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Mallis RJ, Lee JJ, den Berg AV, Brazin KN, Viennet T, Zmuda J, Cross M, Radeva D, Rodriguez‐Mias R, Villén J, Gelev V, Reinherz EL, Arthanari H. Efficient and economic protein labeling for NMR in mammalian expression systems: Application to a preT-cell and T-cell receptor protein. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4950. [PMID: 38511503 PMCID: PMC10955624 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Protein nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy relies on the ability to isotopically label polypeptides, which is achieved through heterologous expression in various host organisms. Most commonly, Escherichia coli is employed by leveraging isotopically substituted ammonium and glucose to uniformly label proteins with 15N and 13C, respectively. Moreover, E. coli can grow and express proteins in uniformly deuterium-substituted water (D2O), a strategy useful for experiments targeting high molecular weight proteins. Unfortunately, many proteins, particularly those requiring specific posttranslational modifications like disulfide bonding or glycosylation for proper folding and/or function, cannot be readily expressed in their functional forms using E. coli-based expression systems. One such class of proteins includes T-cell receptors and their related preT-cell receptors. In this study, we present an expression system for isotopic labeling of proteins using a nonadherent human embryonic kidney cell line, Expi293F, and a specially designed media. We demonstrate the application of this platform to the β subunit common to both receptors. In addition, we show that this expression system and media can be used to specifically label amino acids Phe, Ile, Val, and Leu in this system, utilizing an amino acid-specific labeling protocol that allows targeted incorporation at high efficiency without significant isotopic scrambling. We demonstrate that this system can also be used to express proteins with fluorinated amino acids. We were routinely able to obtain an NMR sample with a concentration of 200 μM from 30 mL of culture media, utilizing less than 20 mg of the labeled amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Mallis
- Laboratory of ImmunobiologyDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Medical OncologyDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of DermatologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jonathan J. Lee
- Laboratory of ImmunobiologyDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Medical OncologyDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Kristine N. Brazin
- Laboratory of ImmunobiologyDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Medical OncologyDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of MedicineHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Thibault Viennet
- Department of Cancer BiologyDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular PharmacologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | | | - Denitsa Radeva
- Faculty of Chemistry and PharmacySofia UniversitySofiaBulgaria
| | | | - Judit Villén
- Department of Genome SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Vladimir Gelev
- Faculty of Chemistry and PharmacySofia UniversitySofiaBulgaria
| | - Ellis L. Reinherz
- Laboratory of ImmunobiologyDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Medical OncologyDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of MedicineHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Haribabu Arthanari
- Department of Cancer BiologyDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular PharmacologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
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2
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Jeffreys N, Brockman JM, Zhai Y, Ingber DE, Mooney DJ. Mechanical forces amplify TCR mechanotransduction in T cell activation and function. APPLIED PHYSICS REVIEWS 2024; 11:011304. [PMID: 38434676 PMCID: PMC10848667 DOI: 10.1063/5.0166848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Adoptive T cell immunotherapies, including engineered T cell receptor (eTCR) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapies, have shown efficacy in treating a subset of hematologic malignancies, exhibit promise in solid tumors, and have many other potential applications, such as in fibrosis, autoimmunity, and regenerative medicine. While immunoengineering has focused on designing biomaterials to present biochemical cues to manipulate T cells ex vivo and in vivo, mechanical cues that regulate their biology have been largely underappreciated. This review highlights the contributions of mechanical force to several receptor-ligand interactions critical to T cell function, with central focus on the TCR-peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex (pMHC). We then emphasize the role of mechanical forces in (i) allosteric strengthening of the TCR-pMHC interaction in amplifying ligand discrimination during T cell antigen recognition prior to activation and (ii) T cell interactions with the extracellular matrix. We then describe approaches to design eTCRs, CARs, and biomaterials to exploit TCR mechanosensitivity in order to potentiate T cell manufacturing and function in adoptive T cell immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yunhao Zhai
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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3
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Smid AI, Garforth SJ, Obaid MS, Bollons HR, James JR. Pre-T cell receptor localization and trafficking are independent of its signaling. J Cell Biol 2023; 222:e202212106. [PMID: 37516909 PMCID: PMC10373305 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202212106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Expression of the pre-T cell receptor (preTCR) is an important checkpoint during the development of T cells, an essential cell type of our adaptive immune system. The preTCR complex is only transiently expressed and rapidly internalized in developing T cells and is thought to signal in a ligand-independent manner. However, identifying a mechanistic basis for these unique features of the preTCR compared with the final TCR complex has been confounded by the concomitant signaling that is normally present. Thus, we have reconstituted preTCR expression in non-immune cells to uncouple receptor trafficking dynamics from its associated signaling. We find that all the defining features of the preTCR are intrinsic properties of the receptor itself, driven by exposure of an extracellular hydrophobic region, and are not the consequence of receptor activation. Finally, we show that transitory preTCR cell surface expression can sustain tonic signaling in the absence of ligand binding, suggesting how the preTCR can nonetheless drive αβTCR lineage commitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei I. Smid
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, Medical Research Council–Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sam J. Garforth
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Maryam S. Obaid
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Hannah R. Bollons
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - John R. James
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, Medical Research Council–Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
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4
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Patskovsky Y, Natarajan A, Patskovska L, Nyovanie S, Joshi B, Morin B, Brittsan C, Huber O, Gordon S, Michelet X, Schmitzberger F, Stein RB, Findeis MA, Hurwitz A, Van Dijk M, Chantzoura E, Yague AS, Pollack Smith D, Buell JS, Underwood D, Krogsgaard M. Molecular mechanism of phosphopeptide neoantigen immunogenicity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3763. [PMID: 37353482 PMCID: PMC10290117 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39425-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered protein phosphorylation in cancer cells often leads to surface presentation of phosphopeptide neoantigens. However, their role in cancer immunogenicity remains unclear. Here we describe a mechanism by which an HLA-B*0702-specific acute myeloid leukemia phosphoneoantigen, pMLL747-755 (EPR(pS)PSHSM), is recognized by a cognate T cell receptor named TCR27, a candidate for cancer immunotherapy. We show that the replacement of phosphoserine P4 with serine or phosphomimetics does not affect pMHC conformation or peptide-MHC affinity but abrogates TCR27-dependent T cell activation and weakens binding between TCR27 and pMHC. Here we describe the crystal structures for TCR27 and cognate pMHC, map of the interface produced by nuclear magnetic resonance, and a ternary complex generated using information-driven protein docking. Our data show that non-covalent interactions between the epitope phosphate group and TCR27 are crucial for TCR specificity. This study supports development of new treatment options for cancer patients through target expansion and TCR optimization.
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Grants
- P30 GM133893 NIGMS NIH HHS
- P30 CA016087 NCI NIH HHS
- U01 CA214354 NCI NIH HHS
- P50 CA225450 NCI NIH HHS
- R01 GM085586 NIGMS NIH HHS
- R01 GM124489 NIGMS NIH HHS
- R01 CA243486 NCI NIH HHS
- S10 OD016343 NIH HHS
- P41 GM118302 NIGMS NIH HHS
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- This work was supported by the NIH grant NIGMS R01 GM124489 (to M.K.), NCI R01 CA243486 (to M.K) and a Sponsored Research Agreement from Agenus to M.K. Results shown in this report are partially derived from work performed at Argonne National Laboratory, Structural Biology Center at the Advanced Photon Source. SBC is operated by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Biological and Environmental Research under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357. Results in this report are partially derived from work performed at The Center for BioMolecular Structure (CBMS) primarily supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) through a Center Core P30 Grant (P30GM133893), and by the DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research (KP1607011). As part of NSLS-II, a national user facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory, work performed at the CBMS is supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences Program under contract number and DE-SC0012704. The NMR spectrometers at the NYU Chemistry Shared Instrumentation Facility were supported by NYU and the NIH Grant 1S10-OD016343. The facilities at the NYSBC were supported by the NIH Grant P41GM118302.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yury Patskovsky
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aswin Natarajan
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Larysa Patskovska
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samantha Nyovanie
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Michelle Krogsgaard
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
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5
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This S, Rogers D, Mallet Gauthier È, Mandl JN, Melichar HJ. What's self got to do with it: Sources of heterogeneity among naive T cells. Semin Immunol 2023; 65:101702. [PMID: 36463711 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2022.101702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
There is a long-standing assumption that naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are largely homogeneous populations despite the extraordinary diversity of their T cell receptors (TCR). The self-immunopeptidome plays a key role in the selection of the naive T cell repertoire in the thymus, and self-peptides are also an important driver of differences between individual naive T cells with regard to their subsequent functional contributions to an immune response. Accumulating evidence suggests that as early as the β-selection stage of T cell development, when only one of the recombined chains of the mature TCR is expressed, signaling thresholds may be established for positive selection of immature thymocytes. Stochastic encounters subsequently made with self-ligands during positive selection in the thymus imprint functional biases that a T cell will carry with it throughout its lifetime, although ongoing interactions with self in the periphery ensure a level of plasticity in the gene expression wiring of naive T cells. Identifying the sources of heterogeneity in the naive T cell population and which functional attributes of T cells can be modulated through post-thymic interventions versus those that are fixed during T cell development, could enable us to better select or generate T cells with particular traits to improve the efficacy of T cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien This
- Department of Microbiology, Infectious Disease, and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Dakota Rogers
- Department of Physiology and McGill Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ève Mallet Gauthier
- Department of Microbiology, Infectious Disease, and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Judith N Mandl
- Department of Physiology and McGill Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Heather J Melichar
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
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6
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The β-selection step shapes T-cell identity. Nature 2023; 613:440-442. [PMID: 36646871 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-00025-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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7
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Duke-Cohan JS, Akitsu A, Mallis RJ, Messier CM, Lizotte PH, Aster JC, Hwang W, Lang MJ, Reinherz EL. Pre-T cell receptor self-MHC sampling restricts thymocyte dedifferentiation. Nature 2023; 613:565-574. [PMID: 36410718 PMCID: PMC9851994 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05555-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Programming T cells to distinguish self from non-self is a vital, multi-step process that occurs in the thymus1-4. Signalling through the pre-T cell receptor (preTCR), a CD3-associated heterodimer comprising an invariant pTα chain and a clone-specific β chain, is a critical early checkpoint in thymocyte development within the αβ T cell lineage5,6. PreTCRs arrayed on CD4-CD8- double-negative thymocytes ligate peptides bound to major histocompatibility complex molecules (pMHC) on thymic stroma, similar to αβ T cell receptors that appear on CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes, but via a different molecular docking strategy7-10. Here we show the consequences of these distinct interactions for thymocyte progression using synchronized fetal thymic progenitor cultures that differ in the presence or absence of pMHC on support stroma, and single-cell transcriptomes at key thymocyte developmental transitions. Although major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-negative stroma fosters αβ T cell differentiation, the absence of preTCR-pMHC interactions leads to deviant thymocyte transcriptional programming associated with dedifferentiation. Highly proliferative double-negative and double-positive thymocyte subsets emerge, with antecedent characteristics of T cell lymphoblastic and myeloid malignancies. Compensatory upregulation of diverse MHC class Ib proteins in B2m/H2-Ab1 MHC-knockout mice partially safeguards in vivo thymocyte progression, although disseminated double-positive thymic tumours may develop with ageing. Thus, as well as promoting β chain repertoire broadening for subsequent αβ T cell receptor utilization, preTCR-pMHC interactions limit cellular plasticity to facilitate normal thymocyte differentiation and proliferation that, if absent, introduce developmental vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan S Duke-Cohan
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Aoi Akitsu
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert J Mallis
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cameron M Messier
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patrick H Lizotte
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jon C Aster
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wonmuk Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Matthew J Lang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ellis L Reinherz
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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8
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Stephens HM, Brazin KN, Mallis RJ, Feng Y, Banik D, Reinherz EL, Lang MJ. Measuring αβ T-Cell Receptor-Mediated Mechanosensing Using Optical Tweezers Combined with Fluorescence Imaging. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2478:727-753. [PMID: 36063340 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2229-2_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
T-cell antigen receptors (TCRs) are mechanosensors, which initiate a signaling cascade upon ligand recognition resulting in T-cell differentiation, homeostasis, effector and regulatory functions. An optical trap combined with fluorescence permits direct monitoring of T-cell triggering in response to force application at various concentrations of peptide-bound major histocompatibility complex molecules (pMHC). The technique mimics physiological shear forces applied as cells crawl across antigen-presenting surfaces during immune surveillance. True single molecule studies performed on single cells profile force-bond lifetime, typically seen as a catch bond, and conformational change at the TCR-pMHC bond on the surface of the cell upon force loading. Together, activation and single molecule single cell studies provide chemical and physical triggering thresholds as well as insight into catch bond formation and quaternary structural changes of single TCRs. The present methods detail assay design, preparation, and execution, as well as data analysis. These methods may be applied to a wide range of pMHC-TCR interactions and have potential for adaptation to other receptor-ligand systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Stephens
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kristine N Brazin
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert J Mallis
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yinnian Feng
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Debasis Banik
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ellis L Reinherz
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew J Lang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
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9
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New insights into TCR β-selection. Trends Immunol 2021; 42:735-750. [PMID: 34261578 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2021.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
T cell receptor (TCR) β-selection (herein referred to as β-selection) is a pivotal checkpoint in mammalian T cell development when immature CD4-CD8- T-cells (thymocytes) express pre-TCR following successful Tcrb gene rearrangement. At this stage, αβ T cell lineage commitment and allelic exclusion to restrict one β-chain per cell take place and thymocytes undergo a proliferative burst. β-selection is known to be crucially dependent upon synchronized Notch and pre-TCR signaling; however, other necessary inputs have been identified over the past decade, expanding our knowledge and understanding of the β-selection process. In this review, we discuss recent mechanistic findings that have enabled a more detailed decoding of the molecular dynamics of the β-selection checkpoint and have helped to elucidate its role in early T cell development.
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10
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Li X, Mizsei R, Tan K, Mallis RJ, Duke-Cohan JS, Akitsu A, Tetteh PW, Dubey A, Hwang W, Wagner G, Lang MJ, Arthanari H, Wang JH, Reinherz EL. Pre-T cell receptors topologically sample self-ligands during thymocyte β-selection. Science 2021; 371:181-185. [PMID: 33335016 PMCID: PMC8011828 DOI: 10.1126/science.abe0918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Self-discrimination, a critical but ill-defined molecular process programmed during thymocyte development, requires myriad pre-T cell receptors (preTCRs) and αβTCRs. Using x-ray crystallography, we show how a preTCR applies the concave β-sheet surface of its single variable domain (Vβ) to "horizontally" grab the protruding MHC α2-helix. By contrast, αβTCRs purpose all six complementarity-determining region (CDR) loops of their paired VαVβ module to recognize peptides bound to major histocompatibility complex molecules (pMHCs) in "vertical" head-to-head binding. The preTCR topological fit ensures that CDR3β reaches the peptide's featured C-terminal segment for pMHC sampling, establishing the subsequent αβTCR canonical docking mode. "Horizontal" docking precludes germline CDR1β- and CDR2β-MHC binding to broaden β-chain repertoire diversification before αβTCR-mediated selection refinement. Thus, one subunit successively attunes the recognition logic of related multicomponent receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Li
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Réka Mizsei
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Kemin Tan
- Structural Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA
| | - Robert J Mallis
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan S Duke-Cohan
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aoi Akitsu
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul W Tetteh
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abhinav Dubey
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wonmuk Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- School of Computational Sciences, Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gerhard Wagner
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew J Lang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Haribabu Arthanari
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jia-Huai Wang
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ellis L Reinherz
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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11
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Mizsei R, Li X, Chen WN, Szabo M, Wang JH, Wagner G, Reinherz EL, Mallis RJ. A general chemical crosslinking strategy for structural analyses of weakly interacting proteins applied to preTCR-pMHC complexes. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100255. [PMID: 33837736 PMCID: PMC7948749 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
T lymphocytes discriminate between healthy and infected or cancerous cells via T-cell receptor-mediated recognition of peptides bound and presented by cell-surface-expressed major histocompatibility complex molecules (MHCs). Pre-T-cell receptors (preTCRs) on thymocytes foster development of αβT lymphocytes through their β chain interaction with MHC displaying self-peptides on thymic epithelia. The specific binding of a preTCR with a peptide-MHC complex (pMHC) has been identified previously as forming a weak affinity complex with a distinct interface from that of mature αβTCR. However, a lack of appropriate tools has limited prior efforts to investigate this unique interface. Here we designed a small-scale linkage screening protocol using bismaleimide linkers for determining residue-specific distance constraints between transiently interacting protein pairs in solution. Employing linkage distance restraint-guided molecular modeling, we report the oriented solution docking geometry of a preTCRβ-pMHC interaction. The linkage model of preTCRβ-pMHC complex was independently verified with paramagnetic pseudocontact chemical shift (PCS) NMR of the unlinked protein mixtures. Using linkage screens, we show that the preTCR binds with differing affinities to peptides presented by MHC in solution. Moreover, the C-terminal peptide segment is a key determinant in preTCR-pMHC recognition. We also describe the process for future large-scale production and purification of the linked constructs for NMR, X-ray crystallography, and single-molecule electron microscopy studies.
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MESH Headings
- Antigens, Surface/chemistry
- Antigens, Surface/genetics
- Antigens, Surface/ultrastructure
- Humans
- Major Histocompatibility Complex/genetics
- Membrane Glycoproteins/chemistry
- Membrane Glycoproteins/ultrastructure
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
- Peptides/chemistry
- Peptides/genetics
- Protein Binding/genetics
- Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/ultrastructure
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/ultrastructure
- T-Lymphocytes/chemistry
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/ultrastructure
- Thymocytes/chemistry
- Thymocytes/ultrastructure
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Affiliation(s)
- Réka Mizsei
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Xiaolong Li
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wan-Na Chen
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Monika Szabo
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jia-Huai Wang
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gerhard Wagner
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ellis L Reinherz
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
| | - Robert J Mallis
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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Mallis RJ, Brazin KN, Duke-Cohan JS, Hwang W, Wang JH, Wagner G, Arthanari H, Lang MJ, Reinherz EL. NMR: an essential structural tool for integrative studies of T cell development, pMHC ligand recognition and TCR mechanobiology. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2019; 73:319-332. [PMID: 30815789 PMCID: PMC6693947 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-019-00234-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Early studies of T cell structural biology using X-ray crystallography, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) focused on a picture of the αβT cell receptor (αβTCR) component domains and their cognate ligands (peptides bound to MHC molecules, i.e. pMHCs) as static interaction partners. Moving forward requires integrating this corpus of data with dynamic technologies such as NMR, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and real-time single molecule (SM) studies exemplified by optical tweezers (OT). NMR bridges relevant timescales and provides the potential for an all-atom dynamic description of αβTCR components prior to and during interactions with binding partners. SM techniques have opened up vistas in understanding the non-equilibrium nature of T cell signaling through the introduction of force-mediated binding measurements into the paradigm for T cell function. In this regard, bioforces consequent to T-lineage cell motility are now perceived as placing piconewton (pN)-level loads on single receptor-pMHC bonds to impact structural change and αβT-lineage biology, including peptide discrimination, cellular activation, and developmental progression. We discuss herein essential NMR technologies in illuminating the role of ligand binding in the preT cell receptor (preTCR), the αβTCR developmental precursor, and convergence of NMR, SM and MD data in advancing our comprehension of T cell development. More broadly we review the central hypothesis that the αβTCR is a mechanosensor, fostered by breakthrough NMR-based structural insights. Collectively, elucidating dynamic aspects through the integrative use of NMR, SM, and MD shall advance fundamental appreciation of the mechanism of T cell signaling as well as inform translational efforts in αβTCR and chimeric T cell (CAR-T) immunotherapies and T cell vaccinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Mallis
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kristine N Brazin
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jonathan S Duke-Cohan
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Wonmuk Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- School of Computational Sciences, Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul, 02455, Republic of Korea
| | - Jia-Huai Wang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Gerhard Wagner
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Haribabu Arthanari
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Matthew J Lang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
| | - Ellis L Reinherz
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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