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), a step critical for the induction of immunological self-tolerance. The past 15 years have seen dramatic progress in our understanding of how AIRE induces immunological self-tolerance on a molecular level. This major advancement can be greatly attributed to the identification of a large variety of proteins that physically associate with AIRE, supporting and regulating its transcription-transactivation capacity. These diverse molecular partnerships have been shown to play roles in shuttling AIRE to the nucleus, securing AIRE's interaction with nuclear matrix and chromatin, releasing RNA polymerase-II from its stalled state and potentiating AIRE-mediated gene expression, among others. In this review we discuss the relationship of AIRE with its vast and rather diverse repertoire of partners and highlight how such "promiscuous partnerships" contribute to the phenomenon of "promiscuous gene expression" in the thymus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Abramson
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yael Goldfarb
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| |
Collapse
|