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He H, Yao Y, Tang L, Li Y, Li Z, Liu B, Lan Y. Divergent molecular events underlying initial T-cell commitment in human prenatal and postnatal thymus. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1240859. [PMID: 37828991 PMCID: PMC10565475 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1240859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Intrathymic T-cell development is a coordinated process accompanied by dynamic changes in gene expression. Although the transcriptome characteristics of developing T cells in both human fetal and postnatal thymus at single-cell resolution have been revealed recently, the differences between human prenatal and postnatal thymocytes regarding the ontogeny and early events of T-cell development still remain obscure. Moreover, the transcriptional heterogeneity and posttranscriptional gene expression regulation such as alternative polyadenylation at different stages are also unknown. Method In this study, we performed integrative single-cell analyses of thymocytes at distinct developmental stages. Results The subsets of prenatal CD4-CD8- double-negative (DN) cells, the most immature thymocytes responsible for T-cell lineage commitment, were characterized. By comprehensively comparing prenatal and postnatal DN cells, we revealed significant differences in some key gene expressions. Specifically, prenatal DN subpopulations exhibited distinct biological processes and markedly activated several metabolic programs that may be coordinated to meet the required bioenergetic demands. Although showing similar gene expression patterns along the developmental path, prenatal and postnatal thymocytes were remarkably varied regarding the expression dynamics of some pivotal genes for cell cycle, metabolism, signaling pathway, thymus homing, and T-cell commitment. Finally, we quantified the transcriptome-wide changes in alternative polyadenylation across T-cell development and found diverse preferences of polyadenylation site usage in divergent populations along the T-cell commitment trajectory. Discussion In summary, our results revealed transcriptional heterogeneity and a dynamic landscape of alternative polyadenylation during T-cell development in both human prenatal and postnatal thymus, providing a comprehensive resource for understanding T lymphopoiesis in human thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han He
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingpeng Yao
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Basic Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lindong Tang
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuhui Li
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zongcheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology, Senior Department of Hematology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Liu
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology, Senior Department of Hematology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Lan
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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MacNabb BW, Rothenberg EV. Speed and navigation control of thymocyte development by the fetal T-cell gene regulatory network. Immunol Rev 2023; 315:171-196. [PMID: 36722494 PMCID: PMC10771342 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13190] [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] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
T-cell differentiation is a tightly regulated developmental program governed by interactions between transcription factors (TFs) and chromatin landscapes and affected by signals received from the thymic stroma. This process is marked by a series of checkpoints: T-lineage commitment, T-cell receptor (TCR)β selection, and positive and negative selection. Dynamically changing combinations of TFs drive differentiation along the T-lineage trajectory, through mechanisms that have been most extensively dissected in adult mouse T-lineage cells. However, fetal T-cell development differs from adult in ways that suggest that these TF mechanisms are not fully deterministic. The first wave of fetal T-cell differentiation occurs during a unique developmental window during thymic morphogenesis, shows more rapid kinetics of differentiation with fewer rounds of cell division, and gives rise to unique populations of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and invariant γδT cells that are not generated in the adult thymus. As the characteristic kinetics and progeny biases are cell-intrinsic properties of thymic progenitors, the differences could be based on distinct TF network circuitry within the progenitors themselves. Here, we review recent single-cell transcriptome data that illuminate the TF networks involved in T-cell differentiation in the fetal and adult mouse thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan W MacNabb
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Ellen V Rothenberg
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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Sanchez Sanchez G, Tafesse Y, Papadopoulou M, Vermijlen D. Surfing on the waves of the human γδ T cell ontogenic sea. Immunol Rev 2023; 315:89-107. [PMID: 36625367 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
While γδ T cells are present virtually in all vertebrates, there is a remarkable lack of conservation of the TRG and TRD loci underlying the generation of the γδ T cell receptor (TCR), which is associated with the generation of species-specific γδ T cells. A prominent example is the human phosphoantigen-reactive Vγ9Vδ2 T cell subset that is absent in mice. Murine γδ thymocyte cells were among the first immune cells identified to follow a wave-based layered development during embryonic and early life, and since this initial observation, in-depth insight has been obtained in their thymic ontogeny. By contrast, less is known about the development of human γδ T cells, especially regarding the generation of γδ thymocyte waves. Here, after providing an overview of thymic γδ wave generation in several vertebrate classes, we review the evidence for γδ waves in the human fetal thymus, where single-cell technologies have allowed the breakdown of human γδ thymocytes into functional waves with important TCR associations. Finally, we discuss the possible mechanisms contributing to the generation of waves of γδ thymocytes and their possible significance in the periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillem Sanchez Sanchez
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium.,ULB Center for Research in Immunology (U-CRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
| | - Yohannes Tafesse
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium.,ULB Center for Research in Immunology (U-CRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
| | - Maria Papadopoulou
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium.,ULB Center for Research in Immunology (U-CRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
| | - David Vermijlen
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium.,ULB Center for Research in Immunology (U-CRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
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Roels J, Van Hulle J, Lavaert M, Kuchmiy A, Strubbe S, Putteman T, Vandekerckhove B, Leclercq G, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Boehme L, Taghon T. Transcriptional dynamics and epigenetic regulation of E and ID protein encoding genes during human T cell development. Front Immunol 2022; 13:960918. [PMID: 35967340 PMCID: PMC9366357 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.960918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells are generated from hematopoietic stem cells through a highly organized developmental process, in which stage-specific molecular events drive maturation towards αβ and γδ T cells. Although many of the mechanisms that control αβ- and γδ-lineage differentiation are shared between human and mouse, important differences have also been observed. Here, we studied the regulatory dynamics of the E and ID protein encoding genes during pediatric human T cell development by evaluating changes in chromatin accessibility, histone modifications and bulk and single cell gene expression. We profiled patterns of ID/E protein activity and identified up- and downstream regulators and targets, respectively. In addition, we compared transcription of E and ID protein encoding genes in human versus mouse to predict both shared and unique activities in these species, and in prenatal versus pediatric human T cell differentiation to identify regulatory changes during development. This analysis showed a putative involvement of TCF3/E2A in the development of γδ T cells. In contrast, in αβ T cell precursors a pivotal pre-TCR-driven population with high ID gene expression and low predicted E protein activity was identified. Finally, in prenatal but not postnatal thymocytes, high HEB/TCF12 levels were found to counteract high ID levels to sustain thymic development. In summary, we uncovered novel insights in the regulation of E and ID proteins on a cross-species and cross-developmental level.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cell Differentiation/genetics
- Child
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Hematopoietic Stem Cells/metabolism
- Humans
- Mice
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/metabolism
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/metabolism
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Roels
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jolien Van Hulle
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marieke Lavaert
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Anna Kuchmiy
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Strubbe
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Putteman
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bart Vandekerckhove
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Georges Leclercq
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Filip Van Nieuwerburgh
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lena Boehme
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Lena Boehme, ; Tom Taghon,
| | - Tom Taghon
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Lena Boehme, ; Tom Taghon,
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Shichkin VP, Antica M. Key Factors for Thymic Function and Development. Front Immunol 2022; 13:926516. [PMID: 35844535 PMCID: PMC9280625 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.926516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus is the organ responsible for T cell development and the formation of the adaptive immunity function. Its multicellular environment consists mainly of the different stromal cells and maturing T lymphocytes. Thymus-specific progenitors of epithelial, mesenchymal, and lymphoid cells with stem cell properties represent only minor populations. The thymic stromal structure predominantly determines the function of the thymus. The stromal components, mostly epithelial and mesenchymal cells, form this specialized area. They support the consistent developmental program of functionally distinct conventional T cell subpopulations. These include the MHC restricted single positive CD4+ CD8- and CD4- CD8+ cells, regulatory T lymphocytes (Foxp3+), innate natural killer T cells (iNKT), and γδT cells. Several physiological causes comprising stress and aging and medical treatments such as thymectomy and chemo/radiotherapy can harm the thymus function. The present review summarizes our knowledge of the development and function of the thymus with a focus on thymic epithelial cells as well as other stromal components and the signaling and transcriptional pathways underlying the thymic cell interaction. These critical thymus components are significant for T cell differentiation and restoring the thymic function after damage to reach the therapeutic benefits.
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