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Tong Q, Yao L, Su M, Yang YG, Sun L. Thymocyte migration and emigration. Immunol Lett 2024; 267:106861. [PMID: 38697225 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2024.106861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Hematopoietic precursors (HPCs) entering into the thymus undergo a sequential process leading to the generation of a variety of T cell subsets. This developmental odyssey unfolds in distinct stages within the thymic cortex and medulla, shaping the landscape of T cell receptor (TCR) expression and guiding thymocytes through positive and negative selection. Initially, early thymic progenitors (ETPs) take residence in the thymic cortex, where thymocytes begin to express their TCR and undergo positive selection. Subsequently, thymocytes transition to the thymic medulla, where they undergo negative selection. Both murine and human thymocyte development can be broadly classified into distinct stages based on the expression of CD4 and CD8 coreceptors, resulting in categorizations as double negative (DN), double positive (DP) or single positive (SP) cells. Thymocyte migration to the appropriate thymic microenvironment at the right differentiation stage is pivotal for the development and the proper functioning of T cells, which is critical for adaptive immune responses. The journey of lymphoid progenitor cells into the T cell developmental pathway hinges on an ongoing dialogue between the differentiating cell and the signals emanating from the thymus niche. Herein, we review the contribution of the key factors mentioned above for the localization, migration and emigration of thymocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyue Tong
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China; National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, China
| | - Liyu Yao
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Mengting Su
- National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, China
| | - Yong-Guang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China; National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, China.
| | - Liguang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China; National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, China.
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2
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Locher V, Park S, Bunis DG, Makredes S, Mayer M, Burt TD, Fragiadakis GK, Halkias J. Homeostatic cytokines reciprocally modulate the emergence of prenatal effector PLZF+CD4+ T cells in humans. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e164672. [PMID: 37856221 PMCID: PMC10721317 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.164672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of human prenatal adaptive immunity progresses faster than previously appreciated, with the emergence of memory CD4+ T cells alongside regulatory T cells by midgestation. We previously identified a prenatal specific population of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger-positive (PLZF+) CD4+ T cells with heightened effector potential that were enriched in the developing intestine and accumulated in the cord blood of infants exposed to prenatal inflammation. However, the signals that drive their tissue distribution and effector maturation are unknown. Here, we define the transcriptional and functional heterogeneity of human prenatal PLZF+CD4+ T cells and identify the compartmentalization of T helper-like (Th-like) effector function across the small intestine (SI) and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs). IL-7 was more abundant in the SI relative to the MLNs and drove the preferential expansion of naive PLZF+CD4+ T cells via enhanced STAT5 and MEK/ERK signaling. Exposure to IL-7 was sufficient to induce the acquisition of CD45RO expression and rapid effector function in a subset of PLZF+CD4+ T cells, identifying a human analog of memory phenotype CD4+ T cells. Further, IL-7 modulated the differentiation of Th1- and Th17-like PLZF+CD4+ T cells and thus likely contributes to the anatomic compartmentalization of human prenatal CD4+ T cell effector function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Locher
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, and
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sara Park
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, and
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Daniel G. Bunis
- Bakar ImmunoX Initiative and
- CoLabs, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Stephanie Makredes
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, and
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Margareta Mayer
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, and
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Trevor D. Burt
- Division of Neonatology and the Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gabriela K. Fragiadakis
- Bakar ImmunoX Initiative and
- CoLabs, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joanna Halkias
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, and
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
- Bakar ImmunoX Initiative and
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3
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Fukuhara T, Ueda Y, Lee SI, Odaka T, Nakajima S, Fujisawa JI, Okuma K, Naganuma M, Okazaki K, Kondo N, Kamioka Y, Matsumoto M, Kinashi T. Thymocyte Development of Humanized Mice Is Promoted by Interactions with Human-Derived Antigen Presenting Cells upon Immunization. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11705. [PMID: 37511462 PMCID: PMC10380196 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411705] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune responses in humanized mice are generally inefficient without co-transplantation of human thymus or HLA transgenes. Previously, we generated humanized mice via the intra-bone marrow injection of CD133+ cord blood cells into irradiated adult immunodeficient mice (IBMI-huNSG mice), which could mount functional immune responses against HTLV-1, although the underlying mechanisms were still unknown. Here, we investigated thymocyte development in IBMI-huNSG mice, focusing on the roles of human and mouse MHC restriction. IBMI-huNSG mice had normal developmental profiles but aberrant thymic structures. Surprisingly, the thymic medulla-like regions expanded after immunization due to enhanced thymocyte expansion in association with the increase in HLA-DR+ cells, including CD205+ dendritic cells (DCs). The organ culture of thymus from immunized IBMI-huNSG mice with a neutralizing antibody to HLA-DR showed the HLA-DR-dependent expansion of CD4 single positive thymocytes. Mature peripheral T-cells exhibited alloreactive proliferation when co-cultured with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Live imaging of the thymus from immunized IBMI-huNSG mice revealed dynamic adhesive contacts of human-derived thymocytes and DCs accompanied by Rap1 activation. These findings demonstrate that an increase in HLA-DR+ cells by immunization promotes HLA-restricted thymocyte expansion in humanized mice, offering a unique opportunity to generate humanized mice with ease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takataro Fukuhara
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Ueda
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
| | - Sung-Il Lee
- Department of Model Animal, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tokifumi Odaka
- Department of Microbiology, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Nakajima
- Department of Microbiology, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Fujisawa
- Department of Microbiology, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazu Okuma
- Department of Microbiology, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
| | - Makoto Naganuma
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuichi Okazaki
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Kondo
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuji Kamioka
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Kuramoto 770-8503, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Kinashi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka, Japan
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4
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Majumdar S, Pontejo SM, Jaiswal H, Gao JL, Salancy A, Stassenko E, Yamane H, McDermott DH, Balabanian K, Bachelerie F, Murphy PM. Severe CD8+ T Lymphopenia in WHIM Syndrome Caused by Selective Sequestration in Primary Immune Organs. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 210:1913-1924. [PMID: 37133343 PMCID: PMC10247468 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections, and myelokathexis (WHIM) syndrome is an ultra-rare combined primary immunodeficiency disease caused by heterozygous gain-of-function mutations in the chemokine receptor CXCR4. WHIM patients typically present with recurrent acute infections associated with myelokathexis (severe neutropenia due to bone marrow retention of mature neutrophils). Severe lymphopenia is also common, but the only associated chronic opportunistic pathogen is human papillomavirus and mechanisms are not clearly defined. In this study, we show that WHIM mutations cause more severe CD8 than CD4 lymphopenia in WHIM patients and WHIM model mice. Mechanistic studies in mice revealed selective and WHIM allele dose-dependent accumulation of mature CD8 single-positive cells in thymus in a cell-intrinsic manner due to prolonged intrathymic residence, associated with increased CD8 single-positive thymocyte chemotactic responses in vitro toward the CXCR4 ligand CXCL12. In addition, mature WHIM CD8+ T cells preferentially home to and are retained in the bone marrow in mice in a cell-intrinsic manner. Administration of the specific CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 (plerixafor) in mice rapidly and transiently corrected T cell lymphopenia and the CD4/CD8 ratio. After lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection, we found no difference in memory CD8+ T cell differentiation or viral load between wild-type and WHIM model mice. Thus, lymphopenia in WHIM syndrome may involve severe CXCR4-dependent CD8+ T cell deficiency resulting in part from sequestration in the primary lymphoid organs, thymus, and bone marrow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamik Majumdar
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Sergio M. Pontejo
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Hemant Jaiswal
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Ji-Liang Gao
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Abigail Salancy
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Elizabeth Stassenko
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Hidehiro Yamane
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - David H. McDermott
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Karl Balabanian
- Université Paris-Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint-Louis, OPALE Carnot Institute, EMiLy, INSERM U1160, Paris, France
| | - Françoise Bachelerie
- Université Paris-Saclay, INSERM, Inflammation, Microbiome and Immunosurveillance, Orsay, France
| | - Philip M. Murphy
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
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Heimli M, Flåm ST, Hjorthaug HS, Trinh D, Frisk M, Dumont KA, Ribarska T, Tekpli X, Saare M, Lie BA. Multimodal human thymic profiling reveals trajectories and cellular milieu for T agonist selection. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1092028. [PMID: 36741401 PMCID: PMC9895842 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1092028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
To prevent autoimmunity, thymocytes expressing self-reactive T cell receptors (TCRs) are negatively selected, however, divergence into tolerogenic, agonist selected lineages represent an alternative fate. As thymocyte development, selection, and lineage choices are dependent on spatial context and cell-to-cell interactions, we have performed Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by sequencing (CITE-seq) and spatial transcriptomics on paediatric human thymus. Thymocytes expressing markers of strong TCR signalling diverged from the conventional developmental trajectory prior to CD4+ or CD8+ lineage commitment, while markers of different agonist selected T cell populations (CD8αα(I), CD8αα(II), T(agonist), Treg(diff), and Treg) exhibited variable timing of induction. Expression profiles of chemokines and co-stimulatory molecules, together with spatial localisation, supported that dendritic cells, B cells, and stromal cells contribute to agonist selection, with different subsets influencing thymocytes at specific developmental stages within distinct spatial niches. Understanding factors influencing agonist T cells is needed to benefit from their immunoregulatory effects in clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marte Heimli
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri Tennebø Flåm
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Don Trinh
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael Frisk
- Institute for Experimental Medical Research, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway,KG Jebsen Centre for Cardiac Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karl-Andreas Dumont
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Teodora Ribarska
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Xavier Tekpli
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mario Saare
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Benedicte Alexandra Lie
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway,*Correspondence: Benedicte Alexandra Lie,
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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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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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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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Khosravi-Maharlooei M, Madley R, Borsotti C, Ferreira LMR, Sharp RC, Brehm MA, Greiner DL, Parent AV, Anderson MS, Sykes M, Creusot RJ. Modeling human T1D-associated autoimmune processes. Mol Metab 2022; 56:101417. [PMID: 34902607 PMCID: PMC8739876 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by impaired immune tolerance to β-cell antigens and progressive destruction of insulin-producing β-cells. Animal models have provided valuable insights for understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of this disease, but they fall short of reflecting the extensive heterogeneity of the disease in humans, which is contributed by various combinations of risk gene alleles and unique environmental factors. Collectively, these factors have been used to define subgroups of patients, termed endotypes, with distinct predominating disease characteristics. SCOPE OF REVIEW Here, we review the gaps filled by these models in understanding the intricate involvement and regulation of the immune system in human T1D pathogenesis. We describe the various models developed so far and the scientific questions that have been addressed using them. Finally, we discuss the limitations of these models, primarily ascribed to hosting a human immune system (HIS) in a xenogeneic recipient, and what remains to be done to improve their physiological relevance. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS To understand the role of genetic and environmental factors or evaluate immune-modifying therapies in humans, it is critical to develop and apply models in which human cells can be manipulated and their functions studied under conditions that recapitulate as closely as possible the physiological conditions of the human body. While microphysiological systems and living tissue slices provide some of these conditions, HIS mice enable more extensive analyses using in vivo systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Khosravi-Maharlooei
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Madley
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chiara Borsotti
- Department of Health Sciences, Histology laboratory, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Leonardo M R Ferreira
- Departments of Microbiology & Immunology, and Regenerative Medicine & Cell Biology, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Robert C Sharp
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Michael A Brehm
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Diabetes Center of Excellence, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Dale L Greiner
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Diabetes Center of Excellence, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Audrey V Parent
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mark S Anderson
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Megan Sykes
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Remi J Creusot
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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10
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Multi-objective optimization reveals time- and dose-dependent inflammatory cytokine-mediated regulation of human stem cell derived T-cell development. NPJ Regen Med 2022; 7:11. [PMID: 35087040 PMCID: PMC8795204 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-022-00210-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The generation of T-cells from stem cells in vitro could provide an alternative source of cells for immunotherapies. T-cell development from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) is tightly regulated through Notch pathway activation by Delta-like (DL) ligands 1 and 4. Other molecules, such as stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin (IL)-7, play a supportive role in regulating the survival, differentiation, and proliferation of developing T-cells. Numerous other signaling molecules influence T-lineage development in vivo, but little work has been done to understand and optimize their use for T-cell production. Using a defined engineered thymic niche system, we undertook a multi-stage statistical learning-based optimization campaign and identified IL-3 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) as a stage- and dose-specific enhancers of cell proliferation and T-lineage differentiation. We used this information to construct an efficient three-stage process for generating conventional TCRαβ+CD8+ T-cells expressing a diverse TCR repertoire from blood stem cells. Our work provides new insight into T-cell development and a robust system for generating T-cells to enable clinical therapies for treating cancer and immune disorders.
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11
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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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12
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Hsu HP, Chen YT, Chen YY, Lin CY, Chen PY, Liao SY, Lim CCY, Yamaguchi Y, Hsu CL, Dzhagalov IL. Heparan sulfate is essential for thymus growth. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100419. [PMID: 33600795 PMCID: PMC7974028 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymus organogenesis and T cell development are coordinated by various soluble and cell-bound molecules. Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans can interact with and immobilize many soluble mediators, creating fields or gradients of secreted ligands. While the role of HS in the development of many organs has been studied extensively, little is known about its function in the thymus. Here, we examined the distribution of HS in the thymus and the effect of its absence on thymus organogenesis and T cell development. We found that HS was expressed most abundantly on the thymic fibroblasts and at lower levels on endothelial, epithelial, and hematopoietic cells. To study the function of HS in the thymus, we eliminated most of HS in this organ by genetically disrupting the glycosyltransferase Ext1 that is essential for its synthesis. The absence of HS greatly reduced the size of the thymus in fetal thymic organ cultures and in vivo, in mice, and decreased the production of T cells. However, no specific blocks in T cell development were observed. Wild-type thymic fibroblasts were able to physically bind the homeostatic chemokines CCL19, CCL21, and CXCL12 ex vivo. However, this binding was abolished upon HS degradation, disrupting the CCL19/CCL21 chemokine gradients and causing impaired migration of dendritic cells in thymic slices. Thus, our results show that HS plays an essential role in the development and growth of the thymus and in regulating interstitial cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsuan-Po Hsu
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Tzu Chen
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ying Chen
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yu Lin
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yu Chen
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shio-Yi Liao
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Yu Yamaguchi
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Chia-Lin Hsu
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ivan L Dzhagalov
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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13
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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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14
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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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15
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Lee JY, Han AR, Lee DR. T Lymphocyte Development and Activation in Humanized Mouse Model. Dev Reprod 2019; 23:79-92. [PMID: 31321348 PMCID: PMC6635618 DOI: 10.12717/dr.2019.23.2.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Humanized mice, containing engrafted human cells and tissues, are emerging as an
important in vivo platform for studying human diseases. Since
the development of Nod scid gamma (NSG) mice bearing mutations
in the IL-2 receptor gamma chain, many investigators have used NSG mice
engrafted with human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to generate functional
human immune systems in vivo, results in high efficacy of human
cell engraftment. The development of NSG mice has allowed significant advances
to be made in studies on several human diseases, including cancer and
graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), and in regenerative medicine. Based on the
human HSC transplantation, organ transplantation including thymus and liver in
the renal capsule has been performed. Also, immune reconstruction of cells, of
the lymphoid as well as myeloid lineages, has been partly accomplished. However,
crosstalk between pluripotent stem cell derived therapeutic cells with human
leukocyte antigen (HLA) mis/matched types and immune CD3 T cells have not been
fully addressed. To overcome this hurdle, human major histocompatibility complex
(MHC) molecules, not mouse MHC molecules, are required to generate functional T
cells in a humanized mouse model. Here, we briefly summarize characteristics of
the humanized mouse model, focusing on development of CD3 T cells with MHC
molecules. We also highlight the necessity of the humanized mouse model for the
treatment of various human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Yoon Lee
- Dept. of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Korea
| | - A-Reum Han
- Dept. of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Korea
| | - Dong Ryul Lee
- Dept. of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Korea
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16
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Kadakia T, Tai X, Kruhlak M, Wisniewski J, Hwang IY, Roy S, Guinter TI, Alag A, Kehrl JH, Zhuang Y, Singer A. E-protein-regulated expression of CXCR4 adheres preselection thymocytes to the thymic cortex. J Exp Med 2019; 216:1749-1761. [PMID: 31201207 PMCID: PMC6683992 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20182285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The E-protein transcription factors E2A and HEB regulate thymocyte expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 to retain preselection thymocytes in the thymic cortex. TCR-mediated positive selection signals extinguish CXCR4 expression to allow positively selected thymocytes to migrate from the cortex into the thymic medulla. Preselection thymocytes are normally retained in the thymic cortex, but the mechanisms responsible remain incompletely understood. We now report that deletion of genes encoding the E-protein transcription factors E2A and HEB disorders chemokine receptor expression on developing thymocytes to allow escape of preselection TCR−CD8+ thymocytes into the periphery. We document that CXCR4 expression normally anchors preselection thymocytes to the thymic cortex via interaction with its ligand CXCL12 on cortical thymic epithelial cells, and that disruption of CXCR4–CXCL12 engagements release preselection thymocytes from the thymic cortex. We further document that CXCR4 expression must be extinguished by TCR-mediated positive selection signals to allow migration of TCR-signaled thymocytes out of the thymic cortex into the medulla. Thus, E-protein transcription factors regulate the ordered expression pattern of chemokine receptors on developing thymocytes, and the interaction of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 with its ligand adheres TCR-unsignaled preselection thymocytes to the thymic cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejas Kadakia
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.,Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Xuguang Tai
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Michael Kruhlak
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Jan Wisniewski
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Il-Young Hwang
- B Cell Molecular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Sumedha Roy
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
| | - Terry I Guinter
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Amala Alag
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - John H Kehrl
- B Cell Molecular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Yuan Zhuang
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
| | - Alfred Singer
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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17
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Intrathymic Notch3 and CXCR4 combinatorial interplay facilitates T-cell leukemia propagation. Oncogene 2018; 37:6285-6298. [PMID: 30038265 PMCID: PMC6284016 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0401-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Notch hyperactivation dominates T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia development, but the mechanisms underlying “pre-leukemic” cell dissemination are still unclear. Here we describe how deregulated Notch3 signaling enhances CXCR4 cell-surface expression and migratory ability of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes, possibly contributing to “pre-leukemic” cell propagation, early in disease progression. In transgenic mice overexpressing the constitutively active Notch3 intracellular domain, we detect the progressive increase in circulating blood and bone marrow of CD4+CD8+ cells, characterized by high and combined surface expression of Notch3 and CXCR4. We report for the first time that transplantation of such CD4+CD8+ cells reveals their competence in infiltrating spleen and bone marrow of immunocompromised recipient mice. We also show that CXCR4 surface expression is central to the migratory ability of CD4+CD8+ cells and such an expression is regulated by Notch3 through β-arrestin in human leukemia cells. De novo, we propose that hyperactive Notch3 signaling by boosting CXCR4-dependent migration promotes anomalous egression of CD4+CD8+ cells from the thymus in early leukemia stages. In fact, in vivo CXCR4 antagonism prevents bone marrow colonization by such CD4+CD8+ cells in young Notch3 transgenic mice. Therefore, our data suggest that combined therapies precociously counteracting intrathymic Notch3/CXCR4 crosstalk may prevent dissemination of “pre-leukemic” CD4+CD8+ cells, by a “thymus-autonomous” mechanism.
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18
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Piovan E, Tosello V, Amadori A, Zanovello P. Chemotactic Cues for NOTCH1-Dependent Leukemia. Front Immunol 2018; 9:633. [PMID: 29666622 PMCID: PMC5891592 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The NOTCH signaling pathway is a conserved signaling cascade that regulates many aspects of development and homeostasis in multiple organ systems. Aberrant activity of this signaling pathway is linked to the initiation and progression of several hematological malignancies, exemplified by T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Interestingly, frequent non-mutational activation of NOTCH1 signaling has recently been demonstrated in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), significantly extending the pathogenic significance of this pathway in B-CLL. Leukemia patients often present with high-blood cell counts, diffuse disease with infiltration of the bone marrow, secondary lymphoid organs, and diffusion to the central nervous system (CNS). Chemokines are chemotactic cytokines that regulate migration of cells between tissues and the positioning and interactions of cells within tissue. Homeostatic chemokines and their receptors have been implicated in regulating organ-specific infiltration, but may also directly and indirectly modulate tumor growth. Recently, oncogenic NOTCH1 has been shown to regulate infiltration of leukemic cells into the CNS hijacking the CC-chemokine ligand 19/CC-chemokine receptor 7 chemokine axis. In addition, a crucial role for the homing receptor axis CXC-chemokine ligand 12/CXC-chemokine receptor 4 has been demonstrated in leukemia maintenance and progression. Moreover, the CCL25/CCR9 axis has been implicated in the homing of leukemic cells into the gut, particularly in the presence of phosphatase and tensin homolog tumor suppressor loss. In this review, we summarize the latest developments regarding the role of NOTCH signaling in regulating the chemotactic microenvironmental cues involved in the generation and progression of T-ALL and compare these findings to B-CLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich Piovan
- UOC Immunologia e Diagnostica Molecolare Oncologica, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche, Oncologiche e Gastroenterologiche, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Valeria Tosello
- UOC Immunologia e Diagnostica Molecolare Oncologica, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Alberto Amadori
- UOC Immunologia e Diagnostica Molecolare Oncologica, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche, Oncologiche e Gastroenterologiche, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Paola Zanovello
- UOC Immunologia e Diagnostica Molecolare Oncologica, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche, Oncologiche e Gastroenterologiche, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
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19
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Yap JY, Wirasinha RC, Chan A, Howard DR, Goodnow CC, Daley SR. Indirect presentation in the thymus limits naive and regulatory T-cell differentiation by promoting deletion of self-reactive thymocytes. Immunology 2018; 154:522-532. [PMID: 29411880 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of T-cell central tolerance involves distinct pathways of self-antigen presentation to thymocytes. One pathway termed indirect presentation requires a self-antigen transfer step from thymic epithelial cells (TECs) to bone marrow-derived cells before the self-antigen is presented to thymocytes. The role of indirect presentation in central tolerance is context-dependent, potentially due to variation in self-antigen expression, processing and presentation in the thymus. Here, we report experiments in mice in which TECs expressed a membrane-bound transgenic self-antigen, hen egg lysozyme (HEL), from either the insulin (insHEL) or thyroglobulin (thyroHEL) promoter. Intrathymic HEL expression was less abundant and more confined to the medulla in insHEL mice compared with thyroHEL mice. When indirect presentation was impaired by generating mice lacking MHC class II expression in bone marrow-derived antigen-presenting cells, insHEL-mediated thymocyte deletion was abolished, whereas thyroHEL-mediated deletion occurred at a later stage of thymocyte development and Foxp3+ regulatory T-cell differentiation increased. Indirect presentation increased the strength of T-cell receptor signalling that both self-antigens induced in thymocytes, as assessed by Helios expression. Hence, indirect presentation limits the differentiation of naive and regulatory T cells by promoting deletion of self-reactive thymocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Yan Yap
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Rushika C Wirasinha
- Infection and Immunity Programme, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Anna Chan
- Infection and Immunity Programme, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Debbie R Howard
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher C Goodnow
- Immunology Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Stephen R Daley
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Infection and Immunity Programme, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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20
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Passos GA, Speck‐Hernandez CA, Assis AF, Mendes‐da‐Cruz DA. Update on Aire and thymic negative selection. Immunology 2018; 153:10-20. [PMID: 28871661 PMCID: PMC5721245 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Twenty years ago, the autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene was associated with autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy, and was cloned and sequenced. Its importance goes beyond its abstract link with human autoimmune disease. Aire identification opened new perspectives to better understand the molecular basis of central tolerance and self-non-self distinction, the main properties of the immune system. Since 1997, a growing number of immunologists and molecular geneticists have made important discoveries about the function of Aire, which is essentially a pleiotropic gene. Aire is one of the functional markers in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), controlling their differentiation and expression of peripheral tissue antigens (PTAs), mTEC-thymocyte adhesion and the expression of microRNAs, among other functions. With Aire, the immunological tolerance became even more apparent from the molecular genetics point of view. Currently, mTECs represent the most unusual cells because they express almost the entire functional genome but still maintain their identity. Due to the enormous diversity of PTAs, this uncommon gene expression pattern was termed promiscuous gene expression, the interpretation of which is essentially immunological - i.e. it is related to self-representation in the thymus. Therefore, this knowledge is strongly linked to the negative selection of autoreactive thymocytes. In this update, we focus on the most relevant results of Aire as a transcriptional and post-transcriptional controller of PTAs in mTECs, its mechanism of action, and its influence on the negative selection of autoreactive thymocytes as the bases of the induction of central tolerance and prevention of autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldo A. Passos
- Molecular Immunogenetics GroupDepartment of GeneticsRibeirão Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
- Discipline of Genetics and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Morphology, Physiology and Basic PathologySchool of Dentistry of Ribeirão PretoUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
| | - Cesar A. Speck‐Hernandez
- Graduate Programme in Basic and Applied ImmunologyRibeirão Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
| | - Amanda F. Assis
- Molecular Immunogenetics GroupDepartment of GeneticsRibeirão Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSPBrazil
| | - Daniella A. Mendes‐da‐Cruz
- Laboratory on Thymus ResearchOswaldo Cruz InstituteOswaldo Cruz FoundationRio de JaneiroRJBrazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on NeuroimmunomodulationRio de JaneiroRJBrazil
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21
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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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22
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Lee BJ, Mace EM. Acquisition of cell migration defines NK cell differentiation from hematopoietic stem cell precursors. Mol Biol Cell 2017; 28:3573-3581. [PMID: 29021341 PMCID: PMC5706986 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-08-0508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human natural killer (NK) cell precursors undergoing in vitro differentiation from hematopoietic stem cell precursors are tracked by long-term live-cell imaging. As differentiation progresses, NK cells acquire increasingly motile and complex modes of migration. Human natural killer (NK) cells are generated from CD34+ precursors and can be differentiated in vitro by coculture with developmentally supportive stromal cells. We have previously described the acquisition of cell migration as a feature of NK cell terminal maturation in this system. Here we perform continuous long-term imaging and tracking of NK cell progenitors undergoing in vitro differentiation. We demonstrate that NK cell precursors can be tracked over long time periods on the order of weeks by utilizing phase-contrast microscopy and show that these cells acquire increasing motility as they mature. Additionally, we observe that NK cells display a more heterogeneous range of migratory behaviors at later stages of development, with the acquisition of complex modes of migration that are associated with terminal maturation. Together these data demonstrate previously unknown migratory behaviors of innate lymphocytes undergoing lineage differentiation revealed by long-term imaging and analysis workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barclay J Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005.,Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Emily M Mace
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030 .,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
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23
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Lucas B, White AJ, Parnell SM, Henley PM, Jenkinson WE, Anderson G. Progressive Changes in CXCR4 Expression That Define Thymocyte Positive Selection Are Dispensable For Both Innate and Conventional αβT-cell Development. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5068. [PMID: 28698642 PMCID: PMC5505955 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05182-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The ordered migration of immature thymocytes through thymic microenvironments generates both adaptive MHC restricted αβT-cells and innate CD1d-restricted iNKT-cells. While several chemokine receptors and ligands control multiple stages of this process, their involvement during early thymocyte development often precludes direct analysis of potential roles during later developmental stages. For example, because of early lethality of CXCR4-/- mice, and stage-specific requirements for CXCR4 in thymus colonisation and pre-TCR mediated selection, its role in thymic positive selection is unclear. Here we have examined CXCR4-CXCL12 interactions during the maturation of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes, including downstream stages of iNKT and αβT-cell development. We show CXCL12 expression is a common feature of cortical thymic epithelial cells, indicating widespread availability throughout the cortex. Moreover, CXCR4 expression by CD4+CD8+ pre-selection thymocytes is progressively downregulated following both MHC and CD1d-restricted thymic selection events. However, using CD4Cre-mediated deletion to bypass its involvement in CD4-CD8- thymocyte development, we show CXCR4 is dispensable for the maintenance and intrathymic positioning of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes, and their ability to generate mature αβT-cells and CD1d-restricted iNKT-cells. Collectively, our data define dynamic changes in CXCR4 expression as a marker for intrathymic selection events, and show its role in T-cell development is restricted to pre-CD4+CD8+ stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Lucas
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England
| | - Andrea J White
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England
| | - Sonia M Parnell
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England
| | - Peter M Henley
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England
| | - William E Jenkinson
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England
| | - Graham Anderson
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England.
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24
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Oliveira ML, Akkapeddi P, Alcobia I, Almeida AR, Cardoso BA, Fragoso R, Serafim TL, Barata JT. From the outside, from within: Biological and therapeutic relevance of signal transduction in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cell Signal 2017. [PMID: 28645565 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2017.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematological cancer that arises from clonal expansion of transformed T-cell precursors. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on the external stimuli and cell-intrinsic lesions that drive aberrant activation of pivotal, pro-tumoral intracellular signaling pathways in T-cell precursors, driving transformation, leukemia expansion, spread or resistance to therapy. In addition to their pathophysiological relevance, receptors and kinases involved in signal transduction are often attractive candidates for targeted drug development. As such, we discuss also the potential of T-ALL signaling players as targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana L Oliveira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Padma Akkapeddi
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Isabel Alcobia
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto de Histologia e Biologia do Desenvolvimento, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Afonso R Almeida
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Bruno A Cardoso
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rita Fragoso
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Teresa L Serafim
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João T Barata
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
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25
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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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26
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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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27
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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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28
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Hoover AR, Dozmorov I, MacLeod J, Du Q, de la Morena MT, Forbess J, Guleserian K, Cleaver OB, van Oers NSC. MicroRNA-205 Maintains T Cell Development following Stress by Regulating Forkhead Box N1 and Selected Chemokines. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:23237-23247. [PMID: 27646003 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.744508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus, an organ responsible for T cell development, is one of the more stress-sensitive tissues in the body. Stress, in the form of infections, radiation exposure, and steroids, impairs thymic epithelial cell (TEC) functions and induces the programmed cell death of immature thymocytes. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs involved in tissue repair and homeostasis, with several supporting T cell development. We report that miR-205, an epithelial-specific miR, maintains thymopoiesis following inflammatory perturbations. Thus, the activation of diverse pattern recognition receptors in mice causes a more severe thymic hypoplasia and delayed T cell recovery when miR-205 is conditionally ablated in TECs. Gene expression comparisons in the TECs with/without miR-205 revealed a significant differential regulation of chemokine/chemokine receptor pathways, antigen processing components, and changes in the Wnt signaling system. This was partly a consequence of reduced expression of the transcriptional regulator of epithelial cell function, Forkhead Box N1 (Foxn1), and its two regulated targets, stem cell factor and ccl25, following stress. miR-205 mimics supplemented into miR-205-deficient fetal thymic organ cultures restored Foxn1 expression along with ccl25 and stem cell factor A number of putative targets of miR-205 were up-regulated in TECs lacking miR-205, consistent with an important role for this miR in supporting T cell development in response to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Joseph Forbess
- Internal Medicine.,Children's Health, Dallas, Texas 75235
| | | | | | - Nicolai S C van Oers
- From the Departments of Immunology, .,Pediatrics.,Microbiology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75390-9093 and
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29
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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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30
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Erreni M, Siddiqui I, Marelli G, Grizzi F, Bianchi P, Morone D, Marchesi F, Celesti G, Pesce S, Doni A, Rumio C, Roncalli MG, Laghi L, Mantovani A, Allavena P. The Fractalkine-Receptor Axis Improves Human Colorectal Cancer Prognosis by Limiting Tumor Metastatic Dissemination. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2016; 196:902-914. [PMID: 26673138 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1501335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Human colorectal cancer (CRC) is a frequent neoplasia in Western countries, and its metastatic progression is a major cause of cancer-related death. In search of specific molecules upregulated in CRC, with possible clinical relevance, we performed a differential gene-profiling analysis in surgery-derived CRC samples and adjacent uninvolved intestinal mucosa. The chemokine CX3CL1 and its specific receptor CX3CR1 were significantly upregulated in tumors. Higher expression of CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 was confirmed by immunohistochemistry in 100 CRC tumor samples (stages I-III). Unexpectedly, high immune scores of CX3CL1 did not correlate with the density of tumor-infiltrating CD3(+) T cells or CD68(+) macrophages. Coexpression of ligand and receptor by tumor cells (axis-positive tumors) significantly associated with longer disease-free (p = 0.01) and disease-specific survival (p = 0.001). Conversely, axis-negative tumors (with low expression of both ligand and receptor) had increased risk of tumor relapse (p = 0.02), and increased likelihood of metachronous metastasis (p = 0.001), including after stage adjustment (p = 0.006). Transduction of CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 in CRC tumor cell lines induced cell aggregation that strongly inhibited in vitro migration in chemotaxis assays. In a mouse model of spleen-liver metastases, cancer dissemination to liver was dramatically reduced in CX3CL1-CX3CR1-expressing tumors, and ligand-receptor interaction was confirmed in cancer cells in vivo by fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis. In conclusion, tumoral expression of the CX3CL1-CX3CR1 chemokine axis functions as a retention factor, increasing homotypic cell adhesion and limiting tumor spreading to metastatic sites. Lack or low levels of expression of CX3CL1-CX3CR1 by tumor cells identifies a group of CRC patients at increased risk of metastatic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Erreni
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy;
| | - Imran Siddiqui
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Marelli
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Grizzi
- Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Bianchi
- Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Morone
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Marchesi
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy; Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Celesti
- Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Samantha Pesce
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Doni
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristiano Rumio
- Department of Pharmacology and Biomolecular Science, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo G Roncalli
- Humanitas University, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy; and Department of Pathology, Institute for Clinical Care and Scientific Research Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Laghi
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy; Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Mantovani
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy; Humanitas University, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy; and
| | - Paola Allavena
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy;
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31
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Staal FJT, Wiekmeijer AS, Brugman MH, Pike-Overzet K. The functional relationship between hematopoietic stem cells and developing T lymphocytes. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1370:36-44. [PMID: 26773328 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In contrast to all other blood and immune cells, T lymphocytes do not develop in the bone marrow (BM), but in the specialized microenvironment provided by the thymus. Similar to the other lineages, however, all T cells arise from multipotent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that reside in the BM. Not all HSCs give rise to T cells; but how many and what kind of developmental checkpoints are located along this intricate differentiation path is the subject of intense research. Traditionally, this process has been studied almost exclusively using mouse cells, but recent advances in immunodeficient mouse models, high-speed cell sorting, lentiviral transduction protocols, and deep sequencing techniques have allowed these questions to be addressed using human cells. Here we review the process of thymic seeding by BM-derived cells and T cell commitment in humans, discussing recent insights into the clonal composition of the thymus and the definition of developmental checkpoints, on the basis of insights from human severe combined immunodeficiency patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank J T Staal
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Anna-Sophia Wiekmeijer
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Martijn H Brugman
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Karin Pike-Overzet
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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32
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Ross JO, Melichar HJ, Halkias J, Robey EA. Studying T Cell Development in Thymic Slices. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1323:131-40. [PMID: 26294404 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2809-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Recently, tissue slices have been adapted to study both mouse and human T cell development. Thymic slices combine and complement the strengths of existing organotypic culture systems to study thymocyte differentiation. Specifically, the thymic slice system allows for high throughput experiments and the ability to introduce homogenous developmental intermediate populations into an environment with a well-established cortex and medulla. These qualities make thymic slices a highly versatile and technically accessible model to study thymocyte development. Here we describe methods to prepare, embed, and slice thymic lobes to study T cell development in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny O Ross
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, 142 Life Sciences Addition, #3200, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3200, USA
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33
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Kilinc D, Schwab J, Rampini S, Ikpekha OW, Thampi A, Blasiak A, Li P, Schwamborn R, Kolch W, Matallanas D, Lee GU. A microfluidic dual gradient generator for conducting cell-based drug combination assays. Integr Biol (Camb) 2016; 8:39-49. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ib00209e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
We present a microfluidic gradient generator that exposes cultured cells to orthogonally-aligned linear concentration gradients of two molecules. Live-cell assays quantifying apoptotic signaling and cell motility are provided as proof-of-concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devrim Kilinc
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- University College Dublin
- Dublin 4
- Ireland
- UCD Conway Institute
| | - Jefrem Schwab
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- University College Dublin
- Dublin 4
- Ireland
| | - Stefano Rampini
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- University College Dublin
- Dublin 4
- Ireland
| | - Oshoke W. Ikpekha
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- University College Dublin
- Dublin 4
- Ireland
| | - Ashwin Thampi
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- University College Dublin
- Dublin 4
- Ireland
| | - Agata Blasiak
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- University College Dublin
- Dublin 4
- Ireland
| | - Peng Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- University College Dublin
- Dublin 4
- Ireland
| | | | - Walter Kolch
- UCD Conway Institute
- Dublin 4
- Ireland
- Systems Biology Ireland
- UCD
| | | | - Gil U. Lee
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- University College Dublin
- Dublin 4
- Ireland
- UCD Conway Institute
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34
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A timeline demarcating two waves of clonal deletion and Foxp3 upregulation during thymocyte development. Immunol Cell Biol 2015; 94:357-66. [DOI: 10.1038/icb.2015.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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35
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Development of a diverse human T-cell repertoire despite stringent restriction of hematopoietic clonality in the thymus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E6020-7. [PMID: 26483497 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1519118112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The fate and numbers of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and their progeny that seed the thymus constitute a fundamental question with important clinical implications. HSC transplantation is often complicated by limited T-cell reconstitution, especially when HSC from umbilical cord blood are used. Attempts to improve immune reconstitution have until now been unsuccessful, underscoring the need for better insight into thymic reconstitution. Here we made use of the NOD-SCID-IL-2Rγ(-/-) xenograft model and lentiviral cellular barcoding of human HSCs to study T-cell development in the thymus at a clonal level. Barcoded HSCs showed robust (>80% human chimerism) and reproducible myeloid and lymphoid engraftment, with T cells arising 12 wk after transplantation. A very limited number of HSC clones (<10) repopulated the xenografted thymus, with further restriction of the number of clones during subsequent development. Nevertheless, T-cell receptor rearrangements were polyclonal and showed a diverse repertoire, demonstrating that a multitude of T-lymphocyte clones can develop from a single HSC clone. Our data imply that intrathymic clonal fitness is important during T-cell development. As a consequence, immune incompetence after HSC transplantation is not related to the transplantation of limited numbers of HSC but to intrathymic events.
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36
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Wiekmeijer AS, Pike-Overzet K, IJspeert H, Brugman MH, Wolvers-Tettero ILM, Lankester AC, Bredius RGM, van Dongen JJM, Fibbe WE, Langerak AW, van der Burg M, Staal FJT. Identification of checkpoints in human T-cell development using severe combined immunodeficiency stem cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2015; 137:517-526.e3. [PMID: 26441229 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Revised: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) represents congenital disorders characterized by a deficiency of T cells caused by arrested development in the thymus. Yet the nature of these developmental blocks has remained elusive because of the difficulty of taking thymic biopsy specimens from affected children. OBJECTIVE We sought to identify the stages of arrest in human T-cell development caused by various major types of SCID. METHODS We performed transplantation of SCID CD34(+) bone marrow stem/progenitor cells into an optimized NSG xenograft mouse model, followed by detailed phenotypic and molecular characterization using flow cytometry, immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor spectratyping, and deep sequencing of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) and T-cell receptor δ (TRD) loci. RESULTS Arrests in T-cell development caused by mutations in IL-7 receptor α (IL7RA) and IL-2 receptor γ (IL2RG) were observed at the most immature thymocytes much earlier than expected based on gene expression profiling of human thymocyte subsets and studies with corresponding mouse mutants. T-cell receptor rearrangements were functionally required at the CD4(-)CD8(-)CD7(+)CD5(+) stage given the developmental block and extent of rearrangements in mice transplanted with Artemis-SCID cells. The xenograft model used is not informative for adenosine deaminase-SCID, whereas hypomorphic mutations lead to less severe arrests in development. CONCLUSION Transplanting CD34(+) stem cells from patients with SCID into a xenograft mouse model provides previously unattainable insight into human T-cell development and functionally identifies the arrest in thymic development caused by several SCID mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Sophia Wiekmeijer
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Pike-Overzet
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hanna IJspeert
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn H Brugman
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Arjan C Lankester
- Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Robbert G M Bredius
- Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jacques J M van Dongen
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Willem E Fibbe
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Anton W Langerak
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mirjam van der Burg
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank J T Staal
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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37
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Hu Z, Lancaster JN, Ehrlich LIR. The Contribution of Chemokines and Migration to the Induction of Central Tolerance in the Thymus. Front Immunol 2015; 6:398. [PMID: 26300884 PMCID: PMC4528182 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
As T cells develop, they migrate throughout the thymus where they undergo essential bi-directional signaling with stromal cells in distinct thymic microenvironments. Immature thymocyte progenitors are located in the thymic cortex. Following T cell receptor expression and positive selection, thymocytes undergo a dramatic transition: they become rapidly motile and relocate to the thymic medulla. Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) within the cortex and medulla display peptides derived from a wide array of self-proteins, which promote thymocyte self-tolerance. If a thymocyte is auto-reactive against such antigens, it undergoes either negative selection, via apoptosis, or differentiation into the regulatory T cell lineage. This induction of central tolerance is critical for prevention of autoimmunity. Chemokines and adhesion molecules play an essential role in tolerance induction, as they promote migration of developing thymocytes through the different thymic microenvironments and enhance interactions with APCs displaying self-antigens. Herein, we review the contribution of chemokines and other regulators of thymocyte localization and motility to T cell development, with a focus on their contribution to the induction of central tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zicheng Hu
- Ehrlich Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX , USA
| | - Jessica Naomi Lancaster
- Ehrlich Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX , USA
| | - Lauren I R Ehrlich
- Ehrlich Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX , USA
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38
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Luu L, Coombes JL. Dynamic two-photon imaging of the immune response to Toxoplasma gondii infection. Parasite Immunol 2015; 37:118-26. [PMID: 25407960 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a highly successful parasite that can manipulate host immune responses to optimize its persistence and spread. As a result, a highly complex relationship exists between T. gondii and the immune system of the host. Advances in imaging techniques, and in particular, the application of two-photon microscopy to mouse infection models, have made it possible to directly visualize interactions between parasites and the host immune system as they occur in living tissues. Here, we will discuss how dynamic imaging techniques have provided unexpected new insight into (i) how immune responses are dynamically regulated by cells and structures in the local tissue environment, (ii) how protective responses to T. gondii are generated and (iii) how the parasite exploits the immune system for its own benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Luu
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Weist BM, Kurd N, Boussier J, Chan SW, Robey EA. Thymic regulatory T cell niche size is dictated by limiting IL-2 from antigen-bearing dendritic cells and feedback competition. Nat Immunol 2015; 16:635-41. [PMID: 25939026 PMCID: PMC4439282 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The thymic production of regulatory T cells (Treg cells) requires interleukin 2 (IL-2) and agonist T cell antigen receptor (TCR) ligands and is controlled by competition for a limited developmental niche, but the thymic sources of IL-2 and the factors that limit access to the niche are poorly understood. Here we found that IL-2 produced by antigen-bearing dendritic cells (DCs) had a key role in Treg cell development and that existing Treg cells limited new development of Treg cells by competing for IL-2. Our data suggest that antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that can provide both IL-2 and a TCR ligand constitute the thymic niche and that competition by existing Treg cells for a limited supply of IL-2 provides negative feedback for new production of Treg cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M Weist
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Nadia Kurd
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - Shiao Wei Chan
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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40
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Benson RA, McInnes IB, Brewer JM, Garside P. Cellular imaging in rheumatic diseases. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2015; 11:357-67. [DOI: 10.1038/nrrheum.2015.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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41
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Conserved and divergent aspects of human T-cell development and migration in humanized mice. Immunol Cell Biol 2015; 93:716-26. [PMID: 25744551 PMCID: PMC4575952 DOI: 10.1038/icb.2015.38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Revised: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Humanized mice represent an important model to study the development and function of the human immune system. While it is known that mouse thymic stromal cells can support human T-cell development, the extent of interspecies cross-talk and the degree to which these systems recapitulate normal human T-cell development remain unclear. To address these questions, we compared conventional and non-conventional T-cell development in a neonatal chimera humanized mouse model with that seen in human fetal and neonatal thymus samples, and also examined the impact of a human HLA-A2 transgene expressed by the mouse stroma. Given that dynamic migration and cell–cell interactions are essential for T-cell differentiation, we also studied the intrathymic migration pattern of human thymocytes developing in a murine thymic environment. We found that both conventional T-cell development and intra-thymic migration patterns in humanized mice closely resemble human thymopoiesis. Additionally, we show that developing human thymocytes engage in short, serial interactions with other human hematopoietic-derived cells. However, non-conventional T-cell differentiation in humanized mice differed from both fetal and neonatal human thymopoiesis, including a marked deficiency of Foxp3+ T-cell development. These data suggest that although the murine thymic microenvironment can support a number of aspects of human T-cell development, important differences remain, and additional human-specific factors may be required.
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42
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Cowan JE, Jenkinson WE, Anderson G. Thymus medulla fosters generation of natural Treg cells, invariant γδ T cells, and invariant NKT cells: what we learn from intrathymic migration. Eur J Immunol 2015; 45:652-60. [PMID: 25615828 PMCID: PMC4405047 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201445108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The organization of the thymus into distinct cortical and medullary regions enables it to control the step-wise migration and development of immature T-cell precursors. Such a process provides access to specialized cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells at defined stages of maturation, ensuring the generation of self-tolerant and MHC-restricted conventional CD4+ and CD8+ αβ T cells. The migratory cues and stromal cell requirements that regulate the development of conventional αβ T cells have been well studied. However, the thymus also fosters the generation of several immunoregulatory T-cell populations that form key components of both innate and adaptive immune responses. These include Foxp3+ natural regulatory T cells, invariant γδ T cells, and CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells). While less is known about the intrathymic requirements of these nonconventional T cells, recent studies have highlighted the importance of the thymus medulla in their development. Here, we review recent findings on the mechanisms controlling the intrathymic migration of distinct T-cell subsets, and relate this to knowledge of the microenvironmental requirements of these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Cowan
- MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute for Biomedical Research, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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43
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Melichar HJ, Ross JO, Taylor KT, Robey EA. Stable interactions and sustained TCR signaling characterize thymocyte-thymocyte interactions that support negative selection. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 194:1057-1061. [PMID: 25520400 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1400169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Negative selection is one of the primary mechanisms that render T cells tolerant to self. Thymic dendritic cells play an important role in negative selection, in line with their ability to induce migratory arrest and sustained TCR signals. Thymocytes themselves display self-peptide/MHC class I complexes, and although there is evidence that they can support clonal deletion, it is not clear whether they do so directly via stable cell-cell contacts and sustained TCR signals. In this study, we show that murine thymocytes can support surprisingly efficient negative selection of Ag-specific thymocytes. Furthermore, we observe that agonist-dependent thymocyte-thymocyte interactions occurred as stable, motile conjugates led by the peptide-presenting thymocyte and in which the trailing peptide-specific thymocyte exhibited persistent elevations in intracellular calcium concentration. These data confirm that self-Ag presentation by thymocytes is an additional mechanism to ensure T cell tolerance and further strengthen the correlation between stable cellular contacts, sustained TCR signals, and efficient negative selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather J Melichar
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jenny O Ross
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kayleigh T Taylor
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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44
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Halkias J, Melichar HJ, Taylor KT, Robey EA. Tracking migration during human T cell development. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:3101-17. [PMID: 24682469 PMCID: PMC11113765 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1607-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2013] [Revised: 02/21/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Specialized microenvironments within the thymus are comprised of unique cell types with distinct roles in directing the development of a diverse, functional, and self-tolerant T cell repertoire. As they differentiate, thymocytes transit through a number of developmental intermediates that are associated with unique localization and migration patterns. For example, during one particular developmental transition, immature thymocytes more than double in speed as they become mature T cells that are among the fastest cells in the body. This transition is associated with dramatic changes in the expression of chemokine receptors and their antagonists, cell adhesion molecules, and cytoskeletal components to direct the maturing thymocyte population from the cortex to medulla. Here we discuss the dynamic changes in behavior that occur throughout thymocyte development, and provide an overview of the cell-intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms that regulate human thymocyte migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Halkias
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 142 Life Sciences Addition, #3200, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3200, USA,
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Mendes-da-Cruz DA, Brignier AC, Asnafi V, Baleydier F, Messias CV, Lepelletier Y, Bedjaoui N, Renand A, Smaniotto S, Canioni D, Milpied P, Balabanian K, Bousso P, Leprêtre S, Bertrand Y, Dombret H, Ifrah N, Dardenne M, Macintyre E, Savino W, Hermine O. Semaphorin 3F and neuropilin-2 control the migration of human T-cell precursors. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103405. [PMID: 25068647 PMCID: PMC4113369 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropilins and semaphorins are known as modulators of axon guidance, angiogenesis, and organogenesis in the developing nervous system, but have been recently evidenced as also playing a role in the immune system. Here we describe the expression and role of semaphorin 3F (SEMA3F) and its receptor neuropilin-2 (NRP2) in human T cell precursors. NRP2 and SEMA3F are expressed in the human thymus, in both lymphoid and non-lymphoid compartments. SEMA3F have a repulsive effect on thymocyte migration and inhibited CXCL12- and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)-induced thymocyte migration by inhibiting cytoskeleton reorganization prior to stimuli. Moreover, NRP2 and SEMA3F are expressed in human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma primary cells. In these tumor cells, SEMA3F also blocks their migration induced by CXCL12 and S1P. Our data show that SEMA3F and NRP2 are further regulators of human thymocyte migration in physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Arêas Mendes-da-Cruz
- CNRS UMR8147, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- * E-mail: (DAMC); (OH)
| | - Anne Colette Brignier
- CNRS UMR8147, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
- Department of Clinical Hematology, Necker Children's Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Vahid Asnafi
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, AP-HP, Necker Children's Hospital, INSERM U1151, Paris, France
| | - Frederic Baleydier
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, AP-HP, Necker Children's Hospital, INSERM U1151, Paris, France
| | | | - Yves Lepelletier
- CNRS UMR8147, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
- INSERM U1163, CNRS ERL 8254, Laboratory of cellular and molecular basis of hematological disorders and their therapeutic implications, Imagine Institute, Paris, France
| | - Nawel Bedjaoui
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, AP-HP, Necker Children's Hospital, INSERM U1151, Paris, France
| | - Amedée Renand
- CNRS UMR8147, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Salete Smaniotto
- Department of Morphology, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Danielle Canioni
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, AP-HP, Necker Children's Hospital, INSERM U1151, Paris, France
- Department of Morphology, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Yves Bertrand
- Service of Pediatric Hematology, Hôpital Debrousse, Lyon, France
| | - Hervé Dombret
- University Paris 7, Hôpital Saint-Louis, AP-HP, and Institut Universitaire d'Hématologie EA3518, Paris, France
| | - Norbert Ifrah
- Pôle de Recherche et d'Enseignement Supérieur l'Université Nantes Angers Le Mans, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Angers, Service des Maladies du Sang and INSERM U892, Angers, France
| | | | - Elizabeth Macintyre
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, AP-HP, Necker Children's Hospital, INSERM U1151, Paris, France
| | - Wilson Savino
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Olivier Hermine
- CNRS UMR8147, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, AP-HP, Necker Children's Hospital, INSERM U1151, Paris, France
- INSERM U1163, CNRS ERL 8254, Laboratory of cellular and molecular basis of hematological disorders and their therapeutic implications, Imagine Institute, Paris, France
- * E-mail: (DAMC); (OH)
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Distinct phases in the positive selection of CD8+ T cells distinguished by intrathymic migration and T-cell receptor signaling patterns. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:E2550-8. [PMID: 24927565 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1408482111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Positive selection of CD8 T cells in the thymus is thought to be a multistep process lasting 3-4 d; however, the discrete steps involved are poorly understood. Here, we examine phenotypic changes, calcium signaling, and intrathymic migration in a synchronized cohort of MHC class I-specific thymocytes undergoing positive selection in situ. Transient elevations in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)]i) and migratory pauses occurred throughout the first 24 h of positive selection, becoming progressively briefer and accompanied by a gradual shift in basal [Ca(2+)]i over time. Changes in chemokine-receptor expression and relocalization from the cortex to medulla occurred between 12 and 24 h after the initial encounter with positive-selecting ligands, a time frame at which the majority of thymocytes retain CD4 and CD8 expression and still require T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling to efficiently complete positive selection. Our results identify distinct phases in the positive selection of MHC class I-specific thymocytes that are distinguished by their TCR-signaling pattern and intrathymic location and provide a framework for understanding the multistep process of positive selection in the thymus.
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47
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Choi YI, Duke-Cohan JS, Tan J, Gui J, Singh MK, Epstein JA, Reinherz EL. Plxnd1 expression in thymocytes regulates their intrathymic migration while that in thymic endothelium impacts medullary topology. Front Immunol 2013; 4:392. [PMID: 24312099 PMCID: PMC3832804 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2013.00392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/07/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
An important role for plexinD1 in thymic development is inferred from studies of germline Plxnd1 knockout (KO) mice where mislocalized CD69+ thymocytes as well as ectopic thymic subcapsular medullary structures were observed. Given embryonic lethality of the Plxnd1−/− genotype, fetal liver transplantation was employed in these prior analyses. Such embryonic hematopoietic reconstitution may have transferred Plxnd1 KO endothelial and/or epithelial stem cells in addition to Plxnd1 KO lymphoid progenitors, thereby contributing to that phenotype. Here we use Plxnd1flox/flox mice crossed to pLck-Cre, pKeratin14-Cre, or pTek-Cre transgenic animals to create cell-type specific conditional knockout (CKO) lines involving thymocytes (D1ThyCKO), thymic epithelium (D1EpCKO), and thymic endothelium (D1EnCKO), respectively. These CKOs allowed us to directly assess the role of plexinD1 in each lineage. Loss of plexinD1 expression on double positive (DP) thymocytes leads to their aberrant migration and cortical retention after TCR-mediated positive selection. In contrast, ectopic medulla formation is a consequence of loss of plexinD1 expression on endothelial cells, in turn linked to dysregulation of thymic angiogenesis. D1EpCKO thymi manifest neither abnormality. Collectively, our findings underscore the non-redundant roles for plexinD1 on thymocytes and endothelium, including the dynamic nature of medulla formation resulting from crosstalk between these thymic cellular components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young I Choi
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute , Boston, MA , USA ; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School , Boston, MA , USA
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48
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Melichar HJ, Ross JO, Herzmark P, Hogquist KA, Robey EA. Distinct temporal patterns of T cell receptor signaling during positive versus negative selection in situ. Sci Signal 2013; 6:ra92. [PMID: 24129702 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2004400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The recognition by the T cell receptor (TCR) of self-peptides presented by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on antigen-presenting cells, such as dendritic cells and thymic epithelial cells, controls T cell fate in the thymus, with weak TCR signals inducing survival (positive selection) and stronger signals inducing death (negative selection). In vitro studies indicate that peptide ligands that induce positive selection stimulate a low, but sustained, pattern of TCR signaling; however, the temporal pattern of TCR signaling in MHC class I-restricted thymocytes (thymocytes that are presented with peptides by MHC class I) in the thymus, under conditions that support positive selection, is unknown. We addressed this question by examining intracellular Ca(2+) dynamics and migratory changes in thymocytes undergoing positive and negative selection in thymic slices. Brief, serial signaling events that were separated by migratory periods and low cytosolic Ca(2+) concentrations correlated with the positive selection of MHC class I-restricted thymocytes, whereas sustained Ca(2+) signaling and the arrest of thymocytes were associated with negative selection. Low-avidity peptides and the presentation of peptides by cortical thymic epithelial cells, rather than dendritic cells, failed to induce strong migratory arrest of thymocytes, which led to transient TCR signaling. Thus, we provide a comparison of positive and negative selection signals in situ and suggest that the absence of strong stop signals distinguishes between positive and negative selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather J Melichar
- 1Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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