1
|
Lo WL, Huseby ES. The partitioning of TCR repertoires by thymic selection. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20230897. [PMID: 39167074 PMCID: PMC11338286 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20230897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
αβ T cells are critical components of the adaptive immune system; they maintain tissue and immune homeostasis during health, provide sterilizing immunity after pathogen infection, and are capable of eliminating transformed tumor cells. Fundamental to these distinct functions is the ligand specificity of the unique antigen receptor expressed on each mature T cell (TCR), which endows lymphocytes with the ability to behave in a cell-autonomous, disease context-specific manner. Clone-specific behavioral properties are initially established during T cell development when thymocytes use TCR recognition of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and MHC-like ligands to instruct survival versus death and to differentiate into a plethora of inflammatory and regulatory T cell lineages. Here, we review the ligand specificity of the preselection thymocyte repertoire and argue that developmental stage-specific alterations in TCR signaling control cross-reactivity and foreign versus self-specificity of T cell sublineages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Lin Lo
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Eric S Huseby
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Karimi MM, Guo Y, Cui X, Pallikonda HA, Horková V, Wang YF, Gil SR, Rodriguez-Esteban G, Robles-Rebollo I, Bruno L, Georgieva R, Patel B, Elliott J, Dore MH, Dauphars D, Krangel MS, Lenhard B, Heyn H, Fisher AG, Štěpánek O, Merkenschlager M. The order and logic of CD4 versus CD8 lineage choice and differentiation in mouse thymus. Nat Commun 2021; 12:99. [PMID: 33397934 PMCID: PMC7782583 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20306-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
CD4 and CD8 mark helper and cytotoxic T cell lineages, respectively, and serve as coreceptors for MHC-restricted TCR recognition. How coreceptor expression is matched with TCR specificity is central to understanding CD4/CD8 lineage choice, but visualising coreceptor gene activity in individual selection intermediates has been technically challenging. It therefore remains unclear whether the sequence of coreceptor gene expression in selection intermediates follows a stereotypic pattern, or is responsive to signaling. Here we use single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to classify mouse thymocyte selection intermediates by coreceptor gene expression. In the unperturbed thymus, Cd4+Cd8a- selection intermediates appear before Cd4-Cd8a+ selection intermediates, but the timing of these subsets is flexible according to the strength of TCR signals. Our data show that selection intermediates discriminate MHC class prior to the loss of coreceptor expression and suggest a model where signal strength informs the timing of coreceptor gene activity and ultimately CD4/CD8 lineage choice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad M Karimi
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ya Guo
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaokai Cui
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Husayn A Pallikonda
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Veronika Horková
- Laboratory of Adaptive Immunity, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Yi-Fang Wang
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Sara Ruiz Gil
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gustavo Rodriguez-Esteban
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irene Robles-Rebollo
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ludovica Bruno
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Radina Georgieva
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Bhavik Patel
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - James Elliott
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Marian H Dore
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Danielle Dauphars
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael S Krangel
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Boris Lenhard
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Holger Heyn
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amanda G Fisher
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ondřej Štěpánek
- Laboratory of Adaptive Immunity, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Matthias Merkenschlager
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Pouzolles M, Machado A, Guilbaud M, Irla M, Gailhac S, Barennes P, Cesana D, Calabria A, Benedicenti F, Sergé A, Raman I, Li QZ, Montini E, Klatzmann D, Adjali O, Taylor N, Zimmermann VS. Intrathymic adeno-associated virus gene transfer rapidly restores thymic function and long-term persistence of gene-corrected T cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2019; 145:679-697.e5. [PMID: 31513879 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2019.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with T-cell immunodeficiencies are generally treated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, but alternatives are needed for patients without matched donors. An innovative intrathymic gene therapy approach that directly targets the thymus might improve outcomes. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine the efficacy of intrathymic adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes to transduce thymocyte subsets and correct the T-cell immunodeficiency in a zeta-associated protein of 70 kDa (ZAP-70)-deficient murine model. METHODS AAV serotypes were injected intrathymically into wild-type mice, and gene transfer efficiency was monitored. ZAP-70-/- mice were intrathymically injected with an AAV8 vector harboring the ZAP70 gene. Thymus structure, immunophenotyping, T-cell receptor clonotypes, T-cell function, immune responses to transgenes and autoantibodies, vector copy number, and integration were evaluated. RESULTS AAV8, AAV9, and AAV10 serotypes all transduced thymocyte subsets after in situ gene transfer, with transduction of up to 5% of cells. Intrathymic injection of an AAV8-ZAP-70 vector into ZAP-70-/- mice resulted in a rapid thymocyte differentiation associated with the development of a thymic medulla. Strikingly, medullary thymic epithelial cells expressing the autoimmune regulator were detected within 10 days of gene transfer, correlating with the presence of functional effector and regulatory T-cell subsets with diverse T-cell receptor clonotypes in the periphery. Although thymocyte reconstitution was transient, gene-corrected peripheral T cells harboring approximately 1 AAV genome per cell persisted for more than 40 weeks, and AAV vector integration was detected. CONCLUSIONS Intrathymic AAV-transduced progenitors promote a rapid restoration of the thymic architecture, with a single wave of thymopoiesis generating long-term peripheral T-cell function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Pouzolles
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Alice Machado
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Mickaël Guilbaud
- INSERM UMR1089, Université de Nantes, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Magali Irla
- Center of Immunology Marseille-Luminy (CIML), INSERM U1104, CNRS UMR7280, Aix-Marseille Université UM2, Marseille, France
| | - Sarah Gailhac
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Barennes
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Immunology-Immunopathology-Immunotherapy (i3), Paris, France
| | - Daniela Cesana
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Calabria
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Benedicenti
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Arnauld Sergé
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, CRCM, Marseille, France
| | - Indu Raman
- Microarray Core Facility, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex
| | - Quan-Zhen Li
- Microarray Core Facility, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex; Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex
| | - Eugenio Montini
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - David Klatzmann
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Immunology-Immunopathology-Immunotherapy (i3), Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Biotherapy (CIC-BTi) and Inflammation-Immunopathology-Biotherapy Department (i2B), Paris, France
| | - Oumeya Adjali
- INSERM UMR1089, Université de Nantes, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France.
| | - Naomi Taylor
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France; Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.
| | - Valérie S Zimmermann
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Affiliation(s)
- Byron B. Au-Yeung
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Neel H. Shah
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Lin Shen
- Division of Rheumatology, Rosalind Russell and Ephraim P. Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA;,
| | - Arthur Weiss
- Division of Rheumatology, Rosalind Russell and Ephraim P. Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA;,
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
![]()
T cells
expressing tumor-specific T cell receptors are promising cancer therapeutic
agents, but safety control switches are needed to manage potential
side effects arising from overactivity. Here, we present the first
dual small molecule-gated ZAP70 signaling switch for the regulation
of T cell activity. We show that when an analogue-sensitive ZAP70
allele is fused to the engineered ligand binding domain of the estrogen
receptor, ERT2, its activity can be upregulated to an extent
by a metabolite of an FDA-approved tamoxifen, 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen,
and downregulated by an ATP analogue, 3-MB-PP1. The strength of early
T cell signaling can also be modulated by varying the concentrations
of activator and inhibitor, and the switch exhibits temporal control
on the time scale of minutes. Interestingly, the switch has the ability
to control CD69 and calcium levels in T cells but has limited capabilities
in the regulation of downstream cytokine release, suggesting further
investigation is needed before it can be implemented in adoptive T
cell therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. L. Wong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Wilson W. Wong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wang A, Ding X, Demarque M, Liu X, Pan D, Xin H, Zhong B, Wang X, Dejean A, Jin W, Dong C. Ubc9 Is Required for Positive Selection and Late-Stage Maturation of Thymocytes. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 198:3461-3470. [PMID: 28314856 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1600980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
SUMOylation is an important posttranslational modification that regulates protein function in diverse biological processes. However, its role in early T cell development has not been genetically studied. UBC9 is the only E2 enzyme for all SUMOylation. In this study, by selectively deleting Ubc9 gene in T cells, we have investigated the functional roles of SUMOylation in T cell development. Loss of Ubc9 results in a significant reduction of CD4 and CD8 single-positive lymphocytes in both thymus and periphery. Ubc9-deficient cells exhibit defective late-stage maturation post the initial positive selection with increased apoptosis and impaired proliferation, among which attenuated IL-7 signaling was correlated with the decreased survival of Ubc9-deficent CD8 single-positive cells. Furthermore, NFAT nuclear retention induced by TCR signals was regulated by SUMOylation during thymocytes development. Our study thus reveals a novel posttranslational mechanism underlying T cell development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aibo Wang
- Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiao Ding
- Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Maud Demarque
- Nuclear Organization and Oncogenesis Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Infection, INSERM U993, Institute Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Xindong Liu
- Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, China
| | - Deng Pan
- Department of Immunology and Center for Inflammation and Cancer, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054; and
| | - Huawei Xin
- Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bo Zhong
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiaohu Wang
- Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Anne Dejean
- Nuclear Organization and Oncogenesis Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Infection, INSERM U993, Institute Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Wei Jin
- Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chen Dong
- Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Manna S, Kim JK, Baugé C, Cam M, Zhao Y, Shetty J, Vacchio MS, Castro E, Tran B, Tessarollo L, Bosselut R. Histone H3 Lysine 27 demethylases Jmjd3 and Utx are required for T-cell differentiation. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8152. [PMID: 26328764 PMCID: PMC4569738 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27Me3) is associated with gene silencing, whether H3K27Me3 demethylation affects transcription and cell differentiation in vivo has remained elusive. To investigate this, we conditionally inactivated the two H3K27Me3 demethylases, Jmjd3 and Utx, in non-dividing intrathymic CD4(+) T-cell precursors. Here we show that both enzymes redundantly promote H3K27Me3 removal at, and expression of, a specific subset of genes involved in terminal thymocyte differentiation, especially S1pr1, encoding a sphingosine-phosphate receptor required for thymocyte egress. Thymocyte expression of S1pr1 was not rescued in Jmjd3- and Utx-deficient male mice, which carry the catalytically inactive Utx homolog Uty, supporting the conclusion that it requires H3K27Me3 demethylase activity. These findings demonstrate that Jmjd3 and Utx are required for T-cell development, and point to a requirement for their H3K27Me3 demethylase activity in cell differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sugata Manna
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Jong Kyong Kim
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Catherine Baugé
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Margaret Cam
- Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Yongmei Zhao
- Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA
| | - Jyoti Shetty
- Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA
| | - Melanie S Vacchio
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Ehydel Castro
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Bao Tran
- Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA
| | - Lino Tessarollo
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA
| | - Rémy Bosselut
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
A Zap70-dependent feedback circuit is essential for efficient selection of CD4 lineage thymocytes. Immunol Cell Biol 2015; 93:406-16. [PMID: 25601273 DOI: 10.1038/icb.2014.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Revised: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
During positive selection of CD4(+), CD8(+) double positive (DP) thymocytes, expression of the tyrosine kinase Zap70 is subject to developmental regulation. Signalling downstream of T-cell receptor (TCR) induces Zap70 expression, forming a positive feedback circuit. Although previous studies show this circuit is required for generation of CD8 lineage cells, it is not known whether selection of CD4 T cells also depends on intact developmental regulation of Zap70. To address this, we analysed development of Class II-restricted thymocytes in mice lacking the Zap70 transcriptional circuitry. Rescue of Zap70 expression in Zap70(-/-) mice using a tetracycline-inducible Zap70 transgene, that is not subject to positive feedback by TCR signalling, restored positive selection of Class-II-restricted thymocytes. However, in conditions of static Zap70 expression, approximately half of selecting thymocytes failed to commit normally to the CD4 lineage. Instead, cells that failed to develop into CD4 T cells resembled CD8 lineage precursor DP thymocytes but failed to survive in vivo. Therefore, the Zap70 feedback circuit is essential to efficiently mediate the CD4 lineage differentiation programme in response to Class II selecting ligands.
Collapse
|
9
|
Sun Y, Zhu X, Chen X, Liu H, Xu Y, Chu Y, Wang G, Liu X. The mediator subunit Med23 contributes to controlling T-cell activation and prevents autoimmunity. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5225. [PMID: 25301163 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell activation is critical for successful immune responses and is controlled at multiple levels. Although many changes of T-cell receptor-associated signalling molecules affect T-cell activation, the transcriptional mechanisms that control this process remain largely unknown. Here we find that T cell-specific deletion of the mediator subunit Med23 leads to hyperactivation of T cells and aged Med23-deficient mice exhibit an autoimmune syndrome. Med23 specifically and consistently promotes the transcription of multiple negative regulators of T-cell activation. In the absence of Med23, the T-cell activation threshold is lower, which results in enhanced antitumour T-cell function. Cumulatively, our data suggest that Med23 contributes to controlling T-cell activation at the transcriptional level and prevents the development of autoimmunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xufeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Haifeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yajing Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Au-Yeung BB, Melichar HJ, Ross JO, Cheng DA, Zikherman J, Shokat KM, Robey EA, Weiss A. Quantitative and temporal requirements revealed for Zap70 catalytic activity during T cell development. Nat Immunol 2014; 15:687-94. [PMID: 24908390 PMCID: PMC4095875 DOI: 10.1038/ni.2918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The catalytic activity of Zap70 is crucial for T cell antigen receptor (TCR) signaling, but the quantitative and temporal requirements for its function in thymocyte development are not known. Using a chemical-genetic system to selectively and reversibly inhibit Zap70 catalytic activity in a model of synchronized thymic selection, we showed that CD4(+)CD8(+) thymocytes integrate multiple, transient, Zap70-dependent signals over more than 36 h to reach a cumulative threshold for positive selection, whereas 1 h of signaling was sufficient for negative selection. Titration of Zap70 activity resulted in graded reductions in positive and negative selection but did not decrease the cumulative TCR signals integrated by positively selected OT-I cells, which revealed heterogeneity, even among CD4(+)CD8(+) thymocytes expressing identical TCRs undergoing positive selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Byron B Au-Yeung
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [2] Rosalind Russell-Ephraim P. Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [3] Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [4] Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [5]
| | - Heather J Melichar
- 1] Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA. [2] [3]
| | - Jenny O Ross
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Debra A Cheng
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [2] Rosalind Russell-Ephraim P. Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [3] Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [4] Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Julie Zikherman
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [2] Rosalind Russell-Ephraim P. Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [3] Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [4] Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kevan M Shokat
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [2] Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Arthur Weiss
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [2] Rosalind Russell-Ephraim P. Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [3] Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. [4] Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Siggs OM, Yates AL, Schlenner S, Liston A, Lesage S, Goodnow CC. A ZAP-70 kinase domain variant prevents thymocyte-positive selection despite signalling CD69 induction. Immunology 2014; 141:587-95. [PMID: 24266404 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Revised: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative reductions in T-cell receptor (TCR) signalling are associated with severe immunodeficiency, yet in certain cases can lead to autoimmunity. Mutation of the tyrosine kinase ZAP-70 can cause either of these outcomes, yet the limits of its signal transducing capacity are not well defined. To investigate these limits we have made use of mrtless: a chemically induced mutation of Zap70 associated with T-cell deficiency. Unlike cells devoid of ZAP-70, mrtless thymocytes showed partial induction of CD5 and CD69, and were sensitive to TCR stimulation with a dose-response shifted approximately 10-fold. However, essentially no T cells were able to compensate for the mrtless mutation and mature beyond the CD4⁺ CD8⁺ stage. This outcome contrasts with a ZAP-70 Src Homology 2 domain mutant strain, where high-affinity self-reactive TCR are positively selected rather than deleted. We discuss these data with respect to current models of TCR signalling in thymocyte selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Owen M Siggs
- Department of Immunology, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Sinclair C, Seddon B. Overlapping and asymmetric functions of TCR signaling during thymic selection of CD4 and CD8 lineages. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 192:5151-9. [PMID: 24771853 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1303085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
TCR signaling plays a central role in directing developmental fates of thymocytes. Current models suggest TCR signal duration directs CD4 versus CD8 lineage development. To investigate the role of TCR signaling during positive selection directly, we switched signaling off in a cohort of selecting thymocytes and followed, in time, their subsequent fate. We did this using an inducible Zap70 transgenic mouse model that allowed Zap70-dependent signaling to be turned on and then off again. Surprisingly, loss of TCR signaling in CD4(+)CD8(lo) thymocytes did not prevent their development into committed CD4 single positives (SPs), nor their continued maturation to HSA(lo) SPs. However, numbers of CD4 SPs underwent a substantial decline following loss of Zap70 expression, suggesting an essential survival role for the kinase. Termination of TCR signaling is considered an essential step in CD8 lineage development. Loss of Zap70 expression, however, resulted in the rapid death of CD8 lineage precursor thymocytes and a failure to generate CD8 SPs. Significantly, extending the window of Zap70 expression was sufficient for generation and export of both CD4 and CD8 T cells. These data reveal a parallel requirement for TCR-mediated survival signaling, but an asymmetric requirement for TCR-mediated maturation signals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles Sinclair
- Division of Immune Cell Biology, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Benedict Seddon
- Division of Immune Cell Biology, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abstract
The peripheral T cell repertoire is sculpted from prototypic T cells in the thymus bearing randomly generated T cell receptors (TCR) and by a series of developmental and selection steps that remove cells that are unresponsive or overly reactive to self-peptide–MHC complexes. The challenge of understanding how the kinetics of T cell development and the statistics of the selection processes combine to provide a diverse but self-tolerant T cell repertoire has invited quantitative modeling approaches, which are reviewed here.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Yates
- Departments of Systems and Computational Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine , New York, NY , USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Xiong Y, Castro E, Yagi R, Zhu J, Lesourne R, Love PE, Feigenbaum L, Bosselut R. Thpok-independent repression of Runx3 by Gata3 during CD4+ T-cell differentiation in the thymus. Eur J Immunol 2013; 43:918-28. [PMID: 23310955 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201242944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2012] [Revised: 11/27/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
CD4(+) helper T cells are essential for immune responses and differentiate in the thymus from CD4(+) CD8(+) "double-positive" (DP) thymocytes. The transcription factor Runx3 inhibits CD4(+) T-cell differentiation by repressing Cd4 gene expression; accordingly, Runx3 is not expressed in DP thymocytes or developing CD4(+) T cells. The transcription factor Thpok is upregulated in CD4-differentiating thymocytes and required to repress Runx3. However, how Runx3 is controlled at early stages of CD4(+) T-cell differentiation, before the onset of Thpok expression, remains unknown. Here we show that Gata3, a transcription factor preferentially and transiently upregulated by CD4(+) T-cell precursors, represses Runx3 and binds the Runx3 locus in vivo. Accordingly, we show that high-level Gata3 expression and expression of Runx3 are mutually exclusive. Furthermore, whereas Runx3 represses Cd4, we show that Gata3 promotes Cd4 expression in Thpok-deficient thymocytes. Thus, in addition to its previously documented role in promoting CD4-lineage gene-expression, Gata3 represses CD8-lineage gene expression. These findings identify Gata3 as a critical pivot of CD4-CD8 lineage differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yumei Xiong
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda 20892-4259, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Abstract
CTLA-4 proteins contribute to the suppressor function of regulatory T cells (Tregs), but the mechanism by which they do so remains incompletely understood. In the present study, we assessed CTLA-4 protein function in both Tregs and conventional (Tconv) CD4(+) T cells. We report that CTLA-4 proteins are responsible for all 3 characteristic Treg functions of suppression, TCR hyposignaling, and anergy. However, Treg suppression and anergy only required the external domain of CTLA-4, whereas TCR hyposignaling required its internal domain. Surprisingly, TCR hyposignaling was neither required for Treg suppression nor anergy because costimulatory blockade by the external domain of CTLA-4 was sufficient for both functions. We also report that CTLA-4 proteins were localized in Tregs in submembrane vesicles that rapidly recycled to/from the cell surface, whereas CTLA-4 proteins in naive Tconv cells were retained in Golgi vesicles away from the cell membrane and had no effect on Tconv cell function. However, TCR signaling of Tconv cells released CTLA-4 proteins from Golgi retention and caused activated Tconv cells to acquire suppressor function. Therefore, the results of this study demonstrate the importance of intracellular localization for CTLA-4 protein function and reveal that CTLA-4 protein externalization imparts suppressor function to both regulatory and conventional CD4(+) T cells.
Collapse
|
16
|
Cao Y, Li H, Liu H, Zhang M, Hua Z, Ji H, Liu X. LKB1 regulates TCR-mediated PLCγ1 activation and thymocyte positive selection. EMBO J 2011; 30:2083-93. [PMID: 21487392 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2011.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2010] [Accepted: 03/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The serine/threonine kinase LKB1 is a tumour suppressor that regulates cell growth, polarity, and proliferation in many different cell types. We previously demonstrated that LKB1 controls thymocyte survival via regulation of AMPK activation. In this study, we show that LKB1 was also involved in thymocyte positive selection through regulation of T cell receptor (TCR) signalling. Both Lck-Cre- and CD4-Cre-mediated deletion of LKB1 impaired the generation of mature CD4 and CD8 single positive (SP) thymocytes that might have resulted from the attenuated tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C-γ 1 (PLCγ1) in the absence of LKB1. We found that LKB1 was directly phosphorylated by Lck at tyrosine residues 36, 261, and 365 and predominately interacted with LAT and PLCγ1 following TCR stimulation. Loss of LKB1 led to impaired recruitment of PLCγ1 to the LAT signalosome. Correlatively, LKB1-deficient thymocytes failed to upregulate lineage-specifying factors, and to differentiate into SP thymocytes even if their impaired survival was rescued. These observations indicated that LKB1 is a critical component involved in TCR signalling, and our studies provide novel insights into the mechanisms of LKB1-mediated thymocyte development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yonghao Cao
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Xiong Y, Bosselut R. The enigma of CD4-lineage specification. Eur J Immunol 2011; 41:568-74. [PMID: 21341258 PMCID: PMC3388806 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201041098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2010] [Revised: 11/10/2010] [Accepted: 12/15/2010] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
CD4(+) T cells are essential for defenses against pathogens and affect the functions of most cells involved in the immune response. Although CD4(+) T cells generally recognize peptide antigens bound to MHC-II molecules, important subsets are restricted by other MHC or MHC-like molecules, including CD1d-restricted "invariant" iNK T cells. This review discusses recently identified nodes in the transcriptional circuits that are involved in controlling CD4(+) T-cell differentiation, notably the commitment factor Thpok and its interplay with Runx transcriptional regulators, and focuses on how transcription factors acting upstream of Thpok, including Gata3, Tox and E-box proteins, promote the emergence of CD4-lineage-specific gene expression patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yumei Xiong
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-4259, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Zhang M, Zhang J, Rui J, Liu X. p300-mediated acetylation stabilizes the Th-inducing POK factor. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2010; 185:3960-9. [PMID: 20810990 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1001462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The lineage-specifying factor Th-inducing POK (ThPOK) directs the intrathymic differentiation of CD4 T cells. Although the regulation of ThPOK at the transcription level has been extensively studied, specific posttranslational modifications regulating the activity of ThPOK have not been addressed. In this paper, we show that ThPOK is an unstable protein that is more readily degraded in CD8 T cells compared with CD4 T cells. Among the various proteins that bind ThPOK, acetyltransferase p300 specifically promotes the acetylation of ThPOK at K210, K216, and K339, outcompeting ubiquitination, thereby stabilizing the protein. In CD4 T cells, attenuation of p300-mediated acetylation promotes the degradation of ThPOK. In contrast, mutation of lysines 210, 216, and 339 to arginines stabilizes ThPOK and enhances its ability to suppress the expression of CD8 molecule and cytotoxic effectors in CD8 T cells. Our results reveal an essential role of p300-mediated acetylation in regulating the stability of ThPOK and suggest that such regulation may play a part in CD4/CD8 lineage differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
The development of T cells in the thymus involves several differentiation and proliferation events, during which hematopoietic precursors give rise to T cells ready to respond to antigen stimulation and undergo effector differentiation. This review addresses signaling and transcriptional checkpoints that control the intrathymic journey of T cell precursors. We focus on the divergence of alphabeta and gammadelta lineage cells and the elaboration of the alphabeta T cell repertoire, with special emphasis on the emergence of transcriptional programs that direct lineage decisions.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cell Differentiation/genetics
- Cell Differentiation/immunology
- Cell Lineage
- Gene Expression Regulation/immunology
- Humans
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/immunology
- Signal Transduction/genetics
- Signal Transduction/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/cytology
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Thymus Gland/cytology
- Thymus Gland/immunology
- Transcription, Genetic/genetics
- Transcription, Genetic/immunology
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Carpenter
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Saini M, Sinclair C, Marshall D, Tolaini M, Sakaguchi S, Seddon B. Regulation of Zap70 expression during thymocyte development enables temporal separation of CD4 and CD8 repertoire selection at different signaling thresholds. Sci Signal 2010; 3:ra23. [PMID: 20332428 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2000702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the temporal regulation of the commitment of immature thymocytes to either the CD4(+) or the CD8(+) lineage in the thymus, we developed a transgenic mouse that expressed a tetracycline-inducible gene encoding the tyrosine kinase zeta chain-associated protein kinase of 70 kD (Zap70), which restored development in Zap70(-/-) thymocytes arrested at the preselection, CD4(+)CD8(+) double-positive (DP) stage. After induction of the expression of Zap70 and the production of Zap70 protein, CD4(+) single-positive (SP) cells that expressed Zbtb7b (which encodes the CD4(+) T cell-associated transcription factor ThPOK) became abundant within 30 hours, whereas CD8(+) SP cells were not detectable until day 4. We found that mature CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells arose from phenotypically distinct subsets of DP thymocytes that developed with different kinetics and contrasting sensitivities to stimulation of the T cell antigen receptor (TCR). In wild-type mice, expression of endogenous Zap70 progressively increased during maturation of the DP subsets, and the abundance of Zap70 protein determined the sensitivity of the cells to stimulation of the TCR. This temporal gradient in the amount of Zap70 protein enabled the selection of CD4(+) and CD8(+) repertoires in separate temporal windows and at different TCR signaling thresholds, thereby facilitating discrimination of distinct positive selection signals in these lineages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Saini
- Division of Immune Cell Biology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
The serine/threonine kinase LKB1 controls thymocyte survival through regulation of AMPK activation and Bcl-XL expression. Cell Res 2009; 20:99-108. [PMID: 20029389 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2009.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
LKB1 is a serine/threonine kinase that directly activates the energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in response to bioenergetic stress, and mainly acts as a tumor suppressor that controls cell polarity and proliferation. Although LKB1 is expressed in multiple tissues including the thymus and the spleen, its roles in T-cell development and function remain unknown. Here, we show that T-cell-specific deletion of LKB1 resulted in reduced survival of double-positive (DP) thymocytes and impaired generation of both CD4 and CD8 single-positive thymocytes. Disruption of LKB1 not only prevented the activation of AMPK but also impaired the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-XL. Importantly, ectopic expression of either Bcl-XL or the constitutively active AMPK mutant significantly rescued DP thymocytes from LKB1 deficiency-induced cell death. Moreover, ectopic expression of the constitutively active AMPK mutant was found to restore the expression of Bcl-XL in LKB1-deficient DP thymocytes. These findings identify LKB1 as a critical factor for the survival of DP thymocytes through regulation of AMPK activation and Bcl-XL expression.
Collapse
|
22
|
Zamisch M, Tian L, Grenningloh R, Xiong Y, Wildt KF, Ehlers M, Ho IC, Bosselut R. The transcription factor Ets1 is important for CD4 repression and Runx3 up-regulation during CD8 T cell differentiation in the thymus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 206:2685-99. [PMID: 19917777 PMCID: PMC2806616 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20092024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor Ets1 contributes to the differentiation of CD8 lineage cells in the thymus, but how it does so is not understood. In this study, we demonstrate that Ets1 is required for the proper termination of CD4 expression during the differentiation of major histocompatability class 1 (MHC I)–restricted thymocytes, but not for other events associated with their positive selection, including the initiation of cytotoxic gene expression, corticomedullary migration, or thymus exit. We further show that Ets1 promotes expression of Runx3, a transcription factor important for CD8 T cell differentiation and the cessation of Cd4 gene expression. Enforced Runx3 expression in Ets1-deficient MHC I–restricted thymocytes largely rescued their impaired Cd4 silencing, indicating that Ets1 is not required for Runx3 function. Finally, we document that Ets1 binds at least two evolutionarily conserved regions within the Runx3 gene in vivo, supporting the possibility that Ets1 directly contributes to Runx3 transcription. These findings identify Ets1 as a key player during CD8 lineage differentiation and indicate that it acts, at least in part, by promoting Runx3 expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monica Zamisch
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Dalheimer SL, Zeng L, Draves KE, Hassaballa A, Jiwa NN, Parrish TD, Clark EA, Yankee TM. Gads-deficient thymocytes are blocked at the transitional single positive CD4+ stage. Eur J Immunol 2009; 39:1395-404. [PMID: 19337995 DOI: 10.1002/eji.200838692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Positive selection of T-cell precursors is the process by which a diverse T-cell repertoire is established. Positive selection begins at the CD4(+)CD8(+) double positive (DP) stage of development and involves at least two steps. First, DP thymocytes down-regulate CD8 to become transitional single positive (TSP) CD4(+) thymocytes. Then, cells are selected to become either mature single positive CD4(+) or mature single positive CD8(+) thymocytes. We sought to define the function of Gads during the two steps of positive selection by analyzing a Gads-deficient mouse line. In Gads(+/+) mice, most TSP CD4(+) thymocytes are TCR(hi)Bcl-2(hi)CD69(+), suggesting that essential steps in positive selection occurred in the DP stage. Despite that Gads(-/-) mice could readily generate TSP CD4(+) thymocytes, many Gads(-/-) TSP CD4(+) cells were TCR(lo)Bcl-2(lo)CD69(-), suggesting that Gads(-/-) cells proceeded to the TSP CD4(+) stage prior to being positively selected. These data suggest that positive selection is not a prerequisite for the differentiation of DP thymocytes into TSP CD4(+) thymocytes. We propose a model in which positive selection and differentiation into the TSP CD4(+) stage are separable events and Gads is only required for positive selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stacy L Dalheimer
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Zhang Y, Li H, Wang X, Gao X, Liu X. Regulation of T cell development and activation by creatine kinase B. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5000. [PMID: 19337362 PMCID: PMC2659424 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2008] [Accepted: 03/04/2009] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Creatine kinase catalyzes the reversible transfer of the N-phosphoryl group from phosphocreatine to ADP to generate ATP and plays a key role in highly energy-demanding processes such as muscle contraction and flagellar motility; however, its role in signal transduction (which frequently involves ATP-consuming phosphorylation) and consequent cell-fate decisions remains largely unknown. Here we report that creatine kinase B was significantly up-regulated during the differentiation of double-positive thymocytes into single-positive thymocytes. Ectopic expression of creatine kinase B led to increased ATP level and enhanced phosphorylation of the TCR signaling proteins. Consequentially, transgenic expression of creatine kinase B promoted the expression of Nur77 and Bim proteins and the cell death of TCR signaled thymocyte. In addition, the activation, proliferation and cytokine secretion of T cells were also enhanced by the expression of creatine kinase B transgene. In contrast, treatment of T cells with specific creatine kinase inhibitor or creatine kinase B shRNA resulted in severely impaired T cell activation. Taken together, our results indicate that creatine kinase B plays an unexpected role in modulating TCR-mediated signaling and critically regulates thymocyte selection and T cell activation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yafeng Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Hai Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoming Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wang L, Wildt KF, Castro E, Xiong Y, Feigenbaum L, Tessarollo L, Bosselut R. The zinc finger transcription factor Zbtb7b represses CD8-lineage gene expression in peripheral CD4+ T cells. Immunity 2008; 29:876-87. [PMID: 19062319 PMCID: PMC3392968 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2008.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2008] [Revised: 09/04/2008] [Accepted: 09/30/2008] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
How CD4-CD8 differentiation is maintained in mature T cells is largely unknown. The present study has examined the role in this process of the zinc finger protein Zbtb7b, a critical factor for the commitment of MHC II-restricted thymocytes to the CD4+ lineage. We showed that Zbtb7b acted in peripheral CD4+ T cells to suppress CD8-lineage gene expression, including that of CD8 and cytotoxic effector genes perforin and Granzyme B, and was important for the proper repression of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) during effector differentiation. The inappropriate expression of IFN-gamma by Zbtb7b-deficient CD4+ T cells required the activities of Eomesodermin and Runx transcription factors. Runx activity was needed for Granzyme B expression, indicating that Runx proteins control expression of the cytotoxic program. We conclude that a key function of Zbtb7b in the mature CD4+ T cell compartment is to repress CD8-lineage gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lie Wang
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kathryn F. Wildt
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ehydel Castro
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yumei Xiong
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Rémy Bosselut
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Wang X, Zhang Y, Xiao G, Gao X, Liu X. c-Fos enhances the survival of thymocytes during positive selection by upregulating Bcl-2. Cell Res 2008; 19:340-7. [DOI: 10.1038/cr.2008.322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
|
27
|
Singer A, Adoro S, Park JH. Lineage fate and intense debate: myths, models and mechanisms of CD4- versus CD8-lineage choice. Nat Rev Immunol 2008; 8:788-801. [PMID: 18802443 DOI: 10.1038/nri2416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 347] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Following successful gene rearrangement at alphabeta T-cell receptor (TCR) loci, developing thymocytes express both CD4 and CD8 co-receptors and undergo a life-or-death selection event, which is known as positive selection, to identify cells that express TCRs with potentially useful ligand specificities. Positively selected thymocytes must then differentiate into either CD4(+) helper T cells or CD8(+) cytotoxic T cells, a crucial decision known as CD4/CD8-lineage choice. In this Review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular events involved in lineage-fate decision and discuss them in the context of the major models of CD4/CD8-lineage choice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfred Singer
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Wang L, Wildt KF, Zhu J, Zhang X, Feigenbaum L, Tessarollo L, Paul WE, Fowlkes BJ, Bosselut R. Distinct functions for the transcription factors GATA-3 and ThPOK during intrathymic differentiation of CD4(+) T cells. Nat Immunol 2008; 9:1122-30. [PMID: 18776904 DOI: 10.1038/ni.1647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2008] [Accepted: 07/23/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factors GATA-3 and ThPOK are required for intrathymic differentiation of CD4(+) T cells, but their precise functions in this process remain unclear. Here we show that, contrary to previous findings, Gata3 disruption blocked differentiation into the CD4(+) T cell lineage before commitment to the CD4(+) lineage and in some contexts permitted the 'redirection' of major histocompatibility complex class II-restricted thymocytes into the CD8(+) lineage. GATA-3 promoted ThPOK expression and bound to a region of the locus encoding ThPOK established as being critical for ThPOK expression. Finally, ThPOK promoted differentiation into the CD4(+) lineage in a way dependent on GATA-3 but inhibited differentiation into the CD8(+) lineage independently of GATA-3. We propose that GATA-3 acts as a specification factor for the CD4(+) lineage 'upstream' of the ThPOK-controlled CD4(+) commitment checkpoint.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lie Wang
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
The Hsp40 family chaperone protein DnaJB6 enhances Schlafen1 nuclear localization which is critical for promotion of cell-cycle arrest in T-cells. Biochem J 2008; 413:239-50. [DOI: 10.1042/bj20071510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Tight control of cell-cycle progression is critical for T-lymphocytes to function properly. Slfn1 (Schlafen1) has been reported to play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of quiescence in T-lymphocytes. However, how Slfn1 accomplishes this critical function remains poorly understood. In the present study, we show that nuclear localization is a prerequisite for Slfn1 to induce cell-cycle arrest, with DnaJB6, identified as a new Slfn1-binding protein, playing a pivotal role in this process. DnaJB6, a chaperone protein of the DnaJ/Hsp (heat-shock protein) 40 family, stabilizes Slfn1 together with its partner Hsp70, and, more importantly, it enhances the nuclear import of Slfn1. Overexpression of DnaJB6 was found to increase Slfn1 nuclear accumulation and resulted in cell-cycle arrest, whereas, in DnaJB6 knock-down cells, Slfn1 was mainly sequestered in the cytoplasm and no cell-cycle arrest was observed. Furthermore, transgenic expression of DnaJB6 in T-lineage cells inhibited Slfn1's degradation, promoted its nuclear import and ultimately led to suppression of T-cell proliferation upon TCR (T-cell receptor) activation. In addition, DnaJB6 increased Slfn1's effect on its downstream target cyclin D1 in co-transfected cells. Altogether, our results demonstrate that DnaJB6 is necessary for translocation of Slfn1 into the nucleus, where Slfn1 down-regulates cyclin D1, induces cell-cycle arrest and programmes a quiescent state of T-cells.
Collapse
|
30
|
Wang X, Xiao G, Zhang Y, Wen X, Gao X, Okada S, Liu X. Regulation of Tcrb recombination ordering by c-Fos-dependent RAG deposition. Nat Immunol 2008; 9:794-801. [PMID: 18500346 DOI: 10.1038/ni.1614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2008] [Accepted: 04/10/2008] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Antigen receptor variable-(diversity)-joining (V(D)J) recombination at the locus encoding the T cell antigen receptor-beta (Tcrb) is ordered, with D(beta)-to-J(beta) assembly preceding V(beta)-to-DJ(beta) joining. The molecular mechanism underlying this 'preferred' order of rearrangement remains unclear. Here we show that the D(beta) 23-base pair recombination signal sequence (D(beta) 23-RSS) contains a specific AP-1 transcription factor-binding site bound by AP-1 and its component c-Fos expressed at a specific stage. Cell-based recombination assays suggested that c-Fos interacted directly with the RAG recombinase and enhanced its deposition to D(beta) 23-RSSs, thus conferring the priority of DJ(beta) recombination. Loss of c-Fos decreased Tcrb recombination efficiency and disrupted recombination ordering in vivo. Our results show an unexpected function for c-Fos as a direct regulator of Tcrb recombination, rather than its usual function as a transcription regulator, and provide new insight into the mechanisms of recombination ordering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Primary Immunodeficiencies. PEDIATRIC ALLERGY, ASTHMA AND IMMUNOLOGY 2008. [PMCID: PMC7121684 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-33395-1_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs), once considered to be very rare, are now increasingly recognized because of growing knowledge in the immunological field and the availability of more sophisticated diagnostic techniques and therapeutic modalities [161]. However in a database of >120,000 inpatients of a general hospital for conditions suggestive of ID 59 patients were tested, and an undiagnosed PID was found in 17 (29%) of the subjects tested [107]. The publication of the first case of agammaglobulinemia by Bruton in 1952 [60] demonstrated that the PID diagnosis is first done in the laboratory. However, PIDs require specialized immunological centers for diagnosis and management [33]. A large body of epidemiological evidence supports the hypothesis of the existence of a close etiopathogenetic relation between PID and atopy [73]. In particular, an elevated frequency of asthma, food allergy (FA), atopic dermatitis and enteric pathologies can be found in various PIDs. In addition we will discuss another subject that is certainly of interest: the pseudo-immunodepressed child with recurrent respiratory infections (RRIs), an event that often requires medical intervention and that very often leads to the suspicion that it involves antibody deficiencies [149].
Collapse
|
32
|
Wildt KF, Sun G, Grueter B, Fischer M, Zamisch M, Ehlers M, Bosselut R. The transcription factor Zbtb7b promotes CD4 expression by antagonizing Runx-mediated activation of the CD4 silencer. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2007; 179:4405-14. [PMID: 17878336 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.179.7.4405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The persistence of CD4 expression is a key event distinguishing the differentiation of MHC class II-restricted thymocytes into CD4 T cells from that of MHC class I-restricted thymocytes into CD8 T cells. The zinc finger transcription factor Zbtb7b (or cKrox or Thpok) is normally expressed in MHC class II-restricted thymocytes and promotes CD4 lineage choice. When expressed in MHC class I-restricted cells, Zbtb7b redirects these cells from their normal CD8 fate to CD4 differentiation, implying that it promotes, directly or not, sustained CD4 expression; the present study has investigated the mechanism of this effect. We demonstrate that, although Zbtb7b does not enhance CD4 expression on its own, it antagonizes the CD4 repression mediated by the transcription factor Runx3, which is normally up-regulated during CD8 differentiation and promotes CD4 silencing. Zbtb7b also antagonizes CD4 repression by the related protein Runx1, which is expressed in CD4 lineage cells. This antagonism is observed both in vitro and in vivo, is transcriptional, and requires domains of Zbtb7b that are essential to its ability to promote CD4 differentiation in vivo. Furthermore, Zbtb7b fails to antagonize Runx in cells treated with histone deacetylase inhibitors, suggesting that Zbtb7b acts by reducing the expression of thus far unknown factors that cooperate with Runx molecules to repress CD4. These findings demonstrate that the transcription factor Zbtb7b promotes CD4 expression by antagonizing Runx-mediated CD4 repression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn F Wildt
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Daniels MA, Teixeiro E, Gill J, Hausmann B, Roubaty D, Holmberg K, Werlen G, Holländer GA, Gascoigne NRJ, Palmer E. Thymic selection threshold defined by compartmentalization of Ras/MAPK signalling. Nature 2006; 444:724-9. [PMID: 17086201 DOI: 10.1038/nature05269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 468] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2006] [Accepted: 09/18/2006] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
A healthy individual can mount an immune response to exogenous pathogens while avoiding an autoimmune attack on normal tissues. The ability to distinguish between self and non-self is called 'immunological tolerance' and, for T lymphocytes, involves the generation of a diverse pool of functional T cells through positive selection and the removal of overtly self-reactive thymocytes by negative selection during T-cell ontogeny. To elucidate how thymocytes arrive at these cell fate decisions, here we have identified ligands that define an extremely narrow gap spanning the threshold that distinguishes positive from negative selection. We show that, at the selection threshold, a small increase in ligand affinity for the T-cell antigen receptor leads to a marked change in the activation and subcellular localization of Ras and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling intermediates and the induction of negative selection. The ability to compartmentalize signalling molecules differentially in the cell endows the thymocyte with the ability to convert a small change in analogue input (affinity) into a digital output (positive versus negative selection) and provides the basis for establishing central tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Daniels
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunology and Nephrology, Department of Research, University Hospital-Basel, Hebelstrasse 20, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Laurent J, Paly E, Marche PN, London J. Early thymic T cell development in young transgenic mice overexpressing human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, a model of Down syndrome. Free Radic Biol Med 2006; 40:1971-80. [PMID: 16716898 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2006.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2005] [Revised: 12/05/2005] [Accepted: 01/24/2006] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that transgenic mice overexpressing Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, a model of Down syndrome, exhibit premature thymic involution. We have performed a flow cytometry analysis of the developing thymus in these homozygous transgenic mice (hSOD1/hSOD1: Tg-SOD). Longitudinal follow-up analysis from day 3 to day 280 showed an early thymic development in Tg-SOD mice compared with controls. This early thymic development was associated with an increased migration of mature T cells to peripheral lymphoid organs. BrdU labeling showed no difference between Tg-SOD and control mice, confirming that the greater number of peripheral T cells in Tg-SOD mice was not due to extensive proliferation of these cells but rather to a greater pool of emigrant T cells in Tg-SOD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julien Laurent
- CePo-Centre Pluridisciplinaire d'Oncology, Avenue PierreDecker, 4CH Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Liu X, Taylor BJ, Sun G, Bosselut R. Analyzing expression of perforin, Runx3, and Thpok genes during positive selection reveals activation of CD8-differentiation programs by MHC II-signaled thymocytes. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2005; 175:4465-74. [PMID: 16177089 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.175.7.4465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Intrathymic positive selection matches CD4-CD8 lineage differentiation to MHC specificity. However, it is unclear whether MHC signals induce lineage choice or simply select thymocytes of the appropriate lineage. To investigate this issue, we assessed thymocytes undergoing positive selection for expression of the CD8 lineage markers perforin and Runx3. Using both population-based and single-cell RT-PCR analyses, we found large subsets of MHC class II (MHC-II)-signaled thymocytes expressing these genes within the CD4+ 8+ and CD4+ 8(int), but not the CD4+ 8- populations of signaling competent mice. This indicates that MHC-II signals normally fail to impose CD4 differentiation and further implies that the number of mature CD8 single-positive (SP) thymocytes greatly underestimates CD8 lineage choice. We next examined whether MHC-II-restricted CD4+ 8- thymocytes remain competent to initiate CD8 lineage gene expression. In mice in which expression of the tyrosine kinase Zap70 and thereby TCR signaling were impaired selectively in SP thymocytes, MHC-II-signaled CD4+ 8- thymocytes expressed perforin and Runx3 and failed to up-regulate the CD4 marker Thpok. This indicated that impairing TCR signals at the CD4 SP stage switched gene expression patterns from CD4- to CD8-lineage specific. We conclude from these findings that MHC-II-signaled thymocytes remain competent to initiate CD8-specific gene expression even after CD8 down-regulation and that CD4 lineage differentiation is not fixed before the CD4 SP stage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Liu
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Laky K, Fowlkes BJ. Receptor signals and nuclear events in CD4 and CD8 T cell lineage commitment. Curr Opin Immunol 2005; 17:116-21. [PMID: 15766669 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2005.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
MHC specificity in positive selection is a major determinant in the CD4/CD8 T cell lineage decision. Previous studies support the view that quantitative differences in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling in immature CD4+CD8+ double positive thymocytes leads to an instructive bias in CD4/CD8 T cell lineage commitment that must be re-inforced in subsequent selection steps to ensure that MHC-restricted antigen recognition is linked to appropriate effector functions in mature T cells. Recent work has further defined the TCR signaling pathways involved in this process, but a major effort has been made to identify transcription factors and other regulators of CD4 and CD8 T cell lineage commitment. Methods and screens for detecting changes in gene expression, associated with TCR signaling in positive selection and lineage determination, are starting to provide a better understanding of these complex developmental processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen Laky
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Sun G, Liu X, Mercado P, Jenkinson SR, Kypriotou M, Feigenbaum L, Galéra P, Bosselut R. The zinc finger protein cKrox directs CD4 lineage differentiation during intrathymic T cell positive selection. Nat Immunol 2005; 6:373-81. [PMID: 15750595 DOI: 10.1038/ni1183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 221] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2005] [Accepted: 02/14/2005] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The genetic programs directing CD4 or CD8 T cell differentiation in the thymus remain poorly understood. While analyzing gene expression during intrathymic T cell selection, we found that Zfp67, encoding the zinc finger transcription factor cKrox, was upregulated during the differentiation of CD4(+) but not CD8(+) T cells. Expression of a cKrox transgene impaired CD8 T cell development and caused major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted thymocytes to differentiate into CD4(+) T cells with helper properties rather than into cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells, as normally found. CD4 lineage differentiation mediated by cKrox required its N-terminal BTB (bric-a-brac, tramtrack, broad complex) domain. These findings identify cKrox as a chief CD4 differentiation factor during positive selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guangping Sun
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Chiang YJ, Sommers CL, Jordan MS, Gu H, Samelson LE, Koretzky GA, Hodes RJ. Inactivation of c-Cbl reverses neonatal lethality and T cell developmental arrest of SLP-76-deficient mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 200:25-34. [PMID: 15238603 PMCID: PMC2213313 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20040262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
c-Cbl is an adaptor protein that negatively regulates signal transduction events involved in thymic-positive selection. To further characterize the function of c-Cbl in T cell development, we analyzed the effect of c-Cbl inactivation in mice deficient in the scaffolding molecule SLP-76. SLP-76–deficient mice show a high frequency of neonatal lethality; and in surviving mice, T cell development is blocked at the DN3 stage. Inactivation of c-cbl completely reversed the neonatal lethality seen in SLP-76–deficient mice and partially reversed the T cell development arrest in these mice. SLP-76−/− Cbl−/− mice exhibited marked expansion of polarized T helper type (Th)1 and Th2 cell peripheral CD4+ T cells, lymphoid infiltrates of parenchymal organs, and premature death. This rescue of T cell development is T cell receptor dependent because it does not occur in recombination activating gene 2−/− SLP-76−/− Cbl−/− triple knockout mice. Analysis of the signal transduction properties of SLP-76−/− Cbl−/− T cells reveals a novel SLP-76– and linker for activation of T cells–independent pathway of extracellular signal–regulated kinase activation, which is normally down-regulated by c-Cbl.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y Jeffrey Chiang
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Building 10, Room 4B36, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Bosselut R. CD4/CD8-lineage differentiation in the thymus: from nuclear effectors to membrane signals. Nat Rev Immunol 2004; 4:529-40. [PMID: 15229472 DOI: 10.1038/nri1392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rémy Bosselut
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Liu X, Bosselut R. Duration of TCR signaling controls CD4-CD8 lineage differentiation in vivo. Nat Immunol 2004; 5:280-8. [PMID: 14770180 DOI: 10.1038/ni1040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2003] [Accepted: 12/19/2003] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The duration of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling is thought to be important for thymocyte differentiation into the CD4 or CD8 lineage. However, the in vivo relevance of this hypothesis is unclear. Here we divided T cell positive selection into genetically separable developmental steps by confining TCR signal transduction to discrete thymocyte developmental windows. TCR signals confined to the double-positive thymocyte stage promoted CD8, but not CD4, lineage differentiation. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-restricted thymocytes were, instead, redirected into the CD8 lineage. These findings support the hypothesis that distinct kinetics of MHC class I- and MHC class II-induced TCR signals direct intrathymic developmental decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Liu
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Zhong L, Wu CH, Lee WH, Liu CP. ζ-Associated Protein of 70 kDa (ZAP-70), but Not Syk, Tyrosine Kinase Can Mediate Apoptosis of T Cells through the Fas/Fas Ligand, Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 Pathways. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2004; 172:1472-82. [PMID: 14734724 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.172.3.1472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The TCR zeta-chain-associated protein of 70 kDA (ZAP-70) and Syk tyrosine kinases play critical roles in regulating TCR-mediated signal transduction. They not only share some overlapped functions but also may play unique roles in regulating the function and development of T cells. However, it is not known whether they have different effects on the activation and activation-induced cell death of T cells. To address this question, we generated cDNAs encoding chimeric molecules that a tailless TCR zeta-chain was directly linked to truncated ZAP-70 (Z/ZAP) or Syk (Z/Syk) molecules lacking the two Src homology 2 domains. Transfection of these molecules into zeta-chain-deficient cells restored their TCR expression. In addition, Z/ZAP and Z/Syk transfectants but not control cells demonstrated kinase activities in phosphorylating an exogenous substrate specific for ZAP-70 and Syk kinases. Z/ZAP transfectants activated through TCRs underwent a faster time course of apoptosis and had a greater percentage of apoptotic cells than that of Z/Syk and control cells. Activated Z/ZAP transfectants increased Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) expression 3- and 40-fold, respectively. Blocking of the Fas/FasL interaction could inhibit the apoptosis of Z/ZAP transfectants. In contrast, although activated Z/Syk transfectants could increase FasL expression, their Fas expression actually decreased and the percentage of apoptotic cells did not increase. Further studies of the mechanisms revealed that activation of Z/ZAP but not Z/Syk transfectants resulted in rapid activation of caspase-3 and caspase-8 that could also be inhibited by blocking Fas/FasL interaction. These results demonstrated that ZAP-70 and Syk play distinct roles in T cell activation and activation-induced cell death.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingwen Zhong
- Division of Immunology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|