1
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Gunbin KV, Kopeina GS, Zhivotovsky B, Zamaraev AV. Features of the CD1 gene family in rodents and the uniqueness of the immune system of naked mole-rat. Biol Direct 2024; 19:58. [PMID: 39075541 PMCID: PMC11285450 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-024-00503-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: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Cluster of Differentiation 1 (CD1) proteins are widely expressed throughout jawed vertebrates and present lipid antigens to specific CD1-restricted T lymphocytes. CD1 molecules play an important role in immune defense with the presence or absence of particular CD1 proteins frequently associated with the functional characteristics of the immune system. Here, we show the evolution of CD1 proteins in the Rodentia family and the diversity among its members. Based on the analysis of CD1 protein-coding regions in rodent genomes and the reconstruction of protein structures, we found that Heterocephalus glaber represents a unique member of the suborder Hystricomorpha with significant changes in protein sequences and structures of the CD1 family. Multiple lines of evidence point to the absence of CD1d and CD1e and probably a dysfunctional CD1b protein in Heterocephalus glaber. In addition, the impact of CD1d loss on the CD1d/Natural killer T (NKT) cell axis in the naked mole-rat and its potential implications for immune system function are discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin V Gunbin
- Center for Mitochondrial Functional Genomics, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, 236016, Russia
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Gelina S Kopeina
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, RAS, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Faculty of Medicine, MV Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Boris Zhivotovsky
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, RAS, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
- Faculty of Medicine, MV Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
- Division of Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, Stockholm, 17177, Sweden.
| | - Alexey V Zamaraev
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, RAS, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
- Faculty of Medicine, MV Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
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2
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Sanchez Sanchez G, Emmrich S, Georga M, Papadaki A, Kossida S, Seluanov A, Gorbunova V, Vermijlen D. Invariant γδTCR natural killer-like effector T cells in the naked mole-rat. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4248. [PMID: 38762584 PMCID: PMC11102460 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48652-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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a long-lived rodent species showing resistance to the development of cancer. Although naked mole-rats have been reported to lack natural killer (NK) cells, γδ T cell-based immunity has been suggested in this species, which could represent an important arm of the immune system for antitumor responses. Here, we investigate the biology of these unconventional T cells in peripheral tissues (blood, spleen) and thymus of the naked mole-rat at different ages by TCR repertoire profiling and single-cell gene expression analysis. Using our own TCR annotation in the naked mole-rat genome, we report that the γδ TCR repertoire is dominated by a public invariant Vγ4-2/Vδ1-4 TCR, containing the complementary-determining-region-3 (CDR3)γ CTYWDSNYAKKLF / CDR3δ CALWELRTGGITAQLVF that are likely generated by short-homology-repeat-driven DNA rearrangements. This invariant TCR is specifically found in γδ T cells expressing genes associated with NK cytotoxicity and is generated in both the thoracic and cervical thymus of the naked mole-rat until adult life. Our results indicate that invariant Vγ4-2/Vδ1-4 NK-like effector T cells in the naked mole-rat can contribute to tumor immunosurveillance by γδ TCR-mediated recognition of a common molecular signal.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Mole Rats/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/metabolism
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/immunology
- Thymus Gland/immunology
- Thymus Gland/cytology
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Spleen/immunology
- Complementarity Determining Regions/genetics
- Natural Killer T-Cells/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillem Sanchez Sanchez
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
- ULB Center for Research in Immunology (U-CRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
- WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
| | - Stephan Emmrich
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Maria Georga
- IMGT®, the international ImMunoGenetics information system®, Institut de Génétique Humaine (IGH), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier (UM), Montpellier, France
| | - Ariadni Papadaki
- IMGT®, the international ImMunoGenetics information system®, Institut de Génétique Humaine (IGH), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier (UM), Montpellier, France
| | - Sofia Kossida
- IMGT®, the international ImMunoGenetics information system®, Institut de Génétique Humaine (IGH), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier (UM), Montpellier, France
| | - Andrei Seluanov
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center and Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Vera Gorbunova
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center and Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - David Vermijlen
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium.
- ULB Center for Research in Immunology (U-CRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium.
- WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium.
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3
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Lin TD, Rubinstein ND, Fong NL, Smith M, Craft W, Martin-McNulty B, Perry R, Delaney MA, Roy MA, Buffenstein R. Evolution of T cells in the cancer-resistant naked mole-rat. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3145. [PMID: 38605005 PMCID: PMC11009300 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47264-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (NMRs) are best known for their extreme longevity and cancer resistance, suggesting that their immune system might have evolved to facilitate these phenotypes. Natural killer (NK) and T cells have evolved to detect and destroy cells infected with pathogens and to provide an early response to malignancies. While it is known that NMRs lack NK cells, likely lost during evolution, little is known about their T-cell subsets in terms of the evolution of the genes that regulate their function, their clonotypic diversity, and the thymus where they mature. Here we find, using single-cell transcriptomics, that NMRs have a large circulating population of γδT cells, which in mice and humans mostly reside in peripheral tissues and induce anti-cancer cytotoxicity. Using single-cell-T-cell-receptor sequencing, we find that a cytotoxic γδT-cell subset of NMRs harbors a dominant clonotype, and that their conventional CD8 αβT cells exhibit modest clonotypic diversity. Consistently, perinatal NMR thymuses are considerably smaller than those of mice yet follow similar involution progression. Our findings suggest that NMRs have evolved under a relaxed intracellular pathogenic selective pressure that may have allowed cancer resistance and longevity to become stronger targets of selection to which the immune system has responded by utilizing γδT cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzuhua D Lin
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California, CA, USA
| | | | - Nicole L Fong
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California, CA, USA
| | - Megan Smith
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California, CA, USA
| | - Wendy Craft
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California, CA, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Perry
- Department of Biological Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, IL, USA
| | | | - Margaret A Roy
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California, CA, USA
| | - Rochelle Buffenstein
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California, CA, USA.
- Department of Biological Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, IL, USA.
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4
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Oka K, Yamakawa M, Kawamura Y, Kutsukake N, Miura K. The Naked Mole-Rat as a Model for Healthy Aging. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2023; 11:207-226. [PMID: 36318672 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-050322-074744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (NMRs, Heterocephalus glaber) are the longest-lived rodents with a maximum life span exceeding 37 years. They exhibit a delayed aging phenotype and resistance to age-related functional decline/diseases. Specifically, they do not display increased mortality with age, maintain several physiological functions until nearly the end of their lifetime, and rarely develop cancer and Alzheimer's disease. NMRs live in a hypoxic environment in underground colonies in East Africa and are highly tolerant of hypoxia. These unique characteristics of NMRs have attracted considerable interest from zoological and biomedical researchers. This review summarizes previous studies of the ecology, hypoxia tolerance, longevity/delayed aging, and cancer resistance of NMRs and discusses possible mechanisms contributing to their healthy aging. In addition, we discuss current issues and future perspectives to fully elucidate the mechanisms underlying delayed aging and resistance to age-related diseases in NMRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Oka
- Department of Aging and Longevity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; , ,
| | - Masanori Yamakawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Kanagawa, Japan; ,
| | - Yoshimi Kawamura
- Department of Aging and Longevity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; , ,
| | - Nobuyuki Kutsukake
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Kanagawa, Japan; , .,Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kyoko Miura
- Department of Aging and Longevity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; , , .,Center for Metabolic Regulation of Healthy Aging, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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5
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Depoërs L, Dumont-Lagacé M, Trinh VQH, Houques C, Côté C, Larouche JD, Brochu S, Perreault C. Klf4 protects thymus integrity during late pregnancy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1016378. [PMID: 37180153 PMCID: PMC10174329 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1016378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy causes abrupt thymic atrophy. This atrophy is characterized by a severe decrease in the number of all thymocyte subsets and qualitative (but not quantitative) changes in thymic epithelial cells (TECs). Pregnancy-related thymic involution is triggered by progesterone-induced functional changes affecting mainly cortical TECs (cTECs). Remarkably, this severe involution is rapidly corrected following parturition. We postulated that understanding the mechanisms of pregnancy-related thymic changes could provide novel insights into signaling pathways regulating TEC function. When we analyzed genes whose expression in TECs was modified during late pregnancy, we found a strong enrichment in genes bearing KLF4 transcription factor binding motifs. We, therefore, engineered a Psmb11-iCre : Klf4lox/lox mouse model to study the impact of TEC-specific Klf4 deletion in steady-state conditions and during late pregnancy. Under steady-state conditions, Klf4 deletion had a minimal effect on TEC subsets and did not affect thymic architecture. However, pregnancy-induced thymic involution was much more pronounced in pregnant females lacking Klf4 expression in TECs. These mice displayed a substantial ablation of TECs with a more pronounced loss of thymocytes. Transcriptomic and phenotypic analyses of Klf4 -/- TECs revealed that Klf4 maintains cTEC numbers by supporting cell survival and preventing epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity during late pregnancy. We conclude that Klf4 is essential for preserving TEC's integrity and mitigating thymic involution during late pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucyle Depoërs
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Maude Dumont-Lagacé
- ExCellThera, Inc., Montréal, QC, Canada
- Piercing Star Technologies, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Vincent Quoc-Huy Trinh
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Cellular Biology, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, and Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Chloé Houques
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Caroline Côté
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-David Larouche
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sylvie Brochu
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Sylvie Brochu, ; Claude Perreault,
| | - Claude Perreault
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Sylvie Brochu, ; Claude Perreault,
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6
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Yamamura Y, Kawamura Y, Oka K, Miura K. Carcinogenesis resistance in the longest-lived rodent, the naked mole-rat. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:4030-4036. [PMID: 36083242 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Certain mammalian species are resistant to cancer, and a better understanding of how this cancer resistance arises could provide valuable insights for basic cancer research. Recent technological innovations in molecular biology have allowed the study of cancer-resistant mammals, despite the fact that they are not the classical model animals, which are easily studied using genetic approaches. Naked mole-rats (NMRs; Heterocephalus glaber) are the longest-lived rodent, with a maximum lifespan of more than 37 years, and almost never show spontaneous carcinogenesis. NMRs are currently attracting much attention from aging and cancer researchers, and published studies on NMR have continued to increase over the past decade. Cancer development occurs via multiple steps and involves many biological processes. Recent research on the NMR as a model for cancer resistance suggests that they possess various unique carcinogenesis-resistance mechanisms, including efficient DNA repair pathways, cell-autonomous resistance to transformation, and dampened inflammatory response. Here, we summarize the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis resistance in NMR, which have been uncovered over the past two decades, and discuss future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Yamamura
- Department of Aging and Longevity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Kawamura
- Department of Aging and Longevity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kaori Oka
- Department of Aging and Longevity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kyoko Miura
- Department of Aging and Longevity Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.,Center for Metabolic Regulation of Healthy Aging, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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7
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Emmrich S, Trapp A, Tolibzoda Zakusilo F, Straight ME, Ying AK, Tyshkovskiy A, Mariotti M, Gray S, Zhang Z, Drage MG, Takasugi M, Klusmann J, Gladyshev VN, Seluanov A, Gorbunova V. Characterization of naked mole-rat hematopoiesis reveals unique stem and progenitor cell patterns and neotenic traits. EMBO J 2022; 41:e109694. [PMID: 35694726 PMCID: PMC9340489 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2021109694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Naked mole rats (NMRs) are the longest-lived rodents yet their stem cell characteristics remain enigmatic. Here, we comprehensively mapped the NMR hematopoietic landscape and identified unique features likely contributing to longevity. Adult NMRs form red blood cells in spleen and marrow, which comprise a myeloid bias toward granulopoiesis together with decreased B-lymphopoiesis. Remarkably, youthful blood and marrow single-cell transcriptomes and cell compositions are largely maintained until at least middle age. Similar to primates, the primitive stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) compartment is marked by CD34 and THY1. Stem cell polarity is seen for Tubulin but not CDC42, and is not lost until 12 years of age. HSPC respiration rates are as low as in purified human stem cells, in concert with a strong expression signature for fatty acid metabolism. The pool of quiescent stem cells is higher than in mice, and the cell cycle of hematopoietic cells is prolonged. By characterizing the NMR hematopoietic landscape, we identified resilience phenotypes such as an increased quiescent HSPC compartment, absence of age-related decline, and neotenic traits likely geared toward longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Albert K Ying
- Division of GeneticsDepartment of MedicineBrigham and Women’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Alexander Tyshkovskiy
- Division of GeneticsDepartment of MedicineBrigham and Women’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Marco Mariotti
- Division of GeneticsDepartment of MedicineBrigham and Women’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Spencer Gray
- Department of BiologyUniversity of RochesterRochesterNYUSA
| | - Zhihui Zhang
- Department of BiologyUniversity of RochesterRochesterNYUSA
| | - Michael G Drage
- Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNYUSA
| | | | - Jan‐Henning Klusmann
- Pediatric Hematology and OncologyMartin‐Luther‐University Halle‐WittenbergHalleGermany
| | - Vadim N Gladyshev
- Division of GeneticsDepartment of MedicineBrigham and Women’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | | | - Vera Gorbunova
- Department of BiologyUniversity of RochesterRochesterNYUSA
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8
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Savina A, Jaffredo T, Saldmann F, Faulkes CG, Moguelet P, Leroy C, Marmol DD, Codogno P, Foucher L, Zalc A, Viltard M, Friedlander G, Aractingi S, Fontaine RH. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals age-resistant maintenance of cell identities, stem cell compartments and differentiation trajectories in long-lived naked mole-rats skin. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:3728-3756. [PMID: 35507806 PMCID: PMC9134947 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (NMR) are subterranean rodents characterized by an unusual longevity coupled with an unexplained resistance to aging. In the present study, we performed extensive in situ analysis and single-cell RNA-sequencing comparing young and older animals. At variance with other species, NMR exhibited a striking stability of skin compartments and cell types, which remained stable over time without aging-associated changes. Remarkably, the number of stem cells was constant throughout aging. We found three classical cellular states defining a unique keratinocyte differentiation trajectory that were not altered after pseudo-temporal reconstruction. Epidermal gene expression did not change with aging either. Langerhans cell clusters were conserved, and only a higher basal stem cell expression of Igfbp3 was found in aged animals. In accordance, NMR skin healing closure was similar in young and older animals. Altogether, these results indicate that NMR skin is characterized by peculiar genetic and cellular features, different from those previously demonstrated for mice and humans. The remarkable stability of the aging NMR skin transcriptome likely reflects unaltered homeostasis and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thierry Jaffredo
- Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France
| | | | - Chris G. Faulkes
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, London, United Kingdom
| | - Philippe Moguelet
- Service d'Anatomie et Cytologie Pathologiques, Hôpital Tenon, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Christine Leroy
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | | | - Patrice Codogno
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Lucy Foucher
- Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Centre de Recherche Biomédicale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Antoine Zalc
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Mélanie Viltard
- Fondation pour la Recherche en Physiologie, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gérard Friedlander
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Selim Aractingi
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
- Service de Dermatologie, Hôpital Cochin, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, France
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9
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Bégay V, Cirovic B, Barker AJ, Klopfleisch R, Hart DW, Bennett NC, Lewin GR. Immune competence and spleen size scale with colony status in the naked mole-rat. Open Biol 2022; 12:210292. [PMID: 35382566 PMCID: PMC8984379 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (NM-R; Heterocephalus glaber) live in multi-generational colonies with a social hierarchy, and show low cancer incidence and long life-spans. Here we asked if an immune component might underlie such extreme physiology. The largest lymphoid organ is the spleen, which plays an essential role in responding to immunological insults and may participate in combating cancer and slowing ageing. We investigated the anatomy, molecular composition and function of the NM-R spleen using RNA-sequencing and histological analysis in healthy NM-Rs. Spleen size in healthy NM-Rs showed considerable inter-individual variability, with some animals displaying enlarged spleens. In all healthy NM-Rs, the spleen is a major site of adult haematopoiesis under normal physiological conditions. However, myeloid-to-lymphoid cell ratio is increased and splenic marginal zone showed markedly altered morphology when compared to other rodents. Healthy NM-Rs with enlarged spleens showed potentially better anti-microbial profiles and were much more likely to have a high rank within the colony. We propose that the anatomical plasticity of the spleen might be regulated by social interaction and gives immunological advantage to increase the lifespan of higher-ranked animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Bégay
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Laboratory for Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Robert-Rössle Straße 10, D-13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Branko Cirovic
- Division of Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alison J. Barker
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Laboratory for Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Robert-Rössle Straße 10, D-13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Klopfleisch
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Free University Berlin, Robert von Ostertag Strasse 15, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel W. Hart
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Gary R. Lewin
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Laboratory for Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Robert-Rössle Straße 10, D-13125 Berlin, Germany
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10
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Teissier T, Boulanger E, Cox LS. Interconnections between Inflammageing and Immunosenescence during Ageing. Cells 2022; 11:359. [PMID: 35159168 PMCID: PMC8834134 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute inflammation is a physiological response to injury or infection, with a cascade of steps that ultimately lead to the recruitment of immune cells to clear invading pathogens and heal wounds. However, chronic inflammation arising from the continued presence of the initial trigger, or the dysfunction of signalling and/or effector pathways, is harmful to health. While successful ageing in older adults, including centenarians, is associated with low levels of inflammation, elevated inflammation increases the risk of poor health and death. Hence inflammation has been described as one of seven pillars of ageing. Age-associated sterile, chronic, and low-grade inflammation is commonly termed inflammageing-it is not simply a consequence of increasing chronological age, but is also a marker of biological ageing, multimorbidity, and mortality risk. While inflammageing was initially thought to be caused by "continuous antigenic load and stress", reports from the last two decades describe a much more complex phenomenon also involving cellular senescence and the ageing of the immune system. In this review, we explore some of the main sources and consequences of inflammageing in the context of immunosenescence and highlight potential interventions. In particular, we assess the contribution of cellular senescence to age-associated inflammation, identify patterns of pro- and anti-inflammatory markers characteristic of inflammageing, describe alterations in the ageing immune system that lead to elevated inflammation, and finally assess the ways that diet, exercise, and pharmacological interventions can reduce inflammageing and thus, improve later life health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Teissier
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK;
| | - Eric Boulanger
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167—RID-AGE—Facteurs de Risque et Déterminants Moléculaires des Maladies Liées au Vieillissement, F-59000 Lille, France;
| | - Lynne S. Cox
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK;
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11
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Chernyak BV, Lyamzaev KG. Innate Immunity and Phenoptosis. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:1634-1639. [PMID: 36717452 PMCID: PMC9839199 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922120185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The hypothesis is proposed that activation of innate immunity is the primary mechanism of phenoptosis (programmed death of an organism). In support of the hypothesis, we discuss (i) the data on active release of signaling molecules from the cell producing excessive inflammation; (ii) the data on contribution of mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species to immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris V. Chernyak
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin G. Lyamzaev
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia ,Russian Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, 129226 Moscow, Russia
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12
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Witkowski JM. Immune system aging and the aging-related diseases in the COVIID-19 era. Immunol Lett 2022; 243:19-27. [PMID: 35108570 PMCID: PMC8801734 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The interest in the process of aging, and specifically in how aging affects the working of our immune system, has recently enormously grown among both specialists (immunologists and gerontologists) and representatives of other disciplines of health sciences. An obvious reason for this interest is the current pandemics of COVID-19, known to affect the elderly more than younger people. In this paper current knowledge about mechanisms and complex facets of human immune system aging is presented, stemming from the knowledge about the working of various parts of the immune system, and leading to understanding of immunological mechanisms of chronic, inflammatory, aging-related diseases and of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek M Witkowski
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7, 80-211, Gdańsk, Poland.
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13
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Pawelec G. Multiple thymi and no thymic involution in naked mole rats? IMMUNITY & AGEING 2021; 18:41. [PMID: 34727938 PMCID: PMC8560882 DOI: 10.1186/s12979-021-00253-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Graham Pawelec
- Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany, Health Sciences North Research Institute, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
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14
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Emmrich S, Tolibzoda Zakusilo F, Trapp A, Zhou X, Zhang Q, Irving EM, Drage MG, Zhang Z, Gladyshev VN, Seluanov A, Gorbunova V. Ectopic cervical thymi and no thymic involution until midlife in naked mole rats. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13477. [PMID: 34596321 PMCID: PMC8520710 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunosenescence is a hallmark of aging and manifests as increased susceptibility to infection, autoimmunity, and cancer in the elderly. One component of immunosenescence is thymic involution, age-associated shrinkage of the thymus, observed in all vertebrates studied to date. The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) has become an attractive animal model in aging research due to its extreme longevity and resistance to disease. Here, we show that naked mole rats display no thymic involution up to 11 years of age. Furthermore, we found large ectopic cervical thymi in addition to the canonical thoracic thymus, both being identical in their cell composition. The developmental landscape in naked mole rat thymi revealed overt differences from the murine T-cell compartment, most notably a decrease of CD4+ /CD8+ double-positive cells and lower abundance of cytotoxic effector T cells. Our observations suggest that naked mole rats display a delayed immunosenescence. Therapeutic interventions aimed at reversing thymic aging remain limited, underscoring the importance of understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind a sustained immune function in the naked mole rat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xuming Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Quanwei Zhang
- Department of GeneticsAlbert Einstein College of MedicineNew York CityNYUSA
| | | | - Michael G. Drage
- Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNYUSA
| | - Zhengdong Zhang
- Department of GeneticsAlbert Einstein College of MedicineNew York CityNYUSA
| | - Vadim N. Gladyshev
- Division of GeneticsDepartment of MedicineBrigham and Women’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | | | - Vera Gorbunova
- Department of BiologyUniversity of RochesterRochesterNYUSA
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