1
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Baldwin I, Robey EA. Adjusting to self in the thymus: CD4 versus CD8 lineage commitment and regulatory T cell development. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20230896. [PMID: 38980291 PMCID: PMC11232887 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20230896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
During thymic development, thymocytes adjust their TCR response based on the strength of their reactivity to self-peptide MHC complexes. This tuning process allows thymocytes with a range of self-reactivities to survive positive selection and contribute to a diverse T cell pool. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in our understanding of how thymocytes tune their responsiveness during positive selection, and we present a "sequential selection" model to explain how MHC specificity influences lineage choice. We also discuss recent evidence for cell type diversity in the medulla and discuss how this heterogeneity may contribute to medullary niches for negative selection and regulatory T cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Baldwin
- Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ellen A. Robey
- Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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2
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Bacsa B, Hopl V, Derler I. Synthetic Biology Meets Ca 2+ Release-Activated Ca 2+ Channel-Dependent Immunomodulation. Cells 2024; 13:468. [PMID: 38534312 DOI: 10.3390/cells13060468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Many essential biological processes are triggered by the proximity of molecules. Meanwhile, diverse approaches in synthetic biology, such as new biological parts or engineered cells, have opened up avenues to precisely control the proximity of molecules and eventually downstream signaling processes. This also applies to a main Ca2+ entry pathway into the cell, the so-called Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channel. CRAC channels are among other channels are essential in the immune response and are activated by receptor-ligand binding at the cell membrane. The latter initiates a signaling cascade within the cell, which finally triggers the coupling of the two key molecular components of the CRAC channel, namely the stromal interaction molecule, STIM, in the ER membrane and the plasma membrane Ca2+ ion channel, Orai. Ca2+ entry, established via STIM/Orai coupling, is essential for various immune cell functions, including cytokine release, proliferation, and cytotoxicity. In this review, we summarize the tools of synthetic biology that have been used so far to achieve precise control over the CRAC channel pathway and thus over downstream signaling events related to the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadett Bacsa
- Division of Medical Physics und Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Valentina Hopl
- Institute of Biophysics, JKU Life Science Center, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4020 Linz, Austria
| | - Isabella Derler
- Institute of Biophysics, JKU Life Science Center, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4020 Linz, Austria
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3
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Crater JM, Dunn DC, Nixon DF, Furler O’Brien RL. A History and Atlas of the Human CD4 + T Helper Cell. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2608. [PMID: 37892982 PMCID: PMC10604283 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
CD4+ T cells have orchestrated and regulated immunity since the introduction of jawed vertebrates, yet our understanding of CD4+ T cell evolution, development, and cellular physiology has only begun to be unearthed in the past few decades. Discoveries of genetic diseases that ablate this cellular population have provided insight into their critical functions while transcriptomics, proteomics, and high-resolution microscopy have recently revealed new insights into CD4+ T cell anatomy and physiology. This article compiles historical, microscopic, and multi-omics data that can be used as a reference atlas and index to dissect cellular physiology within these influential cells and further understand pathologies like HIV infection that inflict human CD4+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Robert L. Furler O’Brien
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 413 E 69th St., Belfer Research Building, New York, NY 10021, USA
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4
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Funasaki S, Hatano A, Nakatsumi H, Koga D, Sugahara O, Yumimoto K, Baba M, Matsumoto M, Nakayama KI. A stepwise and digital pattern of RSK phosphorylation determines the outcome of thymic selection. iScience 2023; 26:107552. [PMID: 37646020 PMCID: PMC10460994 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107552] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Developing CD4+CD8+ double-positive (DP) thymocytes with randomly generated T cell receptors (TCRs) undergo positive (maturation) or negative (apoptosis) selection on the basis of the strength of TCR stimulation. Selection fate is determined by engagement of TCR ligands with a subtle difference in affinity, but the molecular details of TCR signaling leading to the different selection outcomes have remained unclear. We performed phosphoproteome analysis of DP thymocytes and found that p90 ribosomal protein kinase (RSK) phosphorylation at Thr562 was induced specifically by high-affinity peptide ligands. Such phosphorylation of RSK triggered its translocation to the nucleus, where it phosphorylated the nuclear receptor Nur77 and thereby promoted its mitochondrial translocation for apoptosis induction. Inhibition of RSK activity protected DP thymocytes from antigen-induced cell death. We propose that RSK phosphorylation constitutes a mechanism by which DP thymocytes generate a stepwise and binary signal in response to exposure to TCR ligands with a graded affinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Funasaki
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hatano
- Department of Omics and Systems Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Nakatsumi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Daisuke Koga
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Osamu Sugahara
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kanae Yumimoto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masaya Baba
- Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Masaki Matsumoto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Department of Omics and Systems Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Keiichi I. Nakayama
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Anticancer Strategies Laboratory, TMDU Advanced Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
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5
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McIntyre LL, Lutes LK, Robey EA. Studying T Cell Development in Neonatal and Adult Thymic Slices. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2580:233-247. [PMID: 36374461 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2740-2_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
T cell development occurs in the thymus and is coordinated temporally and spatially within the highly complex thymic microenvironment. Therefore, T cell selection and maturation events cannot be fully recapitulated using traditional two-dimensional tissue culture in vitro. The thymic slice system provides a highly versatile system for studying T cell development ex vivo while preserving three-dimensional thymic architecture. Using the thymic slice system, T cell selection and maturation events can be visualized by live imaging and quantified by flow cytometry. Here we describe the process for generating slices from neonatal and adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura L McIntyre
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lydia K Lutes
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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6
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This S, Rogers D, Mallet Gauthier È, Mandl JN, Melichar HJ. What's self got to do with it: Sources of heterogeneity among naive T cells. Semin Immunol 2023; 65:101702. [PMID: 36463711 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2022.101702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
There is a long-standing assumption that naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are largely homogeneous populations despite the extraordinary diversity of their T cell receptors (TCR). The self-immunopeptidome plays a key role in the selection of the naive T cell repertoire in the thymus, and self-peptides are also an important driver of differences between individual naive T cells with regard to their subsequent functional contributions to an immune response. Accumulating evidence suggests that as early as the β-selection stage of T cell development, when only one of the recombined chains of the mature TCR is expressed, signaling thresholds may be established for positive selection of immature thymocytes. Stochastic encounters subsequently made with self-ligands during positive selection in the thymus imprint functional biases that a T cell will carry with it throughout its lifetime, although ongoing interactions with self in the periphery ensure a level of plasticity in the gene expression wiring of naive T cells. Identifying the sources of heterogeneity in the naive T cell population and which functional attributes of T cells can be modulated through post-thymic interventions versus those that are fixed during T cell development, could enable us to better select or generate T cells with particular traits to improve the efficacy of T cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien This
- Department of Microbiology, Infectious Disease, and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Dakota Rogers
- Department of Physiology and McGill Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ève Mallet Gauthier
- Department of Microbiology, Infectious Disease, and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Judith N Mandl
- Department of Physiology and McGill Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Heather J Melichar
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
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7
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Bosselut R. A Beginner's Guide to T Cell Development. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2580:3-24. [PMID: 36374448 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2740-2_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
T lymphocytes (T cells) are essential components of the adaptive immune system; they serve multiple functions in responses to pathogens and to ensure immune homeostasis. Written for readers first entering this field of study, this chapter is a brief overview of the development of T cells in the thymus, from the entry of thymus-settling bone marrow-derived precursors to the egress of mature T cells. Surveyed topics include the differentiation and expansion of early precursors, the generation of the T cell antigen receptor repertoire, the selection of αβ T cell precursors, and their acquisition of functional competency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémy Bosselut
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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8
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Gavish A, Chain B, Salame TM, Antebi YE, Nevo S, Reich-Zeliger S, Friedman N. From pseudo to real-time dynamics of T cell thymic differentiation. iScience 2022; 26:105826. [PMID: 36624839 PMCID: PMC9823121 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous methods have recently emerged for ordering single cells along developmental trajectories. However, accurate depiction of developmental dynamics can only be achieved after rescaling the trajectory according to the relative time spent at each developmental point. We formulate a model which estimates local cell densities and fluxes, and incorporates cell division and apoptosis rates, to infer the real-time dimension of the developmental trajectory. We validate the model using mathematical simulations and apply it to experimental high dimensional cytometry data obtained from the mouse thymus to construct the true time profile of the thymocyte developmental process. Our method can easily be implemented in any of the existing tools for trajectory inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avishai Gavish
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel,Corresponding author
| | - Benny Chain
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tomer M. Salame
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yaron E. Antebi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shir Nevo
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shlomit Reich-Zeliger
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel,Corresponding author
| | - Nir Friedman
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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9
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McAffee DB, O'Dair MK, Lin JJ, Low-Nam ST, Wilhelm KB, Kim S, Morita S, Groves JT. Discrete LAT condensates encode antigen information from single pMHC:TCR binding events. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7446. [PMID: 36460640 PMCID: PMC9718779 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35093-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
LAT assembly into a two-dimensional protein condensate is a prominent feature of antigen discrimination by T cells. Here, we use single-molecule imaging techniques to resolve the spatial position and temporal duration of each pMHC:TCR molecular binding event while simultaneously monitoring LAT condensation at the membrane. An individual binding event is sufficient to trigger a LAT condensate, which is self-limiting, and neither its size nor lifetime is correlated with the duration of the originating pMHC:TCR binding event. Only the probability of the LAT condensate forming is related to the pMHC:TCR binding dwell time. LAT condenses abruptly, but after an extended delay from the originating binding event. A LAT mutation that facilitates phosphorylation at the PLC-γ1 recruitment site shortens the delay time to LAT condensation and alters T cell antigen specificity. These results identify a function for the LAT protein condensation phase transition in setting antigen discrimination thresholds in T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren B McAffee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Mark K O'Dair
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jenny J Lin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Shalini T Low-Nam
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kiera B Wilhelm
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sungi Kim
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Shumpei Morita
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jay T Groves
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science, Nanyang Technological University, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 636921, Singapore.
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10
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Kästle M, Merten C, Hartig R, Plaza-Sirvent C, Schmitz I, Bommhardt U, Schraven B, Simeoni L. Type of PaperY192 within the SH2 Domain of Lck Regulates TCR Signaling Downstream of PLC-γ1 and Thymic Selection. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137271. [PMID: 35806279 PMCID: PMC9267008 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Signaling via the TCR, which is initiated by the Src-family tyrosine kinase Lck, is crucial for the determination of cell fates in the thymus. Because of its pivotal role, ablation of Lck results in a profound block of T-cell development. Here, we show that, in addition to its well-known function in the initiation of TCR signaling, Lck also acts at a more downstream level. This novel function of Lck is determined by the tyrosine residue (Y192) located in its SH2 domain. Thymocytes from knock-in mice expressing a phosphomimetic Y192E mutant of Lck initiate TCR signaling upon CD3 cross-linking up to the level of PLC-γ1 phosphorylation. However, the activation of downstream pathways including Ca2+ influx and phosphorylation of Erk1/2 are impaired. Accordingly, positive and negative selections are blocked in LckY192E knock-in mice. Collectively, our data indicate that Lck has a novel function downstream of PLCγ-1 in the regulation of thymocyte differentiation and selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Kästle
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; (M.K.); (C.M.); (R.H.); (C.P.-S.); (I.S.); (U.B.)
| | - Camilla Merten
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; (M.K.); (C.M.); (R.H.); (C.P.-S.); (I.S.); (U.B.)
| | - Roland Hartig
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; (M.K.); (C.M.); (R.H.); (C.P.-S.); (I.S.); (U.B.)
| | - Carlos Plaza-Sirvent
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; (M.K.); (C.M.); (R.H.); (C.P.-S.); (I.S.); (U.B.)
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Ingo Schmitz
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; (M.K.); (C.M.); (R.H.); (C.P.-S.); (I.S.); (U.B.)
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Ursula Bommhardt
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; (M.K.); (C.M.); (R.H.); (C.P.-S.); (I.S.); (U.B.)
- Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I3), Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Health and Medical Prevention (CHaMP), Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Burkhart Schraven
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; (M.K.); (C.M.); (R.H.); (C.P.-S.); (I.S.); (U.B.)
- Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I3), Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Health and Medical Prevention (CHaMP), Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Correspondence: (B.S.); (L.S.)
| | - Luca Simeoni
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; (M.K.); (C.M.); (R.H.); (C.P.-S.); (I.S.); (U.B.)
- Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I3), Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Health and Medical Prevention (CHaMP), Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Correspondence: (B.S.); (L.S.)
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11
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Wang C, Daley SR. How Thymocyte Deletion in the Cortex May Curtail Antigen-Specific T-Regulatory Cell Development in the Medulla. Front Immunol 2022; 13:892498. [PMID: 35693793 PMCID: PMC9176388 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.892498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CD4+ T cell responses to self-antigens are pivotal for immunological self-tolerance. Activation of Foxp3– T-conventional (T-conv) cells can precipitate autoimmune disease, whereas activation of Foxp3+ T-regulatory (T-reg) cells is essential to prevent autoimmune disease. This distinction indicates the importance of the thymus in controlling the differentiation of self-reactive CD4+ T cells. Thymocytes and thymic antigen-presenting cells (APC) depend on each other for normal maturation and differentiation. In this Hypothesis and Theory article, we propose this mutual dependence dictates which self-antigens induce T-reg cell development in the thymic medulla. We postulate self-reactive CD4+ CD8– thymocytes deliver signals that stabilize and amplify the presentation of their cognate self-antigen by APC in the thymic medulla, thereby seeding a niche for the development of T-reg cells specific for the same self-antigen. By limiting the number of antigen-specific CD4+ thymocytes in the medulla, thymocyte deletion in the cortex may impede the formation of medullary T-reg niches containing certain self-antigens. Susceptibility to autoimmune disease may arise from cortical deletion creating a “hole” in the self-antigen repertoire recognized by T-reg cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Wang
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Stephen R Daley
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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12
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Baranek T, de Amat Herbozo C, Mallevaey T, Paget C. Deconstructing iNKT cell development at single-cell resolution. Trends Immunol 2022; 43:503-512. [PMID: 35654639 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2022.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are increasingly regarded as disease biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets. However, a greater understanding of their biology is necessary to effectively target these cells in the clinic. The discovery of iNKT1/2/17 cell effector subsets was a milestone in our understanding of iNKT cell development and function. Recent transcriptomic studies have uncovered an even greater heterogeneity and challenge our understanding of iNKT cell ontogeny and effector differentiation. We propose a refined model whereby iNKT cells differentiate through a dynamic and continuous instructive process that requires the accumulation and integration of various signals within the thymus or peripheral tissues. Within this framework, we question the existence of true iNKT2 cells and discuss the parallels between mouse and human iNKT cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Baranek
- Centre d'Étude des Pathologies Respiratoires (CEPR), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité Mixte de Recherche 1100, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Carolina de Amat Herbozo
- Department of Immunology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Thierry Mallevaey
- Department of Immunology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Christophe Paget
- Centre d'Étude des Pathologies Respiratoires (CEPR), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité Mixte de Recherche 1100, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Tours, Tours, France.
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13
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Abstract
A high diversity of αβ T cell receptors (TCRs), capable of recognizing virtually any pathogen but also self-antigens, is generated during T cell development in the thymus. Nevertheless, a strict developmental program supports the selection of a self-tolerant T cell repertoire capable of responding to foreign antigens. The steps of T cell selection are controlled by cortical and medullary stromal niches, mainly composed of thymic epithelial cells and dendritic cells. The integration of important cues provided by these specialized niches, including (a) the TCR signal strength induced by the recognition of self-peptide-MHC complexes, (b) costimulatory signals, and (c) cytokine signals, critically controls T cell repertoire selection. This review discusses our current understanding of the signals that coordinate positive selection, negative selection, and agonist selection of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. It also highlights recent advances that have unraveled the functional diversity of thymic antigen-presenting cell subsets implicated in T cell selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Irla
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML), CNRS, INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France;
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14
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Pankaew S, Potier D, Grosjean C, Nozais M, Quessada J, Loosveld M, Remy É, Payet-Bornet D. Calcium Signaling Is Impaired in PTEN-Deficient T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Front Immunol 2022; 13:797244. [PMID: 35185889 PMCID: PMC8847596 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.797244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PTEN (Phosphatase and TENsin homolog) is a well-known tumor suppressor involved in numerous types of cancer, including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). In human, loss-of-function mutations of PTEN are correlated to mature T-ALL expressing a T-cell receptor (TCR) at their cell surface. In accordance with human T-ALL, inactivation of Pten gene in mouse thymocytes induces TCRαβ+ T-ALL development. Herein, we explored the functional interaction between TCRαβ signaling and PTEN. First, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) of PTEN-deficient and PTEN-proficient thymocytes. Bioinformatic analysis of our scRNAseq data showed that pathological Ptendel thymocytes express, as expected, Myc transcript, whereas inference of pathway activity revealed that these Ptendel thymocytes display a lower calcium pathway activity score compared to their physiological counterparts. We confirmed this result using ex vivo calcium flux assay and showed that upon TCR activation tumor Ptendel blasts were unable to release calcium ions (Ca2+) from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol. In order to understand such phenomena, we constructed a mathematical model centered on the mechanisms controlling the calcium flux, integrating TCR signal strength and PTEN interactions. This qualitative model displays a dynamical behavior coherent with the dynamics reported in the literature, it also predicts that PTEN affects positively IP3 (inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate) receptors (ITPR). Hence, we analyzed Itpr expression and unraveled that ITPR proteins levels are reduced in PTEN-deficient tumor cells compared to physiological and leukemic PTEN-proficient cells. However, calcium flux and ITPR proteins expression are not defective in non-leukemic PTEN-deficient T cells indicating that beyond PTEN loss an additional alteration is required. Altogether, our study shows that ITPR/Calcium flux is a part of the oncogenic landscape shaped by PTEN loss and pinpoints a putative role of PTEN in the regulation of ITPR proteins in thymocytes, which remains to be characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saran Pankaew
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, CIML, Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, I2M, Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Mathis Nozais
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, CIML, Marseille, France
| | - Julie Quessada
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, CIML, Marseille, France
| | - Marie Loosveld
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, CIML, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital La Timone, Laboratoire d'Hématologie, Marseille, France
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15
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Dong M, Chang J, Lebel MÈ, Gervais N, Fournier M, Mallet Gauthier È, Suh WK, Melichar HJ. The ICOS-ICOSL pathway tunes thymic selection. Immunol Cell Biol 2021; 100:205-217. [PMID: 34962663 PMCID: PMC9304562 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Negative selection of developing T cells plays a significant role in T cell tolerance to self-antigen. This process relies on thymic antigen presenting cells which express both self-antigens as well as co-signaling molecules. Inducible T cell costimulator (ICOS) belongs to the CD28 family of co-signaling molecules and binds to ICOS ligand (ICOSL). The ICOS signaling pathway plays important roles in shaping the immune response to infections, but its role in central tolerance is less well understood. Here we show that ICOSL is expressed by subsets of thymic dendritic cells and medullary thymic epithelial cells as well as thymic B cells. ICOS expression is upregulated as T cells mature in the thymus and correlates with T cell receptor signal strength during thymic selection. We also provide evidence of a role for ICOS signaling in mediating negative selection. Our findings suggest that ICOS may fine-tune T cell receptor signals during thymic selection contributing to the generation of a tolerant T cell population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Dong
- Département de microbiologie, Université de Montréal, infectiologie et immunologie, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada.,Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Jinsam Chang
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H2W 1R7, Canada.,Programme de biologie moléculaire, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Lebel
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Noémie Gervais
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Marilaine Fournier
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Ève Mallet Gauthier
- Département de microbiologie, Université de Montréal, infectiologie et immunologie, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada.,Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Woong-Kyung Suh
- Département de microbiologie, Université de Montréal, infectiologie et immunologie, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada.,Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H2W 1R7, Canada.,Programme de biologie moléculaire, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Heather J Melichar
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, H1T 2M4, Canada.,Département de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada
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16
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Aghaallaei N, Inoue D, Hasel de Carvalho E, Dick AM, Wittbrodt J, Leptin M, Bajoghli B. Notch1 deficiency alters the migratory behavior of developing T cells and calcium signaling in the thymus of medaka. Eur J Immunol 2021; 52:261-269. [PMID: 34731490 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202149512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The differentiation of T cells from lymphoid progenitors in the thymus follows sequential developmental stages that constantly require interaction with thymic epithelial cells. Several distinct aspects of early T cell development depend on the activation of Notch receptors on thymocytes, while the selection of thymocytes at later stages are believed to be Notch independent. Using reverse genetic approaches and whole-thymus live imaging in an in vivo teleost model, the medaka, we report that Notch1 signals is required for proliferation and specification of developing T cells as well as involved in their selection in the thymus. We reveal that Notch1 controls the migratory behavior of thymocytes through controlling the chemokine receptor Ccr9b and thereby influence the T cell receptor (TCR) activation. Hence, we propose that, in lower vertebrates, the function of Notch signaling extends to all stages of T cell development, except when thymocytes undergo TCRβ rearrangement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narges Aghaallaei
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daigo Inoue
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Advaita M Dick
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Joachim Wittbrodt
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Leptin
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany.,EMBO, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Baubak Bajoghli
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology, and Rheumatology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
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17
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Delmonte OM, Bergerson JRE, Kawai T, Kuehn HS, McDermott DH, Cortese I, Zimmermann MT, Dobbs AK, Bosticardo M, Fink D, Majumdar S, Palterer B, Pala F, Dsouza NR, Pouzolles M, Taylor N, Calvo KR, Daley SR, Velez D, Agharahimi A, Myint-Hpu K, Dropulic LK, Lyons JJ, Holland SM, Freeman AF, Ghosh R, Similuk MB, Niemela JE, Stoddard J, Kuhns DB, Urrutia R, Rosenzweig SD, Walkiewicz MA, Murphy PM, Notarangelo LD. SASH3 variants cause a novel form of X-linked combined immunodeficiency with immune dysregulation. Blood 2021; 138:1019-1033. [PMID: 33876203 PMCID: PMC8462359 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020008629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sterile alpha motif (SAM) and Src homology-3 (SH3) domain-containing 3 (SASH3), also called SH3-containing lymphocyte protein (SLY1), is a putative adaptor protein that is postulated to play an important role in the organization of signaling complexes and propagation of signal transduction cascades in lymphocytes. The SASH3 gene is located on the X-chromosome. Here, we identified 3 novel SASH3 deleterious variants in 4 unrelated male patients with a history of combined immunodeficiency and immune dysregulation that manifested as recurrent sinopulmonary, cutaneous, and mucosal infections and refractory autoimmune cytopenias. Patients exhibited CD4+ T-cell lymphopenia, decreased T-cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and increased T-cell apoptosis in response to mitogens. In vitro T-cell differentiation of CD34+ cells and molecular signatures of rearrangements at the T-cell receptor α (TRA) locus were indicative of impaired thymocyte survival. These patients also manifested neutropenia and B-cell and natural killer (NK)-cell lymphopenia. Lentivirus-mediated transfer of the SASH3 complementary DNA-corrected protein expression, in vitro proliferation, and signaling in SASH3-deficient Jurkat and patient-derived T cells. These findings define a new type of X-linked combined immunodeficiency in humans that recapitulates many of the abnormalities reported in mice with Sly1-/- and Sly1Δ/Δ mutations, highlighting an important role of SASH3 in human lymphocyte function and survival.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- B-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Child, Preschool
- Chromosomes, Human, X/genetics
- Chromosomes, Human, X/immunology
- Genetic Loci
- Humans
- Jurkat Cells
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Lymphopenia/genetics
- Lymphopenia/immunology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Mutation
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/immunology
- X-Linked Combined Immunodeficiency Diseases/genetics
- X-Linked Combined Immunodeficiency Diseases/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Ottavia M Delmonte
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Jenna R E Bergerson
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Tomoki Kawai
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Hye Sun Kuehn
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - David H McDermott
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Irene Cortese
- Neuroimmunology Clinic, Division of Neuroimmunology and Neurovirology, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Michael T Zimmermann
- Division of Research, Genomics Sciences & Precision Medicine Center, Milwaukee, WI
- Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - A Kerry Dobbs
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Marita Bosticardo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Danielle Fink
- Applied/Developmental Research Directorate, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD
| | - Shamik Majumdar
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Boaz Palterer
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesca Pala
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Nikita R Dsouza
- Division of Research, Genomics Sciences & Precision Medicine Center, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Marie Pouzolles
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Naomi Taylor
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
- Institut de Genetique Moleculaire de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5535, Universite de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Katherine R Calvo
- Hematology Section, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Stephen R Daley
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Daniel Velez
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Anahita Agharahimi
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Katherine Myint-Hpu
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Jonathan J Lyons
- Division of Intramural Research, Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and
| | - Steven M Holland
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Alexandra F Freeman
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Rajarshi Ghosh
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Morgan B Similuk
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Julie E Niemela
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Jennifer Stoddard
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Douglas B Kuhns
- Applied/Developmental Research Directorate, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD
| | - Raul Urrutia
- Division of Research, Genomics Sciences & Precision Medicine Center, Milwaukee, WI
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Sergio D Rosenzweig
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Magdalena A Walkiewicz
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Philip M Murphy
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Luigi D Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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18
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Abstract
T cells experience complex temporal patterns of stimulus via receptor-ligand-binding interactions with surrounding cells. From these temporal patterns, T cells are able to pick out antigenic signals while establishing self-tolerance. Although features such as duration of antigen binding have been examined, our understanding of how T cells interpret signals with different frequencies or temporal stimulation patterns is relatively unexplored. We engineered T cells to respond to light as a stimulus by building an optogenetically controlled chimeric antigen receptor (optoCAR). We discovered that T cells respond to minute-scale oscillations of activation signal by stimulating optoCAR T cells with tunable pulse trains of light. Systematically scanning signal oscillation period from 1 to 150 min revealed that expression of CD69, a T cell activation marker, reached a local minimum at a period of ∼25 min (corresponding to 5 to 15 min pulse widths). A combination of inhibitors and genetic knockouts suggest that this frequency filtering mechanism lies downstream of the Erk signaling branch of the T cell response network and may involve a negative feedback loop that diminishes Erk activity. The timescale of CD69 filtering corresponds with the duration of T cell encounters with self-peptide-presenting APCs observed via intravital imaging in mice, indicating a potential functional role for temporal filtering in vivo. This study illustrates that the T cell signaling machinery is tuned to temporally filter and interpret time-variant input signals in discriminatory ways.
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19
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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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20
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Lutes LK, Steier Z, McIntyre LL, Pandey S, Kaminski J, Hoover AR, Ariotti S, Streets A, Yosef N, Robey EA. T cell self-reactivity during thymic development dictates the timing of positive selection. eLife 2021; 10:e65435. [PMID: 33884954 PMCID: PMC8116051 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional tuning of T cells based on their degree of self-reactivity is established during positive selection in the thymus, although how positive selection differs for thymocytes with relatively low versus high self-reactivity is unclear. In addition, preselection thymocytes are highly sensitive to low-affinity ligands, but the mechanism underlying their enhanced T cell receptor (TCR) sensitivity is not fully understood. Here we show that murine thymocytes with low self-reactivity experience briefer TCR signals and complete positive selection more slowly than those with high self-reactivity. Additionally, we provide evidence that cells with low self-reactivity retain a preselection gene expression signature as they mature, including genes previously implicated in modulating TCR sensitivity and a novel group of ion channel genes. Our results imply that thymocytes with low self-reactivity downregulate TCR sensitivity more slowly during positive selection, and associate membrane ion channel expression with thymocyte self-reactivity and progress through positive selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia K Lutes
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Zoë Steier
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Laura L McIntyre
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Shraddha Pandey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - James Kaminski
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Ashley R Hoover
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Silvia Ariotti
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Aaron Streets
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Chan Zuckerberg BiohubSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Nir Yosef
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Chan Zuckerberg BiohubSan FranciscoUnited States
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
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21
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Modeling the Dynamics of T-Cell Development in the Thymus. ENTROPY 2021; 23:e23040437. [PMID: 33918050 PMCID: PMC8069328 DOI: 10.3390/e23040437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The thymus hosts the development of a specific type of adaptive immune cells called T cells. T cells orchestrate the adaptive immune response through recognition of antigen by the highly variable T-cell receptor (TCR). T-cell development is a tightly coordinated process comprising lineage commitment, somatic recombination of Tcr gene loci and selection for functional, but non-self-reactive TCRs, all interspersed with massive proliferation and cell death. Thus, the thymus produces a pool of T cells throughout life capable of responding to virtually any exogenous attack while preserving the body through self-tolerance. The thymus has been of considerable interest to both immunologists and theoretical biologists due to its multi-scale quantitative properties, bridging molecular binding, population dynamics and polyclonal repertoire specificity. Here, we review experimental strategies aimed at revealing quantitative and dynamic properties of T-cell development and how they have been implemented in mathematical modeling strategies that were reported to help understand the flexible dynamics of the highly dividing and dying thymic cell populations. Furthermore, we summarize the current challenges to estimating in vivo cellular dynamics and to reaching a next-generation multi-scale picture of T-cell development.
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22
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Kurd NS, Hoover A, Yoon J, Weist BM, Lutes L, Chan SW, Robey EA. Factors that influence the thymic selection of CD8αα intraepithelial lymphocytes. Mucosal Immunol 2021; 14:68-79. [PMID: 32483197 PMCID: PMC10443950 DOI: 10.1038/s41385-020-0295-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Thymocytes bearing αβ T cell receptors (TCRαβ) with high affinity for self-peptide-MHC complexes undergo negative selection or are diverted to alternate T cell lineages, a process termed agonist selection. Among thymocytes bearing TCRs restricted to MHC class I, agonist selection can lead to the development of precursors that can home to the gut and give rise to CD8αα-expressing intraepithelial lymphocytes (CD8αα IELs). The factors that influence the choice between negative selection versus CD8αα IEL development remain largely unknown. Using a synchronized thymic tissue slice model that supports both negative selection and CD8αα IEL development, we show that the affinity threshold for CD8αα IEL development is higher than for negative selection. We also investigate the impact of peptide presenting cells and cytokines, and the migration patterns associated with these alternative cell fates. Our data highlight the roles of TCR affinity and the thymic microenvironments on T cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia S Kurd
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ashley Hoover
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Jaewon Yoon
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Brian M Weist
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Gilead Sciences, Foster City, CA, 94404, USA
| | - Lydia Lutes
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Shiao Wei Chan
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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23
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Chopp LB, Gopalan V, Ciucci T, Ruchinskas A, Rae Z, Lagarde M, Gao Y, Li C, Bosticardo M, Pala F, Livak F, Kelly MC, Hannenhalli S, Bosselut R. An Integrated Epigenomic and Transcriptomic Map of Mouse and Human αβ T Cell Development. Immunity 2020; 53:1182-1201.e8. [PMID: 33242395 PMCID: PMC8641659 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2020.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
αβ lineage T cells, most of which are CD4+ or CD8+ and recognize MHC I- or MHC II-presented antigens, are essential for immune responses and develop from CD4+CD8+ thymocytes. The absence of in vitro models and the heterogeneity of αβ thymocytes have hampered analyses of their intrathymic differentiation. Here, combining single-cell RNA and ATAC (chromatin accessibility) sequencing, we identified mouse and human αβ thymocyte developmental trajectories. We demonstrated asymmetric emergence of CD4+ and CD8+ lineages, matched differentiation programs of agonist-signaled cells to their MHC specificity, and identified correspondences between mouse and human transcriptomic and epigenomic patterns. Through computational analysis of single-cell data and binding sites for the CD4+-lineage transcription factor Thpok, we inferred transcriptional networks associated with CD4+- or CD8+-lineage differentiation, and with expression of Thpok or of the CD8+-lineage factor Runx3. Our findings provide insight into the mechanisms of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell differentiation and a foundation for mechanistic investigations of αβ T cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Chopp
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Immunology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Vishaka Gopalan
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas Ciucci
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Allison Ruchinskas
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Single Cell Analysis Facility, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zachary Rae
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Single Cell Analysis Facility, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Manon Lagarde
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yayi Gao
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Caiyi Li
- Laboratory of Genomic Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marita Bosticardo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Francesca Pala
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ferenc Livak
- Laboratory of Genomic Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael C Kelly
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Single Cell Analysis Facility, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sridhar Hannenhalli
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rémy Bosselut
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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24
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Vaeth M, Kahlfuss S, Feske S. CRAC Channels and Calcium Signaling in T Cell-Mediated Immunity. Trends Immunol 2020; 41:878-901. [PMID: 32711944 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2020.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) signals play fundamental roles in immune cell function. The main sources of Ca2+ influx in mammalian lymphocytes following antigen receptor stimulation are Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels. These are formed by ORAI proteins in the plasma membrane and are activated by stromal interaction molecules (STIM) located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Human loss-of-function (LOF) mutations in ORAI1 and STIM1 that abolish Ca2+ influx cause a unique disease syndrome called CRAC channelopathy that is characterized by immunodeficiency autoimmunity and non-immunological symptoms. Studies in mice lacking Stim and Orai genes have illuminated many cellular and molecular mechanisms by which these molecules control lymphocyte function. CRAC channels are required for the differentiation and function of several T lymphocyte subsets that provide immunity to infection, mediate inflammation and prevent autoimmunity. This review examines new insights into how CRAC channels control T cell-mediated immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Vaeth
- Institute of Systems Immunology, Julius-Maximilians University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sascha Kahlfuss
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology, and Inflammation, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stefan Feske
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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25
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Choi EY, Choi K, Nam G, Kim W, Chung M. H60: A Unique Murine Hematopoietic Cell-Restricted Minor Histocompatibility Antigen for Graft-versus-Leukemia Effect. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1163. [PMID: 32587590 PMCID: PMC7297985 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is an important treatment for many types of hematological malignancies. Matching of donor and recipient for the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) improves the HSCT reconstitution, but donor-derived T cells reactive to non-MHC encoded minor histocompatibility antigens (MiHAs) can induce graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) while also being needed for graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects. MiHAs are allelically variant self-peptides presented conventionally on MHC molecules, but are alloantigenic in transplantation settings. Immunodominant MiHAs are most strongly associated with GVHD and GVL. There is need for mouse paradigms to understand these contradictory effects. H60 is a highly immunodominant mouse MiHA with hematopoietic cell-restricted expression. Immunodominance of H60 is tightly associated with its allelic nature (presence vs. absence of the transcripts), and the qualitative (TCR diversity) and quantitative (frequency) traits of the reactive T cells. The identity as a hematopoietic cell-restricted antigen (HRA) of H60 assists the appearance of the immunodominace in allo-HSCT circumstances, and generation of GVL effects without induction of serious GVHD after adoptive T cell transfer. Also it allows the low avidity T cells to escape thymic negative selection and exert GVL effect in the periphery, which is a previously unevaluated finding related to HRAs. In this review, we describe the molecular features and immunobiology in detail through which H60 selectively exerts its potent GVL effect. We further describe how lessons learned can be extrapolated to human allo-HCST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Young Choi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Institute of Human Environment Interface Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyungho Choi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Giri Nam
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Woojin Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Minho Chung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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26
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Lee BJ, Mace EM. From stem cell to immune effector: how adhesion, migration, and polarity shape T-cell and natural killer cell lymphocyte development in vitro and in vivo. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:981-991. [PMID: 32352896 PMCID: PMC7346728 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-08-0424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymphocyte development is a complex and coordinated pathway originating from pluripotent stem cells during embryogenesis and continuing even as matured lymphocytes are primed and educated in adult tissue. Hematopoietic stem cells develop in a specialized niche that includes extracellular matrix and supporting stromal and endothelial cells that both maintain stem cell pluripotency and enable the generation of differentiated cells. Cues for lymphocyte development include changes in integrin-dependent cell motility and adhesion which ultimately help to determine cell fate. The capacity of lymphocytes to adhere and migrate is important for modulating these developmental signals both by regulating the cues that the cell receives from the local microenvironment as well as facilitating the localization of precursors to tissue niches throughout the body. Here we consider how changing migratory and adhesive phenotypes contribute to human natural killer (NK)- and T-cell development as they undergo development from precursors to mature, circulating cells and how our understanding of this process is informed by in vitro models of T- and NK cell generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barclay J. Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005
- Department of Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
| | - Emily M. Mace
- Department of Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
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27
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Neier SC, Ferrer A, Wilton KM, Smith SEP, Kelcher AMH, Pavelko KD, Canfield JM, Davis TR, Stiles RJ, Chen Z, McCluskey J, Burrows SR, Rossjohn J, Hebrink DM, Carmona EM, Limper AH, Kappes DJ, Wettstein PJ, Johnson AJ, Pease LR, Daniels MA, Neuhauser C, Gil D, Schrum AG. The early proximal αβ TCR signalosome specifies thymic selection outcome through a quantitative protein interaction network. Sci Immunol 2020; 4:4/32/eaal2201. [PMID: 30770409 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aal2201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
During αβ T cell development, T cell antigen receptor (TCR) engagement transduces biochemical signals through a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network that dictates dichotomous cell fate decisions. It remains unclear how signal specificity is communicated, instructing either positive selection to advance cell differentiation or death by negative selection. Early signal discrimination might occur by PPI signatures differing qualitatively (customized, unique PPI combinations for each signal), quantitatively (graded amounts of a single PPI series), or kinetically (speed of PPI pathway progression). Using a novel PPI network analysis, we found that early TCR-proximal signals distinguishing positive from negative selection appeared to be primarily quantitative in nature. Furthermore, the signal intensity of this PPI network was used to find an antigen dose that caused a classic negative selection ligand to induce positive selection of conventional αβ T cells, suggesting that the quantity of TCR triggering was sufficient to program selection outcome. Because previous work had suggested that positive selection might involve a qualitatively unique signal through CD3δ, we reexamined the block in positive selection observed in CD3δ0 mice. We found that CD3δ0 thymocytes were inhibited but capable of signaling positive selection, generating low numbers of MHC-dependent αβ T cells that expressed diverse TCR repertoires and participated in immune responses against infection. We conclude that the major role for CD3δ in positive selection is to quantitatively boost the signal for maximal generation of αβ T cells. Together, these data indicate that a quantitative network signaling mechanism through the early proximal TCR signalosome determines thymic selection outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven C Neier
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.,Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Alejandro Ferrer
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Katelynn M Wilton
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.,Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Stephen E P Smith
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - April M H Kelcher
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.,Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.,Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Kevin D Pavelko
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jenna M Canfield
- Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapeutics PhD Graduate Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Tessa R Davis
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Robert J Stiles
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Zhenjun Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - James McCluskey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Scott R Burrows
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia.,School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia
| | - Jamie Rossjohn
- Infection and Immunity Program and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.,Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Deanne M Hebrink
- Thoracic Diseases Research Unit, Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Eva M Carmona
- Thoracic Diseases Research Unit, Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Andrew H Limper
- Thoracic Diseases Research Unit, Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Dietmar J Kappes
- Blood Cell Development and Cancer Keystone, Immune Cell Development and Host Defense Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Peter J Wettstein
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.,Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Aaron J Johnson
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.,Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Larry R Pease
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mark A Daniels
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | | | - Diana Gil
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. .,Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Adam G Schrum
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. .,Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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28
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Zhou TA, Hsu CL, Dzhagalov IL. Testing the Efficiency and Kinetics of Negative Selection Using Thymic Slices. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2111:205-219. [PMID: 31933210 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0266-9_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Central tolerance is an efficient barrier to autoimmunity and negative selection of self-reactive thymocytes is one of its major manifestations. Because of its importance, negative selection has been studied extensively through numerous in vitro and in vivo approaches that have tremendously increased our understanding of the process. Recently, in situ experimental systems using thymus slices have been developed that combine some of the advantages of in vitro assays such as ease of manipulation and high throughput with the existence of three dimensional mature thymus microenvironment. These approaches offer unprecedented opportunity to study negative selection. Here, we describe how thymic slices can be used to measure the kinetics and magnitude of negative selection. Taking the OT-1/Ova system as an example, we provide detailed guidance on cutting thymic slices, labeling and overlaying thymocytes on them and reading out the extent of negative selection by flow cytometry. The system can easily be adapted to evaluate the effects of various mutations or treatments on negative selection or to study the behavior of different cells in the thymus through time-lapse imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyng-An Zhou
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lin Hsu
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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29
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Kurd NS, Lutes LK, Yoon J, Chan SW, Dzhagalov IL, Hoover AR, Robey EA. A role for phagocytosis in inducing cell death during thymocyte negative selection. eLife 2019; 8:48097. [PMID: 31868579 PMCID: PMC6957271 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoreactive thymocytes are eliminated during negative selection in the thymus, a process important for establishing self-tolerance. Thymic phagocytes serve to remove dead thymocytes, but whether they play additional roles during negative selection remains unclear. Here, using a murine thymic slice model in which thymocytes undergo negative selection in situ, we demonstrate that phagocytosis promotes negative selection, and provide evidence for the escape of autoreactive CD8 T cells to the periphery when phagocytosis in the thymus is impaired. We also show that negative selection is more efficient when the phagocyte also presents the negative selecting peptide. Our findings support a model for negative selection in which the death process initiated following strong TCR signaling is facilitated by phagocytosis. Thus, the phagocytic capability of cells that present self-peptides is a key determinant of thymocyte fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia S Kurd
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Lydia K Lutes
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Jaewon Yoon
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Shiao Wei Chan
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Ivan L Dzhagalov
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Ashley R Hoover
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
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30
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Lancaster JN, Thyagarajan HM, Srinivasan J, Li Y, Hu Z, Ehrlich LIR. Live-cell imaging reveals the relative contributions of antigen-presenting cell subsets to thymic central tolerance. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2220. [PMID: 31101805 PMCID: PMC6525199 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09727-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Both medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC) and dendritic cells (DC) present tissue-restricted antigens (TRA) to thymocytes to induce central tolerance, but the relative contributions of these antigen-presenting cell (APC) subsets remain unresolved. Here we developed a two-photon microscopy approach to observe thymocytes interacting with intact APCs presenting TRAs. We find that mTECs and DCs cooperate extensively to induce tolerance, with their relative contributions regulated by the cellular form of the TRA and the class of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on which antigen is presented. Even when TRA expression is restricted to mTECs, DCs still present self-antigens at least as frequently as mTECs. Notably, the DC subset cDC2 efficiently acquires secreted mTEC-derived TRAs for cross-presentation on MHC-I. By directly imaging interactions between thymocytes and APCs, while monitoring intracellular signaling, this study reveals that distinct DC subsets and AIRE+ mTECs contribute substantially to presentation of diverse self-antigens for establishing central tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- J N Lancaster
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - H M Thyagarajan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - J Srinivasan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Y Li
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Z Hu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - L I R Ehrlich
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
- Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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31
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Live-Cell FRET Imaging Reveals a Role of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Activity Dynamics in Thymocyte Motility. iScience 2018; 10:98-113. [PMID: 30508722 PMCID: PMC6277225 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2018.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) plays critical roles in T cell development in the thymus. Nevertheless, the dynamics of ERK activity and the role of ERK in regulating thymocyte motility remain largely unknown due to technical limitations. To visualize ERK activity in thymocytes, we here developed knockin reporter mice expressing a Förster/fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensor for ERK from the ROSA26 locus. Live imaging of thymocytes isolated from the reporter mice revealed that ERK regulates thymocyte motility in a subtype-specific manner. Negative correlation between ERK activity and motility was observed in CD4/CD8 double-positive thymocytes and CD8 single-positive thymocytes, but not in CD4 single-positive thymocytes. Interestingly, however, the temporal deviations of ERK activity from the average correlate with the motility of CD4 single-positive thymocytes. Thus, live-cell FRET imaging will open a window to understanding the dynamic nature and the diverse functions of ERK signaling in T cell biology. Mice expressing EKAREV from ROSA26 locus enable ERK activity monitoring in T cells ERK activity negatively regulates the motility of thymocytes in the thymus Temporal dynamics of ERK activity regulates cell motility of CD4-SP in the medulla TCR signal from intercellular association induces ERK activity dynamics in CD4-SP
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32
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STIM- and Orai-mediated calcium entry controls NF-κB activity and function in lymphocytes. Cell Calcium 2018; 74:131-143. [PMID: 30048879 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2018.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The central role of Ca2+ signaling in the development of functional immunity and tolerance is well established. These signals are initiated by antigen binding to cognate receptors on lymphocytes that trigger store operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). The underlying mechanism of SOCE in lymphocytes involves TCR and BCR mediated activation of Stromal Interaction Molecule 1 and 2 (STIM1/2) molecules embedded in the ER membrane leading to their activation of Orai channels in the plasma membrane. STIM/Orai dependent Ca2+ signals guide key antigen induced lymphocyte development and function principally through direct regulation of Ca2+ dependent transcription factors. The role of Ca2+ signaling in NFAT activation and signaling is well known and has been studied extensively, but a wide appreciation and mechanistic understanding of how Ca2+ signals also shape the activation and specificity of NF-κB dependent gene expression has lagged. Here we discuss and interpret what is known about Ca2+ dependent mechanisms of NF-kB activation, including what is known and the gaps in our understanding of how these signals control lymphocyte development and function.
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33
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Rowe JH, Delmonte OM, Keles S, Stadinski BD, Dobbs AK, Henderson LA, Yamazaki Y, Allende LM, Bonilla FA, Gonzalez-Granado LI, Celikbilek Celik S, Guner SN, Kapakli H, Yee C, Pai SY, Huseby ES, Reisli I, Regueiro JR, Notarangelo LD. Patients with CD3G mutations reveal a role for human CD3γ in T reg diversity and suppressive function. Blood 2018; 131:2335-2344. [PMID: 29653965 PMCID: PMC5969384 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2018-02-835561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrity of the T-cell receptor/CD3 complex is crucial for positive and negative selection of T cells in the thymus and for effector and regulatory functions of peripheral T lymphocytes. In humans, CD3D, CD3E, and CD3Z gene defects are a cause of severe immune deficiency and present early in life with increased susceptibility to infections. By contrast, CD3G mutations lead to milder phenotypes, mainly characterized by autoimmunity. However, the role of CD3γ in establishing and maintaining immune tolerance has not been elucidated. In this manuscript, we aimed to investigate abnormalities of T-cell repertoire and function in patients with genetic defects in CD3G associated with autoimmunity. High throughput sequencing was used to study composition and diversity of the T-cell receptor β (TRB) repertoire in regulatory T cells (Tregs), conventional CD4+ (Tconv), and CD8+ T cells from 6 patients with CD3G mutations and healthy controls. Treg function was assessed by studying its ability to suppress proliferation of Tconv cells. Treg cells of patients with CD3G defects had reduced diversity, increased clonality, and reduced suppressive function. The TRB repertoire of Tconv cells from patients with CD3G deficiency was enriched for hydrophobic amino acids at positions 6 and 7 of the CDR3, a biomarker of self-reactivity. These data demonstrate that the T-cell repertoire of patients with CD3G mutations is characterized by a molecular signature that may contribute to the increased rate of autoimmunity associated with this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared H Rowe
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Ottavia M Delmonte
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Sevgi Keles
- Division of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Meram Medical Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Brian D Stadinski
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Adam K Dobbs
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Yasuhiro Yamazaki
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | | | | | - Luis I Gonzalez-Granado
- Primary Immunodeficiencies Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Seyma Celikbilek Celik
- Division of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Meram Medical Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Sukru N Guner
- Division of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Meram Medical Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Hasan Kapakli
- Division of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Meram Medical Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Christina Yee
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Sung-Yun Pai
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; and
| | - Eric S Huseby
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Ismail Reisli
- Division of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Meram Medical Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Jose R Regueiro
- Department of Immunology, Complutense University School of Medicine, imas12 Research Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luigi D Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron B. Au-Yeung
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Neel H. Shah
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Lin Shen
- Division of Rheumatology, Rosalind Russell and Ephraim P. Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA;,
| | - Arthur Weiss
- Division of Rheumatology, Rosalind Russell and Ephraim P. Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA;,
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
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35
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Haran KP, Hajduczki A, Pampusch MS, Mwakalundwa G, Vargas-Inchaustegui DA, Rakasz EG, Connick E, Berger EA, Skinner PJ. Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T Cells Engineered to Target B Cell Follicles and Suppress SIV Replication. Front Immunol 2018; 9:492. [PMID: 29616024 PMCID: PMC5869724 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a need to develop improved methods to treat and potentially cure HIV infection. During chronic HIV infection, replication is concentrated within T follicular helper cells (Tfh) located within B cell follicles, where low levels of virus-specific CTL permit ongoing viral replication. We previously showed that elevated levels of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-specific CTL in B cell follicles are linked to both decreased levels of viral replication in follicles and decreased plasma viral loads. These findings provide the rationale to develop a strategy for targeting follicular viral-producing (Tfh) cells using antiviral chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells co-expressing the follicular homing chemokine receptor CXCR5. We hypothesize that antiviral CAR/CXCR5-expressing T cells, when infused into an SIV-infected animal or an HIV-infected individual, will home to B cell follicles, suppress viral replication, and lead to long-term durable remission of SIV and HIV. To begin to test this hypothesis, we engineered gammaretroviral transduction vectors for co-expression of a bispecific anti-SIV CAR and rhesus macaque CXCR5. Viral suppression by CAR/CXCR5-transduced T cells was measured in vitro, and CXCR5-mediated migration was evaluated using both an in vitro transwell migration assay, as well as a novel ex vivo tissue migration assay. The functionality of the CAR/CXCR5 T cells was demonstrated through their potent suppression of SIVmac239 and SIVE660 replication in in vitro and migration to the ligand CXCL13 in vitro, and concentration in B cell follicles in tissues ex vivo. These novel antiviral immunotherapy products have the potential to provide long-term durable remission (functional cure) of HIV and SIV infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumudhini Preethi Haran
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Agnes Hajduczki
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mary S Pampusch
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Gwantwa Mwakalundwa
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Diego A Vargas-Inchaustegui
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Eva G Rakasz
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Elizabeth Connick
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Edward A Berger
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Pamela J Skinner
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
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36
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Aghaallaei N, Bajoghli B. Making Thymus Visible: Understanding T-Cell Development from a New Perspective. Front Immunol 2018; 9:375. [PMID: 29552011 PMCID: PMC5840141 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell development is coupled with a highly ordered migratory pattern. Lymphoid progenitors must follow a precise journey; starting from the hematopoietic tissue, they move toward the thymus and then migrate into and out of distinct thymic microenvironments, where they receive signals and cues required for their differentiation into naïve T-cells. Knowing where, when, and how these cells make directional “decisions” is key to understanding T-cell development. Such insights can be gained by directly observing developing T-cells within their environment under various conditions and following specific experimental manipulations. In the last decade, several model systems have been developed to address temporal and spatial aspects of T-cell development using imaging approaches. In this perspective article, we discuss the advantages and limitations of these systems and highlight a particularly powerful in vivo model that has been recently established. This model system enables the migratory behavior of all thymocytes to be studied simultaneously in a noninvasive and quantitative manner, making it possible to perform systems-level studies that reveal fundamental principles governing T-cell dynamics during development and in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narges Aghaallaei
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmonology, University Hospital, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Baubak Bajoghli
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmonology, University Hospital, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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37
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Escape from thymic deletion and anti-leukemic effects of T cells specific for hematopoietic cell-restricted antigen. Nat Commun 2018; 9:225. [PMID: 29335408 PMCID: PMC5768767 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02665-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether hematopoietic cell-restricted distribution of antigens affects the degree of thymic negative selection has not been investigated in detail. Here, we show that T cells specific for hematopoietic cell-restricted antigens (HRA) are not completely deleted in the thymus, using the mouse minor histocompatibility antigen H60, the expression of which is restricted to hematopoietic cells. As a result, low avidity T cells escape from thymic deletion. This incomplete thymic deletion occurs to the T cells developing de novo in the thymus of H60-positive recipients in H60-mismatched bone marrow transplantation (BMT). H60-specific thymic deletion escapee CD8+ T cells exhibit effector differentiation potentials in the periphery and contribute to graft-versus-leukemia effects in the recipients of H60-mismatched BMT, regressing H60+ hematological tumors. These results provide information essential for understanding thymic negative selection and developing a strategy to treat hematological tumors.
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38
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Abstract
Thymocyte selection involves the positive and negative selection of the repertoire of T cell receptors (TCRs) such that the organism does not suffer autoimmunity, yet has the benefit of the ability to recognize any invading pathogen. The signal transduced through the TCR is translated into a number of different signaling cascades that result in transcription factor activity in the nucleus and changes to the cytoskeleton and motility. Negative selection involves inducing apoptosis in thymocytes that express strongly self-reactive TCRs, whereas positive selection must induce survival and differentiation programs in cells that are more weakly self-reactive. The TCR recognition event is analog by nature, but the outcome of signaling is not. A large number of molecules regulate the strength of the TCR-derived signal at various points in the cascades. This review discusses the various factors that can regulate the strength of the TCR signal during thymocyte development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R J Gascoigne
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Immunology Program, National University of Singapore, Singapore 11759;
| | - Vasily Rybakin
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, REGA Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Oreste Acuto
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna Brzostek
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Immunology Program, National University of Singapore, Singapore 11759;
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39
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Lancaster JN, Li Y, Ehrlich LIR. Chemokine-Mediated Choreography of Thymocyte Development and Selection. Trends Immunol 2017; 39:86-98. [PMID: 29162323 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2017.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
As they differentiate, thymocytes encounter spatially restricted cues critical for differentiation and selection of a functional, self-tolerant T cell repertoire. Sequential migration of developing T cells through distinct thymic microenvironments is enforced by the ordered expression of chemokine receptors. Herein, we provide an updated perspective on T cell differentiation through the lens of recent advances that illuminate the dynamics of chemokine-driven thymocyte migration, localization, and interactions with stromal cells. We consider these findings in the context of earlier groundwork exploring the contribution of chemokines to T cell development, recent advances regarding the specificity of chemokine signaling, and novel techniques for evaluating the T cell repertoire. We suggest future research should amalgamate visualization of localized cellular interactions with downstream molecular signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica N Lancaster
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Yu Li
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lauren I R Ehrlich
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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40
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Dong M, Artusa P, Kelly SA, Fournier M, Baldwin TA, Mandl JN, Melichar HJ. Alterations in the Thymic Selection Threshold Skew the Self-Reactivity of the TCR Repertoire in Neonates. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 199:965-973. [PMID: 28659353 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1602137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal and adult T cells differ in their effector functions. Although it is known that cell-intrinsic differences in mature T cells contribute to this phenomenon, the factors involved remain unclear. Given emerging evidence that the binding strength of a TCR for self-peptide presented by MHC (self-pMHC) impacts T cell function, we sought to determine whether altered thymic selection influences the self-reactivity of the TCR repertoire during ontogeny. We found that conventional and regulatory T cell subsets in the thymus of neonates and young mice expressed higher levels of cell surface CD5, a surrogate marker for TCR avidity for self-pMHC, as compared with their adult counterparts, and this difference in self-reactivity was independent of the germline bias of the neonatal TCR repertoire. The increased binding strength of the TCR repertoire for self-pMHC in neonates was not solely due to reported defects in clonal deletion. Rather, our data suggest that thymic selection is altered in young mice such that thymocytes bearing TCRs with low affinity for self-peptide are not efficiently selected into the neonatal repertoire, and stronger TCR signals accompany both conventional and regulatory T cell selection. Importantly, the distinct levels of T cell self-reactivity reflect physiologically relevant differences based on the preferential expansion of T cells from young mice to fill a lymphopenic environment. Therefore, differences in thymic selection in young versus adult mice skew the TCR repertoire, and the relatively higher self-reactivity of the T cell pool may contribute to the distinct immune responses observed in neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Dong
- Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec H1T 2M4, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, and Immunology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Patricio Artusa
- Department of Physiology and McGill Research Centre for Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Stephanie A Kelly
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada; and
| | - Marilaine Fournier
- Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Troy A Baldwin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada; and
| | - Judith N Mandl
- Department of Physiology and McGill Research Centre for Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Heather J Melichar
- Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec H1T 2M4, Canada; .,Department of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada
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41
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Golec DP, Hoeppli RE, Henao Caviedes LM, McCann J, Levings MK, Baldwin TA. Thymic progenitors of TCRαβ + CD8αα intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes require RasGRP1 for development. J Exp Med 2017; 214:2421-2435. [PMID: 28652304 PMCID: PMC5551581 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20170844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Golec et al. show that RasGRP1, a critical Ras activator in thymocytes, is required for TCRαβ+CD8αα IEL development by regulating the survival of a heterogeneous population of thymic progenitors that receive a strong TCR signal. Therefore, RasGRP1 is necessary for thymic selection events stemming from strong or weak TCR signals. Strong T cell receptor (TCR) signaling largely induces cell death during thymocyte development, whereas weak TCR signals induce positive selection. However, some T cell lineages require strong TCR signals for differentiation through a process termed agonist selection. The signaling relationships that underlie these three fates are unknown. RasGRP1 is a Ras activator required to transmit weak TCR signals leading to positive selection. Here, we report that, despite being dispensable for thymocyte clonal deletion, RasGRP1 is critical for agonist selection of TCRαβ+CD8αα intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) progenitors (IELps), even though both outcomes require strong TCR signaling. Bim deficiency rescued IELp development in RasGRP1−/− mice, suggesting that RasGRP1 functions to promote survival during IELp generation. Additionally, expression of CD122 and the adhesion molecules α4β7 and CD103 define distinct IELp subsets with differing abilities to generate TCRαβ+CD8αα IEL in vivo. These findings demonstrate that RasGRP1-dependent signaling underpins thymic selection processes induced by both weak and strong TCR signals and is differentially required for fate decisions derived from a strong TCR stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic P Golec
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Romy E Hoeppli
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Laura M Henao Caviedes
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jillian McCann
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Megan K Levings
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Troy A Baldwin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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42
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Smith MJ, Reichenbach DK, Parker SL, Riddle MJ, Mitchell J, Osum KC, Mohtashami M, Stefanski HE, Fife BT, Bhandoola A, Hogquist KA, Holländer GA, Zúñiga-Pflücker JC, Tolar J, Blazar BR. T cell progenitor therapy-facilitated thymopoiesis depends upon thymic input and continued thymic microenvironment interaction. JCI Insight 2017; 2:92056. [PMID: 28515359 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.92056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Infusion of in vitro-derived T cell progenitor (proT) therapy with hematopoietic stem cell transplant aids the recovery of the thymus damaged by total body irradiation. To understand the interaction between proTs and the thymic microenvironment, WT mice were lethally irradiated and given T cell-deficient (Rag1-/-) marrow with WT in vitro-generated proTs, limiting mature T cell development to infused proTs. ProTs within the host thymus led to a significant increase in thymic epithelial cells (TECs) by day 21 after transplant, increasing actively cycling TECs. Upon thymus egress (day 28), proT TEC effects were lost, suggesting that continued signaling from proTs is required to sustain TEC cycling and cellularity. Thymocytes increased significantly by day 21, followed by a significant improvement in mature T cell numbers in the periphery by day 35. This protective surge was temporary, receding by day 60. Double-negative 2 (DN2) proTs selectively increased thymocyte number, while DN3 proTs preferentially increased TECs and T cells in the spleen that persisted at day 60. These findings highlight the importance of the interaction between proTs and TECs in the proliferation and survival of TECs and that the maturation stage of proTs has unique effects on thymopoiesis and peripheral T cell recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle J Smith
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Dawn K Reichenbach
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Sarah L Parker
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Megan J Riddle
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jason Mitchell
- Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and.,Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kevin C Osum
- Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and.,Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Mahmood Mohtashami
- Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Heather E Stefanski
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Brian T Fife
- Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and.,Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Avinash Bhandoola
- T-Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Georg A Holländer
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Paediatrics and Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jakub Tolar
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Bruce R Blazar
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and
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43
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Daley SR, Teh C, Hu DY, Strasser A, Gray DH. Cell death and thymic tolerance. Immunol Rev 2017; 277:9-20. [DOI: 10.1111/imr.12532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R. Daley
- Infection and Immunity Program; Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Monash University; Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - Charis Teh
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research; Melbourne VIC Australia
- Department of Medical Biology; The University of Melbourne; Parkville VIC Australia
| | | | - Andreas Strasser
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research; Melbourne VIC Australia
- Department of Medical Biology; The University of Melbourne; Parkville VIC Australia
| | - Daniel H.D. Gray
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research; Melbourne VIC Australia
- Department of Medical Biology; The University of Melbourne; Parkville VIC Australia
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44
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Hu Z, Lancaster JN, Ehrlich LIR, Müller P. Detecting T Cell Activation Using a Varying Dimension Bayesian Model. J Appl Stat 2017; 45:697-713. [PMID: 29403142 DOI: 10.1080/02664763.2017.1290789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The detection of T cell activation is critical in many immunological assays. However, detecting T cell activation in live tissues remains a challenge due to highly noisy data. We developed a Bayesian probabilistic model to identify T cell activation based on calcium flux, a dramatic increase in intracellular calcium concentration that occurs during T cell activation. Because a T cell has unknown number of flux events, the implementation of posterior inference requires trans-dimensional posterior simulation. The model is able to detect calcium flux events at the single cell level from simulated data, as well as from noisy biological data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zicheng Hu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, U.S.A
| | - Jessica N Lancaster
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, U.S.A
| | - Lauren I R Ehrlich
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, U.S.A
| | - Peter Müller
- Department of Mathmatics, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, U.S.A
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45
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Lancaster JN, Ehrlich LIR. Analysis of Thymocyte Migration, Cellular Interactions, and Activation by Multiphoton Fluorescence Microscopy of Live Thymic Slices. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1591:9-25. [PMID: 28349472 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6931-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Thymocytes migrate through discrete compartments within the thymus, engaging in cellular interactions essential for their differentiation into functional and self-tolerant T cells. Thus, understanding the temporal and spatial behavior of thymocytes within an intact thymic microenvironment is critical for elucidating processes governing T cell development. Towards this end, we describe methods for preparing thymic explant slices, in which the migration of thymocytes through three-dimensional space can be probed using time-lapse, multiphoton fluorescence microscopy. Thymocytes, enriched for developmental subsets of interest, are labeled with cytoplasmic fluorescent dyes, and seeded onto live thymic slices that express an endogenous, stromal cell-specific fluorescent reporter. In response to chemotactic cues produced by thymic stromal cells, the labeled thymocytes migrate withinthymic microenvironments and engage in cellular interactions that recapitulate a physiological system, whichcan be readily imaged. Here we describe specimen preparation that maintains the integrity of thymic structures. We also describe imaging protocols for acquiring multiple fluorochrome channels to enable detection of thymocyte:stromal cell interactions and quantification of relative intracellular calcium levels to monitor T cell receptor activation. Parameters for quantifying motility and interaction behaviors during data analysis are also briefly described. The thymic slice is a versatile tool for probing live cell behaviors and developing novel hypotheses not readily apparent by static experimental methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica N Lancaster
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 2506 Speedway, A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Lauren I R Ehrlich
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 2506 Speedway, A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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46
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Abstract
The ability of T cells to respond to a wide array of foreign antigens while avoiding reactivity to self is largely determined by cellular selection of developing T cells in the thymus. While a great deal is known about the cell types and molecules involved in T-cell selection in the thymus, our understanding of the spatial and temporal aspects of this process remain relatively poorly understood. Thymocytes are highly motile within the thymus and travel between specialized microenvironments at different phases of their development while interacting with distinct sets of self-peptides and peptide presenting cells. A knowledge of when, where, and how thymocytes encounter self-peptide MHC ligands at different stages of thymic development is key to understanding T-cell selection. In the past several years, our laboratory has investigated this topic using two-photon time-lapse microscopy to directly visualize thymocyte migration and signaling events, together with a living thymic slice preparation to provide a synchronized experimental model of T-cell selection in situ. Here, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the temporal and spatial aspects of T-cell selection, highlighting our own work, and placing them in the context of work from other groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Kurd
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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47
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Cruz Tleugabulova M, Escalante NK, Deng S, Fieve S, Ereño-Orbea J, Savage PB, Julien JP, Mallevaey T. Discrete TCR Binding Kinetics Control Invariant NKT Cell Selection and Central Priming. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 197:3959-3969. [PMID: 27798168 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells develop and differentiate in the thymus, segregating into iNKT1/2/17 subsets akin to Th1/2/17 classical CD4+ T cells; however, iNKT TCRs recognize Ags in a fundamentally different way. How the biophysical parameters of iNKT TCRs influence signal strength in vivo and how such signals affect the development and differentiation of these cells are unknown. In this study, we manipulated TCRs in vivo to generate clonotypic iNKT cells using TCR retrogenic chimeras. We report that the biophysical properties of CD1d-lipid-TCR interactions differentially impacted the development and effector differentiation of iNKT cells. Whereas selection efficiency strongly correlated with TCR avidity, TCR signaling, cell-cell conjugate formation, and iNKT effector differentiation correlated with the half-life of CD1d-lipid-TCR interactions. TCR binding properties, however, did not modulate Ag-induced iNKT cytokine production. Our work establishes that discrete TCR interaction kinetics influence iNKT cell development and central priming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nichole K Escalante
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Shenglou Deng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602
| | - Stephanie Fieve
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - June Ereño-Orbea
- The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada; and
| | - Paul B Savage
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602
| | - Jean-Philippe Julien
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.,The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada; and.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Thierry Mallevaey
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada;
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48
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Sood A, Dong M, Melichar HJ. Preparation and Applications of Organotypic Thymic Slice Cultures. J Vis Exp 2016. [PMID: 27585240 DOI: 10.3791/54355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymic selection proceeds in a unique and highly organized thymic microenvironment resulting in the generation of a functional, self-tolerant T cell repertoire. In vitro models to study T lineage commitment and development have provided valuable insights into this process. However, these systems lack the complete three-dimensional thymic milieu necessary for T cell development and, therefore, are incomplete approximations of in vivo thymic selection. Some of the challenges related to modeling T cell development can be overcome by using in situ models that provide an intact thymic microenvironment that fully supports thymic selection of developing T cells. Thymic slice organotypic cultures complement existing in situ techniques. Thymic slices preserve the integrity of the thymic cortical and medullary regions and provide a platform to study development of overlaid thymocytes of a defined developmental stage or of endogenous T cells within a mature thymic microenvironment. Given the ability to generate ~20 slices per mouse, thymic slices present a unique advantage in terms of scalability for high throughput experiments. Further, the relative ease in generating thymic slices and potential to overlay different thymic subsets or other cell populations from diverse genetic backgrounds enhances the versatility of this method. Here we describe a protocol for the preparation of thymic slices, isolation and overlay of thymocytes, and dissociation of thymic slices for flow cytometric analysis. This system can also be adapted to study non-conventional T cell development as well as visualize thymocyte migration, thymocyte-stromal cell interactions, and TCR signals associated with thymic selection by two-photon microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Sood
- Centre de Recherche, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont; Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Université de Montréal
| | - Mengqi Dong
- Centre de Recherche, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont; Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Université de Montréal
| | - Heather J Melichar
- Centre de Recherche, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal;
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49
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Human NK cell development requires CD56-mediated motility and formation of the developmental synapse. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12171. [PMID: 27435370 PMCID: PMC4961740 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
While distinct stages of natural killer (NK) cell development have been defined, the molecular interactions that shape human NK cell maturation are poorly understood. Here we define intercellular interactions between developing NK cells and stromal cells which, through contact-dependent mechanisms, promote the generation of mature, functional human NK cells from CD34+ precursors. We show that developing NK cells undergo unique, developmental stage-specific sustained and transient interactions with developmentally supportive stromal cells, and that the relative motility of NK cells increases as they move through development in vitro and ex vivo. These interactions include the formation of a synapse between developing NK cells and stromal cells, which we term the developmental synapse. Finally, we identify a role for CD56 in developmental synapse structure, NK cell motility and NK cell development. Thus, we define the developmental synapse leading to human NK cell functional maturation. CD56, a splicing variant of NCAM, marks human NK cell differentiation stages. Here the authors show that developing human NK cells form CD56-enriched synapses with stromal cells, and CD56 is critical to promote motility of NK cells that increases with their maturation.
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50
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Ueda Y, Kondo N, Ozawa M, Yasuda K, Tomiyama T, Kinashi T. Sema3e/Plexin D1 Modulates Immunological Synapse and Migration of Thymocytes by Rap1 Inhibition. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 196:3019-31. [PMID: 26921307 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1502121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of thymocyte trafficking plays an important role during thymic selection, but our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes is limited. In this study, we demonstrated that class III semaphorin E (sema3e), a guidance molecule during neural and vascular development, directly inhibited Rap1 activation and LFA-1-dependent adhesion through the GTPase-activating protein activity of plexin D1. Sema3e inhibited Rap1 activation of thymocytes in response to chemokines and TCR stimulation, LFA-mediated adhesion, and T cell-APC interactions. Immunological synapse (IS) formation in mature thymocytes on supported lipid bilayers was also attenuated by sema3e. Impaired IS formation was associated with reduced Rap1 activation on the contact surface and cell periphery. Moreover, a significant increase of CD4(+) thymocytes was detected in the medulla of mice with T cell lineage-specific deletion of plexin D1. Two-photon live imaging of thymic explants and slices revealed enhanced Rap1 activation and migration of CD69(+) double-positive and single-positive cells with plexin D1 deficiency. Our results demonstrate that sema3e/plexin D1 modulates IS formation and Ag-scanning activities of thymocytes within thymic tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Ueda
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Kansai Medical University, Osaka 573-1010, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Kondo
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Kansai Medical University, Osaka 573-1010, Japan
| | - Madoka Ozawa
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Kansai Medical University, Osaka 573-1010, Japan
| | - Kaneki Yasuda
- Department of Urology and Andrology, Kansai Medical University, Osaka 573-1010, Japan; and
| | - Takashi Tomiyama
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Osaka 573-1010, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Kinashi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Kansai Medical University, Osaka 573-1010, Japan;
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