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Pardini E, Barachini S, Alì G, Infirri GS, Burzi IS, Montali M, Petrini I. Single-cell sequencing has revealed a more complex array of thymic epithelial cells. Immunol Lett 2024; 269:106904. [PMID: 39117004 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2024.106904] [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: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells participate in the maturation and selection of T lymphocytes. This review explores recent insights from single-cell sequencing regarding classifying thymic epithelial cells in both normal and neoplastic thymus. Cortical thymic epithelial cells facilitate thymocyte differentiation and contribute to positive selection. Medullary epithelial cells are distinguished by their expression of AIRE. Cells progress from a pre-AIRE state, containing precursors with cortical and medullary characteristics, termed junctional cells. Mature medullary epithelial cells exhibit promiscuous gene expression and after that downregulate AIRE mRNA. Post-AIRE cells can adopt a Hassall corpuscle-like phenotype or exhibit distinctive differentiation characteristics including tuft cells, ionocytes, neuroendocrine cells, and myoid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Pardini
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Serena Barachini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Greta Alì
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gisella Sardo Infirri
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Irene Sofia Burzi
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marina Montali
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Iacopo Petrini
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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2
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Reis MDDS, Veneziani LP, Porto FL, Lins MP, Mendes-da-Cruz DA, Savino W. Intrathymic somatotropic circuitry: consequences upon thymus involution. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1108630. [PMID: 37426675 PMCID: PMC10323194 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1108630] [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: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Growth hormone (GH) is a classic pituitary-derived hormone crucial to body growth and metabolism. In the pituitary gland, GH production is stimulated by GH-releasing hormone and inhibited by somatostatin. GH secretion can also be induced by other peptides, such as ghrelin, which interacts with receptors present in somatotropic cells. It is well established that GH acts directly on target cells or indirectly by stimulating the production of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), particularly IGF-1. Notably, such somatotropic circuitry is also involved in the development and function of immune cells and organs, including the thymus. Interestingly, GH, IGF-1, ghrelin, and somatostatin are expressed in the thymus in the lymphoid and microenvironmental compartments, where they stimulate the secretion of soluble factors and extracellular matrix molecules involved in the general process of intrathymic T-cell development. Clinical trials in which GH was used to treat immunocompromised patients successfully recovered thymic function. Additionally, there is evidence that the reduction in the function of the somatotropic axis is associated with age-related thymus atrophy. Treatment with GH, IGF-1 or ghrelin can restore thymopoiesis of old animals, thus in keeping with a clinical study showing that treatment with GH, associated with metformin and dehydroepiandrosterone, could induce thymus regeneration in healthy aged individuals. In conclusion, the molecules of the somatotrophic axis can be envisioned as potential therapeutic targets for thymus regeneration in age-related or pathological thymus involution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Danielma dos Santos Reis
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luciana Peixoto Veneziani
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- INOVA-IOC Network on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Felipe Lima Porto
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marvin Paulo Lins
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniella Arêas Mendes-da-Cruz
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- INOVA-IOC Network on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Wilson Savino
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- INOVA-IOC Network on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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3
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Lucas B, White AJ, Klein F, Veiga-Villauriz C, Handel A, Bacon A, Cosway EJ, James KD, Parnell SM, Ohigashi I, Takahama Y, Jenkinson WE, Hollander GA, Lu WY, Anderson G. Embryonic keratin19 + progenitors generate multiple functionally distinct progeny to maintain epithelial diversity in the adult thymus medulla. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2066. [PMID: 37045811 PMCID: PMC10097809 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37589-4] [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: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The thymus medulla is a key site for immunoregulation and tolerance, and its functional specialisation is achieved through the complexity of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC). While the importance of the medulla for thymus function is clear, the production and maintenance of mTEC diversity remains poorly understood. Here, using ontogenetic and inducible fate-mapping approaches, we identify mTEC-restricted progenitors as a cytokeratin19+ (K19+) TEC subset that emerges in the embryonic thymus. Importantly, labelling of a single cohort of K19+ TEC during embryogenesis sustains the production of multiple mTEC subsets into adulthood, including CCL21+ mTEClo, Aire+ mTEChi and thymic tuft cells. We show K19+ progenitors arise prior to the acquisition of multiple mTEC-defining features including RANK and CCL21 and are generated independently of the key mTEC regulator, Relb. In conclusion, we identify and define a multipotent mTEC progenitor that emerges during embryogenesis to support mTEC diversity into adult life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Lucas
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Andrea J White
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Fabian Klein
- Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Clara Veiga-Villauriz
- Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Adam Handel
- Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrea Bacon
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Emilie J Cosway
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Kieran D James
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Sonia M Parnell
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Izumi Ohigashi
- Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Yousuke Takahama
- Thymus Biology Section, Experimental Immunology Branch, NCI/NIH, Bethesda, USA
| | - William E Jenkinson
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Georg A Hollander
- Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Wei-Yu Lu
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Graham Anderson
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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4
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cis interaction of CD153 with TCR/CD3 is crucial for the pathogenic activation of senescence-associated T cells. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111373. [PMID: 36130493 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111373] [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: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
With age, senescence-associated (SA) CD4+ T cells that are refractory to T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation are increased along with spontaneous germinal center (Spt-GC) development prone to autoantibody production. We demonstrate that CD153 and its receptor CD30 are expressed in SA-T and Spt-GC B cells, respectively, and deficiency of either CD153 or CD30 results in the compromised increase of both cell types. CD153 engagement on SA-T cells upon TCR stimulation causes association of CD153 with the TCR/CD3 complex and restores TCR signaling, whereas CD30 engagement on GC B cells induces their expansion. Administration of an anti-CD153 antibody blocking the interaction with CD30 suppresses the increase in both SA-T and Spt-GC B cells with age and ameliorates lupus in lupus-prone mice. These results suggest that the molecular interaction of CD153 and CD30 plays a central role in the reciprocal activation of SA-T and Spt-GC B cells, leading to immunosenescent phenotypes and autoimmunity.
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5
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Lagou MK, Anastasiadou DP, Karagiannis GS. A Proposed Link Between Acute Thymic Involution and Late Adverse Effects of Chemotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:933547. [PMID: 35844592 PMCID: PMC9283860 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.933547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiologic data suggest that cancer survivors tend to develop a protuberant number of adverse late effects, including second primary malignancies (SPM), as a result of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Besides the genotoxic potential of these drugs that directly inflict mutational burden on genomic DNA, the precise mechanisms contributing to SPM development are poorly understood. Cancer is nowadays perceived as a complex process that goes beyond the concept of genetic disease and includes tumor cell interactions with complex stromal and immune cell microenvironments. The cancer immunoediting theory offers an explanation for the development of nascent neoplastic cells. Briefly, the theory suggests that newly emerging tumor cells are mostly eliminated by an effective tissue immunosurveillance, but certain tumor variants may occasionally escape innate and adaptive mechanisms of immunological destruction, entering an equilibrium phase, where immunologic tumor cell death "equals" new tumor cell birth. Subsequent microenvironmental pressures and accumulation of helpful mutations in certain variants may lead to escape from the equilibrium phase, and eventually cause an overt neoplasm. Cancer immunoediting functions as a dedicated sentinel under the auspice of a highly competent immune system. This perspective offers the fresh insight that chemotherapy-induced thymic involution, which is characterized by the extensive obliteration of the sensitive thymic epithelial cell (TEC) compartment, can cause long-term defects in thymopoiesis and in establishment of diverse T cell receptor repertoires and peripheral T cell pools of cancer survivors. Such delayed recovery of T cell adaptive immunity may result in prolonged hijacking of the cancer immunoediting mechanisms, and lead to development of persistent and mortal infections, inflammatory disorders, organ-specific autoimmunity lesions, and SPMs. Acknowledging that chemotherapy-induced thymic involution is a potential risk factor for the emergence of SPM demarcates new avenues for the rationalized development of pharmacologic interventions to promote thymic regeneration in patients receiving cytoreductive chemotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria K. Lagou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Dimitra P. Anastasiadou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - George S. Karagiannis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, United States
- Cancer Dormancy and Tumor Microenvironment Institute, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, United States
- Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Integrated Imaging Program, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
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6
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Structural and Functional Thymic Biomarkers Are Involved in the Pathogenesis of Thymic Epithelial Tumors: An Overview. IMMUNO 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/immuno2020025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The normal human thymus originates from the third branchial cleft as two paired anlages that descend into the thorax and fuse on the midline of the anterior–superior mediastinum. Alongside the epithelial and lymphoid components, different types of lymphoid accessory cells, stromal mesenchymal and endothelial cells migrate to, or develop in, the thymus. After reaching maximum development during early postnatal life, the human thymus decreases in size and lymphocyte output drops with age. However, thymic immunological functions persist, although they deteriorate progressively. Several major techniques were fundamental to increasing the knowledge of thymic development and function during embryogenesis, postnatal and adult life; these include immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, in vitro colony assays, transplantation in mice models, fetal organ cultures (FTOC), re-aggregated thymic organ cultures (RTOC), and whole-organ thymic scaffolds. The thymic morphological and functional characterization, first performed in the mouse, was then extended to humans. The purpose of this overview is to provide a report on selected structural and functional biomarkers of thymic epithelial cells (TEC) involved in thymus development and lymphoid cell maturation, and on the historical aspects of their characterization, with particular attention being paid to biomarkers also involved in Thymic Epithelial Tumor (TET) pathogenesis. Moreover, a short overview of targeted therapies in TET, based on currently available experimental and clinical data and on potential future advances will be proposed.
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7
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Alawam AS, Cosway EJ, James KD, Lucas B, Bacon A, Parnell SM, White AJ, Jenkinson WE, Anderson G. Failures in thymus medulla regeneration during immune recovery cause tolerance loss and prime recipients for auto-GVHD. J Exp Med 2022; 219:212911. [PMID: 34910105 PMCID: PMC8679781 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20211239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a widely used therapy for blood cancers and primary immunodeficiency. Following transplant, the thymus plays a key role in immune reconstitution by generating a naive αβT cell pool from transplant-derived progenitors. While donor-derived thymopoiesis during the early post-transplant period is well studied, the ability of the thymus to synchronize T cell development with essential tolerance mechanisms is poorly understood. Using a syngeneic mouse transplant model, we analyzed T cell recovery alongside the regeneration and function of intrathymic microenvironments. We report a specific and prolonged failure in the post-transplant recovery of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). This manifests as loss of medulla-dependent tolerance mechanisms, including failures in Foxp3+ regulatory T cell development and formation of the intrathymic dendritic cell pool. In addition, defective negative selection enables escape of self-reactive conventional αβT cells that promote autoimmunity. Collectively, we show that post-transplant T cell recovery involves an uncoupling of thymopoiesis from thymic tolerance, which results in autoimmune reconstitution caused by failures in thymic medulla regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah S Alawam
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Emilie J Cosway
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Kieran D James
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Beth Lucas
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Andrea Bacon
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sonia M Parnell
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Andrea J White
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - William E Jenkinson
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Graham Anderson
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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8
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Martinez-Ruíz GU, Morales-Sánchez A, Bhandoola A. Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in thymic epithelial cells. Immunol Rev 2022; 305:43-58. [PMID: 34750841 PMCID: PMC8766885 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The thymus is required for the development of both adaptive and innate-like T cell subsets. There is keen interest in manipulating thymic function for therapeutic purposes in circumstances of autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, and for purposes of immunotherapy. Within the thymus, thymic epithelial cells play essential roles in directing T cell development. Several transcription factors are known to be essential for thymic epithelial cell development and function, and a few transcription factors have been studied in considerable detail. However, the role of many other transcription factors is less well understood. Further, it is likely that roles exist for other transcription factors not yet known to be important in thymic epithelial cells. Recent progress in understanding of thymic epithelial cell heterogeneity has provided some new insight into transcriptional requirements in subtypes of thymic epithelial cells. However, it is unknown whether progenitors of thymic epithelial cells exist in the adult thymus, and consequently, developmental relationships linking putative precursors with differentiated cell types are poorly understood. While we do not presently possess a clear understanding of stage-specific requirements for transcription factors in thymic epithelial cells, new single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic technologies should enable rapid progress in this field. Here, we review our current knowledge of transcription factors involved in the development, maintenance, and function of thymic epithelial cells, and the mechanisms by which they act.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Ulises Martinez-Ruíz
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Research Division, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
- Children’s Hospital of Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Abigail Morales-Sánchez
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Children’s Hospital of Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Avinash Bhandoola
- T Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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9
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Srinivasan J, Lancaster JN, Singarapu N, Hale LP, Ehrlich LIR, Richie ER. Age-Related Changes in Thymic Central Tolerance. Front Immunol 2021; 12:676236. [PMID: 33968086 PMCID: PMC8100025 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.676236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and hematopoietic antigen presenting cells (HAPCs) in the thymus microenvironment provide essential signals to self-reactive thymocytes that induce either negative selection or generation of regulatory T cells (Treg), both of which are required to establish and maintain central tolerance throughout life. HAPCs and TECs are comprised of multiple subsets that play distinct and overlapping roles in central tolerance. Changes that occur in the composition and function of TEC and HAPC subsets across the lifespan have potential consequences for central tolerance. In keeping with this possibility, there are age-associated changes in the cellular composition and function of T cells and Treg. This review summarizes changes in T cell and Treg function during the perinatal to adult transition and in the course of normal aging, and relates these changes to age-associated alterations in thymic HAPC and TEC subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayashree Srinivasan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | | | - Nandini Singarapu
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States
| | - Laura P Hale
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Lauren I R Ehrlich
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.,Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Ellen R Richie
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States
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10
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Nagatake T, Zhao YC, Ito T, Itoh M, Kometani K, Furuse M, Saika A, Node E, Kunisawa J, Minato N, Hamazaki Y. Selective expression of claudin-5 in thymic endothelial cells regulates the blood-thymus barrier and T-cell export. Int Immunol 2021; 33:171-182. [PMID: 33038259 PMCID: PMC7936066 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxaa069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell development depends on the thymic microenvironment, in which endothelial cells (ECs) play a vital role. Interestingly, vascular permeability of the thymic cortex is lower than in other organs, suggesting the existence of a blood-thymus barrier (BTB). On the other hand, blood-borne molecules and dendritic cells bearing self-antigens are accessible to the medulla, facilitating central tolerance induction, and continuous T-precursor immigration and mature thymocyte egress occur through the vessels at the cortico-medullary junction (CMJ). We found that claudin-5 (Cld5), a membrane protein of tight junctions, was expressed in essentially all ECs of the cortical vasculatures, whereas approximately half of the ECs of the medulla and CMJ lacked Cld5 expression. An intravenously (i.v.) injected biotin tracer hardly penetrated cortical Cld5+ vessels, but it leaked into the medullary parenchyma through Cld5- vessels. Cld5 expression in an EC cell line caused a remarkable increase in trans-endothelial resistance in vitro, and the biotin tracer leaked from the cortical vasculatures in Cldn5-/- mice. Furthermore, i.v.-injected sphingosine-1 phosphate distributed selectively into the medulla through the Cld5- vessels, probably ensuring the egress of CD3high mature thymocytes from Cld5- vessels at the CMJ. These results suggest that distinct Cld5 expression profiles in the cortex and medulla may control the BTB and the T-cell gateway to blood circulation, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Nagatake
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials, Center for Vaccine and Adjuvant Research and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Osaka, Japan
| | - Yan-Chun Zhao
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ito
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masahiko Itoh
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Kohei Kometani
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Mikio Furuse
- Division of Cell Structure, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, SOKENDAI, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Azusa Saika
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials, Center for Vaccine and Adjuvant Research and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Eri Node
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials, Center for Vaccine and Adjuvant Research and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Osaka, Japan
| | - Jun Kunisawa
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials, Center for Vaccine and Adjuvant Research and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nagahiro Minato
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoko Hamazaki
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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11
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Nutrition-Based Management of Inflammaging in CKD and Renal Replacement Therapies. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13010267. [PMID: 33477671 PMCID: PMC7831904 DOI: 10.3390/nu13010267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Access to renal transplantation guarantees a substantial improvement in the clinical condition and quality of life (QoL) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. In recent years, a greater number of older patients starting renal replacement therapies (RRT) have shown the long-term impact of conservative therapies for advanced CKD and the consequences of the uremic milieu, with a frail clinical condition that impacts not only their survival but also limits their access to transplantation. This process, referred to as “inflammaging,” might be reversible with a tailored approach, such as RRT accompanied by specific nutritional support. In this review, we summarize the evidence demonstrating the presence of several proinflammatory substances in the Western diet (WD) and the positive effect of unprocessed food consumption and increased fruit and vegetable intake, suggesting a new approach to reduce inflammaging with the improvement of ESRD clinical status. We conclude that the Mediterranean diet (MD), because of its modulative effects on microbiota and its anti-inflammaging properties, may be a cornerstone in a more precise nutritional support for patients on the waiting list for kidney transplantation.
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12
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Campinoti S, Gjinovci A, Ragazzini R, Zanieri L, Ariza-McNaughton L, Catucci M, Boeing S, Park JE, Hutchinson JC, Muñoz-Ruiz M, Manti PG, Vozza G, Villa CE, Phylactopoulos DE, Maurer C, Testa G, Stauss HJ, Teichmann SA, Sebire NJ, Hayday AC, Bonnet D, Bonfanti P. Reconstitution of a functional human thymus by postnatal stromal progenitor cells and natural whole-organ scaffolds. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6372. [PMID: 33311516 PMCID: PMC7732825 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20082-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ, essential for T cell maturation and selection. There has been long-standing interest in processes underpinning thymus generation and the potential to manipulate it clinically, because alterations of thymus development or function can result in severe immunodeficiency and autoimmunity. Here, we identify epithelial-mesenchymal hybrid cells, capable of long-term expansion in vitro, and able to reconstitute an anatomic phenocopy of the native thymus, when combined with thymic interstitial cells and a natural decellularised extracellular matrix (ECM) obtained by whole thymus perfusion. This anatomical human thymus reconstruction is functional, as judged by its capacity to support mature T cell development in vivo after transplantation into humanised immunodeficient mice. These findings establish a basis for dissecting the cellular and molecular crosstalk between stroma, ECM and thymocytes, and offer practical prospects for treating congenital and acquired immunological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Campinoti
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Asllan Gjinovci
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, Division of Infection & Immunity, UCL, Royal Free Hospital, London, NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Roberta Ragazzini
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, Division of Infection & Immunity, UCL, Royal Free Hospital, London, NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Luca Zanieri
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, Division of Infection & Immunity, UCL, Royal Free Hospital, London, NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Linda Ariza-McNaughton
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Marco Catucci
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, DIBIT 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefan Boeing
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Jong-Eun Park
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - John C Hutchinson
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Miguel Muñoz-Ruiz
- Immunosurveillance laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Pierluigi G Manti
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Vozza
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Carlo E Villa
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Demetra-Ellie Phylactopoulos
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Constance Maurer
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Giuseppe Testa
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Hans J Stauss
- Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, Division of Infection & Immunity, UCL, Royal Free Hospital, London, NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Sarah A Teichmann
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Neil J Sebire
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Adrian C Hayday
- Immunosurveillance laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dominique Bonnet
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Paola Bonfanti
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
- Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, Division of Infection & Immunity, UCL, Royal Free Hospital, London, NW3 2PF, UK.
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Li B, Li W, Liu W, Xing J, Wu Y, Ma Y, Xu D, Li Y. Comprehensive analysis of lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs related to thymic development and involution in goose. Genomics 2020; 113:1176-1188. [PMID: 33276006 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Thymic involution is a sign of immunosenescence, but little is known about it in goose. miRNAs and lncRNAs are critical factors regulating organ growth and development. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the profiles of lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs during the development and involution of the thymus in Magang goose. The results showed that 2436 genes, 16 miRNAs and 417 lncRNAs were differentially co-expressed between the developmental (20-embryo age, 3-day post-hatch and 3-month age) and degenerative (6-month age) stages. The functional analysis showed that these differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in cell proliferation, cell adhesion, apoptotic signaling pathway, and Notch signaling pathway. In addition, we established a gene-gene network through the STRING database and identified 50 key genes. Finally, we constructed a miRNA-mRNA network followed by a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network. These results suggest that lncRNAs and miRNAs may be involved in the regulation of thymic development and involution in goose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxin Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wanyan Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Waterfowl Healthy Breeding, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Wenjun Liu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Waterfowl Healthy Breeding, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Jingjing Xing
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yingying Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yongjiang Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Danning Xu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Waterfowl Healthy Breeding, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China.
| | - Yugu Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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Singh J, Mohtashami M, Anderson G, Zúñiga-Pflücker JC. Thymic Engraftment by in vitro-Derived Progenitor T Cells in Young and Aged Mice. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1850. [PMID: 32973763 PMCID: PMC7462002 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells play a critical role in mediating antigen-specific and long-term immunity against viral and bacterial pathogens, and their development relies on the highly specialized thymic microenvironment. T cell immunodeficiency can be acquired in the form of inborn errors, or can result from perturbations to the thymus due to aging or irradiation/chemotherapy required for cancer treatment. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) from compatible donors is a cornerstone for the treatment of hematological malignancies and immunodeficiency. Although it can restore a functional immune system, profound impairments exist in recovery of the T cell compartment. T cells remain absent or low in number for many months after HSCT, depending on a variety of factors including the age of the recipient. While younger patients have a shorter refractory period, the prolonged T cell recovery observed in older patients can lead to a higher risk of opportunistic infections and increased predisposition to relapse. Thus, strategies for enhancing T cell recovery in aged individuals are needed to counter thymic damage induced by radiation and chemotherapy toxicities, in addition to naturally occurring age-related thymic involution. Preclinical results have shown that robust and rapid long-term thymic reconstitution can be achieved when progenitor T cells, generated in vitro from HSCs, are co-administered during HSCT. Progenitor T cells appear to rely on lymphostromal crosstalk via receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK) and RANK-ligand (RANKL) interactions, creating chemokine-rich niches within the cortex and medulla that likely favor the recruitment of bone marrow-derived thymus seeding progenitors. Here, we employed preclinical mouse models to demonstrate that in vitro-generated progenitor T cells can effectively engraft involuted aged thymuses, which could potentially improve T cell recovery. The utility of progenitor T cells for aged recipients positions them as a promising cellular therapy for immune recovery and intrathymic repair following irradiation and chemotherapy, even in a post-involution thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Graham Anderson
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Carlos Zúñiga-Pflücker
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
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15
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Thymus Inception: Molecular Network in the Early Stages of Thymus Organogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165765. [PMID: 32796710 PMCID: PMC7460828 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165765] [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: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus generates central immune tolerance by producing self-restricted and self-tolerant T-cells as a result of interactions between the developing thymocytes and the stromal microenvironment, mainly formed by the thymic epithelial cells. The thymic epithelium derives from the endoderm of the pharyngeal pouches, embryonic structures that rely on environmental cues from the surrounding mesenchyme for its development. Here, we review the most recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in early thymic organogenesis at stages preceding the expression of the transcription factor Foxn1, the early marker of thymic epithelial cells identity. Foxn1-independent developmental stages, such as the specification of the pharyngeal endoderm, patterning of the pouches, and thymus fate commitment are discussed, with a special focus on epithelial–mesenchymal interactions.
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Molecular Mechanisms of Premature Aging in Hemodialysis: The Complex Interplay Between Innate and Adaptive Immune Dysfunction. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103422. [PMID: 32408613 PMCID: PMC7279398 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemodialysis (HD) patient are known to be susceptible to a wide range of early and long-term complication such as chronic inflammation, infections, malnutrition, and cardiovascular disease that significantly affect the incidence of mortality. A large gap between the number of people with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and patients who received kidney transplantation has been identified. Therefore, there is a huge need to explore the underlying pathophysiology of HD complications in order to provide treatment guidelines. The immunological dysregulation, involving both the innate and adaptive response, plays a crucial role during the HD sessions and in chronic, maintenance treatments. Innate immune system mediators include the dysfunction of neutrophils, monocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells with signaling mediated by NOD-like receptor P3 (NLRP3) and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4); in addition, there is a significant activation of the complement system that is mediated by dialysis membrane-surfaces. These effectors induce a persistent, systemic, pro-inflammatory, and pro-coagulant milieu that has been described as inflammaging. The adaptive response, the imbalance in the CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratio, and the reduction of Th2 and regulatory T cells, together with an altered interaction with B lymphocyte by CD40/CD40L, have been mainly implicated in immune system dysfunction. Altogether, these observations suggest that intervention targeting the immune system in HD patients could improve morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this review is to expand our understanding on the role of immune dysfunction in both innate and adaptive response in patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment.
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Minato N, Hattori M, Hamazaki Y. Physiology and pathology of T-cell aging. Int Immunol 2020; 32:223-231. [PMID: 31967307 PMCID: PMC7150735 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxaa006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquired immune function shows recognizable changes over time with organismal aging. These changes include T-cell dysfunction, which may underlie diminished resistance to infection and possibly various chronic age-associated diseases in the elderly. T-cell dysfunction may occur at distinct stages, from naive cells to the end stages of differentiation during immune responses. The thymus, which generates naive T cells, shows unusually early involution resulting in progressive reduction of T-cell output after adolescence, but peripheral T-cell numbers are maintained through antigen-independent homeostatic proliferation of naive T cells driven by the major histocompatibility complex associated with self-peptides and homeostatic cytokines, retaining the diverse repertoire. However, extensive homeostatic proliferation may lead to the emergence of dysfunctional CD4+ T cells with features resembling senescent cells, termed senescence-associated T (SA-T) cells, which increase and accumulate with age. In situations such as chronic viral infection, T-cell dysfunction may also develop via persistent antigen stimulation, termed exhaustion, preventing possible immunopathology due to excessive immune responses. Exhausted T cells are developed through the effects of checkpoint receptors such as PD-1 and may be reversed with the receptor blockade. Of note, although defective in their regular T-cell antigen-receptor-mediated proliferation, SA-T cells secrete abundant pro-inflammatory factors such as osteopontin, reminiscent of an SA-secretory phenotype. A series of experiments in mouse models indicated that SA-T cells are involved in systemic autoimmunity as well as chronic tissue inflammation following tissue stresses. In this review, we discuss the physiological aspects of T-cell dysfunction associated with aging and its potential pathological involvement in age-associated diseases and possibly cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nagahiro Minato
- Medical Innovation Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masakazu Hattori
- Medical Innovation Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoko Hamazaki
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Center for iPS Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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18
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Hun ML, Wong K, Gunawan JR, Alsharif A, Quinn K, Chidgey AP. Gender Disparity Impacts on Thymus Aging and LHRH Receptor Antagonist-Induced Thymic Reconstitution Following Chemotherapeutic Damage. Front Immunol 2020; 11:302. [PMID: 32194555 PMCID: PMC7062683 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the main consequences of thymus aging is the decrease in naïve T cell output. This condition accelerates at the onset of puberty, and presents as a major clinical complication for cancer patients who require cytoablative therapy. Specifically, the extensive use of chemotherapeutics, such as cyclophosphamide, in such treatments damage thymic structure and eliminate the existing naïve T cell repertoire. The resulting immunodeficiency can lead to increased incidence of opportunistic infections, tumor growth relapse and/or autoimmune diseases, particularly in older patients. Thus, strategies aimed at rejuvenating the aged thymus following chemotherapeutic damage are required. Previous studies have revealed that sex hormone deprivation in male mice is capable of regenerating the thymic microenvironment following chemotherapy treatment, however, further investigation is crucial to identify gender-based differences, and the molecular mechanisms involved during thymus regeneration. Through phenotypic analyzes, we identified gender-specific alterations in thymocytes and thymic epithelial cell (TEC) subsets from the onset of puberty. By middle-age, females presented with a higher number of thymocytes in comparison to males, yet a decrease in their Aire+ medullary TEC/thymocyte ratio was observed. This reduction could be associated with an increased risk of autoimmune disease in middle-aged women. Given the concurrent increase in female Aire+ cTEC/thymocyte ratio, we proposed that there may be an impediment in Aire+ mTEChi differentiation, and Aire+ cTEChi as its upstream precursor. The regenerative effects of LHRH receptor antagonist, degarelix, on TEC subsets was also less pronounced in middle-aged females compared to males, possibly due to slower progression of thymic involution in the former, which presented with greater TEChi proportions. Furthermore, following cyclophosphamide treatment, degarelix enhanced thymocyte and mature TEC subset recovery, with faster recovery kinetics observed in females. These events were found to involve both reactivation and proliferation of thymic epithelial progenitor cells. Taken together, the findings from this study portray a relationship between gender disparity and thymus aging, and highlight the potential benefits of LHRH receptor antagonist treatment for thymic regeneration. Further research is required, however, to determine how gender may impact on the mechanisms underpinning these events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ly Hun
- Thymus Development, Ageing and T Cell Regeneration Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kahlia Wong
- Thymus Development, Ageing and T Cell Regeneration Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Josephine Rahma Gunawan
- Thymus Development, Ageing and T Cell Regeneration Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Abdulaziz Alsharif
- Thymus Development, Ageing and T Cell Regeneration Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kylie Quinn
- Quinn Laboratory, Translational Immunology and Nanotechnology Research Program, School of Health and Biomedical Research, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ann P. Chidgey
- Thymus Development, Ageing and T Cell Regeneration Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Implications of Oxidative Stress and Cellular Senescence in Age-Related Thymus Involution. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2020; 2020:7986071. [PMID: 32089780 PMCID: PMC7025075 DOI: 10.1155/2020/7986071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The human thymus is a primary lymphoepithelial organ which supports the production of self-tolerant T cells with competent and regulatory functions. Paradoxically, despite the crucial role that it exerts in T cell-mediated immunity and prevention of systemic autoimmunity, the thymus is the first organ of the body that exhibits age-associated degeneration/regression, termed “thymic involution.” A hallmark of this early phenomenon is a progressive decline of thymic mass as well as a decreased output of naïve T cells, thus resulting in impaired immune response. Importantly, thymic involution has been recently linked with cellular senescence which is a stress response induced by various stimuli. Accumulation of senescent cells in tissues has been implicated in aging and a plethora of age-related diseases. In addition, several lines of evidence indicate that oxidative stress, a well-established trigger of senescence, is also involved in thymic involution, thus highlighting a possible interplay between oxidative stress, senescence, and thymic involution.
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Li B, Zhang K, Ye Y, Xing J, Wu Y, Ma Y, Li Y. Effects of Castration on miRNA, lncRNA, and mRNA Profiles in Mice Thymus. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11020147. [PMID: 32019071 PMCID: PMC7074395 DOI: 10.3390/genes11020147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymic degeneration and regeneration are regulated by estrogen and androgen. Recent studies have found that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in organ development. In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) results showed that ovariectomy significantly affected 333 lncRNAs, 51 miRNAs, and 144 mRNAs levels (p < 0.05 and |log2fold change| > 1), and orchiectomy significantly affected 165 lncRNAs, 165 miRNAs, and 208 mRNA levels in the thymus. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were closely related to cell development and immunity. Next, we constructed two lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA networks using Cytoscape based on the targeting relationship between differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and DEGs and differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) analyzed by TargetScan and miRanda. Besides, we screened DEGs that were significantly enriched in GO and in ceRNA networks to verify their expression in thymocytes and thymic epithelial cells (TECs). In addition, we analyzed the promoter sequences of DEGs, and identified 25 causal transcription factors. Finally, we constructed transcription factor-miRNA-joint target gene networks. In conclusion, this study reveals the effects of estrogen and androgen on the expression of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs in mice thymus, providing new insights into the regulation of thymic development by gonadal hormones and non-coding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxin Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
| | - Kaizhao Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
| | - Yaqiong Ye
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China;
| | - Jingjing Xing
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
| | - Yingying Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
| | - Yongjiang Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
| | - Yugu Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
- Correspondence: or
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21
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[Premature immune senescence and chronic kidney disease: Update and perspectives]. Nephrol Ther 2019; 16:9-18. [PMID: 31848067 DOI: 10.1016/j.nephro.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Immune senescence is associated with age-related diseases (i.e. infectious disease, cardiovascular diseases and cancers). Chronic kidney disease patients die prematurely when compared with general population, because of a higher occurrence of infections, cardiovascular events and cancer. These diseases are commonly observed in the elderly population and frequently associated with immune senescence. Indeed, chronic kidney disease causes a premature aging of the T lymphocyte compartment, widely related to a decrease in thymic function, a phenomenon that plays a key role in the onset of age-related diseases in chronic kidney disease patients. The degree of immune senescence also influences patients' outcome after renal transplantation, particularly the risk of acute rejection and infections. Partial reversion of pre-transplant immune senescence is observed for some renal transplant patients. In conclusion, to reduce the increasing incidence of morbidity and mortality of chronic kidney disease patients, a better knowledge of uremia-induced immune senescence would help to pave the way to build clinical studies and promote innovative therapeutic approaches. We believe that therapeutic reversion and immune senescence prevention approaches will be part of the management of chronic kidney disease patients in the future.
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Zhang Y, Li Q, Hou P, Lu Y, Yang H, Lin X, Su C, Wei Y, Yang X, Yang H, Zhao X, Chen X. Transcription-Related Dynamics from Immune Disability into Endogenous Innovation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2019; 6:1900767. [PMID: 31832307 PMCID: PMC6891922 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201900767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
So far, thymus involution in adults is believed to be irreversible, and endogenous innovation for thymus-related immunodeficiency remains to be an intractable puzzle. With the expectation of addressing this dilemma, human ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) has been reengineered as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-tridimensional-spheroid biologics (ETSB) using a dynamic EMT-3D-floating system along with 160 Gy X-ray-amelioration, which inoculates subcutaneously into aging rhesus and athymic Balb/c nu/nu mice. Herein, it is bioinformatically validated that ETSB can reset Clock/Arntl-Per3/Tim molecule rhythm dynamics to re-prime thymus residual (parathyroid or fatty-like invalid vesicles yet no thymic architecture) to evolutionary transcription with overall cortex-medulla endogenized by TECs undergoing MET/EMT reversion. Rhythm dynamics immediately resettles the bHLH-LTβR-NFκB-RelA/B loop as a cascade to provoke the core immune microenvironment for multifunctional innovation of dynamic TCR orchestration, with harmonious naïve T-subsets and TRECs renewals (P < 0.005). Subsequently, peripheral biological burden and tumor metastasis dynamics are addressed by innovative TCR-defense/attack dynamics quickly (P < 0.005 vs Control), yet without autoimmune indication to hosts. Moreover, a functional blockade of core-rhythm dynamics deeply impedes the endogenous innovation of invalid thymus residual. Thus this study may help pioneer a prospective strategy to innovate panoramic central-peripheral immune microenvironments and defense dynamics for immune-deficient/aging victims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanna Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityKeyuan Road 4 No. 1, High Technological Development ZoneChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
| | - Qian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityKeyuan Road 4 No. 1, High Technological Development ZoneChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
| | - Panyan Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityKeyuan Road 4 No. 1, High Technological Development ZoneChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
| | - Yanan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityKeyuan Road 4 No. 1, High Technological Development ZoneChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
| | - Huanhuan Yang
- Department of Gynecology & ObstetricsWest China Hospital/Second HospitalSichuan UniversityNo 20, Section 3, South Renmin RoadChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
| | - Xiaojuan Lin
- Department of Gynecology & ObstetricsWest China Hospital/Second HospitalSichuan UniversityNo 20, Section 3, South Renmin RoadChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
| | - Chao Su
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityKeyuan Road 4 No. 1, High Technological Development ZoneChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
| | - Yuquan Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityKeyuan Road 4 No. 1, High Technological Development ZoneChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
| | - Xiulin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityKeyuan Road 4 No. 1, High Technological Development ZoneChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
| | - Hanshuo Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityKeyuan Road 4 No. 1, High Technological Development ZoneChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
| | - Xia Zhao
- Department of Gynecology & ObstetricsWest China Hospital/Second HospitalSichuan UniversityNo 20, Section 3, South Renmin RoadChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
| | - Xiancheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityKeyuan Road 4 No. 1, High Technological Development ZoneChengduSichuan610041P. R. China
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Abstract
Immunosenescence involves a series of ageing-induced alterations in the immune system and is characterized by two opposing hallmarks: defective immune responses and increased systemic inflammation. The immune system is modulated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors and undergoes profound changes in response to the ageing process. Immune responses are therefore highly age-dependent. Emerging data show that immunosenescence underlies common mechanisms responsible for several age-related diseases and is a plastic state that can be modified and accelerated by non-heritable environmental factors and pharmacological intervention. In the kidney, resident macrophages and fibroblasts are continuously exposed to components of the external environment, and the effects of cellular reprogramming induced by local immune responses, which accumulate with age, might have a role in the increased susceptibility to kidney disease among elderly individuals. Additionally, because chronic kidney disease, especially end-stage renal disease, is often accompanied by immunosenescence, which affects these patients independently of age, and many kidney diseases are strongly age-associated, treatment approaches that target immunosenescence might be particularly clinically relevant.
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Vizcardo R, Rafiqul Islam SM, Maeda T, Tamaoki N, Good ML, Klemen ND, Bosch-Marce M, Jia L, Kruhlak MJ, Restifo NP. A Three-dimensional Thymic Culture System to Generate Murine Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Tumor Antigen-specific Thymic Emigrants. J Vis Exp 2019. [PMID: 31449236 DOI: 10.3791/58672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The inheritance of pre-rearranged T cell receptors (TCRs) and their epigenetic rejuvenation make induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived T cells a promising source for adoptive T cell therapy (ACT). However, classical in vitro methods for producing regenerated T cells from iPSC result in either innate-like or terminally differentiated T cells, which are phenotypically and functionally distinct from naïve T cells. Recently, a novel three-dimensional (3D) thymic culture system was developed to generate a homogenous subset of CD8αβ+ antigen-specific T cells with a naïve T cell-like functional phenotype, including the capacity for proliferation, memory formation, and tumor suppression in vivo. This protocol avoids aberrant developmental fates, allowing for the generation of clinically relevant iPSC-derived T cells, designated as iPSC-derived thymic emigrants (iTE), while also providing a potent tool to elucidate the subsequent functions necessary for T cell maturation after thymic selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Vizcardo
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH;
| | - S M Rafiqul Islam
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH
| | - Takuya Maeda
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH
| | - Naritaka Tamaoki
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH
| | - Meghan L Good
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH
| | - Nicholas D Klemen
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH
| | - Marta Bosch-Marce
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH
| | - Li Jia
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH
| | - Mikhael J Kruhlak
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH
| | - Nicholas P Restifo
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH
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25
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Luan R, Liang Z, Zhang Q, Sun L, Zhao Y. Molecular regulatory networks of thymic epithelial cell differentiation. Differentiation 2019; 107:42-49. [PMID: 31238242 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Functional mature T cells are generated in the thymus. Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) provide the essential microenvironment for T cell development and maturation. According to their function and localization, TECs are roughly divided into cortical TECs (cTECs) and medullary TECs (mTECs), which are responsible for positive and negative selection, respectively. This review summarizes the current understanding of TEC biology, the identification of fetal and adult bipotent TEC progenitors, and the signaling pathways that control the development and maturation of TECs. The understanding of the ontogeny, differentiation, maturation and function of cTECs lags behind that of mTECs. Better understanding TEC biology will provide clues about TEC development and the applications of thymus engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Luan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhanfeng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liguang Sun
- Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
| | - Yong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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26
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RNA-Seq-Based Gene Expression Pattern and Morphological Alterations in Chick Thymus during Postnatal Development. Int J Genomics 2019; 2019:6905194. [PMID: 31179312 PMCID: PMC6501151 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6905194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus is a lobulated unique lymphoid immune organ that plays a critical role in the selection, development, proliferation, and differentiation of T cells. The thymus of developing chickens undergoes continued morphological alterations; however, the biomolecular and transcriptional dynamics of the postnatal thymus in avian species is not clear yet. Therefore, the thymuses from chickens at different stages of development (at weeks 0, 1, 5, 9, 18, and 27) were used in the present study. The RNA-seq method was used to study the gene expression patterns. On average, 24120819 clean reads were mapped, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified on the basis of log values (fold change), including 744 upregulated and 425 downregulated genes. The expression pattern revealed by RNA-seq was validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis of four important genes, which are PCNA, CCNA2, CCNB2, and CDK1. Thus, the current study revealed that during postnatal development, the thymus undergoes severe atrophy. Thymus structure was damaged and gene expression changed dramatically, especially at the 27th week of age. Moreover, we found significant changes of several signaling pathways such as the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and cell cycle signaling pathways. Hence, it may be inferred that those signaling pathways might be closely related to the postnatal chicken thymus development.
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27
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Hernández-Ruiz M, Othy S, Herrera C, Nguyen HT, Arrevillaga-Boni G, Catalan-Dibene J, Cahalan MD, Zlotnik A. Cxcl17 -/- mice develop exacerbated disease in a T cell-dependent autoimmune model. J Leukoc Biol 2019; 105:1027-1039. [PMID: 30860634 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.3a0918-345rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CXCL17 is a homeostatic chemokine in the mucosa known to chemoattract dendritic cells and macrophages but can also be expressed elsewhere under inflammatory conditions. Cxcl17-/- mice have lower numbers of macrophages or dendritic cells in mucosal tissues. CXCL17 is also able to chemoattract suppressor myeloid cells that can recruit regulatory T cells. To explore a possible role of Cxcl17 in T cells, we studied T cell populations from Cxcl17-/- or wild-type (WT) littermate mice. Cxcl17-/- mice have higher numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in spleen and lymph nodes (LNs). Upon activation, they produce higher levels of several proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Furthermore, a Cxcl17-/- mouse developed exacerbated disease in a T cell-dependent model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). By 18 days after immunization with myelin oligodendrocyte peptide, only 44% of Cxcl17-/- mice were still alive vs. 90% for WT mice. During EAE, Cxcl17-/- mice exhibited higher numbers of lymphoid and myeloid cells in spleen and LNs, whereas they had less myeloid cell infiltration in the CNS. Cxcl17-/- mice also had higher levels of some inflammatory cytokines in serum, suggesting that they may be involved in the poor survival of these mice. Abnormal T cell function may reflect altered myeloid cell migration, or it could be due to altered T cell development in the thymus. We conclude that CXCL17 is a novel factor regulating T cell homeostasis and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Hernández-Ruiz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.,Institute for Immunology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Shivashankar Othy
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.,Institute for Immunology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Carolina Herrera
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.,Institute for Immunology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Hong-Tam Nguyen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.,Institute for Immunology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Gerardo Arrevillaga-Boni
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.,Institute for Immunology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Jovani Catalan-Dibene
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.,Institute for Immunology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Michael D Cahalan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.,Institute for Immunology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Albert Zlotnik
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.,Institute for Immunology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
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28
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Sekai M, Wang J, Minato N, Hamazaki Y. An improved clonogenic culture method for thymic epithelial cells. J Immunol Methods 2019; 467:29-36. [PMID: 30738040 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
A clonogenic assay system for thymic epithelial cells (TECs) is of crucial importance for identifying thymic epithelial stem and/or progenitor cells, evaluating their activities, and understanding the mechanisms of thymic involution. However, current systems are not sufficiently sensitive at detecting and quantifying TEC colonies from the adult thymus. Here, we optimized the culture condition to detect visible colonies from adult TECs by modifying our previous culture methods. Epidermal growth factor and leukemia inhibitory factor significantly enhanced the colony-forming efficiency of total TECs from embryo as well as adult mice when added 3 days after plating. Importantly, characteristics of the TEC colonies formed by the improved condition were almost equivalent to those by the original culture condition with respect to self-renewal and the expression of cell surface markers and intracellular keratins. Furthermore, the colonies derived from total TECs showed immature phenotypes and generated both mature cortical TECs and medullary TECs upon implantation in vivo. These data indicate a more sensitive clonogenic assay system for TECs was established and suggest the improved culture condition supports the colony formation of stem/progenitor cells for cTECs, mTECs and/or bipotent TECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Sekai
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Laboratory of Immunobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Jianwei Wang
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Laboratory of Immunobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Nagahiro Minato
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yoko Hamazaki
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Laboratory of Immunobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
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29
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Fukushima Y, Minato N, Hattori M. The impact of senescence-associated T cells on immunosenescence and age-related disorders. Inflamm Regen 2018; 38:24. [PMID: 30603051 PMCID: PMC6304761 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-018-0082-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunosenescence is age-associated changes in the immunological functions, including diminished acquired immunity against infection, pro-inflammatory traits, and increased risk of autoimmunity. The proportions of memory-phenotype T cells in the peripheral T cell population steadily increase with age, but the relationship between this change and immunosenescent phenotypes remains elusive. Recently, we identified a minor memory-phenotype CD4+ T cell subpopulation that constitutively expressed PD-1 and CD153 as a bona fide age-dependent T cell population; we termed these cells senescence-associated T (SA-T) cells. SA-T cells exhibit characteristic features of cellular senescence, with defective T cell receptor-mediated proliferation and T cell cytokine production. However, upon T cell receptor stimulation, SA-T cells secrete abundant atypical pro-inflammatory cytokines such as osteopontin and chemokines, reminiscent of the SA-secretory phenotype. In addition to aging, SA-T cells accumulate and cause persistent inflammation in tissues following a wide range of insults including immune complex deposition, metabolic stresses, vascular damages, and tumors. In this review, we summarize the recent understanding of immunosenescence with particular focus on SA-T cells and their role in various age-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Fukushima
- 1Department of Immunosenescence, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8507 Japan
| | - Nagahiro Minato
- 2DSK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8507 Japan
| | - Masakazu Hattori
- 1Department of Immunosenescence, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8507 Japan
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30
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Implications for thymus growth in childhood: histogenesis of cortex and medulla. Anat Sci Int 2018; 94:111-118. [PMID: 30155680 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-018-0456-8] [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: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The increase in autoimmune diseases in recent years has drawn attention back to the thymus, with new approaches to improve and/or restore immune function being investigated. As the primary lymphoid organ responsible for functional T cell development, studies on the pre-/post-natal development of this organ and T lymphocytes in human and other species are of special interest. During our screening studies we observed structures that had not been described or mentioned previously, and named them "epitheliostromal sheaths". Associated with these unique structures were also small attached lobules (possibly reflecting the maturational stages of thymic lobules), which the authors consider as markers of histogenesis and the growth of the organ during early childhood; these findings are thus presented to researchers in this field. Approximately 1000 sections prepared from infantile thymic tissues of partial biopsy specimens were immunostained and examined. Specimens were taken from ten patients (with informed consent) in the age range of 4-9 years who underwent surgery due to congenital cardiovascular anomalies but were otherwise normal. Digital images of interest were captured to describe them in detail. Determining the immunophenotype of the compartments in these newly developing lobules assisted us greatly in defining compartments and their growth order. In summary, our findings suggest a niche-based thymus growth mechanism during childhood. We presented our findings, hoping to provide additional insight to researchers aiming to restore thymus function in adulthood and improve its immunological functions.
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31
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Villegas JA, Gradolatto A, Truffault F, Roussin R, Berrih-Aknin S, Le Panse R, Dragin N. Cultured Human Thymic-Derived Cells Display Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cell Phenotype and Functionality. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1663. [PMID: 30083154 PMCID: PMC6064927 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells are one of the main components of the thymic microenvironment required for T-cell development. In this work, we describe an efficient method free of enzymatic and Facs-sorted methods to culture human medullary thymic epithelial cells without affecting the cell phenotypic, physiologic and functional features. Human medulla thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) are obtained by culturing thymic biopsies explants. After 7 days of primo-culture, mTECs keep their ability to express key molecules involved in immune tolerance processes such as autoimmune regulator, tissue-specific antigens, chemokines, and cytokines. In addition, the cells sensor their cultured environment and consequently adjust their gene expression network. Therefore, we describe and provide a human mTEC model that may be used to test the effect of various molecules on thymic epithelial cell homeostasis and physiology. This method should allow the investigations of the specificities and the knowledge of human mTECs in normal or pathological conditions and therefore discontinue the extrapolations done on the murine models.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A Villegas
- INSERM, AIM, Center of Research in Myology, UMRS974, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Angeline Gradolatto
- INSERM, AIM, Center of Research in Myology, UMRS974, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Frédérique Truffault
- INSERM, AIM, Center of Research in Myology, UMRS974, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | | | - Sonia Berrih-Aknin
- INSERM, AIM, Center of Research in Myology, UMRS974, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Rozen Le Panse
- INSERM, AIM, Center of Research in Myology, UMRS974, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Nadine Dragin
- INSERM, AIM, Center of Research in Myology, UMRS974, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Inovarion, Paris, France
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32
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Wu H, Qin X, Dai H, Zhang Y. Time-course transcriptome analysis of medullary thymic epithelial cells in the early phase of thymic involution. Mol Immunol 2018; 99:87-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2018.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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33
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O’Sullivan BJ, Yekollu S, Ruscher R, Mehdi AM, Maradana MR, Chidgey AP, Thomas R. Autoimmune-Mediated Thymic Atrophy Is Accelerated but Reversible in RelB-Deficient Mice. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1092. [PMID: 29872433 PMCID: PMC5972300 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymorphisms impacting thymic function may decrease peripheral tolerance and hasten autoimmune disease. The NF-κB transcription factor subunit, RelB, is essential for the development and differentiation of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs): RelB-deficient mice have reduced thymic cellularity and markedly fewer mTECs, lacking AIRE. The precise mechanism of this mTEC reduction in the absence of RelB is unclear. To address this, we studied mTECs and dendritic cells (DCs), which critically regulate negative selection, and thymic regulatory T-cells (tTreg) in RelB-/- mice, which have spontaneous multiorgan autoimmune disease. RelB-/- thymi were organized, with medullary structures containing AIRE- mTECs, DCs, and CD4+ thymocytes, but fewer tTreg. Granulocytes infiltrated the RelB-/- thymic cortex, capsule, and medulla, producing inflammatory thymic medullary atrophy, which could be treated by granulocyte depletion or RelB+ DC immunotherapy, with concomitant recovery of mTEC and tTreg numbers. These data indicate that central tolerance defects may be accelerated by autoimmune thymic inflammation where impaired RelB signaling impairs the medullary niche, and may be reversible by therapies enhancing peripheral Treg or suppressing inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan J. O’Sullivan
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Suman Yekollu
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Roland Ruscher
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ahmed M. Mehdi
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Muralidhara Rao Maradana
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ann P. Chidgey
- Stem Cells and Immune Regeneration Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Ranjeny Thomas
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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34
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Liu Z, Su DM, Yu ZL, Wu F, Liu RF, Luo SQ, Lv ZY, Zeng X, Sun X, Wu ZD. Soluble antigens from the neurotropic pathogen Angiostrongylus cantonensis directly induce thymus atrophy in a mouse model. Oncotarget 2018; 8:48575-48590. [PMID: 28548945 PMCID: PMC5564709 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis (A.C.) is a neurotropic pathogen; stage-III larva invade the human (non-permissive host) central nervous system (CNS) to cause eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis accompanied by immunosuppression. In an A.C.-infectedmouse (another non-permissive host) model, CNS damage-associated T cell immune deficiency and severe inflammation were proposed to result from activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, glucocorticoids are anti-inflammatory agents. Additionally, while defects in thymic stromal/epithelial cells (TECs) are the major reason for thymic atrophy, TECs do not express the glucocorticoid receptor. Therefore, activation of the HPA axis cannot fully explain the thymic atrophy and inflammation. Using an A.C.-infected mouse model, we found that A.C.-infected mice developed severe thymic atrophy with dramatic impairments in thymocytes and TECs, particularly cortical TECs, which harbor CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes. The impairments resulted from soluble antigens (sAgs) from A.C. in the thymuses of infected mice, as intrathymic injection of these sAgs into live mice and the addition of these sAgs to thymic cell culture resulted in thymic atrophy and cellular apoptosis, respectively. Therefore, in addition to an indirect effect on thymocytes through the HPA axis, our study reveals a novel mechanism by which A.C. infection in non-permissive hosts directly induces defects in both thymocytes and TECs via soluble antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Liu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong-Ming Su
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Zi-Long Yu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui-Feng Liu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shi-Qi Luo
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Yue Lv
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Zeng
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xi Sun
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhong-Dao Wu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
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35
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Vizcardo R, Klemen ND, Islam SMR, Gurusamy D, Tamaoki N, Yamada D, Koseki H, Kidder BL, Yu Z, Jia L, Henning AN, Good ML, Bosch-Marce M, Maeda T, Liu C, Abdullaev Z, Pack S, Palmer DC, Stroncek DF, Ito F, Flomerfelt FA, Kruhlak MJ, Restifo NP. Generation of Tumor Antigen-Specific iPSC-Derived Thymic Emigrants Using a 3D Thymic Culture System. Cell Rep 2018; 22:3175-3190. [PMID: 29562175 PMCID: PMC5930030 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.02.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived T cells may provide future therapies for cancer patients, but those generated by current methods, such as the OP9/DLL1 system, have shown abnormalities that pose major barriers for clinical translation. Our data indicate that these iPSC-derived CD8 single-positive T cells are more like CD4+CD8+ double-positive T cells than mature naive T cells because they display phenotypic markers of developmental arrest and an innate-like phenotype after stimulation. We developed a 3D thymic culture system to avoid these aberrant developmental fates, generating a homogeneous subset of CD8αβ+ antigen-specific T cells, designated iPSC-derived thymic emigrants (iTEs). iTEs exhibit phenotypic and functional similarities to naive T cells both in vitro and in vivo, including the capacity for expansion, memory formation, and tumor suppression. These data illustrate the limitations of current methods and provide a tool to develop the next generation of iPSC-based antigen-specific immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Vizcardo
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Nicholas D Klemen
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - S M Rafiqul Islam
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Devikala Gurusamy
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Naritaka Tamaoki
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daisuke Yamada
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Koseki
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Benjamin L Kidder
- Department of Oncology and Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Zhiya Yu
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Li Jia
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Amanda N Henning
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Meghan L Good
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Marta Bosch-Marce
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Takuya Maeda
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Chengyu Liu
- Transgenic Core, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Zied Abdullaev
- Experimental Pathology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Svetlana Pack
- Experimental Pathology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Douglas C Palmer
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David F Stroncek
- Department of Transfusion Medicine Department, Clinical Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Fumito Ito
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Francis A Flomerfelt
- Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch, NIH Clinical Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael J Kruhlak
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nicholas P Restifo
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Cell-Based Therapy, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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36
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Miragaia RJ, Zhang X, Gomes T, Svensson V, Ilicic T, Henriksson J, Kar G, Lönnberg T. Single-cell RNA-sequencing resolves self-antigen expression during mTEC development. Sci Rep 2018; 8:685. [PMID: 29330484 PMCID: PMC5766627 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-19100-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The crucial capability of T cells for discrimination between self and non-self peptides is based on negative selection of developing thymocytes by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). The mTECs purge autoreactive T cells by expression of cell-type specific genes referred to as tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs). Although the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) protein is known to promote the expression of a subset of TRAs, its mechanism of action is still not fully understood. The expression of TRAs that are not under the control of AIRE also needs further characterization. Furthermore, expression patterns of TRA genes have been suggested to change over the course of mTEC development. Herein we have used single-cell RNA-sequencing to resolve patterns of TRA expression during mTEC development. Our data indicated that mTEC development consists of three distinct stages, correlating with previously described jTEC, mTEChi and mTEClo phenotypes. For each subpopulation, we have identified marker genes useful in future studies. Aire-induced TRAs were switched on during jTEC-mTEC transition and were expressed in genomic clusters, while otherwise the subsets expressed largely overlapping sets of TRAs. Moreover, population-level analysis of TRA expression frequencies suggested that such differences might not be necessary to achieve efficient thymocyte selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo J Miragaia
- European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Xiuwei Zhang
- European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, United Kingdom
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Tomás Gomes
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Valentine Svensson
- European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, United Kingdom
| | - Tomislav Ilicic
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Johan Henriksson
- European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, United Kingdom
| | - Gozde Kar
- European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, United Kingdom
| | - Tapio Lönnberg
- European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, United Kingdom.
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom.
- Turku Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
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37
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Miraghazadeh B, Cook MC. Nuclear Factor-kappaB in Autoimmunity: Man and Mouse. Front Immunol 2018; 9:613. [PMID: 29686669 PMCID: PMC5900062 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
NF-κB (nuclear factor-kappa B) is a transcription complex crucial for host defense mediated by innate and adaptive immunity, where canonical NF-κB signaling, mediated by nuclear translocation of RelA, c-Rel, and p50, is important for immune cell activation, differentiation, and survival. Non-canonical signaling mediated by nuclear translocation of p52 and RelB contributes to lymphocyte maturation and survival and is also crucial for lymphoid organogenesis. We outline NF-κB signaling and regulation, then summarize important molecular contributions of NF-κB to mechanisms of self-tolerance. We relate these mechanisms to autoimmune phenotypes described in what is now a substantial catalog of immune defects conferred by mutations in NF-κB pathways in mouse models. Finally, we describe Mendelian autoimmune syndromes arising from human NF-κB mutations, and speculate on implications for understanding sporadic autoimmune disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Miraghazadeh
- Centre for Personalised Immunology, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
- Translational Research Unit, Canberra Hospital, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Matthew C. Cook
- Centre for Personalised Immunology, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
- Translational Research Unit, Canberra Hospital, Acton, ACT, Australia
- Department of Immunology, Canberra Hospital, Acton, ACT, Australia
- *Correspondence: Matthew C. Cook,
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38
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Michel C, Miller CN, Küchler R, Brors B, Anderson MS, Kyewski B, Pinto S. Revisiting the Road Map of Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cell Differentiation. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2017; 199:3488-3503. [PMID: 28993517 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1700203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The basic two-step terminal differentiation model of the medullary thymic epithelial cell (mTEC) lineage from immature MHC class II (MHCII)lo to mature MHCIIhi mTECs has recently been extended to include a third stage, namely the post-Aire MHCIIlo subset as identified by lineage-tracing models. However, a suitable surface marker distinguishing the phenotypically overlapping pre- from the post-Aire MHCIIlo stage has been lacking. In this study, we introduce the lectin Tetragonolobus purpureas agglutinin (TPA) as a novel cell surface marker that allows for such delineation. Based on our data, we derived the following sequence of mTEC differentiation: TPAloMHCIIlo → TPAloMHCIIhi → TPAhiMHCIIhi → TPAhiMHCIIlo Surprisingly, in the steady-state postnatal thymus TPAloMHCIIlo pre-Aire rather than terminally differentiated post-Aire TPAhiMHCIIlo mTECs were marked for apoptosis at an exceptionally high rate of ∼70%. Hence, only the minor cycling fraction of the MHCIIlo subset (<20%) potentially qualified as mTEC precursors. FoxN1 expression inversely correlated with the fraction of slow cycling and apoptotic cells within the four TPA subsets. TPA also further subdivided human mTECs, although with different subset distribution. Our revised road map emphazises close parallels of terminal mTEC development with that of skin, undergoing an alternative route of cell death, namely cornification rather than apoptosis. The high rate of apoptosis in pre-Aire MHCIIlo mTECs points to a "quality control" step during early mTEC differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Michel
- Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Corey N Miller
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Rita Küchler
- Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Benedikt Brors
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; and
- German Cancer Consortium, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Mark S Anderson
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Bruno Kyewski
- Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany;
| | - Sheena Pinto
- Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany;
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39
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Sánchez-Ramón S, Faure F. The Thymus/Neocortex Hypothesis of the Brain: A Cell Basis for Recognition and Instruction of Self. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:340. [PMID: 29163052 PMCID: PMC5663735 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The recognition of internal and external sources of stimuli, the self from non-self, seems to be an intrinsic property to the adequate functioning of the immune system and the nervous system, both complex network systems that have evolved to safeguard the self biological identity of the organism. The mammalian brain development relies on dynamic and adaptive processes that are now well described. However, the rules dictating this highly constrained developmental process remain elusive. Here we hypothesize that there is a cellular basis for brain selfhood, based on the analogy of the global mechanisms that drive the self/non-self recognition and instruction by the immune system. In utero education within the thymus by multi-step selection processes discard overly low and high affinity T-lymphocytes to self stimuli, thus avoiding expendable or autoreactive responses that might lead to harmful autoimmunity. We argue that the self principle is one of the chief determinants of neocortical brain neurogenesis. According to our hypothesis, early-life education on self at the subcortical plate of the neocortex by selection processes might participate in the striking specificity of neuronal repertoire and assure efficiency and self tolerance. Potential implications of this hypothesis in self-reactive neurological pathologies are discussed, particularly involving consciousness-associated pathophysiological conditions, i.e., epilepsy and schizophrenia, for which we coined the term autophrenity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Sánchez-Ramón
- Department of Clinical Immunology and IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Microbiology I, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Florence Faure
- PSL Research University, INSERM U932, Institut Curie, Paris, France
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40
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Sato K, Kato A, Sekai M, Hamazaki Y, Minato N. Physiologic Thymic Involution Underlies Age-Dependent Accumulation of Senescence-Associated CD4 + T Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 199:138-148. [PMID: 28539430 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1602005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Immune aging may underlie various aging-related disorders, including diminished resistance to infection, chronic inflammatory disorders, and autoimmunity. PD-1+ and CD153+ CD44high CD4+ T cells with features of cellular senescence, termed senescence-associated T (SA-T) cells, increasingly accumulate with age and may play a role in the immune aging phenotype. In this article, we demonstrate that, compared with young mice, the aged mouse environment is highly permissive for spontaneous proliferation of transferred naive CD4+ T cells, and it drives their transition to PD-1+ and CD153+ CD44high CD4+ T cells after extensive cell divisions. CD4+ T cells with essentially the same features as SA-T cells in aged mice are also generated from naive CD4+ T cells after extensive cell divisions under severe T-lymphopenic conditions by gamma irradiation or in developmental T cell defect, often in association with spontaneous germinal centers, as seen in aged mice. The increase in SA-T cells is significantly enhanced after thymectomy at the young adult stage, along with accelerated T cell homeostatic proliferation, whereas embryonic thymus implantation in the late adult stage markedly restricts the homeostatic proliferation of naive CD4+ T cells in the host and delays the increase in SA-T cells. Our results suggest that reduced T cell output due to physiologic thymic involution underlies the age-dependent accumulation of SA-T cells as a result of increasing homeostatic proliferation of naive CD4+ T cells. SA-T cells may provide a suitable biomarker of immune aging, as well as a potential target for controlling aging-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyosuke Sato
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Aiko Kato
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Miho Sekai
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yoko Hamazaki
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Nagahiro Minato
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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41
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Brunk F, Michel C, Holland-Letz T, Slynko A, Kopp-Schneider A, Kyewski B, Pinto S. Dissecting and modeling the emergent murine TEC compartment during ontogeny. Eur J Immunol 2017; 47:1153-1159. [DOI: 10.1002/eji.201747006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Brunk
- Division of Developmental Immunology; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ); Heidelberg Germany
| | - Chloé Michel
- Division of Developmental Immunology; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ); Heidelberg Germany
| | - Tim Holland-Letz
- Division of Biostatistics; German Cancer Research Center; Heidelberg Germany
| | - Alla Slynko
- Department of Mathematics; Natural and Economic Sciences; University of Applied Sciences; Ulm Germany
| | | | - Bruno Kyewski
- Division of Developmental Immunology; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ); Heidelberg Germany
| | - Sheena Pinto
- Division of Developmental Immunology; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ); Heidelberg Germany
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42
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The emerging role of ECM crosslinking in T cell mobility as a hallmark of immunosenescence in humans. Ageing Res Rev 2017; 35:322-335. [PMID: 27876574 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Immunosenescence is thought to result from cellular aging and to reflect exposure to environmental stressors and antigens, including cytomegalovirus (CMV). However, not all of the features of immunosenescence are consistent with this view, and this has led to the emergence of the sister theory of "inflammaging". The recently discovered diffuse tissue distribution of resident memory T cells (TRM) which don't recirculate, calls these theories into question. These cells account for most T cells residing in barrier epithelia which sit in and travel through the extracellular matrix (ECM). With almost all studies to date carried out on peripheral blood, the age-related changes of the ECM and their consequences for T cell mobility, which is crucial for the function of these cells, have been largely ignored. We propose an update of the theoretical framework of immunosenescence, based on a novel hypothesis: the increasing stiffness and cross-linking of the senescent ECM lead to a progressive immunodeficiency due to an age-related decrease in T cell mobility and eventually the death of these cells. A key element of this mechanism is the mechanical stress to which the cell cytoplasm and nucleus are subjected during passage through the ECM. This hypothesis is based on an "evo-devo" perspective bringing together some major characteristics of aging, to create a single interpretive framework for immunosenescence.
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43
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Wu K, Zhao M, Ma C, Zhang H, Liu X, Zhou L, Zhao J, Gao L, Wang D. Thyrotropin Alters T Cell Development in the Thymus in Subclinical Hypothyroidism Mouse Model. Scand J Immunol 2017; 85:35-42. [PMID: 27864993 DOI: 10.1111/sji.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is highly prevalent in the general population and is associated with potential deleterious effects. Although developing T cells express thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSH-R), the changes of T cell development in thymus in SCH have not been fully clarified. SCH mouse model, which is characterized by elevated serum TSH but similar thyroid hormone levels, was used to study the role of TSH in T cell development. Thymus weight of SCH mice increased 18% compared with controls. Importantly, the frequencies of CD4+ and CD8+ single-positive (SP) thymocytes increased 38% and 44%, respectively. We demonstrated that TSH protected thymocytes from apoptosis as evidenced by a significant decrease of Annexin V-positive thymocytes in SCH mice. Further analysis showed that extracellular-regulated kinases (ERK) 1/2 in thymus were activated in SCH mice. With analysis of T cell receptor excision circles (TREC), we found that TSH increased recent thymic emigrants (RTE) in spleen tissue in SCH mice. Thus, these results suggest that TSH promoted T cell development and enhanced the thymic recent output in SCH mice, possibly by suppression of apoptosis of thymocytes, indicating that modification of the ERK signalling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Wu
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shandong Academy of Clinical Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - M Zhao
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shandong Academy of Clinical Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - C Ma
- Scientific Center, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - H Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shandong Academy of Clinical Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - X Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shandong Academy of Clinical Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - L Zhou
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - J Zhao
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shandong Academy of Clinical Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - L Gao
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong Clinical Medical Center of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Scientific Center, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - D Wang
- Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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44
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Wu W, Shi Y, Xia H, Chai Q, Jin C, Ren B, Zhu M. Epithelial LTβR signaling controls the population size of the progenitors of medullary thymic epithelial cells in neonatal mice. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44481. [PMID: 28290551 PMCID: PMC5349570 DOI: 10.1038/srep44481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The establishment of T cell central tolerance critically relies on the development and maintenance of the medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). Disrupted signaling of lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTβR) results in dramatically reduced mTEC population. However, whether LTβR directly or indirectly control mTECs remains undetermined; how LTβR controls this process also remain unclear. In this study, by utilizing K14-Cre × Ltbrfl/fl conditional knockout (cKO) mice, we show that epithelial intrinsic LTβR was essential for the mTEC development postnatally. Mechanistically, LTβR did not directly impact the proliferation or survival of mTECs; the maturation of mTECs from MHC-IIlo to MHC-IIhi stage was also unaltered in the absence of LTβR; interestingly, the number of mTEC progenitors (Cld3,4hiSSEA-1+) was found significantly reduced in LTβR cKO mice at the neonatal stage, but not at E18.5. Consequently, epithelial deficiency of LTβR resulted in significant defect of thymic negative selection as demonstrated using OT-I and RIP-OVA transgenic mouse system. In summary, our study clarifies the epithelial intrinsic role of LTβR on mTEC development and function; more importantly, it reveals a previously unrecognized function of LTβR on the control of the size of mTEC progenitor population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yaoyao Shi
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huan Xia
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qian Chai
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Caiwei Jin
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Boyang Ren
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Mingzhao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Boehm T. Form follows function, function follows form: how lymphoid tissues enable and constrain immune reactions. Immunol Rev 2016; 271:4-9. [PMID: 27088903 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Boehm
- Department of Developmental Immunology, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
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