1
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Das A, Martinez-Ruiz GU, Bouladoux N, Stacy A, Moraly J, Vega-Sendino M, Zhao Y, Lavaert M, Ding Y, Morales-Sanchez A, Harly C, Seedhom MO, Chari R, Awasthi P, Ikeuchi T, Wang Y, Zhu J, Moutsopoulos NM, Chen W, Yewdell JW, Shapiro VS, Ruiz S, Taylor N, Belkaid Y, Bhandoola A. Transcription factor Tox2 is required for metabolic adaptation and tissue residency of ILC3 in the gut. Immunity 2024; 57:1019-1036.e9. [PMID: 38677292 PMCID: PMC11096055 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.04.001] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) are the major subset of gut-resident ILC with essential roles in infections and tissue repair, but how they adapt to the gut environment to maintain tissue residency is unclear. We report that Tox2 is critical for gut ILC3 maintenance and function. Gut ILC3 highly expressed Tox2, and depletion of Tox2 markedly decreased ILC3 in gut but not at central sites, resulting in defective control of Citrobacter rodentium infection. Single-cell transcriptional profiling revealed decreased expression of Hexokinase-2 in Tox2-deficient gut ILC3. Consistent with the requirement for hexokinases in glycolysis, Tox2-/- ILC3 displayed decreased ability to utilize glycolysis for protein translation. Ectopic expression of Hexokinase-2 rescued Tox2-/- gut ILC3 defects. Hypoxia and interleukin (IL)-17A each induced Tox2 expression in ILC3, suggesting a mechanism by which ILC3 adjusts to fluctuating environments by programming glycolytic metabolism. Our results reveal the requirement for Tox2 to support the metabolic adaptation of ILC3 within the gastrointestinal tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arundhoti Das
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gustavo Ulises Martinez-Ruiz
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA; Faculty of Medicine, Research Division, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico; Children's Hospital of Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Nicolas Bouladoux
- Metaorganism Immunity Section, Laboratory of Host Immunity and Microbiome, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Apollo Stacy
- Metaorganism Immunity Section, Laboratory of Host Immunity and Microbiome, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Josquin Moraly
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Maria Vega-Sendino
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yongge Zhao
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marieke Lavaert
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yi Ding
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Abigail Morales-Sanchez
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA; Children's Hospital of Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Christelle Harly
- Université de Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, CRCINA, Nantes, France; LabEx IGO "Immunotherapy, Graft, Oncology," Nantes, France
| | - Mina O Seedhom
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Raj Chari
- Genome Modification Core, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Parirokh Awasthi
- Mouse Modeling Core, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Tomoko Ikeuchi
- Oral Immunity and Infection Section, NIDCR, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yueqiang Wang
- Shenzhen Typhoon HealthCare, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jinfang Zhu
- Laboratory of Immune System Biology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - WanJun Chen
- Mucosal Immunology Section, NIDCR, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Sergio Ruiz
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Naomi Taylor
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yasmine Belkaid
- Metaorganism Immunity Section, Laboratory of Host Immunity and Microbiome, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Avinash Bhandoola
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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2
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Zhu Y, Tan H, Wang J, Zhuang H, Zhao H, Lu X. Molecular insight into T cell exhaustion in hepatocellular carcinoma. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107161. [PMID: 38554789 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality globally. The emergence of immunotherapy has been shown to be a promising therapeutic approach for hepatocellular carcinoma in recent years. It has been well known that T cell plays a key role in current immunotherapy. However, sustained exposure to antigenic stimulation within the tumor microenvironment may lead to T cell exhaustion, which may cause treatment ineffectiveness. Therefore, reversing T cell exhaustion has been an important issue for the clinical application of immunotherapy, and a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies surrounding T cell exhaustion and its underlying mechanisms is imperative for devising strategies to overcome the T cell exhaustion during treatment. In this review, we summarized the reported drivers of T cell exhaustion in hepatocellular carcinoma and delineate potential ways to reverse it. Additionally, we discussed the interplay among metabolic plasticity, epigenetic regulation, and transcriptional factors in exhausted T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma, and their implication for future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghua Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huabing Tan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology Institute, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei 442000, China; Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, China
| | - Jincheng Wang
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Japan
| | - Haiwen Zhuang
- Department of General Surgery, Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huanbin Zhao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
| | - Xiaojie Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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3
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Zeng M, Zhou T, Li Z, Li G, Zhang S, Wang L, Huang Q, Li J, Samarawickrama PN, He Y, Wang G. Transcriptomic and intervention evidence reveals domestic dogs as a promising model for anti-inflammatory investigation. Aging Cell 2024; 23:e14127. [PMID: 38426629 PMCID: PMC11113267 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14127] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Domestic dogs have great potential to expand our understanding of the determinants of aging. To understand the aging pattern of domestic dogs and evaluate whether they can be used as an aging model, we performed RNA sequencing on white blood cells from domestic dogs aged 1-9 years and treated aged dogs with classical antiaging approaches. We obtained 30 RNA sequencing libraries and identified 61 age-associated genes with dynamic changes, the majority of which were related to metabolism and immune function, which may be predominant biomarkers for aging in dogs. We next treated aged dogs with canine mesenchymal stem cells (cMSCs), nicotinamide mononucleotide, and rapamycin to determine whether and how they responded to the antiaging interventions. The results showed that these treatments can significantly reduce the level of inflammatory factors (IL-6 and TNF-α). MSCs effectively improved the heart functions of aged dogs. Three key potential age-related genes (PYCR1, CCRL2, and TOX) were reversed by MSC treatment, two of which (CCRL2 and TOX) are implicated in immunity. Overall, we profiled the transcriptomic pattern of domestic dogs and revealed that they may be a good model of aging, especially in anti-inflammatory investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal ModelsKunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- Kunming College of Life ScienceUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Tong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal ModelsKunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Zhiyu Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio‐Resources in YunnanYunnan UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Guimei Li
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal ModelsKunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Shurun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal ModelsKunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Lu Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio‐Resources in YunnanYunnan UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Qing‐Guo Huang
- Kunming Police Dog Base of the Chinese Ministry of Public SecurityKunmingChina
| | - Ju‐Dong Li
- Kunming Police Dog Base of the Chinese Ministry of Public SecurityKunmingChina
| | - P. Nadeeshika Samarawickrama
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal ModelsKunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- Kunming College of Life ScienceUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research of Yunnan ProvinceChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Yonghan He
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal ModelsKunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- Kunming College of Life ScienceUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research of Yunnan ProvinceChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Guo‐Dong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal ModelsKunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- Kunming College of Life ScienceUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic AnimalsChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
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Ver Heul AM, Mack M, Zamidar L, Tamari M, Yang TL, Trier AM, Kim DH, Janzen-Meza H, Van Dyken SJ, Hsieh CS, Karo JM, Sun JC, Kim BS. RAG suppresses group 2 innate lymphoid cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.23.590767. [PMID: 38712036 PMCID: PMC11071423 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.23.590767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Antigen specificity is the central trait distinguishing adaptive from innate immune function. Assembly of antigen-specific T cell and B cell receptors occurs through V(D)J recombination mediated by the Recombinase Activating Gene endonucleases RAG1 and RAG2 (collectively called RAG). In the absence of RAG, mature T and B cells do not develop and thus RAG is critically associated with adaptive immune function. In addition to adaptive T helper 2 (Th2) cells, group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) contribute to type 2 immune responses by producing cytokines like Interleukin-5 (IL-5) and IL-13. Although it has been reported that RAG expression modulates the function of innate natural killer (NK) cells, whether other innate immune cells such as ILC2s are affected by RAG remains unclear. We find that in RAG-deficient mice, ILC2 populations expand and produce increased IL-5 and IL-13 at steady state and contribute to increased inflammation in atopic dermatitis (AD)-like disease. Further, we show that RAG modulates ILC2 function in a cell-intrinsic manner independent of the absence or presence of adaptive T and B lymphocytes. Lastly, employing multiomic single cell analyses of RAG1 lineage-traced cells, we identify key transcriptional and epigenomic ILC2 functional programs that are suppressed by a history of RAG expression. Collectively, our data reveal a novel role for RAG in modulating innate type 2 immunity through suppression of ILC2s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M. Ver Heul
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Madison Mack
- Immunology & Inflammation Research Therapeutic Area, Sanofi, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
| | - Lydia Zamidar
- Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mark Lebwohl Center for Neuroinflammation and Sensation, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10019, USA
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Masato Tamari
- Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mark Lebwohl Center for Neuroinflammation and Sensation, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10019, USA
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ting-Lin Yang
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Anna M. Trier
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Do-Hyun Kim
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Hannah Janzen-Meza
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Steven J. Van Dyken
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Chyi-Song Hsieh
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jenny M. Karo
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Joseph C. Sun
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Brian S. Kim
- Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mark Lebwohl Center for Neuroinflammation and Sensation, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10019, USA
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Allen Discovery Center for Neuroimmune Interactions, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 10019
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5
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Xiang M, Li H, Zhan Y, Ma D, Gao Q, Fang Y. Functional CRISPR screens in T cells reveal new opportunities for cancer immunotherapies. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:73. [PMID: 38581063 PMCID: PMC10996278 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01987-z] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
T cells are fundamental components in tumour immunity and cancer immunotherapies, which have made immense strides and revolutionized cancer treatment paradigm. However, recent studies delineate the predicament of T cell dysregulation in tumour microenvironment and the compromised efficacy of cancer immunotherapies. CRISPR screens enable unbiased interrogation of gene function in T cells and have revealed functional determinators, genetic regulatory networks, and intercellular interactions in T cell life cycle, thereby providing opportunities to revamp cancer immunotherapies. In this review, we briefly described the central roles of T cells in successful cancer immunotherapies, comprehensively summarised the studies of CRISPR screens in T cells, elaborated resultant master genes that control T cell activation, proliferation, fate determination, effector function, and exhaustion, and highlighted genes (BATF, PRDM1, and TOX) and signalling cascades (JAK-STAT and NF-κB pathways) that extensively engage in multiple branches of T cell responses. In conclusion, this review bridged the gap between discovering element genes to a specific process of T cell activities and apprehending these genes in the global T cell life cycle, deepened the understanding of T cell biology in tumour immunity, and outlined CRISPR screens resources that might facilitate the development and implementation of cancer immunotherapies in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghua Xiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huayi Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhan
- Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ding Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qinglei Gao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Yong Fang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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6
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Pinilla-Pagnon I, Rojo-López R, Coll-Orduña I, Nogales-Moro A, Chao-Crecente M. Diagnostic Validation of Anti-TOX Antibody for Early-Stage Mycosis Fungoides Through Digital Analysis of Tissue Samples. Am J Dermatopathol 2024; 46:204-211. [PMID: 38457684 DOI: 10.1097/dad.0000000000002652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Mycosis fungoides (MF) has become one of the most difficult diagnostic challenges for both dermatologists and dermatopathologists because its clinical presentation and microscopic findings may mimic benign reactive processes, specifically those displaying histopathological features of interface dermatitis. The goal of our study was to prove with digital scanning and automated sample methodology through algorithmic analysis, combined with the utility of TOX marker a more precise, faster, and objective evaluation of each sample. Moreover, this would offer high levels of reproducibility with the possibility of establishing cut-off points, allowing us to distinguish between inflammatory dermatoses (ID) and MF. A retrospective longitudinal-descriptive and observational study was conducted to compare the diagnostic criteria (immunohistochemical studies of anti-TOX stain) in patients with clinical suspicion of MF by dividing them into 2 groups: samples with a positive biopsy for MF (MF group) and those with a negative biopsy, therefore diagnosed as an ID (control group). The algorithm assessed 5 selected areas with lymphocytic representative cellularity, and based on the intensity, nuclear staining was classified as 0 (negative), 1+ (weak/yellow), 2+ (moderate/orange), and 3+ (strong/scarlet red) nuclei. The results showed statistically significant differences ( P = 0.040) between the mean number of (2+) nuclei in the positive final diagnosis group (MF group) and the negative final diagnosis group (ID group).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Pinilla-Pagnon
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa, Leganés (Madrid), Spain; and
| | - Rosa Rojo-López
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Coll-Orduña
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián Nogales-Moro
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa, Leganés (Madrid), Spain; and
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7
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Suo C, Polanski K, Dann E, Lindeboom RGH, Vilarrasa-Blasi R, Vento-Tormo R, Haniffa M, Meyer KB, Dratva LM, Tuong ZK, Clatworthy MR, Teichmann SA. Dandelion uses the single-cell adaptive immune receptor repertoire to explore lymphocyte developmental origins. Nat Biotechnol 2024; 42:40-51. [PMID: 37055623 PMCID: PMC10791579 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01734-7] [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: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Assessment of single-cell gene expression (single-cell RNA sequencing) and adaptive immune receptor (AIR) sequencing (scVDJ-seq) has been invaluable in studying lymphocyte biology. Here we introduce Dandelion, a computational pipeline for scVDJ-seq analysis. It enables the application of standard V(D)J analysis workflows to single-cell datasets, delivering improved V(D)J contig annotation and the identification of nonproductive and partially spliced contigs. We devised a strategy to create an AIR feature space that can be used for both differential V(D)J usage analysis and pseudotime trajectory inference. The application of Dandelion improved the alignment of human thymic development trajectories of double-positive T cells to mature single-positive CD4/CD8 T cells, generating predictions of factors regulating lineage commitment. Dandelion analysis of other cell compartments provided insights into the origins of human B1 cells and ILC/NK cell development, illustrating the power of our approach. Dandelion is available at https://www.github.com/zktuong/dandelion .
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenqu Suo
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Paediatrics, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Emma Dann
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Muzlifah Haniffa
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Department of Dermatology and NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Kerstin B Meyer
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lisa M Dratva
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Zewen Kelvin Tuong
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK.
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Ian Frazer Centre for Children's Immunotherapy Research, Child Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Menna R Clatworthy
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK.
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Sarah A Teichmann
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK.
- Theory of Condensed Matter, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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8
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Canaria DA, Rodriguez JA, Wang L, Yeo FJ, Yan B, Wang M, Campbell C, Kazemian M, Olson MR. Tox induces T cell IL-10 production in a BATF-dependent manner. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1275423. [PMID: 38054003 PMCID: PMC10694202 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1275423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tox is a member of the high mobility group (HMG)-Box transcription factors and plays important roles in thymic T cell development. Outside of the thymus, however, Tox is also highly expressed by CD8 and CD4 T cells in various states of activation and in settings of cancer and autoimmune disease. In CD4 T cells, Tox has been primarily studied in T follicular helper (TFH) cells where it, along with Tox2, promotes TFH differentiation by regulating key TFH-associated genes and suppressing CD4 cytotoxic T cell differentiation. However, the role of Tox in other T helper (Th) cell subtypes is less clear. Here, we show that Tox is expressed in several physiologically-activated Th subtypes and its ectopic expression enhances the in vitro differentiation of Th2 and T regulatory (Treg) cells. Tox overexpression in unpolarized Th cells also induced the expression of several genes involved in cell activation (Pdcd1), cellular trafficking (Ccl3, Ccl4, Xcl1) and suppressing inflammation (Il10) across multiple Th subtypes. We found that Tox binds the regulatory regions of these genes along with the transcription factors BATF, IRF4, and JunB and that Tox-induced expression of IL-10, but not PD-1, is BATF-dependent. Based on these data, we propose a model where Tox regulates Th cell chemotactic genes involved in facilitating dendritic cell-T cell interactions and aids in the resolution or prevention of inflammation through the production of IL-10.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Alejandro Canaria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | | | - Luopin Wang
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Franklin J. Yeo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Bingyu Yan
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Mengbo Wang
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Charlotte Campbell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Majid Kazemian
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Matthew R. Olson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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9
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Chopp LB, Zhu X, Gao Y, Nie J, Singh J, Kumar P, Young KZ, Patel S, Li C, Balmaceno-Criss M, Vacchio MS, Wang MM, Livak F, Merchant JL, Wang L, Kelly MC, Zhu J, Bosselut R. Zfp281 and Zfp148 control CD4 + T cell thymic development and T H2 functions. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eadi9066. [PMID: 37948511 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adi9066] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
How CD4+ lineage gene expression is initiated in differentiating thymocytes remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the paralog transcription factors Zfp281 and Zfp148 control both this process and cytokine expression by T helper cell type 2 (TH2) effector cells. Genetic, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomic analyses showed that these factors promote the intrathymic CD4+ T cell differentiation of class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC II)-restricted thymocytes, including expression of the CD4+ lineage-committing factor Thpok. In peripheral T cells, Zfp281 and Zfp148 promoted chromatin opening at and expression of TH2 cytokine genes but not of the TH2 lineage-determining transcription factor Gata3. We found that Zfp281 interacts with Gata3 and is recruited to Gata3 genomic binding sites at loci encoding Thpok and TH2 cytokines. Thus, Zfp148 and Zfp281 collaborate with Gata3 to promote CD4+ T cell development and TH2 cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Chopp
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Immunology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xiaoliang Zhu
- Molecular and Cellular Immunoregulation Section, Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yayi Gao
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jia Nie
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jatinder Singh
- Single Cell Analysis Facility, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Parimal Kumar
- Single Cell Analysis Facility, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kelly Z Young
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Shil Patel
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Caiyi Li
- Flow Cytometry Core, Laboratory of Genomic Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mariah Balmaceno-Criss
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Melanie S Vacchio
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael M Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Neurology Service, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Ferenc Livak
- Flow Cytometry Core, Laboratory of Genomic Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Juanita L Merchant
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Lie Wang
- Institute of Immunology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Michael C Kelly
- Single Cell Analysis Facility, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jinfang Zhu
- Molecular and Cellular Immunoregulation Section, Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rémy Bosselut
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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10
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Knaneh J, Hodak E, Fedida-Metula S, Edri A, Eren R, Yoffe Y, Amitay-Laish I, Prag Naveh H, Lubin I, Porgador A, Moyal L. mAb14, a Monoclonal Antibody against Cell Surface PCNA: A Potential Tool for Sezary Syndrome Diagnosis and Targeted Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4421. [PMID: 37686697 PMCID: PMC10486495 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15174421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) are the most common types of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is expressed on the cell surface of cancer cells (csPCNA), but not on normal cells. It functions as an immune checkpoint ligand by interacting with natural killer (NK) cells through the NK inhibitory receptor NKp44, leading to the inhibition of NK cytotoxicity. A monoclonal antibody (mAb14) was established to detect csPCNA on cancer cells and block their interaction with NKp44. In this study, three CTCL cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with SS and healthy donors were analyzed for csPCNA using mAb14, compared to monoclonal antibody PC10, against nuclear PCNA (nPCNA). The following assays were used: immunostaining, imaging flow cytometry, flow cytometry, cell sorting, cell cycle analysis, ELISA, and the NK-cell cytotoxic assay. mAb14 successfully detected PCNA on the membrane and in the cytoplasm of viable CTCL cell lines associated with the G2/M phase. In the Sézary PBMCs, csPCNA was expressed on lymphoma cells that had an atypical morphology and not on normal cells. Furthermore, it was not expressed on PBMCs from healthy donors. In the co-culture of peripheral blood NK (pNK) cells with CTCL lines, mAb14 increased the secretion of IFN-γ, indicating the reactivation of pNK activity. However, mAb14 did not enhance the cytotoxic activity of pNK cells against CTCL cell lines. The unique expression of csPCNA detected by mAb14 suggests that csPCNA and mAb14 may serve as a potential biomarker and tool, respectively, for detecting malignant cells in SS and possibly other CTCL variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamal Knaneh
- Laboratory for Molecular Dermatology, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (J.K.); (E.H.)
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (I.A.-L.); (H.P.N.)
| | - Emmilia Hodak
- Laboratory for Molecular Dermatology, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (J.K.); (E.H.)
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (I.A.-L.); (H.P.N.)
- Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva 4941492, Israel
| | | | - Avishay Edri
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410101, Israel; (A.E.); (A.P.)
| | - Rachel Eren
- PiNK Biopharma Ltd., Ness Ziona 7403648, Israel; (S.F.-M.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Yael Yoffe
- PiNK Biopharma Ltd., Ness Ziona 7403648, Israel; (S.F.-M.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Iris Amitay-Laish
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (I.A.-L.); (H.P.N.)
- Division of Dermatology, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva 4941492, Israel
| | - Hadas Prag Naveh
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (I.A.-L.); (H.P.N.)
- Division of Dermatology, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva 4941492, Israel
| | - Ido Lubin
- Core Facility, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel;
| | - Angel Porgador
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410101, Israel; (A.E.); (A.P.)
- National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410101, Israel
| | - Lilach Moyal
- Laboratory for Molecular Dermatology, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (J.K.); (E.H.)
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (I.A.-L.); (H.P.N.)
- Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva 4941492, Israel
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11
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Zelenka T, Papamatheakis DA, Tzerpos P, Panagopoulos G, Tsolis KC, Papadakis VM, Mariatos Metaxas D, Papadogkonas G, Mores E, Kapsetaki M, Papamatheakis J, Stanek D, Spilianakis C. A novel SATB1 protein isoform with different biophysical properties. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1242481. [PMID: 37635874 PMCID: PMC10457122 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1242481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Intra-thymic T cell development is coordinated by the regulatory actions of SATB1 genome organizer. In this report, we show that SATB1 is involved in the regulation of transcription and splicing, both of which displayed deregulation in Satb1 knockout murine thymocytes. More importantly, we characterized a novel SATB1 protein isoform and described its distinct biophysical behavior, implicating potential functional differences compared to the commonly studied isoform. SATB1 utilized its prion-like domains to transition through liquid-like states to aggregated structures. This behavior was dependent on protein concentration as well as phosphorylation and interaction with nuclear RNA. Notably, the long SATB1 isoform was more prone to aggregate following phase separation. Thus, the tight regulation of SATB1 isoforms expression levels alongside with protein post-translational modifications, are imperative for SATB1's mode of action in T cell development. Our data indicate that deregulation of these processes may also be linked to disorders such as cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Zelenka
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology—Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Dionysios-Alexandros Papamatheakis
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology—Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Petros Tzerpos
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | | | - Konstantinos C. Tsolis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology—Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Vassilis M. Papadakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology—Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | | | - George Papadogkonas
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology—Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Eleftherios Mores
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Manouela Kapsetaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology—Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Joseph Papamatheakis
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology—Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - David Stanek
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Charalampos Spilianakis
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology—Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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12
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Perriman L, Tavakolinia N, Jalali S, Li S, Hickey PF, Amann-Zalcenstein D, Ho WWH, Baldwin TM, Piers AT, Konstantinov IE, Anderson J, Stanley EG, Licciardi PV, Kannourakis G, Naik SH, Koay HF, Mackay LK, Berzins SP, Pellicci DG. A three-stage developmental pathway for human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells within the postnatal thymus. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eabo4365. [PMID: 37450574 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abo4365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are the largest population of γδ T cells in adults and can play important roles in providing effective immunity against cancer and infection. Many studies have suggested that peripheral Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are derived from the fetal liver and thymus and that the postnatal thymus plays little role in the development of these cells. More recent evidence suggested that these cells may also develop postnatally in the thymus. Here, we used high-dimensional flow cytometry, transcriptomic analysis, functional assays, and precursor-product experiments to define the development pathway of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in the postnatal thymus. We identify three distinct stages of development for Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in the postnatal thymus that are defined by the progressive acquisition of functional potential and major changes in the expression of transcription factors, chemokines, and other surface markers. Furthermore, our analysis of donor-matched thymus and blood revealed that the molecular requirements for the development of functional Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are delivered predominantly by the postnatal thymus and not in the periphery. Tbet and Eomes, which are required for IFN-γ and TNFα expression, are up-regulated as Vγ9Vδ2 T cells mature in the thymus, and mature thymic Vγ9Vδ2 T cells rapidly express high levels of these cytokines after stimulation. Similarly, the postnatal thymus programs Vγ9Vδ2 T cells to express the cytolytic molecules, perforin, granzyme A, and granzyme K. This study provides a greater understanding of how Vγ9Vδ2 T cells develop in humans and may lead to opportunities to manipulate these cells to treat human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Perriman
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Ballarat, Australia
- Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Australia
| | - Naeimeh Tavakolinia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sedigheh Jalali
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Shuo Li
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Peter F Hickey
- Advanced Genomics Facility and Single Cell Open Research Endeavour (SCORE), Advanced Technology and Biology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniela Amann-Zalcenstein
- Advanced Genomics Facility and Single Cell Open Research Endeavour (SCORE), Advanced Technology and Biology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - William Wing Ho Ho
- Advanced Genomics Facility and Single Cell Open Research Endeavour (SCORE), Advanced Technology and Biology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tracey M Baldwin
- Advanced Genomics Facility and Single Cell Open Research Endeavour (SCORE), Advanced Technology and Biology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adam T Piers
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Melbourne Centre for Cardiovascular Genomics and Regenerative Medicine, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Igor E Konstantinov
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Melbourne Centre for Cardiovascular Genomics and Regenerative Medicine, Melbourne, Australia
- Cardiothoracic Surgery, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jeremy Anderson
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Edouard G Stanley
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Paul V Licciardi
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - George Kannourakis
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Ballarat, Australia
- Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Australia
| | - Shalin H Naik
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Immunology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hui-Fern Koay
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Laura K Mackay
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stuart P Berzins
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Ballarat, Australia
- Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Daniel G Pellicci
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Melbourne Centre for Cardiovascular Genomics and Regenerative Medicine, Melbourne, Australia
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13
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Yeckes AR, Victor AR, Zhu Z, Narayanan M, Srinivasan B, Bruce B, Kaye J. The Tox Gene Encodes Two Proteins with Distinct and Shared Roles in Gene Regulation. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 210:1889-1898. [PMID: 37115203 PMCID: PMC10247481 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Here we report that the murine Tox gene encodes two proteins from a single mRNA, and we investigate the mechanism of production and function of these proteoforms. The annotated thymocyte selection-associated HMG-box protein (TOX) coding sequence is predicted to produce a 526-aa protein (TOXFL). However, Western blots reveal two bands. We found that the lower band consists of an N-terminally truncated variant of TOX (TOXΔN), whereas the slower-migrating band is TOXFL. The TOXΔN proteoform is alternatively translated via leaky ribosomal scanning from an evolutionarily conserved translation initiation site downstream of the annotated translation initiation site. When expressed exogenously from a cDNA in murine CD8 T cells or HEK cells, or endogenously from the murine Tox locus, both forms are translated, although the ratio of TOXFL/TOXΔN significantly varies with cellular context. This includes regulation of proteoform production during development of murine CD4 T cells in the thymus, where the positive selection of CD4+CD8+ cells and subsequent differentiation to CD4+CD8lo transitional and CD4SP cell subsets is associated with both an increase in total TOX protein and increased TOXΔN production relative to TOXFL. Finally, we found that sole expression of TOXFL had a greater effect on gene regulation during chronic stimulation of murine CD8 T cells in culture mimicking exhaustion than did TOXΔN, including uniquely regulated cell cycle and other genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson R. Yeckes
- Research Division of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Aaron R. Victor
- Research Division of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Zheng Zhu
- Research Division of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Meena Narayanan
- Research Division of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Bharani Srinivasan
- Research Division of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Bethany Bruce
- Research Division of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Jonathan Kaye
- Research Division of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
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14
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Wang T, Zhao R, Zhi J, Liu Z, Wu A, Yang Z, Wang W, Ni T, Jing L, Yu M. Tox4 regulates transcriptional elongation and reinitiation during murine T cell development. Commun Biol 2023; 6:613. [PMID: 37286708 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04992-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
HMG protein Tox4 is a regulator of PP1 phosphatases with unknown function in development. Here we show that Tox4 conditional knockout in mice reduces thymic cellularity, partially blocks T cell development, and decreases ratio of CD8 to CD4 through decreasing proliferation and increasing apoptosis of CD8 cells. In addition, single-cell RNA-seq discovered that Tox4 loss also impairs proliferation of the fast-proliferating double positive (DP) blast population within DP cells in part due to downregulation of genes critical for proliferation, notably Cdk1. Moreover, genes with high and low expression level are more dependent on Tox4 than genes with medium expression level. Mechanistically, Tox4 may facilitate transcriptional reinitiation and restrict elongation in a dephosphorylation-dependent manner, a mechanism that is conserved between mouse and human. These results provide insights into the role of TOX4 in development and establish it as an evolutionarily conserved regulator of transcriptional elongation and reinitiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talang Wang
- Sheng Yushou Center of Cell Biology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Ruoyu Zhao
- Sheng Yushou Center of Cell Biology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200052, China
| | - Junhong Zhi
- Sheng Yushou Center of Cell Biology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Ziling Liu
- Sheng Yushou Center of Cell Biology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Aiwei Wu
- Sheng Yushou Center of Cell Biology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zimei Yang
- Sheng Yushou Center of Cell Biology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Weixu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Human Phenome Institute, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, School of Life Sciences and Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Ting Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Human Phenome Institute, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, School of Life Sciences and Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Lili Jing
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Ming Yu
- Sheng Yushou Center of Cell Biology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200052, China.
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15
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Luo L, Feng P, Yang Q, Lv W, Meng W, Yin Z, Li Z, Sun G, Dong Z, Yang M. Transcription factor TOX maintains the expression of Mst1 in controlling the early mouse NK cell development. Theranostics 2023; 13:2072-2087. [PMID: 37153735 PMCID: PMC10157744 DOI: 10.7150/thno.81198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: TOX is a DNA-binding factor required for the development of multiple immune cells and the formation of lymph nodes. However, the temporal regulation mode of TOX on NK cell development and function needs to be further explored. Methods: To investigate the role of TOX in NK cells at distinct developmental phases, we deleted TOX at the hematopoietic stem cell stage (Vav-Cre), NK cell precursor (CD122-Cre) stage and late NK cell developmental stage (Ncr1-Cre), respectively. Flow cytometry was used to detect the development and functional changes of NK cell when deletion of TOX. RNA-seq was used to assess the differences in transcriptional expression profile of WT and TOX-deficient NK cells. Published Chip-seq data was exploited to search for the proteins directly interact with TOX in NK cells. Results: The deficiency of TOX at the hematopoietic stem cell stage severely retarded NK cell development. To a less extent, TOX also played an essential role in the physiological process of NKp cells differentiation into mature NK cells. Furthermore, the deletion of TOX at NKp stage severely impaired the immune surveillance function of NK cells, accompanied by down-regulation of IFN-γ and CD107a expression. However, TOX is dispensable for mature NK cell development and function. Mechanistically, by combining RNA-seq data with published TOX ChIP-seq data, we found that the inactivation of TOX at NKp stage directly repressed the expression of Mst1, an important intermediate kinase in Hippo signaling pathway. Mst1 deficient at NKp stage gained the similar phenotype with Toxfl/flCD122Cre mice. Conclusion: In our study, we conclude that TOX coordinates the early mouse NK cell development at NKp stage by maintaining the expression of Mst1. Moreover, we clarify the different dependence of the transcription factor TOX in NK cells biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Luo
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-free animals and Microbiota Application, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Peiran Feng
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
| | - Quanli Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai People's Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Jinan University, Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Wenkai Lv
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-free animals and Microbiota Application, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Wanqing Meng
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-free animals and Microbiota Application, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Zhinan Yin
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-free animals and Microbiota Application, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai People's Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Jinan University, Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Zhizhong Li
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Guodong Sun
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Zhongjun Dong
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University and Institute for Clinical Immunology, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, 230032, China
- School of Medicine and Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Meixiang Yang
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Germ-free animals and Microbiota Application, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai People's Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Jinan University, Zhuhai, 519000, China
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16
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Niu H, Wang H. TOX regulates T lymphocytes differentiation and its function in tumor. Front Immunol 2023; 14:990419. [PMID: 36969216 PMCID: PMC10035881 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.990419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Thymocyte selection-associated high mobility group box protein (TOX) is expressed differently at all T lymphocytes development stages. Owing to more advanced scientific and technological means, including single-cell sequencing technology, heterogeneity of T lymphocytes and TOX has gradually been revealed. Further exploration of such heterogeneity will help us comprehend the developmental stage and functional characteristics of T lymphocytes in greater detail. Emerging evidence supports its regulation not only in exhausting, but also in activating T lymphocytes, thereby verifying TOX heterogeneity. TOX can be used not only as a latent intervention target for tumor diseases and chronic infections, and a therapeutic strategy for autoimmune diseases, but also as a critical factor predicting the drug response and overall survival of patients with malignant tumors.
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17
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Ding Y, Harly C, Das A, Bhandoola A. Early Development of Innate Lymphoid Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2580:51-69. [PMID: 36374450 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2740-2_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are transcriptionally and functionally similar to T cells but lack adaptive antigen receptors. They play critical roles in early defense against pathogens. In this review, we summarize recent discoveries of ILC progenitors and discuss possible mechanisms that separate ILCs from T cells. We consider mechanisms of lineage specification in early ILC development and also examine whether differences exist between adult and fetal ILC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ding
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | | | - Arundhoti Das
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Avinash Bhandoola
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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18
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He Q, Lu Y, Tian W, Jiang R, Yu W, Liu Y, Sun M, Wang F, Zhang H, Wu N, Dong Z, Sun B. TOX deficiency facilitates the differentiation of IL-17A-producing γδ T cells to drive autoimmune hepatitis. Cell Mol Immunol 2022; 19:1102-1116. [PMID: 35986136 PMCID: PMC9508111 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-022-00912-y] [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] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The specification of the αβ/γδ lineage and the maturation of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) coordinate central tolerance to self-antigens. However, the mechanisms underlying this biological process remain poorly clarified. Here, we report that dual-stage loss of TOX in thymocytes hierarchically impaired mTEC maturation, promoted thymic IL-17A-producing γδ T-cell (Tγδ17) lineage commitment, and led to the development of fatal autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) via different mechanisms. Transfer of γδ T cells from TOX-deficient mice reproduced AIH. TOX interacted with and stabilized the TCF1 protein to maintain the balance of γδ T-cell development in thymic progenitors, and overexpression of TCF1 normalized αβ/γδ lineage specification and activation. In addition, TOX expression was downregulated in γδ T cells from AIH patients and was inversely correlated with the AIH diagnostic score. Our findings suggest multifaceted roles of TOX in autoimmune control involving mTEC and Tγδ17 development and provide a potential diagnostic marker for AIH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qifeng He
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yijun Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenfang Tian
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Runqiu Jiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weiwei Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Meiling Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haitian Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ning Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhongjun Dong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Beicheng Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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19
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Han J, Wan M, Ma Z, He P. The TOX subfamily: all-round players in the immune system. Clin Exp Immunol 2022; 208:268-280. [PMID: 35485425 PMCID: PMC9226143 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxac037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymocyte selection-related HMG box protein (TOX) subfamily comprises evolutionarily conserved DNA-binding proteins, and is expressed in certain immune cell subsets and plays key roles in the development of CD4+ T cells, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, and in CD8+ T-cell exhaustion. Although its roles in CD4+ T and natural killer (NK) cells have been extensively studied, recent findings have demonstrated previously unknown roles for TOX in the development of ILCs, Tfh cells, as well as CD8+ T-cell exhaustion; however, the molecular mechanism underlying TOX regulation of these immune cells remains to be elucidated. In this review, we discuss recent studies on the influence of TOX on the development of various immune cells and CD8+ T-cell exhaustion and the roles of specific TOX family members in the immune system. Moreover, this review suggests candidate regulatory targets for cell therapy and immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawen Han
- Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Minjie Wan
- Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.,Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Zhanchuan Ma
- Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Ping He
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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20
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Chaudhary O, Trotta D, Wang K, Wang X, Chu X, Bradley C, Okulicz J, Maves RC, Kronmann K, Schofield CM, Blaylock JM, Deng Y, Schalper KA, Kaech SM, Agan B, Ganesan A, Emu B. Patients with HIV-associated cancers have evidence of increased T cell dysfunction and exhaustion prior to cancer diagnosis. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-004564. [PMID: 35470232 PMCID: PMC9039380 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People living with HIV (PLWH) have increased risk of developing cancers after controlling traditional risk factors and viral suppression. This study explores whether T cells can serve as a marker of risk for cancer among HIV-infected virally suppressed patients. METHODS A nested case control study design was pursued with 17 cancer cases and 73 controls (PLWH without cancer)ouidentified among the US Military HIV Natural History Study cohort, and were matched for CD4 + count, duration of HIV infection, and viral suppression. Cells were obtained from PLWH on an average of 12 months prior to clinical cancer diagnosis. Expression of inhibitory receptors (PD-1, CD160, CD244, Lag-3, and TIGIT), and transcription factors (T-bet, Eomesodermin, TCF-1, and (TOX) was measured on CD8 +T cells from that early time point. RESULTS We found that cases have increased expression of PD-1 +CD160+CD244+ ('triple positive') on total and effector CD8 + compared with controls (p=0.02). Furthermore, CD8 +T cells that were both PD-1 +CD160+CD244+ and T-betdimEomeshi were significantly elevated in cases at time point before cancer detection, compared with controls without cancer (p=0.008). This was driven by the finding that transcriptional factor profile of cells was altered in cancers compared with controls. Triple-positive cells were noted to retain the ability for cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion mediated by expression of CD160 and PD-1, respectively. However, triple-positive cells demonstrated high expression of TOX-1, a transcription factor associated with T cell exhaustion. CONCLUSION In conclusion, we have found a subset of dysfunctional CD8 +T cells, PD-1 +CD160+CD244+T-betdimEomeshi, that is elevated 12 months before cancer diagnosis, suggesting that peripheral T cell alterations may serve as a biomarker of increased cancer risk among PLWH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omkar Chaudhary
- Internal Medicine; Infectious Disease, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Diane Trotta
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kaicheng Wang
- School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Xun Wang
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Bethesda, Maryland, USA,Internal Medicine; Infectious Diseases and Critical Care, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Xiuping Chu
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Bethesda, Maryland, USA,Internal Medicine; Infectious Diseases and Critical Care, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Chip Bradley
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Bethesda, Maryland, USA,Internal Medicine; Infectious Diseases and Critical Care, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jason Okulicz
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Bethesda, Maryland, USA,Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ryan C Maves
- Internal Medicine; Infectious Diseases and Critical Care, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Karl Kronmann
- Internal Medicine, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
| | - Christina M Schofield
- Internal Medicine; Infectious Diseases, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington, USA
| | - Jason M Blaylock
- Internal Medicine, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yanhong Deng
- School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kurt A Schalper
- Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Susan M Kaech
- Departments of Immunobiology, Salk Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Brian Agan
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Bethesda, Maryland, USA,Internal Medicine; Infectious Diseases and Critical Care, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Anuradha Ganesan
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Bethesda, Maryland, USA,Internal Medicine, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Brinda Emu
- Internal Medicine; Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA,Internal Medicine; Infectious Diseases, VA Connecticut Healthcare System - West Haven Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
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21
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Philip M, Schietinger A. CD8 + T cell differentiation and dysfunction in cancer. Nat Rev Immunol 2022; 22:209-223. [PMID: 34253904 PMCID: PMC9792152 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-021-00574-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 383] [Impact Index Per Article: 191.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
CD8+ T cells specific for cancer cells are detected within tumours. However, despite their presence, tumours progress. The clinical success of immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive T cell therapy demonstrates the potential of CD8+ T cells to mediate antitumour responses; however, most patients with cancer fail to achieve long-term responses to immunotherapy. Here we review CD8+ T cell differentiation to dysfunctional states during tumorigenesis. We highlight similarities and differences between T cell dysfunction and other hyporesponsive T cell states and discuss the spatio-temporal factors contributing to T cell state heterogeneity in tumours. An important challenge is predicting which patients will respond to immunotherapeutic interventions and understanding which T cell subsets mediate the clinical response. We explore our current understanding of what determines T cell responsiveness and resistance to immunotherapy and point out the outstanding research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Philip
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Department of Medicine/Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,;
| | - Andrea Schietinger
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,;
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22
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Veldman J, Rodrigues Plaça J, Chong L, Terpstra MM, Mastik M, van Kempen LC, Kok K, Aoki T, Steidl C, van den Berg A, Visser L, Diepstra A. CD4+ T cells in classical Hodgkin lymphoma express exhaustion associated transcription factors TOX and TOX2. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2033433. [PMID: 35111387 PMCID: PMC8803106 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2033433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), the highly abundant CD4+ T cells in the vicinity of tumor cells are considered essential for tumor cell survival, but are ill-defined. Although they are activated, they consistently lack expression of activation marker CD26. In this study, we compared sorted CD4+CD26- and CD4+CD26+ T cells from cHL lymph node cell suspensions by RNA sequencing and T cell receptor variable gene segment usage analysis. This revealed that although CD4+CD26- T cells are antigen experienced, they have not clonally expanded. This may well be explained by the expression of exhaustion associated transcription factors TOX and TOX2, immune checkpoints PDCD1 and CD200, and chemokine CXCL13, which were amongst the 100 significantly enriched genes in comparison with the CD4+CD26+ T cells. Findings were validated in single-cell RNA sequencing data from an independent cohort. Interestingly, immunohistochemistry revealed predominant and high frequency of staining for TOX and TOX2 in the T cells attached to the tumor cells. In conclusion, the dominant CD4+CD26- T cell population in cHL is antigen experienced, polyclonal, and exhausted. This population is likely a main contributor to the very high response rates to immune checkpoint inhibitors in cHL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Veldman
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica Rodrigues Plaça
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lauren Chong
- Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, British Columbia Cancer, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Miente Martijn Terpstra
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mirjam Mastik
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Léon C. van Kempen
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Klaas Kok
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tomohiro Aoki
- Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, British Columbia Cancer, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christian Steidl
- Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, British Columbia Cancer, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anke van den Berg
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lydia Visser
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Diepstra
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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23
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Horiuchi S, Wu H, Liu WC, Schmitt N, Provot J, Liu Y, Bentebibel SE, Albrecht RA, Schotsaert M, Forst CV, Zhang B, Ueno H. Tox2 is required for the maintenance of GC T FH cells and the generation of memory T FH cells. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj1249. [PMID: 34623911 PMCID: PMC8500513 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj1249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Memory T follicular helper (TFH) cells play an essential role to induce secondary antibody response by providing help to memory and naïve B cells. Here, we show that the transcription factor Tox2 is vital for the maintenance of TFH cells in germinal centers (GCs) and the generation of memory TFH cells. High Tox2 expression was almost exclusive to GC TFH cells among human tonsillar and blood CD4+ T cell subsets. Tox2 overexpression maintained the expression of TFH-associated genes in T cell receptor–stimulated human GC TFH cells and inhibited their spontaneous conversion into TH1-like cells. Tox2-deficient mice displayed impaired secondary TFH cell expansion upon reimmunization with an antigen and upon secondary infection with a heterologous influenza virus. Collectively, our study shows that Tox2 is highly integrated into establishment of durable GC TFH cell responses and development of memory TFH cells in mice and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Horiuchi
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, TX 75204, USA
| | - Hanchih Wu
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Wen-Chun Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11571, Taiwan
| | - Nathalie Schmitt
- Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, TX 75204, USA
- ImmunoConcEpT, CNRS UMR 5164, Bordeaux University, Bordeaux 33076, France
| | - Jonathan Provot
- Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, TX 75204, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, TX 75204, USA
| | | | - Randy A. Albrecht
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Michael Schotsaert
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Christian V. Forst
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Hideki Ueno
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, TX 75204, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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24
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Baranek T, Lebrigand K, de Amat Herbozo C, Gonzalez L, Bogard G, Dietrich C, Magnone V, Boisseau C, Jouan Y, Trottein F, Si-Tahar M, Leite-de-Moraes M, Mallevaey T, Paget C. High Dimensional Single-Cell Analysis Reveals iNKT Cell Developmental Trajectories and Effector Fate Decision. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108116. [PMID: 32905761 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
CD1d-restricted invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells represent a unique class of T lymphocytes endowed with potent regulatory and effector immune functions. Although these functions are acquired during thymic ontogeny, the sequence of events that gives rise to discrete effector subsets remains unclear. Using an unbiased single-cell transcriptomic analysis combined with functional assays, we reveal an unappreciated diversity among thymic iNKT cells, especially among iNKT1 cells. Mathematical modeling and biological methods unravel a developmental map whereby iNKT2 cells constitute a transient branching point toward the generation of iNKT1 and iNKT17 cells, which reconciles the two previously proposed models. In addition, we identify the transcription co-factor Four-and-a-half LIM domains protein 2 (FHL2) as a critical cell-intrinsic regulator of iNKT1 specification. Thus, these data illustrate the changing transcriptional network that guides iNKT cell effector fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Baranek
- INSERM, Centre d'Etude des Pathologies Respiratoires (CEPR), UMR 1100, Tours, France; Université de Tours, Faculté de Médecine de Tours, Tours, France.
| | - Kevin Lebrigand
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, IPMC, Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | | | - Loïc Gonzalez
- INSERM, Centre d'Etude des Pathologies Respiratoires (CEPR), UMR 1100, Tours, France; Université de Tours, Faculté de Médecine de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Gemma Bogard
- INSERM, Centre d'Etude des Pathologies Respiratoires (CEPR), UMR 1100, Tours, France; Université de Tours, Faculté de Médecine de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Céline Dietrich
- Université de Paris, Paris, France; Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Immunopathology, INEM (Institut Necker-Enfants Malades), CNRS UMR8253 and INSERM UMR1151, Paris, France
| | | | - Chloé Boisseau
- INSERM, Centre d'Etude des Pathologies Respiratoires (CEPR), UMR 1100, Tours, France; Université de Tours, Faculté de Médecine de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Youenn Jouan
- INSERM, Centre d'Etude des Pathologies Respiratoires (CEPR), UMR 1100, Tours, France; Université de Tours, Faculté de Médecine de Tours, Tours, France; Service de Médecine Intensive et Réanimation, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire, Tours, France
| | - François Trottein
- Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Inserm U1019, CNRS UMR 9017, University of Lille, CHU Lille- Institut Pasteur de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Mustapha Si-Tahar
- INSERM, Centre d'Etude des Pathologies Respiratoires (CEPR), UMR 1100, Tours, France; Université de Tours, Faculté de Médecine de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Maria Leite-de-Moraes
- Université de Paris, Paris, France; Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Immunopathology, INEM (Institut Necker-Enfants Malades), CNRS UMR8253 and INSERM UMR1151, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Mallevaey
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Christophe Paget
- INSERM, Centre d'Etude des Pathologies Respiratoires (CEPR), UMR 1100, Tours, France; Université de Tours, Faculté de Médecine de Tours, Tours, France.
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25
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Liang C, Huang S, Zhao Y, Chen S, Li Y. TOX as a potential target for immunotherapy in lymphocytic malignancies. Biomark Res 2021; 9:20. [PMID: 33743809 PMCID: PMC7981945 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-021-00275-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
TOX (thymocyte selection-associated HMG BOX) is a member of a family of transcriptional factors that contain the highly conserved high mobility group box (HMG-box) region. Increasing studies have shown that TOX is involved in maintaining tumors and promoting T cell exhaustion. In this review, we summarized the biological functions of TOX and its contribution as related to lymphocytic malignancies. We also discussed the potential role of TOX as an immune biomarker and target in immunotherapy for hematological malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaofeng Liang
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education; Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.,Department of Anatomy and Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Shuxin Huang
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education; Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yujie Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education; Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Shaohua Chen
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education; Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
| | - Yangqiu Li
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education; Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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26
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Kumar V. Innate Lymphoid Cells and Adaptive Immune Cells Cross-Talk: A Secret Talk Revealed in Immune Homeostasis and Different Inflammatory Conditions. Int Rev Immunol 2021; 40:217-251. [PMID: 33733998 DOI: 10.1080/08830185.2021.1895145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The inflammatory immune response has evolved to protect the host from different pathogens, allergens, and endogenous death or damage-associated molecular patterns. Both innate and adaptive immune components are crucial in inducing an inflammatory immune response depending on the stimulus type and its duration of exposure or the activation of the primary innate immune response. As the source of inflammation is removed, the aggravated immune response comes to its homeostatic level. However, the failure of the inflammatory immune response to subside to its normal level generates chronic inflammatory conditions, including autoimmune diseases and cancer. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are newly discovered innate immune cells, which are present in abundance at mucosal surfaces, including lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive tract. Also, they are present in peripheral blood circulation, skin, and lymph nodes. They play a crucial role in generating the pro-inflammatory immune response during diverse conditions. On the other hand, adaptive immune cells, including different types of T and B cells are major players in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases (type 1 diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.) and cancers. Thus the article is designed to discuss the immunological role of different ILCs and their interaction with adaptive immune cells in maintaining the immune homeostasis, and during inflammatory autoimmune diseases along with other inflammatory conditions (excluding pathogen-induced inflammation), including cancer, graft-versus-host diseases, and human pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Kumar
- Children's Health Queensland Clinical Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mater Research, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Transcriptome and chromatin landscape of iNKT cells are shaped by subset differentiation and antigen exposure. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1446. [PMID: 33664261 PMCID: PMC7933435 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21574-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells) differentiate into thymic and peripheral NKT1, NKT2 and NKT17 subsets. Here we use RNA-seq and ATAC-seq analyses and show iNKT subsets are similar, regardless of tissue location. Lung iNKT cell subsets possess the most distinct location-specific features, shared with other innate lymphocytes in the lung, possibly consistent with increased activation. Following antigenic stimulation, iNKT cells undergo chromatin and transcriptional changes delineating two populations: one similar to follicular helper T cells and the other NK or effector like. Phenotypic analysis indicates these changes are observed long-term, suggesting that iNKT cells gene programs are not fixed, but they are capable of chromatin remodeling after antigen to give rise to additional subsets. Invariant natural killer T cells are known to be composed of a number of phenotypic and functionally distinct populations. Here the authors use transcriptomic and epigenomic analysis to further characterize the peripheral iNKT compartment before and after antigenic stimulation.
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Cheng H, Ma K, Zhang L, Li G. The tumor microenvironment shapes the molecular characteristics of exhausted CD8 + T cells. Cancer Lett 2021; 506:55-66. [PMID: 33662493 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The persistent antigen stimulation during chronic infections and cancer results in CD8+ T cell exhaustion. The exhausted T (Tex) cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) are characterized by increased expression of multiple co-inhibitory receptors simultaneously, progressive loss of effector function, poor proliferation and self-renewal capacity, and dysregulated metabolic activity. Emerging insights into molecular mechanisms underlying T cell exhaustion have proposed potential approaches to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy via restoring the effector function of Tex cells. In this review, we summarize the fundamental characteristics (e.g., inhibitory receptors and transcriptional factors) regarding Tex cell differentiation and discuss in particular how those exhaustion features are acquired and shaped by key factors within the TME. Additionally, we discuss the progress and limitations of current cancer immunotherapeutic strategies targeting Tex cells in clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongcheng Cheng
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China; Center for Systems Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology Regulatory Element, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kaili Ma
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China; Center for Systems Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China
| | - Lianjun Zhang
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China; Center for Systems Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China.
| | - Guideng Li
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China; Center for Systems Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 100005, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology Regulatory Element, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Transcriptional regulatory network for the establishment of CD8 + T cell exhaustion. Exp Mol Med 2021; 53:202-209. [PMID: 33627794 PMCID: PMC8080584 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-021-00568-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic infection with persistent antigenic stimulation results in the generation of exhausted CD8+ T cells, which are considered defective effector CD8+ T cells, and thus compromises effective immune responses. However, recent studies have illustrated that exhausted CD8+ T cells may be purposely generated and maintained to provide mild immune responses against chronic infection or cancer, which can be safer over a long period of time than strong immune responses. Indeed, a specific population of exhausted CD8+ T cells that behaves similarly to self-renewing stem cells and provides a continuous supply of exhausted CD8+ T cells has been identified, indicating that this population can be considered progenitors of exhausted CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, several ground-breaking studies in the last few years have shed new light on the transcriptional regulatory network governing the generation and propagation of exhausted CD8+ T cells, which involves T cell receptor (TCR) signaling that leads to NFAT-TCF1 (nuclear factor of activated T cells-T cell factor 1) activity followed by activation of the TOX/NR4A axis. Elucidation of the intracellular signaling pathways will help to define the definitive developmental stages leading to exhausted CD8+ T cells, which can be exploited to advance our never-ending battle against cancer. This review will summarize the recent discoveries that have deepened our understanding of the exhaustion program of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. A type of T cell previously thought to be defective could actually provide long-term mild immune responses for combating cancer. The unique environment created during chronic infections gives rise to functionally inert T cells known as ‘exhausted’ cells, which were once thought to impede immune responses. Wooseok Seo and co-workers at Nagoya University and the National Cancer Center in Tokyo, Japan, have reviewed recent studies suggesting that exhausted T cells may be generated by the body to provide mild immune responses. Such responses are safer over the long term than strong inflammatory defense mechanisms, where T cells may be overstimulated, leading to uncontrolled tissue damage and induced T cell death. The signaling pathways that generate and propagate exhausted cells are being revealed, shedding light on the developmental stages that lead to this subtle but effective response to chronic conditions.
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Transcriptional regulatory network for the establishment of CD8 + T cell exhaustion. Exp Mol Med 2021. [PMID: 33627794 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-021-00568-0.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic infection with persistent antigenic stimulation results in the generation of exhausted CD8+ T cells, which are considered defective effector CD8+ T cells, and thus compromises effective immune responses. However, recent studies have illustrated that exhausted CD8+ T cells may be purposely generated and maintained to provide mild immune responses against chronic infection or cancer, which can be safer over a long period of time than strong immune responses. Indeed, a specific population of exhausted CD8+ T cells that behaves similarly to self-renewing stem cells and provides a continuous supply of exhausted CD8+ T cells has been identified, indicating that this population can be considered progenitors of exhausted CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, several ground-breaking studies in the last few years have shed new light on the transcriptional regulatory network governing the generation and propagation of exhausted CD8+ T cells, which involves T cell receptor (TCR) signaling that leads to NFAT-TCF1 (nuclear factor of activated T cells-T cell factor 1) activity followed by activation of the TOX/NR4A axis. Elucidation of the intracellular signaling pathways will help to define the definitive developmental stages leading to exhausted CD8+ T cells, which can be exploited to advance our never-ending battle against cancer. This review will summarize the recent discoveries that have deepened our understanding of the exhaustion program of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells.
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HIV-1 Latency and Viral Reservoirs: Existing Reversal Approaches and Potential Technologies, Targets, and Pathways Involved in HIV Latency Studies. Cells 2021; 10:cells10020475. [PMID: 33672138 PMCID: PMC7926981 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Eradication of latent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a global health challenge. Reactivation of HIV latency and killing of virus-infected cells, the so-called "kick and kill" or "shock and kill" approaches, are a popular strategy for HIV cure. While antiretroviral therapy (ART) halts HIV replication by targeting multiple steps in the HIV life cycle, including viral entry, integration, replication, and production, it cannot get rid of the occult provirus incorporated into the host-cell genome. These latent proviruses are replication-competent and can rebound in cases of ART interruption or cessation. In general, a very small population of cells harbor provirus, serve as reservoirs in ART-controlled HIV subjects, and are capable of expressing little to no HIV RNA or proteins. Beyond the canonical resting memory CD4+ T cells, HIV reservoirs also exist within tissue macrophages, myeloid cells, brain microglial cells, gut epithelial cells, and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Despite a lack of active viral production, latently HIV-infected subjects continue to exhibit aberrant cellular signaling and metabolic dysfunction, leading to minor to major cellular and systemic complications or comorbidities. These include genomic DNA damage; telomere attrition; mitochondrial dysfunction; premature aging; and lymphocytic, cardiac, renal, hepatic, or pulmonary dysfunctions. Therefore, the arcane machineries involved in HIV latency and its reversal warrant further studies to identify the cryptic mechanisms of HIV reservoir formation and clearance. In this review, we discuss several molecules and signaling pathways, some of which have dual roles in maintaining or reversing HIV latency and reservoirs, and describe some evolving strategies and possible approaches to eliminate viral reservoirs and, ultimately, cure/eradicate HIV infection.
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Huang S, Liang C, Zhao Y, Deng T, Tan J, Lu Y, Liu S, Li Y, Chen S. Increased TOX expression concurrent with PD-1, Tim-3, and CD244 in T cells from patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol 2021; 18:143-149. [PMID: 33608984 DOI: 10.1111/ajco.13545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
AIM To characterize immune suppression in lymphoma, thymocyte selection-associated high mobility group box protein (TOX) expression and co-expression with programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1), T cell immunoglobulin mucin-domain-containing-3 (Tim-3), and CD244 in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and regulatory T (Treg) cells from patients with lymphomas were analyzed. METHODS TOX expression and co-expression with PD-1, Tim-3, and CD244 in CD3+, CD4+, Treg, and CD8+ T cells were analyzed by multi-color fluorescent flow cytometry using peripheral blood (PB) from 13 newly diagnosed, untreated lymphoma patients, and 11 healthy individuals. RESULTS An increased percentage of TOX+ CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells was found in PB from patients with B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) in comparison with healthy controls. Moreover, TOX+PD-1+ and TOX+Tim-3+ double-positive T cells increased among the CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+T cell populations in the B-NHL group. There was apparent heterogeneity in TOX expression and co-expression with PD-1, Tim-3, and CD244 in CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells in different lymphoma patients. In addition, the percentage of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T cells (Treg) among the CD3+ and CD4+ T cells significantly increased, and the number of TOX+ and TOX+PD-1+ Treg cells also significantly increased in the B-NHL group. CONCLUSIONS Higher expression of TOX concurrent with PD-1, Tim-3, and CD244 in T cells from patients with B-NHL may contribute to T cell exhaustion and impair their special anti-tumor T cell activity. TOX may be considered a potential target for reversing T cell exhaustion and improving T cell function in hematological malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxin Huang
- Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chaofeng Liang
- Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yujie Zhao
- Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tairan Deng
- Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaxiong Tan
- Department of Hematology, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuhong Lu
- Department of Hematology, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sichu Liu
- Lymphoma Division, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yangqiu Li
- Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaohua Chen
- Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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Persistence of self-reactive CD8+ T cells in the CNS requires TOX-dependent chromatin remodeling. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1009. [PMID: 33579927 PMCID: PMC7881115 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21109-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-reactive CD8+ T cells are important mediators of progressive tissue damage in autoimmune diseases, but the molecular program underlying these cells' functional adaptation is unclear. Here we characterize the transcriptional and epigenetic landscape of self-reactive CD8+ T cells in a mouse model of protracted central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity and compare it to populations of CNS-resident memory CD8+ T cells emerging from acute viral infection. We find that autoimmune CD8+ T cells persisting at sites of self-antigen exhibit characteristic transcriptional regulation together with distinct epigenetic remodeling. This self-reactive CD8+ T cell fate depends on the transcriptional regulation by the DNA-binding HMG-box protein TOX which remodels more than 400 genomic regions including loci such as Tcf7, which is central to stemness of CD8+ T cells. Continuous exposure to CNS self-antigen sustains TOX levels in self-reactive CD8+ T cells, whereas genetic ablation of TOX in CD8+ T cells results in shortened persistence of self-reactive CD8+ T cells in the inflamed CNS. Our study establishes and characterizes the genetic differentiation program enabling chronic T cell-driven immunopathology in CNS autoimmunity.
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Chopp LB, Gopalan V, Ciucci T, Ruchinskas A, Rae Z, Lagarde M, Gao Y, Li C, Bosticardo M, Pala F, Livak F, Kelly MC, Hannenhalli S, Bosselut R. An Integrated Epigenomic and Transcriptomic Map of Mouse and Human αβ T Cell Development. Immunity 2020; 53:1182-1201.e8. [PMID: 33242395 PMCID: PMC8641659 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2020.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
αβ lineage T cells, most of which are CD4+ or CD8+ and recognize MHC I- or MHC II-presented antigens, are essential for immune responses and develop from CD4+CD8+ thymocytes. The absence of in vitro models and the heterogeneity of αβ thymocytes have hampered analyses of their intrathymic differentiation. Here, combining single-cell RNA and ATAC (chromatin accessibility) sequencing, we identified mouse and human αβ thymocyte developmental trajectories. We demonstrated asymmetric emergence of CD4+ and CD8+ lineages, matched differentiation programs of agonist-signaled cells to their MHC specificity, and identified correspondences between mouse and human transcriptomic and epigenomic patterns. Through computational analysis of single-cell data and binding sites for the CD4+-lineage transcription factor Thpok, we inferred transcriptional networks associated with CD4+- or CD8+-lineage differentiation, and with expression of Thpok or of the CD8+-lineage factor Runx3. Our findings provide insight into the mechanisms of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell differentiation and a foundation for mechanistic investigations of αβ T cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Chopp
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Immunology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Vishaka Gopalan
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas Ciucci
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Allison Ruchinskas
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Single Cell Analysis Facility, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zachary Rae
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Single Cell Analysis Facility, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Manon Lagarde
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yayi Gao
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Caiyi Li
- Laboratory of Genomic Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marita Bosticardo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Francesca Pala
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ferenc Livak
- Laboratory of Genomic Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael C Kelly
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Single Cell Analysis Facility, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sridhar Hannenhalli
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rémy Bosselut
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Zhao X, Wang Y, Yu Q, Yu P, Zheng Q, Yang X, Gao D. Circular RNAs in gastrointestinal cancer: Current knowledge, biomarkers and targeted therapy (Review). Int J Mol Med 2020; 46:1611-1632. [PMID: 33000182 PMCID: PMC7521476 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2020.4731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a type of endogenous non‑coding RNAs that are connected at the 3' and 5' ends by exon or intron cyclization, which forms a covalently closed loop. They are stable, well conserved, exhibit specific expression in mammalian cells and can function as microRNA (miRNA or miR) sponges to regulate the target genes of miRNAs, which influences biological processes. Such as tumor proliferation, invasion, metastasis, apoptosis and tumor stage. circRNAs represent promising candidates for clinical diagnosis and treatment. In the present review, the biogenesis, classification and functions of circRNAs in tumors are briefly summarized and discussed. In addition, the participation of circRNAs in signal transduction pathways regulating gastrointestinal cancer cellular functions is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorui Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Qiongfang Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Pei Yu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Qiaoyu Zheng
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Dian Gao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
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Gene Expression Comparison between Sézary Syndrome and Lymphocytic-Variant Hypereosinophilic Syndrome Refines Biomarkers for Sézary Syndrome. Cells 2020; 9:cells9091992. [PMID: 32872487 PMCID: PMC7563155 DOI: 10.3390/cells9091992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sézary syndrome (SS), an aggressive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) with poor prognosis, is characterized by the clinical hallmarks of circulating malignant T cells, erythroderma and lymphadenopathy. However, highly variable clinical skin manifestations and similarities with benign mimickers can lead to significant diagnostic delay and inappropriate therapy that can lead to disease progression and mortality. SS has been the focus of numerous transcriptomic-profiling studies to identify sensitive and specific diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Benign inflammatory disease controls (e.g., psoriasis, atopic dermatitis) have served to identify chronic inflammatory phenotypes in gene expression profiles, but provide limited insight into the lymphoproliferative and oncogenic roles of abnormal gene expression in SS. This perspective was recently clarified by a transcriptome meta-analysis comparing SS and lymphocytic-variant hypereosinophilic syndrome, a benign yet often clonal T-cell lymphoproliferation, with clinical features similar to SS. Here we review the rationale for selecting lymphocytic-variant hypereosinophilic syndrome (L-HES) as a disease control for SS, and discuss differentially expressed genes that may distinguish benign from malignant lymphoproliferative phenotypes, including additional context from prior gene expression studies to improve understanding of genes important in SS.
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Hossain MA, Liu G, Dai B, Si Y, Yang Q, Wazir J, Birnbaumer L, Yang Y. Reinvigorating exhausted CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment and current strategies in cancer immunotherapy. Med Res Rev 2020; 41:156-201. [PMID: 32844499 DOI: 10.1002/med.21727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer in recent years and achieved overall success and long-term clinical benefit in patients with a wide variety of cancer types. However, there is still a large proportion of patients exhibiting limited or no responses to immunotherapeutic strategy, some of which were even observed with hyperprogressive disease. One major obstacle restricting the efficacy is that tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells, which are central for tumor control, undergo exhaustion, and lose their ability to eliminate cancer cells after infiltrating into the strongly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Thus, as a potential therapeutic rationale in the development of cancer immunotherapy, targeting or reinvigorating exhausted CD8+ T cells has been attracting much interest. Hitherto, both intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms that govern CD8+ T-cell exhaustion have been explored. Specifically, the transcriptional and epigenetic landscapes have been depicted utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing or mass cytometry (CyTOF). In addition, cellular metabolism dictating the tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T-cell fate is currently under investigation. A series of clinical trials are being carried out to further establish the current strategies targeting CD8+ T-cell exhaustion. Taken together, despite the proven benefit of immunotherapy in cancer patients, additional efforts are still needed to fully circumvent limitations of exhausted T cells in the treatment. In this review, we will focus on the current cellular and molecular understanding of metabolic changes, epigenetic remodeling, and transcriptional regulation in CD8+ T-cell exhaustion and describe hypothetical treatment approaches based on immunotherapy aiming at reinvigorating exhausted CD8+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Amir Hossain
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guilai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Beiying Dai
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yaxuan Si
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qitao Yang
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Junaid Wazir
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lutz Birnbaumer
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Institute of Biomedical Research (BIOMED), Catholic University of Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Yong Yang
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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38
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Zhang H, Fan F, Yu Y, Wang Z, Liu F, Dai Z, Zhang L, Liu Z, Cheng Q. Clinical characterization, genetic profiling, and immune infiltration of TOX in diffuse gliomas. J Transl Med 2020; 18:305. [PMID: 32762688 PMCID: PMC7409670 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02460-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Immunotherapies targeting glioblastoma (GBM) have led to significant improvements in patient outcomes. TOX is closely associated with the immune environment surrounding tumors, but its role in gliomas is not fully understood. Methods Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), we analyzed the transcriptomes of 1691 WHO grade I-IV human glioma samples. The R language was used to perform most of the statistical analyses. Somatic mutations and somatic copy number variation (CNV) were analyzed using GISTIC 2.0. Results TOX was down-regulated in malignant gliomas compared to low grade gliomas, and upregulated in the proneural and IDH mutant subtypes of GBM. TOXlow tumours are associated with the loss of PTEN and amplification of EGFR, while TOXhigh tumours harbor frequent mutations in IDH1 (91%). TOX was highly expressed in leading edge regions of tumours. Gene ontology and pathway analyses demonstrated that TOX was enriched in multiple immune related processes including lymphocyte migration in GBM. Finally, TOX had a negative association with the infiltration of several immune cell types in the tumour microenvironment. Conclusion TOX has the potential to be a new prognostic marker for GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fan Fan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yuanqiang Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zeyu Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fangkun Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ziyu Dai
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Liyang Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. .,Department of Medicine, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA. .,Clinical Diagnosis and Therapeutic Center of Glioma, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhixiong Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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Expression pattern, regulation, and clinical significance of TOX in breast cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 70:349-363. [PMID: 32757053 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02689-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Thymocyte selection-associated high mobility group box protein (TOX) is a transcription factor implicated in the regulation of T cell exhaustion during chronic infection and cancer. While TOX is being targeted for cancer immunotherapy, limited information is available about its significance in breast cancer and other solid tumors. We performed a comprehensive analysis of TOX gene expression, its epigenetic regulation, protein localization, relation to tumor infiltrating immune cell composition, and prognostic significance in breast cancer using publicly available datasets. Our results suggest an inverse correlation between TOX expression and DNA methylation in tumor cells. However, its expression is elevated in tumor infiltrating immune cells (TIICs), which may compensates for the total TOX levels in the tumor as a whole. Furthermore, higher TOX levels in tumors are associated with T cell exhaustion signatures along with presence of active inflammatory response, including elevated levels of T cell effector cytokines. Survival analysis also confirmed that higher expression of TOX is associated with better prognosis in breast cancer. Therefore, expression of TOX may serve as a novel prognostic marker for this malignancy.
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40
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Guo L, Li X, Liu R, Chen Y, Ren C, Du S. TOX correlates with prognosis, immune infiltration, and T cells exhaustion in lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer Med 2020; 9:6694-6709. [PMID: 32700817 PMCID: PMC7520261 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.3324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Thymocyte selection‐associated high mobility group box (TOX) plays a crucial role on the development of innate immunity and tumor microenvironment. This study aims to explore the prognostic potential of TOX and comprehensively analyze the correlations between TOX, immune infiltration, and T cells function in diverse cancers particularly lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods TIMER was used to analyze TOX expression in different cancers. Potential prognostic value of TOX was evaluated by the PrognoScan, Kaplan‐Meier Plotter, and GEPIA2. The relationships between TOX, immune infiltration, and related gene marker sets were analyzed by TIMER and GEPIA2. Single‐cell RNA‐seq for T cells in LUAD was analyzed to further investigate the correlations between TOX expression and different T cells populations. Results TOX downregulates in most of the cancer types and correlates with poor prognosis in LUAD. TOX shows significant impacts on survival of LUAD with early stage, ever‐smoking, or low‐TMB status. Increased TOX expression positively correlates with high immune infiltration levels in most of the immune cells and functional T cells including exhausted T cells. Moreover, multiple key genes of exhausted T cells comprising PD‐1, TIM‐3, TIGHT, and CXCL13 have remarkable interaction with TOX. Specifically, TOX is observed with high enrichment in exhausted CD4+ and CD8+ T cells populations in single‐cell RNA‐seq analysis for LUAD. Conclusion TOX is a prognosis‐related biomarker for multiple cancer types especially LUAD. Increased TOX expression significantly increase immune infiltration levels in most of the immune cells comprising CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, mast cells, and functional T cells. Moreover, we verified that TOX highly correlates with exhausted T cells and is probable a critical regulator promoted T cells exhaustion in LUAD. Detection of TOX expression could help to predict prognosis and regulating TOX expression in exhausted T cells may offer a novel strategy in maximizing immunotherapy efficacy for LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longbin Guo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuanzi Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rongping Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yulei Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chen Ren
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shasha Du
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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41
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Sekine T, Perez-Potti A, Nguyen S, Gorin JB, Wu VH, Gostick E, Llewellyn-Lacey S, Hammer Q, Falck-Jones S, Vangeti S, Yu M, Smed-Sörensen A, Gaballa A, Uhlin M, Sandberg JK, Brander C, Nowak P, Goepfert PA, Price DA, Betts MR, Buggert M. TOX is expressed by exhausted and polyfunctional human effector memory CD8 + T cells. Sci Immunol 2020; 5:5/49/eaba7918. [PMID: 32620560 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aba7918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
CD8+ T cell exhaustion is a hallmark of many cancers and chronic infections. In mice, T cell factor 1 (TCF-1) maintains exhausted CD8+ T cell responses, whereas thymocyte selection-associated HMG box (TOX) is required for the epigenetic remodeling and survival of exhausted CD8+ T cells. However, it has remained unclear to what extent these transcription factors play analogous roles in humans. In this study, we mapped the expression of TOX and TCF-1 as a function of differentiation and specificity in the human CD8+ T cell landscape. Here, we demonstrate that circulating TOX+ CD8+ T cells exist in most humans, but that TOX is not exclusively associated with exhaustion. Effector memory CD8+ T cells generally expressed TOX, whereas naive and early-differentiated memory CD8+ T cells generally expressed TCF-1. Cytolytic gene and protein expression signatures were also defined by the expression of TOX. In the context of a relentless immune challenge, exhausted HIV-specific CD8+ T cells commonly expressed TOX, often in clusters with various activation markers and inhibitory receptors, and expressed less TCF-1. However, polyfunctional memory CD8+ T cells specific for cytomegalovirus (CMV) or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) also expressed TOX, either with or without TCF-1. A similar phenotype was observed among HIV-specific CD8+ T cells from individuals who maintained exceptional immune control of viral replication. Collectively, these data demonstrate that TOX is expressed by most circulating effector memory CD8+ T cell subsets and not exclusively linked to exhaustion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Sekine
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - André Perez-Potti
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Son Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jean-Baptiste Gorin
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vincent H Wu
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emma Gostick
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Sian Llewellyn-Lacey
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Quirin Hammer
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara Falck-Jones
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sindhu Vangeti
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Meng Yu
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Smed-Sörensen
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ahmed Gaballa
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael Uhlin
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan K Sandberg
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christian Brander
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain.,Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya, Vic, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Piotr Nowak
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Paul A Goepfert
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - David A Price
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK.,Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Michael R Betts
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marcus Buggert
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Patta I, Madhok A, Khare S, Gottimukkala KP, Verma A, Giri S, Dandewad V, Seshadri V, Lal G, Misra-Sen J, Galande S. Dynamic regulation of chromatin organizer SATB1 via TCR-induced alternative promoter switch during T-cell development. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:5873-5890. [PMID: 32392347 PMCID: PMC7293019 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The chromatin organizer SATB1 is highly enriched in thymocytes and is essential for T-cell development. Although SATB1 regulates a large number of genes important for T-cell development, the mechanism(s) regulating expression of SATB1 during this process remain elusive. Using chromatin immune precipitation-seq-based occupancy profiles of H3K4me3 and H3Kme1 at Satb1 gene locus, we predicted four different alternative promoters of Satb1 in mouse thymocytes and characterized them. The expression of Satb1 transcript variants with distinct 5′ UTRs occurs in a stage-specific manner during T-cell development and is dependent on TCR signaling. The observed discrepancy between the expression levels of SATB1 mRNA and protein in developing thymocytes can be explained by the differential translatability of Satb1 transcript variants as confirmed by polysome profiling and in vitro translation assay. We show that Satb1 alternative promoters exhibit lineage-specific chromatin accessibility during T-cell development from progenitors. Furthermore, TCF1 regulates the Satb1 P2 promoter switch during CD4SP development, via direct binding to the Satb1 P2 promoter. CD4SP T cells from TCF1 KO mice exhibit downregulation of P2 transcript variant expression as well as low levels of SATB1 protein. Collectively, these results provide unequivocal evidence toward alternative promoter switch-mediated developmental stage-specific regulation of SATB1 in thymocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indumathi Patta
- Centre of Excellence in Epigenetics, Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Maharashtra 411008, India
| | - Ayush Madhok
- Centre of Excellence in Epigenetics, Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Maharashtra 411008, India
| | - Satyajeet Khare
- Centre of Excellence in Epigenetics, Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Maharashtra 411008, India.,Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Pune, Maharashtra 412115, India
| | - Kamalvishnu P Gottimukkala
- National Institute on Aging, NIH and School of Medicine Immunology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Anjali Verma
- National Institute on Aging, NIH and School of Medicine Immunology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Shilpi Giri
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
| | - Vishal Dandewad
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
| | - Vasudevan Seshadri
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
| | - Girdhari Lal
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
| | - Jyoti Misra-Sen
- National Institute on Aging, NIH and School of Medicine Immunology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Sanjeev Galande
- Centre of Excellence in Epigenetics, Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Maharashtra 411008, India
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Transcriptional Regulation of Natural Killer Cell Development and Functions. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061591. [PMID: 32560225 PMCID: PMC7352776 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are the major lymphocyte subset of the innate immune system. Their ability to mediate anti-tumor cytotoxicity and produce cytokines is well-established. However, the molecular mechanisms associated with the development of human or murine NK cells are not fully understood. Knowledge is being gained about the environmental cues, the receptors that sense the cues, signaling pathways, and the transcriptional programs responsible for the development of NK cells. Specifically, a complex network of transcription factors (TFs) following microenvironmental stimuli coordinate the development and maturation of NK cells. Multiple TFs are involved in the development of NK cells in a stage-specific manner. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the understandings of TFs involved in the regulation of NK cell development, maturation, and effector function, in the aspects of their mechanisms, potential targets, and functions.
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44
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Balkhi MY. Receptor signaling, transcriptional, and metabolic regulation of T cell exhaustion. Oncoimmunology 2020; 9:1747349. [PMID: 32363117 PMCID: PMC7185212 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2020.1747349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Exhaustion cripples T cell effector responses against metastatic cancers and chronic infections alike. There has been considerable interest in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving T cell exhaustion in human cancers fueled by the success of immunotherapy drugs especially the checkpoint receptor blockade (CRB) inhibitory antibodies that reverses T cell functional exhaustion. The current understanding of molecular mechanism of T cell exhaustion has been elucidated from the studies utilizing murine models of chronic viral infections. These studies have formed the basis for much of our understanding of the process of exhaustion and proven vital to developing anti-exhaustion therapies against human cancers. In this review, we discuss the T cell exhaustion differentiation pathway in cancers and chronic viral infections and explore how the transcription factors expression dynamics play role in T cell exhaustion fate choices and maturation. Finally, we summarize the role of some of the most important transcription factors involved in T cell functional exhaustion and construct exhaustion specific signaling pathway maps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mumtaz Y Balkhi
- Department of Molecular & Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.,Immune Therapy Bio, Nest.Bio Labs, Vassar St. Cambridge, MA, USA
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45
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Maestre L, García-García JF, Jiménez S, Reyes-García AI, García-González Á, Montes-Moreno S, Arribas AJ, González-García P, Caleiras E, Banham AH, Piris MÁ, Roncador G. High-mobility group box (TOX) antibody a useful tool for the identification of B and T cell subpopulations. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229743. [PMID: 32106280 PMCID: PMC7046285 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymocyte selection-associated high-mobility group box (TOX) is a DNA-binding factor that is able to regulate transcription by modifying local chromatin structure and modulating the formation of multi-protein complexes. TOX has multiple roles in the development of the adaptive immune system including development of CD4 T cells, NK cells and lymph node organogenesis. However very few antibodies recognizing this molecule have been reported and no extensive study of the expression of TOX in reactive and neoplastic lymphoid tissue has been performed to date. In the present study, we have investigated TOX expression in normal and neoplastic lymphoid tissues using a novel rat monoclonal antibody that recognizes its target molecule in paraffin-embedded tissue sections. A large series of normal tissues and B- and T-cell lymphomas was studied, using whole sections and tissue microarrays. We found that the majority of precursor B/T lymphoblastic, follicular and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphomas and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphomas strongly expressed the TOX protein. Burkitt and mantle cell lymphomas showed TOX expression in a small percentage of cases. TOX was not found in the majority of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, myelomas, marginal zone lymphomas and classical Hodgkin lymphomas. In conclusion, we describe for the first time the expression of TOX in normal and neoplastic lymphoid tissues. The co-expression of TOX and PD-1 identified in normal and neoplastic T cells is consistent with recent studies identifying TOX as a critical regulator of T-cell exhaustion and a potential immunotherapy target. Its differential expression may be of diagnostic relevance in the differential diagnosis of follicular lymphoma, the identification of the phenotype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and the recognition of peripheral T-cell lymphoma with a follicular helper T phenotype.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived/immunology
- Antibody Specificity
- B-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology
- B-Lymphocyte Subsets/metabolism
- B-Lymphocyte Subsets/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Female
- Gene Expression
- High Mobility Group Proteins/genetics
- High Mobility Group Proteins/immunology
- High Mobility Group Proteins/metabolism
- Humans
- Lymphoid Tissue/immunology
- Lymphoid Tissue/metabolism
- Lymphoma, B-Cell/immunology
- Lymphoma, B-Cell/metabolism
- Lymphoma, B-Cell/pathology
- Lymphoma, T-Cell/immunology
- Lymphoma, T-Cell/metabolism
- Lymphoma, T-Cell/pathology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology
- T-Lymphocyte Subsets/metabolism
- T-Lymphocyte Subsets/pathology
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Alberto J. Arribas
- Università della Svizzera Italiana, Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Alison H. Banham
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Miguel Ángel Piris
- Department of Pathology, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
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Kim CG, Jang M, Kim Y, Leem G, Kim KH, Lee H, Kim TS, Choi SJ, Kim HD, Han JW, Kwon M, Kim JH, Lee AJ, Nam SK, Bae SJ, Lee SB, Shin SJ, Park SH, Ahn JB, Jung I, Lee KY, Park SH, Kim H, Min BS, Shin EC. VEGF-A drives TOX-dependent T cell exhaustion in anti–PD-1–resistant microsatellite stable colorectal cancers. Sci Immunol 2019; 4:4/41/eaay0555. [DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aay0555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Although immune checkpoint blockade therapies have demonstrated clinical efficacy in cancer treatment, harnessing this strategy is largely encumbered by resistance in multiple cancer settings. Here, we show that tumor-infiltrating T cells are severely exhausted in the microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal cancer (CRC), a representative example of PD-1 blockade–resistant tumors. In MSS CRC, we found wound healing signature to be up-regulated and that T cell exhaustion is driven by vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). We report that VEGF-A induces the expression of transcription factor TOX in T cells to drive exhaustion-specific transcription program in T cells. Using a combination of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo mouse studies, we demonstrate that combined blockade of PD-1 and VEGF-A restores the antitumor functions of T cells, resulting in better control of MSS CRC tumors.
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Xu W, Zhao X, Wang X, Feng H, Gou M, Jin W, Wang X, Liu X, Dong C. The Transcription Factor Tox2 Drives T Follicular Helper Cell Development via Regulating Chromatin Accessibility. Immunity 2019; 51:826-839.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2019.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Wang X, He Q, Shen H, Xia A, Tian W, Yu W, Sun B. TOX promotes the exhaustion of antitumor CD8 + T cells by preventing PD1 degradation in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol 2019; 71:731-741. [PMID: 31173813 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2019.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The thymocyte selection-associated high mobility group box protein (TOX) plays a vital role in T cell development and differentiation, however, its role in T cell exhaustion was unexplored. Here, we aim to investigate the role of TOX in regulating the antitumor effect of CD8+ T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS Fully functional, partially and severely exhausted tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells were sorted by flow cytometry and subjected to transcriptome sequencing analysis. Upregulated TOX expression was validated by flow cytometry. The antitumor function of CD8+ T cells with TOX downregulation or overexpression was studied in a mouse HCC model and HCC patient-derived xenograft mouse model. Transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed in TOX-overexpressing and control CD8+ T cells. The mechanism underlying the TOX-mediated regulation of PD1 expression was studied by laser confocal detection, immune co-precipitation and flow cytometer. RESULTS TOX was upregulated in exhausted CD8+ T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. TOX downregulation in CD8+ T cells inhibited tumor growth, increased CD8+ T cell infiltration, alleviated CD8+ T cell exhaustion and improved the anti-PD1 response of CD8+ T cells. The mechanism behind this involved the binding of TOX to PD1 in the cytoplasm, which facilitated the endocytic recycling of PD1, thus maintaining abundant PD1 expression at the cell surface. High expression of TOX in peripheral CD8+ T cells correlated with poorer anti-PD1 responses and prognosis. CONCLUSIONS TOX promotes CD8+ T cell exhaustion in hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating endocytic recycling of PD1. Downregulating TOX expression in CD8+ T cells exerts synergistic effects with anti-PD1 therapy, highlighting a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. LAY SUMMARY Abundant TOX expression in CD8+ T cells impairs their antitumor function in hepatocellular carcinoma. Mechanically, TOX reduces PD1 degradation and promotes PD1 translocation to the cell surface in CD8+ T cells, thus maintaining high PD1 expression at the cell surface. Downregulating TOX expression improves the antitumor function of CD8+ T cells, which shows the synergetic role of anti-PD1 therapy, highlighting a promising strategy for enhancement of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China; Liver Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, 211166 Nanjing, China
| | - Qifeng He
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China; Liver Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, 211166 Nanjing, China
| | - Haiyuan Shen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, 211166 Nanjing, China
| | - Anliang Xia
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China; Liver Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, 211166 Nanjing, China
| | - Wenfang Tian
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Weiwei Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China; Liver Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Beicheng Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, 211166 Nanjing, China.
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The transcription factor TCF-1 enforces commitment to the innate lymphoid cell lineage. Nat Immunol 2019; 20:1150-1160. [PMID: 31358996 PMCID: PMC6707869 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-019-0445-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) play important functions in immunity and tissue homeostasis, but their development is poorly understood. Through the use of single-cell approaches, we examined the transcriptional and functional heterogeneity of ILC progenitors, and studied the precursor-product relationships that link the subsets identified. This analysis identified two successive stages of ILC development within T cell factor 1-positive (TCF-1+) early innate lymphoid progenitors (EILPs), which we named 'specified EILPs' and 'committed EILPs'. Specified EILPs generated dendritic cells, whereas this potential was greatly decreased in committed EILPs. TCF-1 was dispensable for the generation of specified EILPs, but required for the generation of committed EILPs. TCF-1 used a pre-existing regulatory landscape established in upstream lymphoid precursors to bind chromatin in EILPs. Our results provide insight into the mechanisms by which TCF-1 promotes developmental progression of ILC precursors, while constraining their dendritic cell lineage potential and enforcing commitment to ILC fate.
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Abstract
A fundamental question in developmental immunology is how bipotential thymocyte precursors generate both CD4+ helper and CD8+ cytotoxic T cell lineages. The MHC specificity of αβ T cell receptors (TCRs) on precursors is closely correlated with cell fate-determining processes, prompting studies to characterize how variations in TCR signaling are linked with genetic programs establishing lineage-specific gene expression signatures, such as exclusive CD4 or CD8 expression. The key transcription factors ThPOK and Runx3 have been identified as mediating development of helper and cytotoxic T cell lineages, respectively. Together with increasing knowledge of epigenetic regulators, these findings have advanced our understanding of the transcription factor network regulating the CD4/CD8 dichotomy. It has also become apparent that CD4+ T cells retain developmental plasticity, allowing them to acquire cytotoxic activity in the periphery. Despite such advances, further studies are necessary to identify the molecular links between TCR signaling and the nuclear machinery regulating expression of ThPOK and Runx3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ichiro Taniuchi
- Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan;
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