1
|
Srinivasan S, Armitage J, Nilsson J, Waithman J. Transcriptional rewiring in CD8 + T cells: implications for CAR-T cell therapy against solid tumours. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1412731. [PMID: 39399500 PMCID: PMC11466849 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1412731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 10/15/2024] Open
Abstract
T cells engineered to express chimeric-antigen receptors (CAR-T cells) can effectively control relapsed and refractory haematological malignancies in the clinic. However, the successes of CAR-T cell therapy have not been recapitulated in solid tumours due to a range of barriers such as immunosuppression, poor infiltration, and tumour heterogeneity. Numerous strategies are being developed to overcome these barriers, which include improving culture conditions and manufacturing protocols, implementing novel CAR designs, and novel approaches to engineering the T cell phenotype. In this review, we describe the various emerging strategies to improve CAR T cell therapy for solid tumours. We specifically focus on new strategies to modulate cell function and fate that have precipitated from the growing knowledge of transcriptional circuits driving T cell differentiation, with the ultimate goal of driving more productive anti-tumour T cell immunity. Evidence shows that enrichment of particular phenotypic subsets of T cells in the initial cell product correlates to improved therapeutic responses and clinical outcomes. Furthermore, T cell exhaustion and poor persistence are major factors limiting therapeutic efficacy. The latest preclinical work shows that targeting specific master regulators and transcription factors can overcome these key barriers, resulting in superior T cell therapeutic products. This can be achieved by targeting key transcriptional circuits promoting memory-like phenotypes or sustaining key effector functions within the hostile tumour microenvironment. Additional discussion points include emerging considerations for the field such as (i) targeting permutations of transcription factors, (ii) transient expression systems, (iii) tissue specificity, and (iv) expanding this strategy beyond CAR-T cell therapy and cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shamini Srinivasan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Jesse Armitage
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Telethon Kids Cancer Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Jonas Nilsson
- Melanoma Discovery Lab, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre of Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jason Waithman
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Telethon Kids Cancer Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Maurice D, Costello P, Diring J, Gualdrini F, Frederico B, Treisman R. IL-2 delivery to CD8 + T cells during infection requires MRTF/SRF-dependent gene expression and cytoskeletal dynamics. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7956. [PMID: 39261466 PMCID: PMC11391060 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52230-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Paracrine IL-2 signalling drives the CD8 + T cell expansion and differentiation that allow protection against viral infections, but the underlying molecular events are incompletely understood. Here we show that the transcription factor SRF, a master regulator of cytoskeletal gene expression, is required for effective IL-2 signalling during L. monocytogenes infection. Acting cell-autonomously with its actin-regulated cofactors MRTF-A and MRTF-B, SRF is dispensible for initial TCR-mediated CD8+ T cell proliferation, but is required for sustained IL-2 dependent CD8+ effector T cell expansion, and persistence of memory cells. Following TCR activation, Mrtfab-null CD8+ T cells produce IL-2 normally, but homotypic clustering is impaired both in vitro and in vivo. Expression of cytoskeletal structural and regulatory genes, most notably actins, is defective in Mrtfab-null CD8+ T cells. Activation-induced cell clustering in vitro requires F-actin assembly, and Mrtfab-null cell clusters are small, contain less F-actin, and defective in IL-2 retention. Clustering of Mrtfab-null cells can be partially restored by exogenous actin expression. IL-2 mediated CD8+ T cell proliferation during infection thus depends on the control of cytoskeletal dynamics and actin gene expression by MRTF-SRF signalling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diane Maurice
- Signalling and transcription Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Autoimmunity Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Patrick Costello
- Signalling and transcription Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Jessica Diring
- Signalling and transcription Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Francesco Gualdrini
- Signalling and transcription Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Instituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan, 20139, Italy
| | - Bruno Frederico
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Early Oncology, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard Treisman
- Signalling and transcription Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rückert T, Romagnani C. Extrinsic and intrinsic drivers of natural killer cell clonality. Immunol Rev 2024; 323:80-106. [PMID: 38506411 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13324] [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: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Clonal expansion of antigen-specific lymphocytes is the fundamental mechanism enabling potent adaptive immune responses and the generation of immune memory. Accompanied by pronounced epigenetic remodeling, the massive proliferation of individual cells generates a critical mass of effectors for the control of acute infections, as well as a pool of memory cells protecting against future pathogen encounters. Classically associated with the adaptive immune system, recent work has demonstrated that innate immune memory to human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is stably maintained as large clonal expansions of natural killer (NK) cells, raising questions on the mechanisms for clonal selection and expansion in the absence of re-arranged antigen receptors. Here, we discuss clonal NK cell memory in the context of the mechanisms underlying clonal competition of adaptive lymphocytes and propose alternative selection mechanisms that might decide on the clonal success of their innate counterparts. We propose that the integration of external cues with cell-intrinsic sources of heterogeneity, such as variegated receptor expression, transcriptional states, and somatic variants, compose a bottleneck for clonal selection, contributing to the large size of memory NK cell clones.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timo Rückert
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Chiara Romagnani
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ware BC, Parks MG, da Silva MOL, Morrison TE. Chikungunya virus infection disrupts MHC-I antigen presentation via nonstructural protein 2. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011794. [PMID: 38483968 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Infection by chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a mosquito-borne alphavirus, causes severe polyarthralgia and polymyalgia, which can last in some people for months to years. Chronic CHIKV disease signs and symptoms are associated with the persistence of viral nucleic acid and antigen in tissues. Like humans and nonhuman primates, CHIKV infection in mice results in the development of robust adaptive antiviral immune responses. Despite this, joint tissue fibroblasts survive CHIKV infection and can support persistent viral replication, suggesting that they escape immune surveillance. Here, using a recombinant CHIKV strain encoding the fluorescent protein VENUS with an embedded CD8+ T cell epitope, SIINFEKL, we observed a marked loss of both MHC class I (MHC-I) surface expression and antigen presentation by CHIKV-infected joint tissue fibroblasts. Both in vivo and ex vivo infected joint tissue fibroblasts displayed reduced cell surface levels of H2-Kb and H2-Db MHC-I proteins while maintaining similar levels of other cell surface proteins. Mutations within the methyl transferase-like domain of the CHIKV nonstructural protein 2 (nsP2) increased MHC-I cell surface expression and antigen presentation efficiency by CHIKV-infected cells. Moreover, expression of WT nsP2 alone, but not nsP2 with mutations in the methyltransferase-like domain, resulted in decreased MHC-I antigen presentation efficiency. MHC-I surface expression and antigen presentation was rescued by replacing VENUS-SIINFEKL with SIINFEKL tethered to β2-microglobulin in the CHIKV genome, which bypasses the requirement for peptide processing and TAP-mediated peptide transport into the endoplasmic reticulum. Collectively, this work suggests that CHIKV escapes the surveillance of antiviral CD8+ T cells, in part, by nsP2-mediated disruption of MHC-I antigen presentation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian C Ware
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - M Guston Parks
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Mariana O L da Silva
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Goes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Thomas E Morrison
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Petkau G, Mitchell TJ, Evans MJ, Matheson L, Salerno F, Turner M. Zfp36l1 establishes the high-affinity CD8 T-cell response by directly linking TCR affinity to cytokine sensing. Eur J Immunol 2024; 54:e2350700. [PMID: 38039407 PMCID: PMC11146077 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350700] [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: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
How individual T cells compete for and respond to IL-2 at the molecular level, and, as a consequence, how this shapes population dynamics and the selection of high-affinity clones is still poorly understood. Here we describe how the RNA binding protein ZFP36L1, acts as a sensor of TCR affinity to promote clonal expansion of high-affinity CD8 T cells. As part of an incoherent feed-forward loop, ZFP36L1 has a nonredundant role in suppressing multiple negative regulators of cytokine signaling and mediating a selection mechanism based on competition for IL-2. We suggest that ZFP36L1 acts as a sensor of antigen affinity and establishes the dominance of high-affinity T cells by installing a hierarchical response to IL-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Georg Petkau
- The Babraham InstituteBabraham Research CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Twm J. Mitchell
- The Babraham InstituteBabraham Research CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Louise Matheson
- The Babraham InstituteBabraham Research CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Fiamma Salerno
- The Babraham InstituteBabraham Research CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Martin Turner
- The Babraham InstituteBabraham Research CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Li J, Zhou K, Wu M, Zhang R, Jin X, Qiao H, Li J, Cao X, Zhang S, Dong G. The Characteristics of Transcription Factors Regulating T Cell Exhaustion Were Analyzed to Predict the Prognosis and Therapeutic Effect in Patients with HCC. Int J Gen Med 2023; 16:5597-5619. [PMID: 38045905 PMCID: PMC10693252 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s435620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, posing a significant threat to people in diverse regions. T-cell exhaustion (Tex) can hinder the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with HCC, and the transcription factors that regulate Tex in HCC have not yet been fully elucidated. Patients and Methods We used the single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) method to define the transcription factor pathway that regulates Tex and employed LASSO regression analysis to establish Tex related genes (TEXRS). To predict differences in immunotherapy efficacy between the two groups, we used the immunophenotype score and submap algorithm. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression levels of the model genes in 21 pairs of HCC tissues. Finally, we assessed the cell communication strength and identified ligand receptors using the "CellChat" R package. Results Nine Tex transcription factors were identified as regulators of the HCC immune microenvironment, with Tex scores affecting patient survival. Patients with a high Tex Risk Score (TEXRS) had significantly worse overall survival compared to patients with low TEXRS. After adjusting for confounding factors, TEXRS remained an independent prognostic factor. Importantly, TEXRS performed well in multiple independent external validation cohorts. Various algorithms have shown that patients in the low-TEXRS group might benefit more from immunotherapy. Finally, RT-qPCR analysis of 21 HCC samples showed that C7, CD5L, and SDS were significantly downregulated in HCC tissues, consistent with the bioinformatics analysis results. Conclusion TEXRS proved to be a valuable predictor of immunotherapy and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization efficacy in patients with HCC. This holds promise for enhancing the prognosis and treatment outcomes of patients with HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingbo Li
- Department of Anesthesiology Research Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kun Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
- Scientific Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Meng Wu
- Scientific Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Rongzheng Zhang
- Scientific Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xi Jin
- Scientific Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Han Qiao
- Scientific Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiaqi Li
- Scientific Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinyang Cao
- Scientific Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuyun Zhang
- Scientific Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guanglu Dong
- Department of Tumor Radiotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ware BC, Parks MG, Morrison TE. Chikungunya virus infection disrupts MHC-I antigen presentation via nonstructural protein 2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.03.565436. [PMID: 37961400 PMCID: PMC10635105 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.03.565436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Infection by chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a mosquito-borne alphavirus, causes severe polyarthralgia and polymyalgia, which can last in some people for months to years. Chronic CHIKV disease signs and symptoms are associated with the persistence of viral nucleic acid and antigen in tissues. Like humans and nonhuman primates, CHIKV infection in mice results in the development of robust adaptive antiviral immune responses. Despite this, joint tissue fibroblasts survive CHIKV infection and can support persistent viral replication, suggesting that they escape immune surveillance. Here, using a recombinant CHIKV strain encoding a chimeric protein of VENUS fused to a CD8+ T cell epitope, SIINFEKL, we observed a marked loss of both MHC class I (MHC-I) surface expression and antigen presentation by CHIKV-infected joint tissue fibroblasts. Both in vivo and ex vivo infected joint tissue fibroblasts displayed reduced cell surface levels of H2-Kb and H2-Db MHC proteins while maintaining similar levels of other cell surface proteins. Mutations within the methyl transferase-like domain of the CHIKV nonstructural protein 2 (nsP2) increased MHC-I cell surface expression and antigen presentation efficiency by CHIKV-infected cells. Moreover, expression of WT nsP2 alone, but not nsP2 with mutations in the methyltransferase-like domain, resulted in decreased MHC-I antigen presentation efficiency. MHC-I surface expression and antigen presentation could be rescued by replacing VENUS-SIINFEKL with SIINFEKL tethered to β2-microglobulin in the CHIKV genome, which bypasses the need for peptide processing and TAP-mediated peptide transport into the endoplasmic reticulum. Collectively, this work suggests that CHIKV escapes the surveillance of antiviral CD8+ T cells, in part, by nsP2-mediated disruption of MHC-I antigen presentation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian C. Ware
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - M. Guston Parks
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Thomas E. Morrison
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Humblin E, Korpas I, Lu J, Filipescu D, van der Heide V, Goldstein S, Vaidya A, Soares-Schanoski A, Casati B, Selvan ME, Gümüş ZH, Wieland A, Corrado M, Cohen-Gould L, Bernstein E, Homann D, Chipuk J, Kamphorst AO. Sustained CD28 costimulation is required for self-renewal and differentiation of TCF-1 + PD-1 + CD8 T cells. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eadg0878. [PMID: 37624910 PMCID: PMC10805182 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adg0878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
During persistent antigen stimulation, such as in chronic infections and cancer, CD8 T cells differentiate into a hypofunctional programmed death protein 1-positive (PD-1+) exhausted state. Exhausted CD8 T cell responses are maintained by precursors (Tpex) that express the transcription factor T cell factor 1 (TCF-1) and high levels of the costimulatory molecule CD28. Here, we demonstrate that sustained CD28 costimulation is required for maintenance of antiviral T cells during chronic infection. Low-level CD28 engagement preserved mitochondrial fitness and self-renewal of Tpex, whereas stronger CD28 signaling enhanced glycolysis and promoted Tpex differentiation into TCF-1neg exhausted CD8 T cells (Tex). Furthermore, enhanced differentiation by CD28 engagement did not reduce the Tpex pool. Together, these findings demonstrate that continuous CD28 engagement is needed to sustain PD-1+ CD8 T cells and suggest that increasing CD28 signaling promotes Tpex differentiation into more functional effector-like Tex, possibly without compromising long-term responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Humblin
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount sinai - ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Isabel Korpas
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount sinai - ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jiahua Lu
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount sinai - ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Dan Filipescu
- Department of Oncological Sciences, ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Verena van der Heide
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount sinai - ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Simon Goldstein
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount sinai - ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Abishek Vaidya
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount sinai - ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Alessandra Soares-Schanoski
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount sinai - ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Beatrice Casati
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount sinai - ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | | | - Zeynep H. Gümüş
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount sinai - ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Andreas Wieland
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, OSUCCC – James, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Mauro Corrado
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD); Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC) and Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Leona Cohen-Gould
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Emily Bernstein
- Department of Oncological Sciences, ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Dirk Homann
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount sinai - ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
- Diabetes Obesity Metabolism Institute, ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jerry Chipuk
- Department of Oncological Sciences, ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Alice O. Kamphorst
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount sinai - ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, ISMMS; New York, NY 10029, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Schmidt C, Harberts A, Reimers D, Bertram T, Voß LC, Schmid J, Lory NC, Spohn M, Koch-Nolte F, Huber S, Raczkowski F, Breloer M, Mittrücker HW. IRF4 is required for migration of CD4 + T cells to the intestine but not for Th2 and Th17 cell maintenance. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1182502. [PMID: 37469513 PMCID: PMC10352983 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1182502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor Interferon Regulatory Factor 4 (IRF4) is central in control of T cell activation and differentiation. Deficiency of IRF4 results in severe immune deficiency and affects maturation and function of most if not all T cell subsets. Here we use mouse infection models for Citrobacter rodentium and Strongyloides ratti to analyze the function of IRF4 in T helper (Th) 17 and Th2 cell responses, respectively. IRF4 deficient mice were impaired in the control of both pathogens, failed to mount Th17 and Th2 cell responses and showed impaired recruitment of T helper cells to the intestine, the infection site of both pathogens. Compromised intestinal migration was associated with reduced expression of the intestinal homing receptors α4β7 integrin, CCR9 and GPR15. Identification of IRF4 binding sites in the gene loci of these receptors suggests a direct control of their expression by IRF4. Competitive T cell transfer assays further demonstrated that loss of one functional Irf4 allele already affected intestinal accumulation and Th2 and Th17 cell generation, indicating that lower IRF4 levels are of disadvantage for Th2 and Th17 cell differentiation as well as their migration to the intestine. Conversion of peripheral CD4+ T cells from an Irf4 wildtype to an Irf4 heterozygous or from an Irf4 heterozygous to a homozygous mutant genotype after C. rodentium or S. ratti infection did not reduce their capacity to produce Th17 or Th2 cytokines and only partially affected their persistence in the intestine, revealing that IRF4 is not essential for maintenance of the Th2 and Th17 phenotype and for survival of these T helper cells in the intestine. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the expression levels of IRF4 determine Th2 and Th17 cell differentiation and their intestinal accumulation but that IRF4 expression is not crucial for Th2 and Th17 cell survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Constantin Schmidt
- Department for Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Aenne Harberts
- Department for Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Reimers
- Department for Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tabea Bertram
- Department for Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Leonie Caroline Voß
- Department for Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joanna Schmid
- Department for Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Niels Christian Lory
- Department for Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael Spohn
- Clinic of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Research Institute Children’s Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Bioinformatics Core Unit, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Friedrich Koch-Nolte
- Department for Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Samuel Huber
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Friederike Raczkowski
- Department for Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Minka Breloer
- Section for Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Department for Biology, University Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hans-Willi Mittrücker
- Department for Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Harrer DC, Bezler V, Hartley J, Herr W, Abken H. IRF4 downregulation improves sensitivity and endurance of CAR T cell functional capacities. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1185618. [PMID: 37287982 PMCID: PMC10243527 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1185618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T cells can induce complete remissions in patients with advanced hematological malignancies. Nevertheless, the efficacy is mostly transient and remains so far poor in the treatment of solid tumors. Crucial barriers to long-term CAR T cell success encompass loss of functional capacities known as "exhaustion", among others. To extend CAR T cell functionality, we reduced interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) levels in CAR T cells using a one-vector system encoding a specific short-hairpin (sh) RNA along with constitutive CAR expression. At baseline, CAR T cells with downregulated IRF4 showed equal cytotoxicity and cytokine release compared to conventional CAR T cells. However, under conditions of repetitive antigen encounter, IRF4low CAR T cells displayed enhanced functionality with superior cancer cell control in the long-term compared with conventional CAR T cells. Mechanistically, the downregulation of IRF4 in CAR T cells resulted in prolonged functional capacities and upregulation of CD27. Moreover, IRF4low CAR T cells were more sensitive to cancer cells with low levels of target antigen. Overall, IRF4 downregulation capacitates CAR T cells to recognize and respond to target cells with improved sensitivity and endurance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Christoph Harrer
- Dept. Hematology and Medical Oncology, Clinic III Internal Medicine, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy, Div. Genetic Immunotherapy, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Valerie Bezler
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy, Div. Genetic Immunotherapy, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jordan Hartley
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy, Div. Genetic Immunotherapy, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Herr
- Dept. Hematology and Medical Oncology, Clinic III Internal Medicine, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Hinrich Abken
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy, Div. Genetic Immunotherapy, Regensburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Osum KC, Jenkins MK. Toward a general model of CD4 + T cell subset specification and memory cell formation. Immunity 2023; 56:475-484. [PMID: 36921574 PMCID: PMC10084496 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
In the past few decades, a number of transformative discoveries have been made regarding memory CD8+ T cell biology; meanwhile, the CD4+ T cell field has lagged behind this progress. This perspective focuses on CD4+ helper T (Th) cell subset specification and memory cell formation. Here, we argue that the sheer number of Th effector and memory cell subsets and a focus on their differences have been a barrier to a general model of CD4+ memory T cell formation that applies to all immune responses. We highlight a bifurcation model that relies on an IL-2 signal-dependent switch as an explanation for the balanced production of diverse Th memory cells that participate in cell-mediated or humoral immunity in most contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C Osum
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Marc K Jenkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Wu L, Balyan R, Brzostek J, Zhao X, Gascoigne NRJ. Time required for commitment to T cell proliferation depends on TCR affinity and cytokine response. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e54969. [PMID: 36327141 PMCID: PMC9827553 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202254969] [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: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell activation and effector functions are determined by the affinity of the interaction between T cell receptor (TCR) and its antigenic peptide MHC (pMHC) ligand. A better understanding of the quantitative aspects of TCR-pMHC affinity-dependent T cell activation is critical for the development of new immunotherapeutic strategies. However, the role of TCR-pMHC affinity in regulating the kinetics of CD8+ T cell commitment to proliferation and differentiation is unknown. Here, we show that the stronger the TCR-pMHC affinity, the shorter the time of T cell-APC co-culture required to commit CD8+ T cells to proliferation. The time threshold for T cell cytokine production is much lower than that for cell proliferation. There is a strong correlation between affinity-dependent differences in AKT phosphorylation and T cell proliferation. The cytokine IL-15 increases the poor proliferation of T cells stimulated with low affinity pMHC, suggesting that pro-inflammatory cytokines can override the affinity-dependent features of T cell proliferation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liang‐zhe Wu
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Renu Balyan
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Present address:
Tessa Therapeutics Ltd.SingaporeSingapore
| | - Joanna Brzostek
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Present address:
Department of BiologyUniversity of FreiburgFreiburg im BreisgauGermany
| | - Xiang Zhao
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Present address:
Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordCAUSA
| | - Nicholas R J Gascoigne
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Lu J, Liang T, Li P, Yin Q. Regulatory effects of IRF4 on immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1086803. [PMID: 36814912 PMCID: PMC9939821 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1086803] [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: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is implicated in tumorigenesis, chemoresistance, immunotherapy failure and tumor recurrence. Multiple immunosuppressive cells and soluble secreted cytokines together drive and accelerate TME disorders, T cell immunodeficiency and tumor growth. Thus, it is essential to comprehensively understand the TME status, immune cells involved and key transcriptional factors, and extend this knowledge to therapies that target dysfunctional T cells in the TME. Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) is a unique IRF family member that is not regulated by interferons, instead, is mainly induced upon T-cell receptor signaling, Toll-like receptors and tumor necrosis factor receptors. IRF4 is largely restricted to immune cells and plays critical roles in the differentiation and function of effector cells and immunosuppressive cells, particularly during clonal expansion and the effector function of T cells. However, in a specific biological context, it is also involved in the transcriptional process of T cell exhaustion with its binding partners. Given the multiple effects of IRF4 on immune cells, especially T cells, manipulating IRF4 may be an important therapeutic target for reversing T cell exhaustion and TME disorders, thus promoting anti-tumor immunity. This study reviews the regulatory effects of IRF4 on various immune cells in the TME, and reveals its potential mechanisms, providing a novel direction for clinical immune intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Lu
- Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Taotao Liang
- Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Hematology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Qingsong Yin
- Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Oladipo OO, Adedeji BO, Adedokun SP, Gbadamosi JA, Salaudeen M. Regulation of effector and memory CD8 + T cell differentiation: a focus on orphan nuclear receptor NR4A family, transcription factor, and metabolism. Immunol Res 2022; 71:314-327. [PMID: 36571657 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-022-09353-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
CD8 + T cells undergo rapid expansion followed by contraction and the development of memory cells after their receptors are activated. The development of immunological memory following acute infection is a complex phenomenon that involves several molecular, transcriptional, and metabolic mechanisms. As memory cells confer long-term protection and respond to secondary stimulation with strong effector function, understanding the mechanisms that influence their development is of great importance. Orphan nuclear receptors, NR4As, are immediate early genes that function as transcription factors and bind with the NBRE region of chromatin. Interestingly, the NBRE region of activated CD8 + T cells is highly accessible at the same time the expression of NR4As is induced. This suggests a potential role of NR4As in the early events post T cell activation that determines cell fate decisions. In this review, we will discuss the influence of NR4As on the differentiation of CD8 + T cells during the immune response to acute infection and the development of immunological memory. We will also discuss the signals, transcription factors, and metabolic mechanisms that control cell fate decisions. HIGHLIGHTS: Memory CD8 + T cells are an essential subset that mediates long-term protection after pathogen encounters. Some specific environmental cues, transcriptional factors, and metabolic pathways regulate the differentiation of CD8 + T cells and the development of memory cells. Orphan nuclear receptor NR4As are early genes that act as transcription factors and are highly expressed post-T cell receptor activation. NR4As influence the effector function and differentiation of CD8 + T cells and also control the development of immunological memory following acute infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oladapo O Oladipo
- Department of Physiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
- College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
| | - Bernard O Adedeji
- Department of Physiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
- College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Samson P Adedokun
- Department of Physiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
- College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - Jibriil A Gbadamosi
- Department of Physiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
- College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - Marzuq Salaudeen
- Department of Physiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
- College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Sharma J, Mudalagiriyappa S, Nanjappa SG. T cell responses to control fungal infection in an immunological memory lens. Front Immunol 2022; 13:905867. [PMID: 36177012 PMCID: PMC9513067 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.905867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, fungal vaccine research emanated significant findings in the field of antifungal T-cell immunity. The generation of effector T cells is essential to combat many mucosal and systemic fungal infections. The development of antifungal memory T cells is integral for controlling or preventing fungal infections, and understanding the factors, regulators, and modifiers that dictate the generation of such T cells is necessary. Despite the deficiency in the clear understanding of antifungal memory T-cell longevity and attributes, in this review, we will compile some of the existing literature on antifungal T-cell immunity in the context of memory T-cell development against fungal infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Som Gowda Nanjappa
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Richard AC. Divide and Conquer: Phenotypic and Temporal Heterogeneity Within CD8 + T Cell Responses. Front Immunol 2022; 13:949423. [PMID: 35911755 PMCID: PMC9334874 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.949423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of technologies that can characterize the phenotypes, functions and fates of individual cells has revealed extensive and often unexpected levels of diversity between cells that are nominally of the same subset. CD8+ T cells, also known as cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), are no exception. Investigations of individual CD8+ T cells both in vitro and in vivo have highlighted the heterogeneity of cellular responses at the levels of activation, differentiation and function. This review takes a broad perspective on the topic of heterogeneity, outlining different forms of variation that arise during a CD8+ T cell response. Specific attention is paid to the impact of T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation strength on heterogeneity. In particular, this review endeavors to highlight connections between variation at different cellular stages, presenting known mechanisms and key open questions about how variation between cells can arise and propagate.
Collapse
|
17
|
Huseby ES, Teixeiro E. The perception and response of T cells to a changing environment are based on the law of initial value. Sci Signal 2022; 15:eabj9842. [PMID: 35639856 PMCID: PMC9290192 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abj9842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
αβ T cells are critical components of the adaptive immune system and are capable of inducing sterilizing immunity after pathogen infection and eliminating transformed tumor cells. The development and function of T cells are controlled through the T cell antigen receptor, which recognizes peptides displayed on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Here, we review how T cells generate the ability to recognize self-peptide-bound MHC molecules and use signals derived from these interactions to instruct cellular development, activation thresholds, and functional specialization in the steady state and during immune responses. We argue that the basic tenants of T cell development and function follow Weber-Fetcher's law of just noticeable differences and Wilder's law of initial value. Together, these laws argue that the ability of a system to respond and the quality of that response are scalable to the basal state of that system. Manifestation of these laws in T cells generates clone-specific activation thresholds that are based on perceivable differences between homeostasis and pathogen encounter (self versus nonself discrimination), as well as poised states for subsequent differentiation into specific effector cell lineages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric S. Huseby
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Emma Teixeiro
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Amanda S, Tan TK, Ong JZL, Theardy MS, Wong RWJ, Huang XZ, Ali MZ, Li Y, Gong Z, Inagaki H, Foo EY, Pang B, Tan SY, Iida S, Sanda T. IRF4 drives clonal evolution and lineage choice in a zebrafish model of T-cell lymphoma. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2420. [PMID: 35504924 PMCID: PMC9065160 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30053-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
IRF4 is a master regulator of immunity and is also frequently overexpressed in mature lymphoid neoplasms. Here, we demonstrate the oncogenicity of IRF4 in vivo, its potential effects on T-cell development and clonal evolution using a zebrafish model. IRF4-transgenic zebrafish develop aggressive tumors with massive infiltration of abnormal lymphocytes that spread to distal organs. Many late-stage tumors are mono- or oligoclonal, and tumor cells can expand in recipient animals after transplantation, demonstrating their malignancy. Mutation of p53 accelerates tumor onset, increases penetrance, and results in tumor heterogeneity. Surprisingly, single-cell RNA-sequencing reveals that the majority of tumor cells are double-negative T-cells, many of which express tcr-γ that became dominant as the tumors progress, whereas double-positive T-cells are largely diminished. Gene expression and epigenetic profiling demonstrates that gata3, mycb, lrrn1, patl1 and psip1 are specifically activated in tumors, while genes responsible for T-cell differentiation including id3 are repressed. IRF4-driven tumors are sensitive to the BRD inhibitor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stella Amanda
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tze King Tan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jolynn Zu Lin Ong
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Regina Wan Ju Wong
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiao Zi Huang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Muhammad Zulfaqar Ali
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhiyuan Gong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hiroshi Inagaki
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, 467-8601, Japan
| | - Ee Yong Foo
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Brendan Pang
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Soo Yong Tan
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shinsuke Iida
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi, 467-8601, Japan
| | - Takaomi Sanda
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Latour S. Inherited immunodeficiencies associated with proximal and distal defects in T cell receptor signaling and co-signaling. Biomed J 2022; 45:321-333. [PMID: 35091087 PMCID: PMC9250091 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2022.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Latour
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Activation and Susceptibility to EBV infection, Inserm UMR 1163, Université de Paris, Institut Imagine, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Thapa P, Guyer RS, Yang AY, Parks CA, Brusko TM, Brusko M, Connors TJ, Farber DL. Infant T cells are developmentally adapted for robust lung immune responses through enhanced T cell receptor signaling. Sci Immunol 2021; 6:eabj0789. [PMID: 34890254 PMCID: PMC8765725 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abj0789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Infants require coordinated immune responses to prevent succumbing to multiple infectious challenges during early life, particularly in the respiratory tract. The mechanisms by which infant T cells are functionally adapted for these responses are not well understood. Here, we demonstrated using an in vivo mouse cotransfer model that infant T cells generated greater numbers of lung-homing effector cells in response to influenza infection compared with adult T cells in the same host, due to augmented T cell receptor (TCR)–mediated signaling. Mouse infant T cells showed increased sensitivity to low antigen doses, originating at the interface between T cells and antigen-bearing accessory cells—through actin-mediated mobilization of signaling molecules to the immune synapse. This enhanced signaling was also observed in human infant versus adult T cells. Our findings provide a mechanism for how infants control pathogen load and dissemination, which is important for designing developmentally targeted strategies for promoting immune responses at this vulnerable life stage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Puspa Thapa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York NY 10032
| | - Rebecca S. Guyer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York NY 10032
| | - Alexander Y. Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York NY 10032
| | - Christopher A. Parks
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - Todd M. Brusko
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Maigan Brusko
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Thomas J. Connors
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - Donna L. Farber
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York NY 10032
- Department of Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Krueger PD, Osum KC, Jenkins MK. CD4 + Memory T-Cell Formation during Type 1 Immune Responses. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2021; 13:a038141. [PMID: 33903156 PMCID: PMC8635001 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a038141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Naive CD4+ T cells become memory cells after proliferating in response to their cognate major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII)-bound peptide and passing through an effector cell stage. The process by which CD4+ memory T cells emerge from the effector cell pool, however, is less well understood than in the case of CD8+ T cells. During certain acute infections, naive CD4+ T cells proliferate and differentiate into various forms of type 1 (Th1) and follicular helper (Tfh) effector cells. We review the evidence that about 10% of the cells in each of these subsets survive to become memory cells that resemble their effector cell precursors. The roles that asymmetric cell division, the TCF-1 transcription factor, metabolic activity, reactive oxygen species, and the IL-7 receptor play in the effector to memory cell transition are discussed. We propose a speculative model in which the metabolic activity needed for rapid clonal expansion also generates toxic products that induce apoptosis in most effector cells. Memory cells then arise from the effector cells in each subset that are at the low end of the metabolic activity spectrum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Krueger
- Center for Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Kevin C Osum
- Center for Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Marc K Jenkins
- Center for Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Zhai X, Hong T, Zhang T, Xing B, Wang J, Wang X, Miao R, Li T, Wei L. Identification and antiviral effect of Cherry Valley duck IRF4. Poult Sci 2021; 101:101560. [PMID: 34823176 PMCID: PMC8628015 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101560] [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: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) is a multifunctional transcription factor that plays an important regulatory role in the interferon (IFN) signaling. IRF4 participates in the process of antivirus, Th cell differentiation and B cell maturation by regulating the expression of IFN and some lymphokines. In this study, Cherry Valley duck IRF4 (duIRF4) was cloned and its cDNA was analyzed. Expression of duIRF4 in a wide variety of tissues and changes in duIRF4 expression due to viral infection also was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The results show that duIRF4 contains 1,341 bp of ORF encoding a protein with 446 amino acids and contains 3 domains: DNA-binding domain (DBD), IRF-association domain (IAD) and nuclear localization signal (NLS). Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that duIRF4 was evenly expressed in all tissues examined, with the highest expression in the spleen, followed by the bursa of Fabricius, and lower in the skin and brain. In addition, expression of duIRF4 in the brain and spleen was significantly upregulated after being infected by duck plague virus, duck Tembusu virus, and novel duck reovirus. These data suggest that duIRF4 may be involved in innate immune response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zhai
- Sino-German Cooperative Research Centre for Zoonosis of Animal Origin of Shandong Province, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, 271018, Shandong Province, China
| | - Tianqi Hong
- Sino-German Cooperative Research Centre for Zoonosis of Animal Origin of Shandong Province, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, 271018, Shandong Province, China
| | - Tingting Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University, Tai'an City 271000, Shandong Province, China
| | - Bin Xing
- Sino-German Cooperative Research Centre for Zoonosis of Animal Origin of Shandong Province, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, 271018, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jinchao Wang
- Sino-German Cooperative Research Centre for Zoonosis of Animal Origin of Shandong Province, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, 271018, Shandong Province, China
| | - Xiuyuan Wang
- Sino-German Cooperative Research Centre for Zoonosis of Animal Origin of Shandong Province, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, 271018, Shandong Province, China
| | - Runchun Miao
- Sino-German Cooperative Research Centre for Zoonosis of Animal Origin of Shandong Province, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, 271018, Shandong Province, China
| | - Tianxu Li
- Sino-German Cooperative Research Centre for Zoonosis of Animal Origin of Shandong Province, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, 271018, Shandong Province, China
| | - Liangmeng Wei
- Sino-German Cooperative Research Centre for Zoonosis of Animal Origin of Shandong Province, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, 271018, Shandong Province, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University, Tai'an City 271000, Shandong Province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Staggered starts in the race to T cell activation. Trends Immunol 2021; 42:994-1008. [PMID: 34649777 PMCID: PMC7612485 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
How T lymphocytes tune their responses to different strengths of stimulation is a fundamental question in immunology. Recent work using new optogenetic, single-cell genomic, and live-imaging approaches has revealed that stimulation strength controls the rate of individual cell responses within a population. Moreover, these responses have been found to use shared molecular programs, regardless of stimulation strength. However, additional data indicate that stimulation duration or cytokine feedback can impact later gene expression phenotypes of activated cells. In-depth molecular studies have suggested mechanisms by which stimulation strength might modulate the probability of T cell activation. This emerging model allows activating T cells to achieve a wide range of population responses through probabilistic control within individual cells.
Collapse
|
24
|
Hierarchy of signaling thresholds downstream of the T cell receptor and the Tec kinase ITK. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2025825118. [PMID: 34452995 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025825118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The strength of peptide:MHC interactions with the T cell receptor (TCR) is correlated with the time to first cell division, the relative scale of the effector cell response, and the graded expression of activation-associated proteins like IRF4. To regulate T cell activation programming, the TCR and the TCR proximal interleukin-2-inducible T cell kinase (ITK) simultaneously trigger many biochemically separate signaling cascades. T cells lacking ITK exhibit selective impairments in effector T cell responses after activation, but under the strongest signaling conditions, ITK activity is dispensable. To gain insight into whether TCR signal strength and ITK activity tune observed graded gene expression through the unequal activation of distinct signaling pathways, we examined Erk1/2 phosphorylation or nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB translocation in naïve OT-I CD8+ cell nuclei. We observed the consistent digital activation of NFAT1 and Erk1/2, but NF-κB displayed dynamic, graded activation in response to variation in TCR signal strength, tunable by treatment with an ITK inhibitor. Inhibitor-treated cells showed the dampened induction of AP-1 factors Fos and Fosb, NF-κB response gene transcripts, and survival factor Il2 transcripts. ATAC sequencing analysis also revealed that genomic regions most sensitive to ITK inhibition were enriched for NF-κB and AP-1 motifs. Specific inhibition of NF-κB during peptide stimulation tuned the expression of early gene products like c-Fos. Together, these data indicate a key role for ITK in orchestrating the optimal activation of separate TCR downstream pathways, specifically aiding NF-κB activation. More broadly, we revealed a mechanism by which variations in TCR signal strength can produce patterns of graded gene expression in activated T cells.
Collapse
|
25
|
Pritzl CJ, Daniels MA, Teixeiro E. Interplay of Inflammatory, Antigen and Tissue-Derived Signals in the Development of Resident CD8 Memory T Cells. Front Immunol 2021; 12:636240. [PMID: 34234771 PMCID: PMC8255970 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.636240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
CD8 positive, tissue resident memory T cells (TRM) are a specialized subset of CD8 memory T cells that surveil tissues and provide critical first-line protection against tumors and pathogen re-infection. Recently, much effort has been dedicated to understanding the function, phenotype and development of TRM. A myriad of signals is involved in the development and maintenance of resident memory T cells in tissue. Much of the initial research focused on the roles tissue-derived signals play in the development of TRM, including TGFß and IL-33 which are critical for the upregulation of CD69 and CD103. However, more recent data suggest further roles for antigenic and pro-inflammatory cytokines. This review will focus on the interplay of pro-inflammatory, tissue and antigenic signals in the establishment of resident memory T cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emma Teixeiro
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Interferon regulatory factor 4 controls effector functions of CD8 + memory T cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2014553118. [PMID: 33859042 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2014553118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor IRF4 is required for CD8+ T cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation to effector cells and thus is essential for robust CD8+ T cell responses. The function of IRF4 in memory CD8+ T cells yet needs to be explored. To investigate the role of IRF4 for maintaining differentiation state and survival of CD8+ memory T cells, we used a mouse model with tamoxifen-inducible Irf4 knockout to preclude effects due to inefficient memory cell differentiation in absence of IRF4. We infected mice with ovalbumin-recombinant listeria and induced Irf4 knockout after clearance of the pathogen. Loss of IRF4 resulted in phenotypical changes of CD8+ memory T cells but did not cause a reduction of the total memory T cell population. However, upon reencounter of the pathogen, CD8+ memory T cells showed impaired expansion and acquisition of effector functions. When compared to CD8+ effector memory T cells, CD8+ tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM cells) expressed higher IRF4 levels. Mice with constitutive Irf4 knockout had diminished CD8+ TRM-cell populations, and tamoxifen-induced Irf4 deletion caused a reduction of this cell population. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that IRF4 is required for effective reactivation but not for general survival of CD8+ memory T cells. Formation and maintenance of CD8+ TRM cells, in contrast, appear to depend on IRF4.
Collapse
|
27
|
Pipkin ME. Runx proteins and transcriptional mechanisms that govern memory CD8 T cell development. Immunol Rev 2021; 300:100-124. [PMID: 33682165 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive immunity to intracellular pathogens and tumors is mediated by antigen-experienced CD8 T cells. Individual naive CD8 T cells have the potential to differentiate into a diverse array of antigen-experienced subsets that exhibit distinct effector functions, life spans, anatomic positioning, and potential for regenerating an entirely new immune response during iterative pathogenic exposures. The developmental process by which activated naive cells undergo diversification involves regulation of chromatin structure and transcription but is not entirely understood. This review examines how alterations in chromatin structure, transcription factor binding, extracellular signals, and single-cell gene expression explain the differential development of distinct effector (TEFF ) and memory (TMEM ) CD8 T cell subsets. Special emphasis is placed on how Runx proteins function with additional transcription factors to pioneer changes in chromatin accessibility and drive transcriptional programs that establish the core attributes of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, subdivide circulating and non-circulating TMEM cell subsets, and govern terminal differentiation. The discussion integrates the roles of specific cytokine signals, transcriptional circuits and how regulation of individual nucleosomes and RNA polymerase II activity can contribute to the process of differentiation. A model that integrates many of these features is discussed to conceptualize how activated CD8 T cells arrive at their fates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Pipkin
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute - FL, Jupiter, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Emerson DA, Rolig AS, Redmond WL. Enhancing the Generation of Eomes hi CD8 + T Cells Augments the Efficacy of OX40- and CTLA-4-Targeted Immunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Res 2021; 9:430-440. [PMID: 33593794 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-20-0338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
CTLA-4 blockade in combination with an agonist OX40-specific monoclonal antibody synergizes to augment antitumor immunity through enhanced T-cell effector function, leading to increased survival in preclinical cancer models. We have shown previously that anti-OX40/anti-CTLA-4 combination therapy synergistically enhances the expression of Eomesodermin (Eomes) in CD8+ T cells. Eomes is a critical transcription factor for the differentiation and memory function of CD8+ T cells. We hypothesized that EomeshiCD8+ T cells were necessary for anti-OX40/anti-CTLA-4 immunotherapy efficacy and that further enhancement of this population would improve tumor-free survival. Indeed, CD8+ T cell-specific deletion of Eomes abrogated the efficacy of anti-OX40/anti-CTLA-4 therapy. We also found that anti-OX40/anti-CTLA-4-induced EomeshiCD8+ T cells expressed lower levels of checkpoint receptors (PD1, Tim-3, and Lag-3) and higher levels of effector cytokines (IFNγ and TNFα) than their Eomeslo counterparts. Eomes expression is negatively regulated in T cells through interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) signaling. We investigated the impact of modulating ITK signaling with ibrutinib, an FDA-approved tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and found that anti-OX40/anti-CTLA-4/ibrutinib therapy further enhanced CD8+ T cell-specific Eomes expression, leading to enhanced tumor regression and improved survival, both of which were associated with increased T-cell effector function across multiple tumor models. Taken together, these data demonstrate the potential of anti-OX40/anti-CTLA-4/ibrutinib as a triple therapy to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dana A Emerson
- Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology Department, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon.,Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, Oregon
| | - Annah S Rolig
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, Oregon
| | - William L Redmond
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, Oregon.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Clark M, Kroger CJ, Ke Q, Tisch RM. The Role of T Cell Receptor Signaling in the Development of Type 1 Diabetes. Front Immunol 2021; 11:615371. [PMID: 33603744 PMCID: PMC7884625 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.615371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell receptor (TCR) signaling influences multiple aspects of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell immunobiology including thymic development, peripheral homeostasis, effector subset differentiation/function, and memory formation. Additional T cell signaling cues triggered by co-stimulatory molecules and cytokines also affect TCR signaling duration, as well as accessory pathways that further shape a T cell response. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a T cell-driven autoimmune disease targeting the insulin producing β cells in the pancreas. Evidence indicates that dysregulated TCR signaling events in T1D impact the efficacy of central and peripheral tolerance-inducing mechanisms. In this review, we will discuss how the strength and nature of TCR signaling events influence the development of self-reactive T cells and drive the progression of T1D through effects on T cell gene expression, lineage commitment, and maintenance of pathogenic anti-self T cell effector function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Clark
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Charles J Kroger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Qi Ke
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Roland M Tisch
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Vaughn N, Haviland DL. Acly promotes metabolic reprogramming and induction of IRF4 during early CD8 + T cell activation. Cytometry A 2020; 99:825-831. [PMID: 33325591 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.24294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
CD8+ T cells, a fundamental part of the adaptive immune system, employ cytotoxic responses important for targeting pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and tumor cells. During early activation, CD8+ T cells undergo many changes in metabolism and gene expression. The bridge between epigenetic and metabolic influences on gene expression and cell fate has yet to be fully understood. Here, we investigated the importance of ATP citrate lyase (Acly), an enzyme involved in both metabolism and histone acetylation, for early stages of CD8+ T cell activation. We performed polyclonal activation of murine CD8+ T cells in vitro in the presence or absence of the Acly inhibitor BMS303141. We found that inhibiting Acly during early activation results in decreased expression of early activation markers. Consistent with impaired early activation, we found that inhibition also resulted in increased uptake of fatty acids and decreased glucose uptake without changing mitochondrial ATP levels. On an epigenetic and transcriptional level, early stage Acly inhibition specifically downregulated promoter histone H3 acetylation (H3ac) and expression of the key transcription factor IRF4; however, global levels of H3ac remained similar. Most importantly, the study was able to highlight the importance of Acly in early stages of CD8+ T cell activation and histone regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Vaughn
- Flow Cytometry Core, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - David L Haviland
- Flow Cytometry Core, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Kim S, Bagadia P, Anderson DA, Liu TT, Huang X, Theisen DJ, O'Connor KW, Ohara RA, Iwata A, Murphy TL, Murphy KM. High Amount of Transcription Factor IRF8 Engages AP1-IRF Composite Elements in Enhancers to Direct Type 1 Conventional Dendritic Cell Identity. Immunity 2020; 53:759-774.e9. [PMID: 32795402 PMCID: PMC8193644 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2020.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Development and function of conventional dendritic cell (cDC) subsets, cDC1 and cDC2, depend on transcription factors (TFs) IRF8 and IRF4, respectively. Since IRF8 and IRF4 can each interact with TF BATF3 at AP1-IRF composite elements (AICEs) and with TF PU.1 at Ets-IRF composite elements (EICEs), it is unclear how these factors exert divergent actions. Here, we determined the basis for distinct effects of IRF8 and IRF4 in cDC development. Genes expressed commonly by cDC1 and cDC2 used EICE-dependent enhancers that were redundantly activated by low amounts of either IRF4 or IRF8. By contrast, cDC1-specific genes relied on AICE-dependent enhancers, which required high IRF concentrations, but were activated by either IRF4 or IRF8. IRF8 was specifically required only by a minority of cDC1-specific genes, such as Xcr1, which could distinguish between IRF8 and IRF4 DNA-binding domains. Thus, these results explain how BATF3-dependent Irf8 autoactivation underlies emergence of the cDC1-specific transcriptional program.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunkyung Kim
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Prachi Bagadia
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - David A Anderson
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Tian-Tian Liu
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xiao Huang
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Derek J Theisen
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kevin W O'Connor
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ray A Ohara
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Arifumi Iwata
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Theresa L Murphy
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kenneth M Murphy
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Zou D, Fu J, Guo Z, Chen W. Interferon regulatory factor 4 deficiency in CD8 + T cells abrogates terminal effector differentiation and promotes transplant acceptance. Immunology 2020; 161:364-379. [PMID: 32892353 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Allogeneic CD8+ cytotoxic T cells play an essential role in rejecting transplanted allografts, but how their effector function is regulated on a transcriptional level remains unclear. Herein, we investigate the role of interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) in controlling CD8+ T-cell function in response to transplant. B6.Rag1-/- mice were adoptively transferred with CD8+ T cells isolated from either Irf4fl/fl Cd4-Cre (T-cell-specific Irf4-deficient) or Irf4fl/fl control mice, followed by BALB/c skin transplantation. Recipients that received Irf4-deficient CD8+ T cells permanently accepted the skin allografts, whereas recipients that received control CD8+ T cells acutely rejected the transplanted skins. Mechanistically, compared with the transferred control CD8+ T cells in B6.Rag1-/- recipients, the transferred Irf4-deficient CD8+ T cells lost the capacity to differentiate into CD127- KLRG1+ terminal effector cells, barely produced effector cytokines and cytotoxic molecules (e.g. IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α, granzyme A and granzyme B), and displayed defect in proliferative capacity, evident by their decreased Ki67 expression and lower frequencies. Moreover, the transferred Irf4-deficient CD8+ T cells displayed low expression of transcription factors ID2 and T-bet that govern the terminal effector T-cell programmes, and high expression of transcription factor TCF1 that maintains the naïve-memory T-cell programmes. Hence, IRF4 deficiency in CD8+ T cells abrogates their terminal effector differentiation and promotes transplant acceptance. These findings suggest that targeting IRF4 expression represents an attractive and promising therapeutic approach for inducing transplant acceptance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Zou
- Organ Transplant Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Immunobiology & Transplant Science Center, Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Institute for Academic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jinfei Fu
- Immunobiology & Transplant Science Center, Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Institute for Academic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhiyong Guo
- Organ Transplant Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenhao Chen
- Immunobiology & Transplant Science Center, Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Institute for Academic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Marinaik CB, Kingstad-Bakke B, Lee W, Hatta M, Sonsalla M, Larsen A, Neldner B, Gasper DJ, Kedl RM, Kawaoka Y, Suresh M. Programming Multifaceted Pulmonary T Cell Immunity by Combination Adjuvants. CELL REPORTS MEDICINE 2020; 1:100095. [PMID: 32984856 PMCID: PMC7508055 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2020.100095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Induction of protective mucosal T cell memory remains a formidable challenge to vaccinologists. Using a combination adjuvant strategy that elicits potent CD8 and CD4 T cell responses, we define the tenets of vaccine-induced pulmonary T cell immunity. An acrylic-acid-based adjuvant (ADJ), in combination with Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant (GLA) or CpG, promotes mucosal imprinting but engages distinct transcription programs to drive different degrees of terminal differentiation and disparate polarization of TH1/TC1/TH17/TC17 effector/memory T cells. Combination of ADJ with GLA, but not CpG, dampens T cell receptor (TCR) signaling, mitigates terminal differentiation of effectors, and enhances the development of CD4 and CD8 TRM cells that protect against H1N1 and H5N1 influenza viruses. Mechanistically, vaccine-elicited CD4 T cells play a vital role in optimal programming of CD8 TRM and viral control. Taken together, these findings provide further insights into vaccine-induced multifaceted mucosal T cell immunity with implications in the development of vaccines against respiratorypathogens, including influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2. Combination adjuvants stimulate potent TRM cell immunity in the respiratory tract Differentiation and functional programming depend on adjuvant and TCR signaling Vaccine-induced T cell immunity to influenza requires CD4 and CD8 T cells CD4 T cells regulate optimal positioning and programming of CD8 TRM in lungs
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chandranaik B Marinaik
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brock Kingstad-Bakke
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Woojong Lee
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Masato Hatta
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Michelle Sonsalla
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Autumn Larsen
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brandon Neldner
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - David J Gasper
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ross M Kedl
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - M Suresh
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Solouki S, Huang W, Elmore J, Limper C, Huang F, August A. TCR Signal Strength and Antigen Affinity Regulate CD8 + Memory T Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 205:1217-1227. [PMID: 32759295 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1901167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
CD8+ T cells play a critical role in adaptive immunity, differentiating into CD8+ memory T cells that form the basis of protective cellular immunity. Vaccine efficacy is attributed to long-term protective immunity, and understanding the parameters that regulate development of CD8+ T cells is critical to the design of T cell-mediated vaccines. We show in this study using mouse models that two distinct parameters, TCR signal strength (regulated by the tyrosine kinase ITK) and Ag affinity, play important but separate roles in modulating the development of memory CD8+ T cells. Unexpectedly, our data reveal that reducing TCR signal strength along with reducing Ag affinity for the TCR leads to enhanced and accelerated development of CD8+ memory T cells. Additionally, TCR signal strength is able to regulate CD8+ T cell effector cytokine R production independent of TCR Ag affinity. Analysis of RNA-sequencing data reveals that genes for inflammatory cytokines/cytokine receptors are significantly altered upon changes in Ag affinity and TCR signal strength. Furthermore, our findings show that the inflammatory milieu is critical in regulating this TCR signal strength-mediated increase in memory development, as both CpG oligonucleotide treatment or cotransfer of wild-type and Itk-/- T cells eliminates the observed increase in memory cell formation. These findings suggest that TCR signal strength and Ag affinity independently contribute to CD8+ memory T cell development, which is modulated by inflammation, and suggest that manipulating TCR signal strength along with Ag affinity, may be used to tune the development of CD8+ memory T cells during vaccine development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Solouki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; and
| | - Weishan Huang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; and.,Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
| | - Jessica Elmore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; and
| | - Candice Limper
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; and
| | - Fei Huang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; and
| | - Avery August
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; and
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Assessment of TCR signal strength of antigen-specific memory CD8 + T cells in human blood. Blood Adv 2020; 3:2153-2163. [PMID: 31320320 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2019000292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Assessment of the quality and the breadth of antigen (Ag)-specific memory T cells in human samples is of paramount importance to elucidate the pathogenesis and to develop new treatments in various diseases. T-cell receptor (TCR) signal strength, primarily controlled by TCR affinity, affects many fundamental aspects of T-cell biology; however, no current assays for detection of Ag-specific CD8+ T cells can assess their TCR signal strength in human samples. Here, we provide evidence that interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4), a transcription factor rapidly upregulated in correlation with TCR signal strength, permits the assessment of the TCR signal strength of Ag-specific CD8+ T cells in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Coexpression of IRF4 and CD137 sensitively detected peptide-specific CD8+ T cells with extremely low background in PBMCs stimulated for 18 hours with MHC class I peptides. Our assay revealed that human memory CD8+ T cells with high-affinity TCRs have an intrinsic ability to highly express CD25. Furthermore, HIV-specific CD8+ T cells in chronic HIV+ subjects were found to display primarily low-affinity TCRs with low CD25 expression capacity. Impairment in the functions of HIV-specific CD8+ T cells might be associated with their suboptimal TCR signals, as well as impaired responsiveness to interleukin-2.
Collapse
|
36
|
Conley JM, Gallagher MP, Rao A, Berg LJ. Activation of the Tec Kinase ITK Controls Graded IRF4 Expression in Response to Variations in TCR Signal Strength. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 205:335-345. [PMID: 32493815 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
TCR signal strength is critical for CD8+ T cell clonal expansion after Ag stimulation. Levels of the transcription factor IRF4 control the magnitude of this process through the induction of genes involved in proliferation and glycolytic metabolism. The signaling mechanism connecting graded TCR signaling to the generation of varying amounts of IRF4 is not well understood. In this study, we show that Ag potency regulates the kinetics but not the magnitude of NFAT1 activation in single mouse CD8+ T cells. Consequently, T cells that transduce weaker TCR signals exhibit a marked delay in Irf4 mRNA induction, resulting in decreased overall IRF4 expression in individual cells and increased heterogeneity within the clonal population. We further show that the activity of the tyrosine kinase ITK acts as a signaling catalyst that accelerates the rate of the cellular response to TCR stimulation, controlling the time to onset of Irf4 gene transcription. These findings provide insight into the function of ITK in TCR signal transduction that ultimately regulates IRF4 expression levels in response to variations in TCR signal strength.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James M Conley
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Michael P Gallagher
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Anjana Rao
- Division of Signaling and Gene Expression, La Jolla Institute, San Diego, CA 92037; and.,Department of Pharmacology and Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Leslie J Berg
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045; .,Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Cook SL, Franke MC, Sievert EP, Sciammas R. A Synchronous IRF4-Dependent Gene Regulatory Network in B and Helper T Cells Orchestrating the Antibody Response. Trends Immunol 2020; 41:614-628. [PMID: 32467029 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Control of diverse pathogens requires an adaptive antibody response, dependent on cellular division of labor to allocate antigen-dependent B- and CD4+ T-cell fates that collaborate to control the quantity and quality of antibody. This is orchestrated by the dynamic action of key transcriptional regulators mediating gene expression programs in response to pathogen-specific environmental inputs. We describe a conserved, likely ancient, gene regulatory network that intriguingly operates contemporaneously in B and CD4+ T cells to control their cell fate dynamics and thus, the character of the antibody response. The remarkable output of this network derives from graded expression, designated by antigen receptor signal strength, of a pivotal transcription factor that regulates alternate cell fate choices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Cook
- Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Marissa C Franke
- Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Evelyn P Sievert
- Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Roger Sciammas
- Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Systemic but not MDSC-specific IRF4 deficiency promotes an immunosuppressed tumor microenvironment in a murine pancreatic cancer model. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 69:2101-2112. [PMID: 32448983 PMCID: PMC7511276 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02605-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is characterized by a strong immunosuppressive network with a dense infiltration of myeloid cells including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). Two distinct populations of MDSC have been defined: polymorphonuclear MDSC (PMN-MDSC) and monocytic MDSC (M-MDSC). Several factors influence the development and function of MDSC including the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4). Here, we show that IRF4 deficiency accelerates tumor growth and reduces survival, accompanied with a dense tumor infiltration with PMN-MDSC and reduced numbers of CD8+ T cells. As IRF4 has been described to modulate myeloid cell development and function, particularly of PMN-MDSC, we analyzed its role using MDSC-specific IRF4 knockout mice with the Ly6G or LysM knock-in allele expressing Cre recombinase and Irf4flox. In GM-CSF-driven bone marrow cultures, IRF4 deficiency increased the frequency of MDSC-like cells with a strong T cell suppressive capacity. Myeloid (LysM)-specific depletion of IRF4 led to increased tumor weight and a moderate splenic M-MDSC expansion in tumor-bearing mice. PMN cell (Ly6G)-specific depletion of IRF4, however, did not influence tumor progression or MDSC accumulation in vivo in accordance with our finding that IRF4 is not expressed in PMN-MDSC. This study demonstrates a critical role of IRF4 in the generation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer, which is independent of IRF4 expression in PMN-MDSC.
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of the vertebrate adaptive immune system is the prolific expansion of individual cell clones that encounter their cognate antigen. More recently, however, there is growing evidence for the clonal expansion of innate lymphocytes, particularly in the context of pathogen challenge. Clonal expansion not only serves to amplify the number of specific lymphocytes to mount a robust protective response to the pathogen at hand but also results in selection and differentiation of the responding lymphocytes to generate a multitude of cell fates. Here, we summarize the evidence for clonal expansion in innate lymphocytes, which has primarily been observed in natural killer (NK) cells responding to cytomegalovirus infection, and consider the requirements for such a response in NK cells in light of those for T cells. Furthermore, we discuss multiple aspects of heterogeneity that both contribute to and result from the fundamental immunological process of clonal expansion, highlighting the parallels between innate and adaptive lymphocytes, with a particular focus on NK cells and CD8+ T cells.
Collapse
|
40
|
Li KP, Ladle BH, Kurtulus S, Sholl A, Shanmuganad S, Hildeman DA. T-cell receptor signal strength and epigenetic control of Bim predict memory CD8 + T-cell fate. Cell Death Differ 2020; 27:1214-1224. [PMID: 31558776 PMCID: PMC7206134 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-019-0410-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Most effector CD8+ T cells die, while some persist and become either "effector" (TEM) or "central" (TCM) memory T cells. Paradoxically, effector CD8+ T cells with greater memory potential have higher levels of the pro-apoptotic molecule Bim. Here, we report, using a novel Bim-mCherry knock-in mouse, that cells with high levels of Bim preferentially develop into TCM cells. Bim levels remained stable and were regulated by DNA methylation at the Bim promoter. Notably, high levels of Bcl-2 were required for Bimhi cells to survive. Using Nur77-GFP mice as an indicator of TCR signal strength, Nur77 levels correlated with Bim expression and Nur77hi cells also selectively developed into TCM cells. Altogether, these data show that Bim levels and TCR signal strength are predictive of TEM- vs. TCM-cell fate. Further, given the many other biologic functions of Bim, these mice will have broad utility beyond CD8+ T-cell fate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Po Li
- Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Brian H Ladle
- Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1800 Orleans Street, The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center Building, 11th Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Sema Kurtulus
- Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Allyson Sholl
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Sharmila Shanmuganad
- Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - David A Hildeman
- Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Im SJ, Ha SJ. Re-defining T-Cell Exhaustion: Subset, Function, and Regulation. Immune Netw 2020; 20:e2. [PMID: 32158590 PMCID: PMC7049579 DOI: 10.4110/in.2020.20.e2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute viral infection or vaccination generates highly functional memory CD8 T cells following the Ag resolution. In contrast, persistent antigenic stimulation in chronic viral infection and cancer leads to a state of T-cell dysfunction termed T-cell exhaustion. We and other have recently identified a novel subset of exhausted CD8 T cells that act as stem cells for maintaining virus-specific CD8 T cells in a mouse model of chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection. This stem cell-like CD8 T-cell subset has been also observed in both mouse and human tumor models. Most importantly, in both chronic viral infection and tumor models, the proliferative burst of Ag-specific CD8 T cells driven by PD-1-directed immunotherapy comes exclusively from this stem cell-like CD8 T-cell subset. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms how CD8 T-cell subsets are regulated during chronic viral infection and cancer is required to improve the current immunotherapies that restore the function of exhausted CD8 T cells. In this review, we discuss the differentiation of virus-specific CD8 T cells during chronic viral infection, the characteristics and function of CD8 T-cell subsets, and the therapeutic intervention of PD-1-directed immunotherapy in cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Se Jin Im
- Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30033, USA.,Department of Immunology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon 16419, Korea
| | - Sang-Jun Ha
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science & Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Cho HS, Ha S, Shin HM, Reboldi A, Hall JA, Huh JR, Usherwood EJ, Berg LJ. CD8 + T Cells Require ITK-Mediated TCR Signaling for Migration to the Intestine. Immunohorizons 2020; 4:57-71. [PMID: 32034085 PMCID: PMC7521019 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.1900093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Tec kinase IL-2–inducible T cell kinase (ITK) regulates the expression of TCR-induced genes. Itk−/− T cell responses are impaired but not absent. ITK inhibition prevented colitis disease progression and impaired T cell migration to the colon in mice. To examine the function of ITK in T cell migration to the intestine, we examined the number of gut T cells in Itk−/− mice and then evaluated their expression of gut-homing receptors. Combined with in vitro murine T cell stimulation and in vivo migration assay using congenic B6 mice, we demonstrated an essential role for ITK in T cell migration to the intestine in mice. Reconstitution of Itk−/− mouse CD8+ T cells with IFN regulatory factor 4 restored gut-homing properties, providing mechanistic insight into the function of ITK-mediated signaling in CD8+ T cell migration to the intestinal mucosa in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyoung-Soo Cho
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Soyoung Ha
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Hyun Mu Shin
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Andrea Reboldi
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Jason A Hall
- The Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine of the Skirball Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016; and
| | - Jun R Huh
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Edward J Usherwood
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 03756
| | - Leslie J Berg
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605;
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Lee J, Zhang J, Chung YJ, Kim JH, Kook CM, González-Navajas JM, Herdman DS, Nürnberg B, Insel PA, Corr M, Mo JH, Tao A, Yasuda K, Rifkin IR, Broide DH, Sciammas R, Webster NJG, Raz E. Inhibition of IRF4 in dendritic cells by PRR-independent and -dependent signals inhibit Th2 and promote Th17 responses. eLife 2020; 9:e49416. [PMID: 32014112 PMCID: PMC7000221 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic AMP (cAMP) is involved in many biological processes but little is known regarding its role in shaping immunity. Here we show that cAMP-PKA-CREB signaling (a pattern recognition receptor [PRR]-independent mechanism) regulates conventional type-2 Dendritic Cells (cDC2s) in mice and reprograms their Th17-inducing properties via repression of IRF4 and KLF4, transcription factors essential for cDC2-mediated Th2 induction. In mice, genetic loss of IRF4 phenocopies the effects of cAMP on Th17 induction and restoration of IRF4 prevents the cAMP effect. Moreover, curdlan, a PRR-dependent microbial product, activates CREB and represses IRF4 and KLF4, resulting in a pro-Th17 phenotype of cDC2s. These in vitro and in vivo results define a novel signaling pathway by which cDC2s display plasticity and provide a new molecular basis for the classification of novel cDC2 and cDC17 subsets. The findings also reveal that repressing IRF4 and KLF4 pathway can be harnessed for immuno-regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jihyung Lee
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Junyan Zhang
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (GMU), The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy & Clinical ImmunologyGuangzhouChina
- Center for Immunology, Inflammation and Immune-mediated disease, GMUGuangzhouChina
| | - Young-Jun Chung
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck SurgeryDankook University College of MedicineChungnamRepublic of Korea
| | - Jun Hwan Kim
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Chae Min Kook
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - José M González-Navajas
- Center for Immunology, Inflammation and Immune-mediated disease, GMUGuangzhouChina
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL - FISABIO)AlicanteSpain
- Networked Biomedical Research Center for Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBERehd)Institute of Health Carlos IIIMadridSpain
| | - David S Herdman
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Bernd Nürnberg
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental TherapyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Paul A Insel
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Maripat Corr
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Ji-Hun Mo
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck SurgeryDankook University College of MedicineChungnamRepublic of Korea
| | - Ailin Tao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (GMU), The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy & Clinical ImmunologyGuangzhouChina
- Center for Immunology, Inflammation and Immune-mediated disease, GMUGuangzhouChina
| | - Kei Yasuda
- Boston University School of MedicineBostonUnited States
| | - Ian R Rifkin
- Boston University School of MedicineBostonUnited States
- VA Boston Healthcare SystemBostonUnited States
| | - David H Broide
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Roger Sciammas
- Center for Comparative MedicineUniversity of California, DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Nicholas JG Webster
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
- VA San Diego Healthcare SystemSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Eyal Raz
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
- Center for Immunology, Inflammation and Immune-mediated disease, GMUGuangzhouChina
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Odagiu L, May J, Boulet S, Baldwin TA, Labrecque N. Role of the Orphan Nuclear Receptor NR4A Family in T-Cell Biology. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:624122. [PMID: 33597928 PMCID: PMC7883379 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.624122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The nuclear orphan receptors NR4A1, NR4A2, and NR4A3 are immediate early genes that are induced by various signals. They act as transcription factors and their activity is not regulated by ligand binding and are thus regulated via their expression levels. Their expression is transiently induced in T cells by triggering of the T cell receptor following antigen recognition during both thymic differentiation and peripheral T cell responses. In this review, we will discuss how NR4A family members impact different aspects of the life of a T cell from thymic differentiation to peripheral response against infections and cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Livia Odagiu
- Laboratory of Immunology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Julia May
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Salix Boulet
- Laboratory of Immunology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Troy A. Baldwin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Troy A. Baldwin, ; Nathalie Labrecque,
| | - Nathalie Labrecque
- Laboratory of Immunology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Troy A. Baldwin, ; Nathalie Labrecque,
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Courtney AH, Shvets AA, Lu W, Griffante G, Mollenauer M, Horkova V, Lo WL, Yu S, Stepanek O, Chakraborty AK, Weiss A. CD45 functions as a signaling gatekeeper in T cells. Sci Signal 2019; 12:12/604/eaaw8151. [PMID: 31641081 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aaw8151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
T cells require the protein tyrosine phosphatase CD45 to detect and respond to antigen because it activates the Src family kinase Lck, which phosphorylates the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) complex. CD45 activates Lck by opposing the negative regulatory kinase Csk. Paradoxically, CD45 has also been implicated in suppressing TCR signaling by dephosphorylating the same signaling motifs within the TCR complex upon which Lck acts. We sought to reconcile these observations using chemical and genetic perturbations of the Csk/CD45 regulatory axis incorporated with computational analyses. Specifically, we titrated the activities of Csk and CD45 and assessed their influence on Lck activation, TCR-associated ζ-chain phosphorylation, and more downstream signaling events. Acute inhibition of Csk revealed that CD45 suppressed ζ-chain phosphorylation and was necessary for a regulatable pool of active Lck, thereby interconnecting the activating and suppressive roles of CD45 that tune antigen discrimination. CD45 suppressed signaling events that were antigen independent or induced by low-affinity antigen but not those initiated by high-affinity antigen. Together, our findings reveal that CD45 acts as a signaling "gatekeeper," enabling graded signaling outputs while filtering weak or spurious signaling events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam H Courtney
- Rosalind Russell and Ephraim P. Engleman Arthritis Research Center, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Alexey A Shvets
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Wen Lu
- Rosalind Russell and Ephraim P. Engleman Arthritis Research Center, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Gloria Griffante
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Veronika Horkova
- Laboratory of Adaptive Immunity, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Wan-Lin Lo
- Rosalind Russell and Ephraim P. Engleman Arthritis Research Center, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Steven Yu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ondrej Stepanek
- Laboratory of Adaptive Immunity, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Arup K Chakraborty
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Arthur Weiss
- Rosalind Russell and Ephraim P. Engleman Arthritis Research Center, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Andreotti AH, Joseph RE, Conley JM, Iwasa J, Berg LJ. Multidomain Control Over TEC Kinase Activation State Tunes the T Cell Response. Annu Rev Immunol 2019; 36:549-578. [PMID: 29677469 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-042617-053344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Signaling through the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) activates a series of tyrosine kinases. Directly associated with the TCR, the SRC family kinase LCK and the SYK family kinase ZAP-70 are essential for all downstream responses to TCR stimulation. In contrast, the TEC family kinase ITK is not an obligate component of the TCR cascade. Instead, ITK functions as a tuning dial, to translate variations in TCR signal strength into differential programs of gene expression. Recent insights into TEC kinase structure have provided a view into the molecular mechanisms that generate different states of kinase activation. In resting lymphocytes, TEC kinases are autoinhibited, and multiple interactions between the regulatory and kinase domains maintain low activity. Following TCR stimulation, newly generated signaling modules compete with the autoinhibited core and shift the conformational ensemble to the fully active kinase. This multidomain control over kinase activation state provides a structural mechanism to account for ITK's ability to tune the TCR signal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy H Andreotti
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA; ,
| | - Raji E Joseph
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA; ,
| | - James M Conley
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655, USA; ,
| | - Janet Iwasa
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA;
| | - Leslie J Berg
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655, USA; ,
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Hope JL, Stairiker CJ, Bae EA, Otero DC, Bradley LM. Striking a Balance-Cellular and Molecular Drivers of Memory T Cell Development and Responses to Chronic Stimulation. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1595. [PMID: 31379821 PMCID: PMC6650570 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective adaptive immune responses are characterized by stages of development and maturation of T and B cell populations that respond to disturbances in the host homeostasis in cases of both infections and cancer. For the T cell compartment, this begins with recognition of specific peptides by naïve, antigen-inexperienced T cells that results in their activation, proliferation, and differentiation, which generates an effector population that clears the antigen. Loss of stimulation eventually returns the host to a homeostatic state, with a heterogeneous memory T cell population that persists in the absence of antigen and is primed for rapid responses to a repeat antigen exposure. However, in chronic infections and cancers, continued antigen persistence impedes a successful adaptive immune response and the formation of a stereotypical memory population of T cells is compromised. With repeated antigen stimulation, responding T cells proceed down an altered path of differentiation that allows for antigen persistence, but much less is known regarding the heterogeneity of these cells and the extent to which they can become “memory-like,” with a capacity for self-renewal and recall responses that are characteristic of bona fide memory cells. This review focuses on the differentiation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the context of chronic antigen stimulation, highlighting the central observations in both human and mouse studies regarding the differentiation of memory or “memory-like” T cells. The importance of both the cellular and molecular drivers of memory T cell development are emphasized to better understand the consequences of persisting antigen on T cell fates. Integrating what is known and is common across model systems and patients can instruct future studies aimed at further understanding T cell differentiation and development, with the goal of developing novel methods to direct T cells toward the generation of effective memory populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Hope
- Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Immunology Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Christopher J Stairiker
- Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Immunology Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Eun-Ah Bae
- Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Immunology Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Dennis C Otero
- Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Immunology Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Linda M Bradley
- Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Immunology Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Transcription Factor IRF4 Dysfunction Affects the Immunosuppressive Function of Treg Cells in Patients with Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:1050285. [PMID: 31380412 PMCID: PMC6652070 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1050285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Background Th17/Treg balance skews towards Th17 in ITP patient. IRF4 has been highlighted for its close relationship to the immunosuppressive function of Treg cells and the IL-17 synthesis in CD4+ T cells. This study was aimed at examining the effects of IRF4 to the Th17/Treg cells in patients with ITP. Methods Treg and Teff cells were isolated from PBMCs of newly diagnosed ITP patients. The percentages of CD4+CD25hiFoxp3+Treg cells and the CD3+CD4+IL-17+Th17 cells were detected by flow cytometry. After being cultured, the supernatants of Tregs were collected for IL-10 concentration test. The IRF4 levels of Tregs were measured. Teffs were cultured alone or with Tregs for 24 hours. Then the supernatants were collected for IL-17 concentration test. The binding intensity of IRF4 to the gene IL-10 in Treg cells was detected by ChIP-qPCR. Metabolic assays for Teffs and Tregs were performed with Agilent Seahorse XF96 Analyzer. Results The secretion of IL-10 by Tregs was decreased in ITP patients. The intensity of IRF4 binding to IL-10 DNA of Tregs in patients was higher than that of normal controls and Teffs in ITP patients. The expressions of IRF4 of Tregs in ITP patients were remarkably lower than that of healthy controls. The percentage of Th17 cells in healthy controls was significantly increased after IRF4 mRNA silencing. Abnormal metabolism of Treg and Teff cells was found in ITP patients. Conclusion The skewed ratio of Th17/Treg cells and dysfunction of Treg cells in newly diagnosed ITP patients was at least partly caused by IRF4 dysfunction. The underlying mechanism might be the impact of IRF4 on the metabolism of Treg and Teff cells.
Collapse
|
49
|
Wu SW, Li L, Wang Y, Xiao Z. CTL-Derived Exosomes Enhance the Activation of CTLs Stimulated by Low-Affinity Peptides. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1274. [PMID: 31275303 PMCID: PMC6593274 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) bind to peptides presented by MHC I (pMHC) through T cell receptors of various affinities. Low-affinity CTLs are important for the control of intracellular pathogens and cancers; however, the mechanisms by which these lower affinity CTLs are activated and maintained are not well understood. We recently discovered that fully activated CTLs stimulated by strong-affinity peptides in the presence of IL-12 are able to secrete exosomes that, in turn, stimulate bystander CTLs without requiring the presence of antigen. We hypothesized that exosomes secreted by high-affinity CTLs could strengthen the activation of low-affinity CTLs. Naive OT-I CD8+ cells were stimulated with altered N4 peptides of different affinities in the presence or absence of Exo. The presence of Exo preferentially increased cell proliferation and enhanced the production of IFNγ in CTLs stimulated by low-affinity peptides. The expression of granzyme B (GZB) was augmented in all affinities, with higher GZB production in low-affinity stimulated CTLs than in high-affinity stimulated ones. Exosomes promoted the rapid activation of low-affinity CTLs, which remained responsive to exosomes for a prolonged duration. Unexpectedly, exosomes could be induced quickly (24 h) following CTL activation and at a higher quantity per cell than later (72 h). While exosome protein profiles vary significantly between early exosomes and their later-derived counterparts, both appear to have similar downstream functions. These results reveal a potential mechanism for fully activated CTLs in activating lower-affinity CTLs that may have important implications in boosting the function of low-affinity CTLs in immunotherapy for cancers and chronic viral infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Wei Wu
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Zhengguo Xiao
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Chen Y, Zander R, Khatun A, Schauder DM, Cui W. Transcriptional and Epigenetic Regulation of Effector and Memory CD8 T Cell Differentiation. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2826. [PMID: 30581433 PMCID: PMC6292868 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune protection and lasting memory are accomplished through the generation of phenotypically and functionally distinct CD8 T cell subsets. Understanding how these effector and memory T cells are formed is the first step in eventually manipulating the immune system for therapeutic benefit. In this review, we will summarize the current understanding of CD8 T cell differentiation upon acute infection, with a focus on the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of cell fate decision and memory formation. Moreover, we will highlight the importance of high throughput sequencing approaches and single cell technologies in providing insight into genome-wide investigations and the heterogeneity of individual CD8 T cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yao Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Ryan Zander
- Blood Center of Wisconsin, Blood Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Achia Khatun
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - David M Schauder
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Weiguo Cui
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States.,Blood Center of Wisconsin, Blood Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| |
Collapse
|