1
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Houser CL, Fenner KN, Lawrence BP. Timing influences the impact of aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation on the humoral immune response to respiratory viral infection. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2024; 489:117010. [PMID: 38901696 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2024.117010] [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: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Humoral responses to respiratory viruses, such as influenza viruses, develop over time and are central to protection from repeated infection with the same or similar viruses. Epidemiological and experimental studies have linked exposures to environmental contaminants that bind the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) with modulated antibody responses to pathogenic microorganisms and common vaccinations. Other studies have prompted investigation into the potential therapeutic applications of compounds that activate AHR. Herein, using two different AHR ligands [2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and 2-(1H-Indol-3-ylcarbonyl)-4-thiazolecarboxylic acid methyl ester (ITE), to modulate the duration of AHR activity, we show that the humoral response to viral infection is dependent upon the duration and timing of AHR signaling, and that different cellular elements of the response have different sensitivities. When AHR activation was initiated prior to infection with influenza A virus, there was suppression of all measured elements of the humoral response (i.e., the frequency of T follicular helper cells, germinal center B cells, plasma cells, and circulating virus-specific antibody). However, when the timing of AHR activation was adjusted to either early (days -1 to +5 relative to infection) or later (days +5 onwards), then AHR activation affected different aspects of the overall humoral response. These findings highlight the importance of considering the timing of AHR activation in relation to triggering an immune response, particularly when targeting the AHR to manipulate disease processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Houser
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester NY14642, USA
| | - Kristina N Fenner
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester NY14642, USA
| | - B Paige Lawrence
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester NY14642, USA; Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester NY14642, USA.
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2
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Irizar H, Chun Y, Hsu HHL, Li YC, Zhang L, Arditi Z, Grishina G, Grishin A, Vicencio A, Pandey G, Bunyavanich S. Multi-omic integration reveals alterations in nasal mucosal biology that mediate air pollutant effects on allergic rhinitis. Allergy 2024. [PMID: 38796780 DOI: 10.1111/all.16174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Allergic rhinitis is a common inflammatory condition of the nasal mucosa that imposes a considerable health burden. Air pollution has been observed to increase the risk of developing allergic rhinitis. We addressed the hypotheses that early life exposure to air toxics is associated with developing allergic rhinitis, and that these effects are mediated by DNA methylation and gene expression in the nasal mucosa. METHODS In a case-control cohort of 505 participants, we geocoded participants' early life exposure to air toxics using data from the US Environmental Protection Agency, assessed physician diagnosis of allergic rhinitis by questionnaire, and collected nasal brushings for whole-genome DNA methylation and transcriptome profiling. We then performed a series of analyses including differential expression, Mendelian randomization, and causal mediation analyses to characterize relationships between early life air toxics, nasal DNA methylation, nasal gene expression, and allergic rhinitis. RESULTS Among the 505 participants, 275 had allergic rhinitis. The mean age of the participants was 16.4 years (standard deviation = 9.5 years). Early life exposure to air toxics such as acrylic acid, phosphine, antimony compounds, and benzyl chloride was associated with developing allergic rhinitis. These air toxics exerted their effects by altering the nasal DNA methylation and nasal gene expression levels of genes involved in respiratory ciliary function, mast cell activation, pro-inflammatory TGF-β1 signaling, and the regulation of myeloid immune cell function. CONCLUSIONS Our results expand the range of air pollutants implicated in allergic rhinitis and shed light on their underlying biological mechanisms in nasal mucosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haritz Irizar
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yoojin Chun
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Hsiao-Hsien Leon Hsu
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yan-Chak Li
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Lingdi Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Zoe Arditi
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Galina Grishina
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alexander Grishin
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alfin Vicencio
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gaurav Pandey
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Supinda Bunyavanich
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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3
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Xu L, Lin L, Xie N, Chen W, Nong W, Li R. Role of aryl hydrocarbon receptors in infection and inflammation. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1367734. [PMID: 38680494 PMCID: PMC11045974 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1367734] [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: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor that is activated by various ligands, including pollutants, microorganisms, and metabolic substances. It is expressed extensively in pulmonary and intestinal epithelial cells, where it contributes to barrier defense. The expression of AhR is pivotal in regulating the inflammatory response to microorganisms. However, dysregulated AhR expression can result in endocrine disorders, leading to immunotoxicity and potentially promoting the development of carcinoma. This review focuses on the crucial role of the AhR in facilitating and limiting the proliferation of pathogens, specifically in relation to the host cell type and the species of etiological agents involved in microbial pathogen infections. The activation of AhR is enhanced through the IDO1-AhR-IDO1 positive feedback loop, which is manipulated by viruses. AhR primarily promotes the infection of SARS-CoV-2 by inducing the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. AhR also plays a significant role in regulating various types of T-cells, including CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells, in the context of pulmonary infections. The AhR pathway plays a crucial role in regulating immune responses within the respiratory and intestinal barriers when they are invaded by viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. Additionally, we propose that targeting the agonist and antagonist of AhR signaling pathways could serve as a promising therapeutic approach for combating pathogen infections, especially in light of the growing prevalence of drug resistance to multiple antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linglan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Research on Clinical Molecular Diagnosis for High Incidence Diseases in Western Guangxi, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Luping Lin
- Key Laboratory of Research on Clinical Molecular Diagnosis for High Incidence Diseases in Western Guangxi, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China
| | - Nan Xie
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Weiwei Chen
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Weihua Nong
- Key Laboratory of Research on Clinical Molecular Diagnosis for High Incidence Diseases in Western Guangxi, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China
| | - Ranhui Li
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
- Hunan Prevention and Treatment Institute for Occupational Diseases and Affiliated Prevention and Treatment Institute for Occupational Diseases, University of South China, Changsha, China
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4
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Healey AM, Fenner KN, O'Dell CT, Lawrence BP. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation alters immune cell populations in the lung and bone marrow during coronavirus infection. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2024; 326:L313-L329. [PMID: 38290163 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00236.2023] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Respiratory viral infections are one of the major causes of illness and death worldwide. Symptoms associated with respiratory infections can range from mild to severe, and there is limited understanding of why there is large variation in severity. Environmental exposures are a potential causative factor. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is an environment-sensing molecule expressed in all immune cells. Although there is considerable evidence that AHR signaling influences immune responses to other immune challenges, including respiratory pathogens, less is known about the impact of AHR signaling on immune responses during coronavirus (CoV) infection. In this study, we report that AHR activation significantly altered immune cells in the lungs and bone marrow of mice infected with a mouse CoV. AHR activation transiently reduced the frequency of multiple cells in the mononuclear phagocyte system, including monocytes, interstitial macrophages, and dendritic cells in the lung. In the bone marrow, AHR activation altered myelopoiesis, as evidenced by a reduction in granulocyte-monocyte progenitor cells and an increased frequency of myeloid-biased progenitor cells. Moreover, AHR activation significantly affected multiple stages of the megakaryocyte lineage. Overall, these findings indicate that AHR activation modulates multiple aspects of the immune response to a CoV infection. Given the significant burden of respiratory viruses on human health, understanding how environmental exposures shape immune responses to infection advances our knowledge of factors that contribute to variability in disease severity and provides insight into novel approaches to prevent or treat disease.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our study reveals a multifaceted role for aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling in the immune response to coronavirus (CoV) infection. Sustained AHR activation during in vivo mouse CoV infection altered the frequency of mature immune cells in the lung and modulated emergency hematopoiesis, specifically myelopoiesis and megakaryopoiesis, in bone marrow. This provides new insight into immunoregulation by the AHR and extends our understanding of how environmental exposures can impact host responses to respiratory viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia M Healey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States
| | - Kristina N Fenner
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States
| | - Colleen T O'Dell
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States
| | - B Paige Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States
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5
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Li Y, Zeng Y, Chen Z, Tan X, Mei X, Wu Z. The role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in vitiligo: a review. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1291556. [PMID: 38361944 PMCID: PMC10867127 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1291556] [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: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Vitiligo is an acquired autoimmune dermatosis characterized by patchy skin depigmentation, causing significant psychological distress to the patients. Genetic susceptibility, environmental triggers, oxidative stress, and autoimmunity contribute to melanocyte destruction in vitiligo. Due to the diversity and complexity of pathogenesis, the combination of inhibiting melanocyte destruction and stimulating melanogenesis gives the best results in treating vitiligo. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that can regulate the expression of various downstream genes and play roles in cell differentiation, immune response, and physiological homeostasis maintenance. Recent studies suggested that AhR signaling pathway was downregulated in vitiligo. Activation of AhR pathway helps to activate antioxidant pathways, inhibit abnormal immunity response, and upregulate the melanogenesis gene, thereby protecting melanocytes from oxidative stress damage, controlling disease progression, and promoting lesion repigmentation. Here, we review the relevant literature and summarize the possible roles of the AhR signaling pathway in vitiligo pathogenesis and treatment, to further understand the links between the AhR and vitiligo, and provide new potential therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiting Li
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yibin Zeng
- Department of Dermatology, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zile Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Tan
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingyu Mei
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhouwei Wu
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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6
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Li Z, Li S, Xing Z, Gu Q, Du R, Jiang J, Yuan X, Zhang X, Chen X, Xue N, Zhang P, Jin J, Yang Y. Discovery of Natural Ah Receptor Antagonists from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Synthesis of Analogs for Tumor Immunotherapy. J Med Chem 2024; 67:1243-1261. [PMID: 38176026 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
IDO/TDO/Kyn/AhR signaling plays a crucial role in regulating innate and adaptive immunity, and targeting Ah receptor (AhR) inhibition can potentially redirect immune cells toward an antitumoral phenotype. Therefore, AhR is an attractive drug target for novel small molecule cancer immunotherapies. In this study, natural products tanshinolic A-D (1-4), the first adducts composed of ortho-naphthoquinone-type tanshinone and phenolic acid featuring a unique 1,4-benzodioxan hemiacetal structure, were isolated and characterized from the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Luciferase reporter gene assay revealed that these adducts exhibited significant AhR inhibitory activity. A linear strategy was developed to construct a cis-3,4-disubstituted 1,4-benzodioxan hemiacetal structure. Encouragingly, in both in vitro and in vivo experiments, (±)-13e demonstrated the ability to inhibit tumor cell proliferation, promote INF-γ secretion in CD8+ T cells, and inhibit PD-1/PD-L1 signal transduction, which could exert tumor inhibition properties by inhibiting AhR activity, positioning it as a promising candidate for tumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Shuying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Zeyu Xing
- Department of Breast Cancer, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Quanchang Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Rongrong Du
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jianshuang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xiang Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xiaoguang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Nina Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Peicheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jing Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yanan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
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7
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Wang Y, Halawani D, Estill M, Ramakrishnan A, Shen L, Friedel RH, Zou H. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor restricts axon regeneration of DRG neurons in response to injury. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.04.565649. [PMID: 37961567 PMCID: PMC10635160 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.04.565649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Injured neurons sense environmental cues to balance neural protection and axon regeneration, but the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we unveil aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated bHLH-PAS transcription factor, as molecular sensor and key regulator of acute stress response at the expense of axon regeneration. We demonstrate responsiveness of DRG sensory neurons to ligand-mediated AhR signaling, which functions to inhibit axon regeneration. Ahr deletion mimics the conditioning lesion in priming DRG to initiate axonogenesis gene programs; upon peripheral axotomy, Ahr ablation suppresses inflammation and stress signaling while augmenting pro-growth pathways. Moreover, comparative transcriptomics revealed signaling interactions between AhR and HIF-1α, two structurally related bHLH-PAS α units that share the dimerization partner Arnt/HIF-1β. Functional assays showed that the growth advantage of AhR-deficient DRG neurons requires HIF-1α; but in the absence of Arnt, DRG neurons can still mount a regenerative response. We further unveil a link between bHLH-PAS transcription factors and DNA hydroxymethylation in response to peripheral axotomy, while neuronal single cell RNA-seq analysis revealed a link of the AhR regulon to RNA polymerase III regulation and integrated stress response (ISR). Altogether, AhR activation favors stress coping and inflammation at the expense of axon regeneration; targeting AhR can enhance nerve repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqun Wang
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
- Current address: Sport Medicine Center, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Dalia Halawani
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Molly Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Roland H. Friedel
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Hongyan Zou
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
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8
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Huang W, Rui K, Wang X, Peng N, Zhou W, Shi X, Lu L, Hu D, Tian J. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor in immune regulation and autoimmune pathogenesis. J Autoimmun 2023; 138:103049. [PMID: 37229809 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2023.103049] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
As a ligand-activated transcription factor, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is activated by structurally diverse ligands derived from the environment, diet, microorganisms, and metabolic activity. Recent studies have demonstrated that AhR plays a key role in modulating both innate and adaptive immune responses. Moreover, AhR regulates innate immune and lymphoid cell differentiation and function, which is involved in autoimmune pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the mechanism of activation of AhR and its mediated functional regulation in various innate immune and lymphoid cell populations, as well as the immune-regulatory effect of AhR in the development of autoimmune diseases. In addition, we highlight the identification of AhR agonists and antagonists that may serve as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of autoimmune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Huang
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Ke Rui
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
| | - Xiaomeng Wang
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Na Peng
- Department of Rheumatology and Nephrology, The Second People's Hospital, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Wenhao Zhou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Xiaofei Shi
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital and School of Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Liwei Lu
- Department of Pathology and Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, The University of Hong Kong, Chongqing International Institute for Immunology, China
| | - Dajun Hu
- Department of Rheumatology and Nephrology, The Second People's Hospital, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.
| | - Jie Tian
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
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9
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Post CM, Myers JR, Winans B, Lawrence BP. Postnatal administration of S-adenosylmethionine restores developmental AHR activation-induced deficits in CD8+ T cell function during influenza A virus infection. Toxicol Sci 2023; 192:kfad019. [PMID: 36847456 PMCID: PMC10109536 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental exposures can influence life-long health; yet, counteracting negative consequences is challenging due to poor understanding of cellular mechanisms. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) binds many small molecules, including numerous pollutants. Developmental exposure to the signature environmental AHR ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) significantly dampens adaptive immune responses to influenza A virus (IAV) in adult offspring. CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are crucial for successful infection resolution, which depends on the number generated and the complexity of their functionality. Prior studies showed developmental AHR activation significantly reduced the number of virus-specific CD8+ T cells, but impact on their functions is less clear. Other studies showed developmental exposure was associated with differences in DNA methylation in CD8+ T cells. Yet, empirical evidence that differences in DNA methylation are causally related to altered CD8+ T cell function is lacking. The two objectives were to ascertain whether developmental AHR activation affects CTL function, and whether differences in methylation contribute to reduced CD8+ T cell responses to infection. Developmental AHR triggering significantly reduced CTL polyfunctionality, and modified the transcriptional program of CD8+ T cells. S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which increases DNA methylation, but not Zebularine, which diminishes DNA methylation, restored polyfunctionality and boosted the number of virus-specific CD8+ T cells. These findings suggest that diminished methylation, initiated by developmental exposure to an AHR-binding chemical, contributes to durable changes in antiviral CD8+ CTL functions later in life. Thus, deleterious consequence of development exposure to environmental chemicals are not permanently fixed, opening the door for interventional strategies to improve health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Post
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jason R Myers
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Bethany Winans
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - B Paige Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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10
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Dean JW, Helm EY, Fu Z, Xiong L, Sun N, Oliff KN, Muehlbauer M, Avram D, Zhou L. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor cell intrinsically promotes resident memory CD8 + T cell differentiation and function. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111963. [PMID: 36640340 PMCID: PMC9940759 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) regulates the differentiation and function of CD4+ T cells; however, its cell-intrinsic role in CD8+ T cells remains elusive. Herein we show that Ahr acts as a promoter of resident memory CD8+ T cell (TRM) differentiation and function. Genetic ablation of Ahr in mouse CD8+ T cells leads to increased CD127-KLRG1+ short-lived effector cells and CD44+CD62L+ T central memory cells but reduced granzyme-B-producing CD69+CD103+ TRM cells. Genome-wide analyses reveal that Ahr suppresses the circulating while promoting the resident memory core gene program. A tumor resident polyfunctional CD8+ T cell population, revealed by single-cell RNA-seq, is diminished upon Ahr deletion, compromising anti-tumor immunity. Human intestinal intraepithelial CD8+ T cells also highly express AHR that regulates in vitro TRM differentiation and granzyme B production. Collectively, these data suggest that Ahr is an important cell-intrinsic factor for CD8+ T cell immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W Dean
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Eric Y Helm
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Zheng Fu
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Lifeng Xiong
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Na Sun
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Kristen N Oliff
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Marcus Muehlbauer
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Dorina Avram
- Department of Immunology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Liang Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA.
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11
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Zhu H, Liu Y, Yi X, Zhu C, Fu Y, Huang Z, Zhu K, Zhang W, Hou H, Sun C, Zhong C, Liu W, Li Z, Wang B, Wo J. Novel biomimetic mesoporous silica nanoparticle system possessing targetability and immune synergy facilitates effective solid tumor immuno-chemotherapy. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 144:213229. [PMID: 36502749 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.213229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
New strategies that enhance both the targetability of chemotherapy drugs and the synergistic effects of chemotherapy and immunotherapy are urgently needed for efficacious solid tumor therapy. In this study, a novel biomimetic nanoparticle system possessing the properties of tumor targeting and immune synergy was designed to meet these requirements. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX) were coated with cell membranes modified by glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored anti-HER2 single chain variable fragment (scFv) and the GPI-anchored co-stimulatory molecule CD80 (to promote solid tumor-targeted chemotherapy and cooperated immunotherapy, respectively). The impact of the nanotherapeutic system on both tumor-targeted chemotherapy and cellular immune response was investigated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results show that the novel biomimetic therapeutic system effectively promoted antitumor efficiency in vitro and in vivo. In addition, this therapeutic system further enhanced antitumor capacity by increasing CD8+ T cell activation and cytokine production and reducing myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) levels in tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinfeng Yi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Jinan University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Chuyun Zhu
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Jinan University Faculty of Medical Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanyue Fu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zerong Huang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kairui Zhu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wencai Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huige Hou
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chenghong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Generic Manufacture Technology of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Linyi, China
| | - Cheng Zhong
- The Affiliated Hospital (Jiangmen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital), Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Liu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Zhizhong Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Baocheng Wang
- Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Jin Wo
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
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12
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Riaz F, Pan F, Wei P. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor: The master regulator of immune responses in allergic diseases. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1057555. [PMID: 36601108 PMCID: PMC9806217 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1057555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a widely studied ligand-activated cytosolic transcriptional factor that has been associated with the initiation and progression of various diseases, including autoimmune diseases, cancers, metabolic syndromes, and allergies. Generally, AhR responds and binds to environmental toxins/ligands, dietary ligands, and allergens to regulate toxicological, biological, cellular responses. In a canonical signaling manner, activation of AhR is responsible for the increase in cytochrome P450 enzymes which help individuals to degrade and metabolize these environmental toxins and ligands. However, canonical signaling cannot be applied to all the effects mediated by AhR. Recent findings indicate that activation of AhR signaling also interacts with some non-canonical factors like Kruppel-like-factor-6 (KLF6) or estrogen-receptor-alpha (Erα) to affect the expression of downstream genes. Meanwhile, enormous research has been conducted to evaluate the effect of AhR signaling on innate and adaptive immunity. It has been shown that AhR exerts numerous effects on mast cells, B cells, macrophages, antigen-presenting cells (APCs), Th1/Th2 cell balance, Th17, and regulatory T cells, thus, playing a significant role in allergens-induced diseases. This review discussed how AhR mediates immune responses in allergic diseases. Meanwhile, we believe that understanding the role of AhR in immune responses will enhance our knowledge of AhR-mediated immune regulation in allergic diseases. Also, it will help researchers to understand the role of AhR in regulating immune responses in autoimmune diseases, cancers, metabolic syndromes, and infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farooq Riaz
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenzhen, China
| | - Fan Pan
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenzhen, China,*Correspondence: Ping Wei, ; Fan Pan,
| | - Ping Wei
- Department of Otolaryngology, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Chongqing, China,*Correspondence: Ping Wei, ; Fan Pan,
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13
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Germolec DR, Lebrec H, Anderson SE, Burleson GR, Cardenas A, Corsini E, Elmore SE, Kaplan BL, Lawrence BP, Lehmann GM, Maier CC, McHale CM, Myers LP, Pallardy M, Rooney AA, Zeise L, Zhang L, Smith MT. Consensus on the Key Characteristics of Immunotoxic Agents as a Basis for Hazard Identification. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:105001. [PMID: 36201310 PMCID: PMC9536493 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Key characteristics (KCs), properties of agents or exposures that confer potential hazard, have been developed for carcinogens and other toxicant classes. KCs have been used in the systematic assessment of hazards and to identify assay and data gaps that limit screening and risk assessment. Many of the mechanisms through which pharmaceuticals and occupational or environmental agents modulate immune function are well recognized. Thus KCs could be identified for immunoactive substances and applied to improve hazard assessment of immunodulatory agents. OBJECTIVES The goal was to generate a consensus-based synthesis of scientific evidence describing the KCs of agents known to cause immunotoxicity and potential applications, such as assays to measure the KCs. METHODS A committee of 18 experts with diverse specialties identified 10 KCs of immunotoxic agents, namely, 1) covalently binds to proteins to form novel antigens, 2) affects antigen processing and presentation, 3) alters immune cell signaling, 4) alters immune cell proliferation, 5) modifies cellular differentiation, 6) alters immune cell-cell communication, 7) alters effector function of specific cell types, 8) alters immune cell trafficking, 9) alters cell death processes, and 10) breaks down immune tolerance. The group considered how these KCs could influence immune processes and contribute to hypersensitivity, inappropriate enhancement, immunosuppression, or autoimmunity. DISCUSSION KCs can be used to improve efforts to identify agents that cause immunotoxicity via one or more mechanisms, to develop better testing and biomarker approaches to evaluate immunotoxicity, and to enable a more comprehensive and mechanistic understanding of adverse effects of exposures on the immune system. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10800.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dori R. Germolec
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Herve Lebrec
- Translational Safety & Bioanalytical Sciences, Amgen Research, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Stacey E. Anderson
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Gary R. Burleson
- Burleson Research Technologies, Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sarah E. Elmore
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Barbara L.F. Kaplan
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - B. Paige Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Geniece M. Lehmann
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Curtis C. Maier
- In Vitro In Vivo Translation, Research and Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cliona M. McHale
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - L. Peyton Myers
- Division of Pharm/Tox, Office of Infectious Diseases, Office of New Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Marc Pallardy
- Inserm, Inflammation microbiome immunosurveillance, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Andrew A. Rooney
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren Zeise
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Luoping Zhang
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Martyn T. Smith
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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Lowery R, Latchney S, Peer R, Lamantia C, Lordy K, Opanashuk L, McCall M, Majewska A. Gestational and lactational exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin primes cortical microglia to tissue injury. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 101:288-303. [PMID: 35065196 PMCID: PMC9007156 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is expressed in the brain's native immune cells, known as microglia. However, while the impact of exposure to AhR ligands is well studied in the peripheral immune system, the impact of such exposure on immune function in the brain is less well defined. Microglia serve dual roles in providing synaptic and immunological support for neighboring neurons and in mediating responses to environmental stimuli, including exposure to environmental chemicals. Because of their dual roles in regulating physiological and pathological processes, cortical microglia are well positioned to translate toxic stimuli into defects in cortical function via aberrant synaptic and immunological functioning, mediated either through direct microglial AhR activation or in response to AhR activation in neighboring cells. Here, we use gene expression studies, histology, and two-photon in vivo imaging to investigate how developmental exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a high-affinity and persistent AhR agonist, modulates microglial characteristics and function in the intact brain. Whole cortical RT-qPCR analysis and RNA-sequencing of isolated microglia revealed that gestational and lactational TCDD exposure produced subtle, but durable, changes in microglia transcripts. Histological examination and two-photon in vivo imaging revealed that while microglia density, distribution, morphology, and motility were unaffected by TCDD exposure, exposure resulted in microglia that responded more robustly to focal tissue injury. However, this effect was rectified with depletion and repopulation of microglia. These results suggest that gestational and lactational exposure to AhR ligands can result in long-term priming of microglia to produce heightened responses towards tissue injury which can be restored to normal function through microglial repopulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- R.L. Lowery
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - S.E. Latchney
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - R.P. Peer
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - C.E. Lamantia
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - K.A. Lordy
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | | | - M. McCall
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, NY 14642,Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, NY 14642
| | - A.K Majewska
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642,Corresponding Author: Ania K. Majewska, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Visual Science, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 603, Rochester, New York 14642, , Phone: (585) 276-2254
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15
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Bhuju J, Olesen KM, Muenyi CS, Patel TS, Read RW, Thompson L, Skalli O, Zheng Q, Grice EA, Sutter CH, Sutter TR. Cutaneous Effects of In Utero and Lactational Exposure of C57BL/6J Mice to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin. TOXICS 2021; 9:toxics9080192. [PMID: 34437510 PMCID: PMC8402454 DOI: 10.3390/toxics9080192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
To determine the cutaneous effects of in utero and lactational exposure to the AHR ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), pregnant C57BL/6J mice were exposed by gavage to a vehicle or 5 μg TCDD/kg body weight at embryonic day 12 and epidermal barrier formation and function were studied in their offspring from postnatal day 1 (P1) through adulthood. TCDD-exposed pups were born with acanthosis. This effect was AHR-dependent and subsided by P6 with no evidence of subsequent inflammatory dermatitis. The challenge of adult mice with MC903 showed similar inflammatory responses in control and treated animals, indicating no long-term immunosuppression to this chemical. Chloracne-like sebaceous gland hypoplasia and cyst formation were observed in TCDD-exposed P21 mice, with concomitant microbiome dysbiosis. These effects were reversed by P35. CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 expression in the skin was increased in the exposed mice until P21, then declined. Both CYP proteins co-localized with LRIG1-expressing progenitor cells at the infundibulum. CYP1B1 protein also co-localized with a second stem cell niche in the isthmus. These results indicate that this exposure to TCDD causes a chloracne-like effect without inflammation. Transient activation of the AhR, due to the shorter half-life of TCDD in mice, likely contributes to the reversibility of these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Bhuju
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Kristin M Olesen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Clarisse S Muenyi
- Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN 38104, USA
| | - Tejesh S Patel
- Kaplan-Amonette Department of Dermatology, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN 38104, USA
| | - Robert W Read
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Lauren Thompson
- Integrated Microscopy Center, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Omar Skalli
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
- Integrated Microscopy Center, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Qi Zheng
- Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Grice
- Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Carrie Hayes Sutter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
- W. Harry Feinstone Center for Genomic Research, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Thomas R Sutter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
- W. Harry Feinstone Center for Genomic Research, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
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16
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Bungsu I, Kifli N, Ahmad SR, Ghani H, Cunningham AC. Herbal Plants: The Role of AhR in Mediating Immunomodulation. Front Immunol 2021; 12:697663. [PMID: 34249001 PMCID: PMC8264659 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.697663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of chronic inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), autoimmunity and cancer have increased in recent years. Herbal-based compounds such as flavonoids have been demonstrated to contribute to the modulation of these diseases although understanding their mechanism of action remains limited. Flavonoids are able to interact with cellular immune components in a distinct way and influence immune responses at a molecular level. In this mini review, we highlight recent progress in our understanding of the modulation of immune responses by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-dependent transcription factor whose activity can be regulated by diverse molecules including flavonoids. We focus on the role of AhR in integrating signals from flavonoids to modulate inflammatory responses using in vitro and experimental animal models. We also summarize the limitations of these studies. Medicinal herbs have been widely used to treat inflammatory disorders and may offer a valuable therapeutic strategy to treat aberrant inflammatory responses by modulation of the AhR pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izzah Bungsu
- Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah (PAPRSB), Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
| | - Nurolaini Kifli
- Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah (PAPRSB), Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
| | - Siti Rohaiza Ahmad
- Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah (PAPRSB), Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
| | - Hazim Ghani
- Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah (PAPRSB), Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
| | - Anne Catherine Cunningham
- Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah (PAPRSB), Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
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17
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Anderson G, Carbone A, Mazzoccoli G. Tryptophan Metabolites and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Pathophysiology. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041597. [PMID: 33562472 PMCID: PMC7915649 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The metabolism of tryptophan is intimately associated with the differential regulation of diverse physiological processes, including in the regulation of responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome, coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection that underpins the COVID-19 pandemic. Two important products of tryptophan metabolism, viz kynurenine and interleukin (IL)4-inducible1 (IL41)-driven indole 3 pyruvate (I3P), activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), thereby altering the nature of immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. AhR activation dysregulates the initial pro-inflammatory cytokines production driven by neutrophils, macrophages, and mast cells, whilst AhR activation suppresses the endogenous antiviral responses of natural killer cells and CD8+ T cells. Such immune responses become further dysregulated by the increased and prolonged pro-inflammatory cytokine suppression of pineal melatonin production coupled to increased gut dysbiosis and gut permeability. The suppression of pineal melatonin and gut microbiome-derived butyrate, coupled to an increase in circulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS) further dysregulates the immune response. The AhR mediates its effects via alterations in the regulation of mitochondrial function in immune cells. The increased risk of severe/fatal SARS-CoV-2 infection by high risk conditions, such as elderly age, obesity, and diabetes are mediated by these conditions having expression levels of melatonin, AhR, butyrate, and LPS that are closer to those driven by SARS-CoV-2 infection. This has a number of future research and treatment implications, including the utilization of melatonin and nutraceuticals that inhibit the AhR, including the polyphenols, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and resveratrol.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Anderson
- CRC Scotland & London, Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PX, UK
| | - Annalucia Carbone
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Internal Medicine and Chronobiology Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza", 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Mazzoccoli
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Internal Medicine and Chronobiology Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza", 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
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18
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Burke CG, Myers JR, Post CM, Boulé LA, Lawrence BP. DNA Methylation Patterns in CD4+ T Cells of Naïve and Influenza A Virus-Infected Mice Developmentally Exposed to an Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Ligand. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:17007. [PMID: 33449811 PMCID: PMC7810290 DOI: 10.1289/ehp7699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life environmental exposures can have lasting effects on the function of the immune system and contribute to disease later in life. Epidemiological studies have linked early life exposure to xenobiotics that bind the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) with dysregulated immune responses later in life. Among the immune cells influenced by developmental activation of the AhR are CD 4 + T cells. Yet, the underlying affected cellular pathways via which activating the AhR early in life causes the responses of CD 4 + T cells to remain affected into adulthood remain unclear. OBJECTIVE Our goal was to identify cellular mechanisms that drive impaired CD 4 + T-cell responses later in life following maternal exposure to an exogenous AhR ligand. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were vertically exposed to the prototype AhR ligand, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p -dioxin (TCDD), throughout gestation and early postnatal life. The transcriptome and DNA methylation patterns were evaluated in CD 4 + T cells isolated from naïve and influenza A virus (IAV)-infected adult mice that were developmentally exposed to TCDD or vehicle control. We then assessed the influence of DNA methylation-altering drug therapies on the response of CD 4 + T cells from developmentally exposed mice to infection. RESULTS Gene and protein expression showed that developmental AhR activation reduced CD 4 + T-cell expansion and effector functions during IAV infection later in life. Furthermore, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing analyses revealed that developmental AhR activation durably programed DNA methylation patterns across the CD 4 + T-cell genome. Treatment of developmentally exposed offspring with DNA methylation-altering drugs alleviated some, but not all, of the impaired CD 4 + T-cell responses. DISCUSSION Taken together, these results indicate that skewed DNA methylation is one of the mechanisms by which early life exposures can durably change the function of T cells in mice. Furthermore, treatment with DNA methylation-altering drugs after the exposure restored some aspects of CD 4 + T-cell functional responsiveness. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7699.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine G. Burke
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Jason R. Myers
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Christina M. Post
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Lisbeth A. Boulé
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - B. Paige Lawrence
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
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19
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Wajda A, Łapczuk-Romańska J, Paradowska-Gorycka A. Epigenetic Regulations of AhR in the Aspect of Immunomodulation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6404. [PMID: 32899152 PMCID: PMC7504141 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors contribute to autoimmune disease manifestation, and as regarded today, AhR has become an important factor in studies of immunomodulation. Besides immunological aspects, AhR also plays a role in pharmacological, toxicological and many other physiological processes such as adaptive metabolism. In recent years, epigenetic mechanisms have provided new insight into gene regulation and reveal a new contribution to autoimmune disease pathogenesis. DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin alterations, microRNA and consequently non-genetic changes in phenotypes connect with environmental factors. Increasing data reveals AhR cross-roads with the most significant in immunology pathways. Although study on epigenetic modulations in autoimmune diseases is still not well understood, therefore future research will help us understand their pathophysiology and help to find new therapeutic strategies. Present literature review sheds the light on the common ground between remodeling chromatin compounds and autoimmune antibodies used in diagnostics. In the proposed review we summarize recent findings that describe epigenetic factors which regulate AhR activity and impact diverse immunological responses and pathological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Wajda
- Department of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, 02-637 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Joanna Łapczuk-Romańska
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland;
| | - Agnieszka Paradowska-Gorycka
- Department of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, 02-637 Warsaw, Poland;
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20
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IL4I1 Is a Metabolic Immune Checkpoint that Activates the AHR and Promotes Tumor Progression. Cell 2020; 182:1252-1270.e34. [PMID: 32818467 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) activation by tryptophan (Trp) catabolites enhances tumor malignancy and suppresses anti-tumor immunity. The context specificity of AHR target genes has so far impeded systematic investigation of AHR activity and its upstream enzymes across human cancers. A pan-tissue AHR signature, derived by natural language processing, revealed that across 32 tumor entities, interleukin-4-induced-1 (IL4I1) associates more frequently with AHR activity than IDO1 or TDO2, hitherto recognized as the main Trp-catabolic enzymes. IL4I1 activates the AHR through the generation of indole metabolites and kynurenic acid. It associates with reduced survival in glioma patients, promotes cancer cell motility, and suppresses adaptive immunity, thereby enhancing the progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in mice. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) induces IDO1 and IL4I1. As IDO1 inhibitors do not block IL4I1, IL4I1 may explain the failure of clinical studies combining ICB with IDO1 inhibition. Taken together, IL4I1 blockade opens new avenues for cancer therapy.
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21
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Giovannoni F, Bosch I, Polonio CM, Torti MF, Wheeler MA, Li Z, Romorini L, Rodriguez Varela MS, Rothhammer V, Barroso A, Tjon EC, Sanmarco LM, Takenaka MC, Modaresi SMS, Gutiérrez-Vázquez C, Zanluqui NG, Dos Santos NB, Munhoz CD, Wang Z, Damonte EB, Sherr D, Gehrke L, Peron JPS, Garcia CC, Quintana FJ. AHR is a Zika virus host factor and a candidate target for antiviral therapy. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:939-951. [PMID: 32690969 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0664-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus linked to multiple birth defects including microcephaly, known as congenital ZIKV syndrome. The identification of host factors involved in ZIKV replication may guide efficacious therapeutic interventions. In genome-wide transcriptional studies, we found that ZIKV infection triggers aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) activation. Specifically, ZIKV infection induces kynurenine (Kyn) production, which activates AHR, limiting the production of type I interferons (IFN-I) involved in antiviral immunity. Moreover, ZIKV-triggered AHR activation suppresses intrinsic immunity driven by the promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein, which limits ZIKV replication. AHR inhibition suppressed the replication of multiple ZIKV strains in vitro and also suppressed replication of the related flavivirus dengue. Finally, AHR inhibition with a nanoparticle-delivered AHR antagonist or an inhibitor developed for human use limited ZIKV replication and ameliorated newborn microcephaly in a murine model. In summary, we identified AHR as a host factor for ZIKV replication and PML protein as a driver of anti-ZIKV intrinsic immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Giovannoni
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Laboratorio de Estrategias Antivirales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. CONICET-Instituto de Química Biológica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Irene Bosch
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carolina Manganeli Polonio
- Neuroimmune Interactions Laboratory, Immunology Department-ICB IV, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Scientific Platform Pasteur-USP, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - María F Torti
- Laboratorio de Estrategias Antivirales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. CONICET-Instituto de Química Biológica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Michael A Wheeler
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhaorong Li
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Leonardo Romorini
- Laboratorio de Investigación aplicada a Neurociencias, Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María S Rodriguez Varela
- Laboratorio de Investigación aplicada a Neurociencias, Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Veit Rothhammer
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andreia Barroso
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily C Tjon
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liliana M Sanmarco
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maisa C Takenaka
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Cristina Gutiérrez-Vázquez
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nágela Ghabdan Zanluqui
- Scientific Platform Pasteur-USP, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Immunopathology and Allergy Post Graduate Program, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nilton Barreto Dos Santos
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carolina Demarchi Munhoz
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Zhongyan Wang
- Dept. of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elsa B Damonte
- Laboratorio de Estrategias Antivirales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. CONICET-Instituto de Química Biológica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - David Sherr
- Dept. of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lee Gehrke
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Program in Virology, Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jean Pierre Schatzmann Peron
- Neuroimmune Interactions Laboratory, Immunology Department-ICB IV, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. .,Scientific Platform Pasteur-USP, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. .,Immunopathology and Allergy Post Graduate Program, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Cybele C Garcia
- Laboratorio de Estrategias Antivirales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. CONICET-Instituto de Química Biológica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Francisco J Quintana
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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22
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Post CM, Boule LA, Burke CG, O'Dell CT, Winans B, Lawrence BP. The Ancestral Environment Shapes Antiviral CD8 + T cell Responses across Generations. iScience 2019; 20:168-183. [PMID: 31569050 PMCID: PMC6817732 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have linked health fates of children to environmental exposures of their great grandparents. However, few studies have considered whether ancestral exposures influence immune function across generations. Here, we report transgenerational inheritance of altered T cell responses resulting from maternal (F0) exposure to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Since F0 exposure to TCDD has been linked to transgenerational transmission of reproductive problems, we asked whether maternal TCDD exposure also caused transgenerational changes in immune function. F0 exposure caused transgenerational effects on the CD8+ T cell response to influenza virus infection in females but not in males. Outcrosses showed changes were passed through both parental lineages. These data demonstrate that F0 exposure to an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) agonist causes durable changes to immune responses that can affect subsequent generations. This has broad implications for understanding how the environment of prior generations shapes susceptibility to pathogens and antiviral immunity in later generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Post
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Lisbeth A Boule
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Catherine G Burke
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Colleen T O'Dell
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Bethany Winans
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - B Paige Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
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23
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Kubi JA, Chen ACH, Fong SW, Lai KP, Wong CKC, Yeung WSB, Lee KF, Lee YL. Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on the differentiation of embryonic stem cells towards pancreatic lineage and pancreatic beta cell function. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 130:104885. [PMID: 31195220 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.05.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Animal and epidemiological studies demonstrated association of persistent exposure of TCDD, an endocrine disrupting chemical, to susceptibility of type 2 diabetes (T2D). High doses of TCDD were commonly employed in experimental animals to illustrate its diabetogenic effects. Data linking the epigenetic effects of low doses of TCDD on embryonic cells to T2D susceptibility risks is very limited. To address whether low dose exposure to TCDD would affect pancreatic development, hESCs pretreated with TCDD at concentrations similar to human exposure were differentiated towards pancreatic lineage cells, and their global DNA methylation patterns were determined. Our results showed that TCDD-treated hESCs had impaired pancreatic lineage differentiation potentials and altered global DNA methylation patterns. Four of the hypermethylated genes (PRKAG1, CAPN10, HNF-1B and MAFA) were validated by DNA bisulfite sequencing. PRKAG1, a regulator in the AMPK signaling pathway critical for insulin secretion, was selected for further functional study in the rat insulinoma cell line, INS-1E cells. TCDD treatment induced PRKAG1 hypermethylation in hESCs, and the hypermethylation was maintained after pancreatic progenitor cells differentiation. Transient Prkag1 knockdown in the INS-1E cells elevated glucose stimulated insulin secretions (GSIS), possibly through mTOR signaling pathway. The current study suggested that early embryonic exposure to TCDD might alter pancreatogenesis, increasing the risk of T2D.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Kubi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Andy C H Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sze Wan Fong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Keng Po Lai
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chris K C Wong
- Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - William S B Yeung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kai Fai Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yin Lau Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
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24
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Burke CG, Myers JR, Boule LA, Post CM, Brookes PS, Lawrence BP. Early life exposures shape the CD4 + T cell transcriptome, influencing proliferation, differentiation, and mitochondrial dynamics later in life. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11489. [PMID: 31391494 PMCID: PMC6686001 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47866-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life environmental exposures drive lasting changes to the function of the immune system and can contribute to disease later in life. One of the ways environmental factors act is through cellular receptors. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is expressed by immune cells and binds numerous xenobiotics. Early life exposure to chemicals that bind the AHR impairs CD4+ T cell responses to influenza A virus (IAV) infection in adulthood. However, the cellular mechanisms that underlie these durable changes remain poorly defined. Transcriptomic profiling of sorted CD4+ T cells identified changes in genes involved in proliferation, differentiation, and metabolic pathways were associated with triggering AHR during development. Functional bioassays confirmed that CD4+ T cells from infected developmentally exposed offspring exhibit reduced proliferation, differentiation, and cellular metabolism. Thus, developmental AHR activation shapes T cell responsive capacity later in life by affecting integrated cellular pathways, which collectively alter responses later in life. Given that coordinated shifts in T cell metabolism are essential for T cell responses to numerous challenges, and that humans are constantly exposed to many different types of AHR ligands, this has far-reaching implications for how AHR signaling, particularly during development, durably influences T cell mediated immune responses across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine G Burke
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14624, USA
| | - Jason R Myers
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14624, USA
| | - Lisbeth A Boule
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14624, USA
| | - Christina M Post
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14624, USA
| | - Paul S Brookes
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14624, USA
| | - B Paige Lawrence
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14624, USA.
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14624, USA.
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25
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Franchini AM, Myers JR, Jin GB, Shepherd DM, Lawrence BP. Genome-Wide Transcriptional Analysis Reveals Novel AhR Targets That Regulate Dendritic Cell Function during Influenza A Virus Infection. Immunohorizons 2019; 3:219-235. [PMID: 31356168 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.1900004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of the ligand inducible aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) during primary influenza A virus infection diminishes host responses by negatively regulating the ability of dendritic cells (DC) to prime naive CD8+ T cells, which reduces the generation of CTL. However, AhR-regulated genes and signaling pathways in DCs are not fully known. In this study, we used unbiased gene expression profiling to identify differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways in DCs that are modulated by AhR activation in vivo. Using the prototype AhR agonist TCDD, we identified the lectin receptor Cd209a (DC-SIGN) and chemokine Ccl17 as novel AhR target genes. We further show the percentage of DCs expressing CD209a on their surface was significantly decreased by AhR activation during infection. Whereas influenza A virus infection increased CCL17 protein levels in the lung and lung-draining lymph nodes, this was significantly reduced following AhR activation. Targeted excision of AhR in the hematopoietic compartment confirmed AhR is required for downregulation of CCL17 and CD209a. Loss of AhR's functional DNA-binding domain demonstrates that AhR activation alone is necessary but not sufficient to drive downregulation. AhR activation induced similar changes in gene expression in human monocyte-derived DCs. Analysis of the murine and human upstream regulatory regions of Cd209a and Ccl17 revealed a suite of potential transcription factor partners for AhR, which may coregulate these genes in vivo. This study highlights the breadth of AhR-regulated pathways within DCs, and that AhR likely interacts with other transcription factors to modulate DC functions during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Franchini
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Jason R Myers
- Genomics Research Center, James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Guang-Bi Jin
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - David M Shepherd
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812; and.,Center for Translational Medicine, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812
| | - B Paige Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642;
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26
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Ambrosio LF, Insfran C, Volpini X, Acosta Rodriguez E, Serra HM, Quintana FJ, Cervi L, Motrán CC. Role of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) in the Regulation of Immunity and Immunopathology During Trypanosoma cruzi Infection. Front Immunol 2019; 10:631. [PMID: 30984194 PMCID: PMC6450169 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance to Trypanosoma cruzi infection is dependent on a rapid induction of Th1-type and CD8+ T cell responses that should be promptly balanced to prevent immunopathology. T. cruzi-infected B6 mice are able to control parasite replication but show a limited expansion of Foxp3+regulatory T (Treg) cells that results in the accumulation of effector immune cells and the development of acute liver pathology. AhR is a ligand-activated transcription factor that promotes Treg cell development and suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production in dendritic cells, altering the course of adaptive immune response and the development of immunopathology. Here, we used different AhR-dependent activation strategies aiming to improve the Treg response, and B6 congenic mice carrying a mutant AhR variant with low affinity for its ligands (AhRd) to evaluate the role of AhR activation by natural ligands during experimental T. cruzi infection. The outcome of TCDD or 3-HK plus ITE treatments indicated that strong or weak AhR activation before or during T. cruzi infection was effective to regulate inflammation improving the Treg cell response and regularizing the ratio between CD4+ CD25- to Treg cells. However, AhR activation shifted the host-parasite balance to the parasite replication. Weak AhR activation resulted in Treg promotion while strong activation differentially modulated the susceptibility and resistance of cell death in activated T and Treg cells and the increase in TGF-β-producing Treg cells. Of note, T. cruzi-infected AhRd mice showed low levels of Treg cells associated with strong Th1-type response, low parasite burden and absence of liver pathology. These mice developed a Treg- and Tr1-independent mechanism of Th1 constriction showing increased levels of systemic IL-10 and IL-10-secreting CD4+ splenocytes. In addition, AhR activation induced by exogenous ligands had negative effects on the development of memory CD8+ T cell subsets while the lack/very weak activation in AhRd mice showed opposite results, suggesting that AhR ligation restricts the differentiation of memory CD8+T cell subsets. We propose a model in which a threshold of AhR activation exists and may explain how activation or inhibition of AhR-derived signals by infection/inflammation-induced ligands, therapeutic interventions or exposure to pollutants can modulate infections/diseases outcomes or vaccination efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Fernanda Ambrosio
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Constanza Insfran
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ximena Volpini
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Eva Acosta Rodriguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Horacio Marcelo Serra
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Francisco J Quintana
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Laura Cervi
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Claudia Cristina Motrán
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
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27
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Advances in the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor to regulate early hematopoietic development. Curr Opin Hematol 2019; 25:273-278. [PMID: 29697485 DOI: 10.1097/moh.0000000000000432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We summarize current advances to define the role the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) plays in mammalian hematopoiesis. We emphasize approaches to modulate AHR throughout human hematopoietic development in vitro to support the production of clinically relevant blood products suitable for patient care. RECENT FINDINGS Initial data demonstrate that both pharmacologic AHR inhibition and genetic deletion from human pluripotent stem cells provide useful strategies to enhance the yield of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. AHR hyperactivation following the induction of CD34 megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors skews developed toward erythroid lineages, whereas AHR inhibition supports platelet production. At the level of lymphoid specification, AHR inhibition enhances the proliferation and differentiation of functional human natural killer cells, whereas hyperactivation leads to production of Group 3 innate lymphoid cells and provides a novel platform for studying human innate lymphoid cell development. SUMMARY Modulation of AHR in human hematopoietic cells in vitro is a promising tool to mediate development of terminal hematopoietic cell populations with significant clinical implications to generate cells suitable for antitumor immunotherapy and bone marrow transplantation.
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28
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Meyers JL, Winans B, Kelsaw E, Murthy A, Gerber S, Lawrence BP. Environmental cues received during development shape dendritic cell responses later in life. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207007. [PMID: 30412605 PMCID: PMC6226176 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental signals mediated via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) shape the developing immune system and influence immune function. Developmental exposure to AHR binding chemicals causes persistent changes in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses later in life, including dampened clonal expansion and differentiation during influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Naïve T cells require activation by dendritic cells (DCs), and AHR ligands modulate the function of DCs from adult organisms. Yet, the consequences of developmental AHR activation by exogenous ligands on DCs later in life has not been examined. We report here that early life activation of AHR durably reduces the ability of DC to activate naïve IAV-specific CD8+ T cells; however, activation of naïve CD4+ T cells was not impaired. Also, DCs from developmentally exposed offspring migrated more poorly than DCs from control dams in both in vivo and ex vivo assessments of DC migration. Conditional knockout mice, which lack Ahr in CD11c lineage cells, suggest that dampened DC emigration is intrinsic to DCs. Yet, levels of chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7), a key regulator of DC trafficking, were generally unaffected. Gene expression analyses reveal changes in Lrp1, Itgam, and Fcgr1 expression, and point to alterations in genes that regulate DC migration and antigen processing and presentation as being among pathways disrupted by inappropriate AHR signaling during development. These studies establish that AHR activation during development causes long-lasting changes to DCs, and provide new information regarding how early life environmental cues shape immune function later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Meyers
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Bethany Winans
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Erin Kelsaw
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Aditi Murthy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Scott Gerber
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States of America
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - B. Paige Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States of America
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29
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Shinde R, McGaha TL. The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor: Connecting Immunity to the Microenvironment. Trends Immunol 2018; 39:1005-1020. [PMID: 30409559 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2018.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a cytoplasmic receptor and transcription factor activated through cognate ligand binding. It is an important factor in immunity and tissue homeostasis, and structurally diverse compounds from the environment, diet, microbiome, and host metabolism can induce AhR activity. Emerging evidence suggests that AhR is a key sensor allowing immune cells to adapt to environmental conditions and changes in AhR activity have been associated with autoimmune disorders and cancer. Furthermore, AhR agonists or antagonists can impact immune disease outcomes identifying AhR as a potentially actionable target for immunotherapy. In this review, we describe known ligands stimulating AhR activity, downstream proinflammatory and suppressive mechanisms potentiated by AhR, and how this understanding is being applied to immunopathology to help control disease outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Shinde
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tracy L McGaha
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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30
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Bennett JA, Singh KP, Welle SL, Boule LA, Lawrence BP, Gasiewicz TA. Conditional deletion of Ahr alters gene expression profiles in hematopoietic stem cells. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0206407. [PMID: 30388136 PMCID: PMC6214519 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand activated bHLH transcription factor that belongs to the Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) superfamily of proteins involved in mediating responses to cellular environment regulating normal physiological and developmental pathways. The AHR binds a broad range of naturally derived and synthetic compounds, and plays a major role in mediating effects of certain environmental chemicals. Although our understanding of the physiological roles of the AHR in the immune system is evolving, there is little known about its role in hematopoiesis and hematopoietic diseases. Prior studies demonstrated that AHR null (AHR-KO) mice have impaired hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function; they develop myeloproliferative changes in peripheral blood cells, and alterations in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell populations in the bone marrow. We hypothesized mice lacking AHR expression only within hematopoietic cells (AHRVav1 mice) would develop similar changes. However, we did not observe a complete phenocopy of AHR-KO and AHRVav1 animals at 2 or 18 months of age. To illuminate the signaling mechanisms underlying the alterations in hematopoiesis observed in these mice, we sorted a population of cells highly enriched for HSC function (LSK cells: CD34-CD48-CD150+) and performed microarray analyses. Ingenuity Pathway and Gene Set Enrichment Analyses revealed that that loss of AHR within HSCs alters several gene and signaling networks important for HSC function. Differences in gene expression networks among HSCs from AHR-KO and AHRVav1 mice suggest that AHR in bone marrow stromal cells also contributes to HSC function. In addition, numerous studies have suggested a role for AHR in both regulation of hematopoietic cells, and in the development of blood diseases. More work is needed to define what these signals are, and how they act upon HSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Bennett
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Kameshwar P. Singh
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Stephen L. Welle
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Lisbeth A. Boule
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - B. Paige Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Thomas A. Gasiewicz
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
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31
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Giuliani C, Biggs D, Nguyen TT, Marasco E, De Fanti S, Garagnani P, Le Phan MT, Nguyen VN, Luiselli D, Romeo G. First evidence of association between past environmental exposure to dioxin and DNA methylation of CYP1A1 and IGF2 genes in present day Vietnamese population. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 242:976-985. [PMID: 30373043 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
During the Vietnam War, the United States military sprayed over 74 million litres of Agent Orange (AO) to destroy forest cover as a counterinsurgency tactic in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The main ingredient was contaminated by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-paradioxin (TCDD). DNA methylation (DNAm) differences are potential biomarker of environmental toxicants exposure. The aim of this study was to perform a preliminary investigation of the DNAm levels from peripheral blood of the present-day Vietnamese population, including individuals whose parents, according to historical data, were exposed to AO/TCDD during the war. 94 individuals from heavily sprayed areas (cases) and 94 individuals from non-sprayed areas (controls) were studied, and historical data on alleged exposure of parents collected. 94 cases were analysed considering those whose father/parents participated in the war (N = 29) and considering the place of residence of both parents (64 living in sprayed areas versus 30 in non-contaminated areas). DNAm levels in CYP1A1 and IGF2 genes were measured (MALDI-TOF technology). The analyses showed that: 1) one CpG site in the CYP1A1 and one in the IGF2 gene showed significant differences in DNAm levels between cases and controls; 2) the CYP1A1 region resulted to be hypomethylated (in 9 out of 16 sites/units; p-val<0.01) in 29 individuals whose father/parents participated in the war in the spray zones; 3) we showed that the place of residence of both parents influenced methylation levels of the CYP1A1 and IGF2 genes (p-val<0.05). In conclusion this study indicates that past environmental exposure to dioxin (AO/TCDD) shapes the DNAm profile of CYP1A1 and that the place of living for parents in former spray zones influences DNAm of CYP1A1 and IGF2 genes. These results open the way to new applications of DNAm as potential biomarker(s) of past human exposure to dioxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Giuliani
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology and Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, UK.
| | - David Biggs
- Department of History and School of Public Policy, University of California, Riverside, USA
| | | | - Elena Marasco
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic, and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Applied Biomedical Research Center (CRBA), S. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sara De Fanti
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology and Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Garagnani
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic, and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Applied Biomedical Research Center (CRBA), S. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, Bologna, Italy; Clinical Chemistry, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet at Huddinge University Hospital, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Donata Luiselli
- Department for the Cultural Heritage (DBC), Campus of Ravenna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanni Romeo
- Medical Genetics Unit, S. Orsola Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy and European School of Genetic Medicine, Italy
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32
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Gutiérrez-Vázquez C, Quintana FJ. Regulation of the Immune Response by the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor. Immunity 2018; 48:19-33. [PMID: 29343438 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 561] [Impact Index Per Article: 93.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that is activated by small molecules provided by the diet, microorganisms, metabolism, and pollutants. AhR is expressed by a number of immune cells, and thus AhR signaling provides a molecular pathway that integrates the effects of the environment and metabolism on the immune response. Studies have shown that AhR signaling plays important roles in the immune system in health and disease. As its activity is regulated by small molecules, AhR also constitutes a potential target for therapeutic immunomodulation. In this review we discuss the role of AhR in the regulation of the immune response in the context of autoimmunity, infection, and cancer, as well as the potential opportunities and challenges of developing AhR-targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Gutiérrez-Vázquez
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francisco J Quintana
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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33
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Functional Assays of Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Toxicology Research. Methods Mol Biol 2018. [PMID: 29882147 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8549-4_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
The hematopoietic stem cell is the foundational cell of the entire blood and immune system and as such is particularly sensitive to toxicological insults. While this review will identify some of the classes of chemicals known to be hematotoxic, most of the discussion will focus on the strengths and weaknesses of various hematological assays used in toxicology research. Furthermore, protocols for isolating both human and murine hematopoietic stem cells are described. Methodologies are also described for various culture systems useful for testing the impacts of potential toxicants on hematopoietic stem cells both in vivo and in vitro.
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34
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Xue P, Fu J, Zhou Y. The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and Tumor Immunity. Front Immunol 2018; 9:286. [PMID: 29487603 PMCID: PMC5816799 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is an important cytosolic, ligand-dependent transcription factor. Emerging evidence suggests the promoting role of the AhR in the initiation, promotion, progression, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells. Studies on various tumor types and tumor cell lines have shown high AhR expression, suggesting that AhR is activated constitutively in tumors and facilitates their growth. Interestingly, immune evasion has been recognized as an emerging hallmark feature of cancer. A connection between the AhR and immune system has been recognized, which has been suggested as an immunosuppressive effector on different types of immune cells. Certain cancers can escape immune recognition via AhR signaling pathways. This review discusses the role of the AhR in tumor immunity and its potential mechanism of action in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Xue
- Children's Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinrong Fu
- Children's Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yufeng Zhou
- Children's Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
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35
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Boule LA, Burke CG, Jin GB, Lawrence BP. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling modulates antiviral immune responses: ligand metabolism rather than chemical source is the stronger predictor of outcome. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1826. [PMID: 29379138 PMCID: PMC5789012 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20197-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) offers a compelling target to modulate the immune system. AHR agonists alter adaptive immune responses, but the consequences differ across studies. We report here the comparison of four agents representing different sources of AHR ligands in mice infected with influenza A virus (IAV): TCDD, prototype exogenous AHR agonist; PCB126, pollutant with documented human exposure; ITE, novel pharmaceutical; and FICZ, degradation product of tryptophan. All four compounds diminished virus-specific IgM levels and increased the proportion of regulatory T cells. TCDD, PCB126 and ITE, but not FICZ, reduced virus-specific IgG levels and CD8+ T cell responses. Similarly, ITE, PCB126, and TCDD reduced Th1 and Tfh cells, whereas FICZ increased their frequency. In Cyp1a1-deficient mice, all compounds, including FICZ, reduced the response to IAV. Conditional Ahr knockout mice revealed that all four compounds require AHR within hematopoietic cells. Thus, differences in the immune response to IAV likely reflect variances in quality, magnitude, and duration of AHR signaling. This indicates that binding affinity and metabolism may be stronger predictors of immune effects than a compound’s source of origin, and that harnessing AHR will require finding a balance between dampening immune-mediated pathologies and maintaining sufficient host defenses against infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisbeth A Boule
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.,CBR International, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Catherine G Burke
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Guang-Bi Jin
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.,Department of Preventative Medicine, School of Medicine, Yaniban University, Yanji City, Jilin Provence, China
| | - B Paige Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA. .,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.
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36
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Blossom SJ, Gilbert KM. Epigenetic underpinnings of developmental immunotoxicity and autoimmune disease. CURRENT OPINION IN TOXICOLOGY 2017; 10:23-30. [PMID: 30613805 DOI: 10.1016/j.cotox.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The concordance rate for developing autoimmune disease in identical twins is around 50% demonstrating that gene and environmental interactions contribute to disease etiology. The environmental contribution to autoimmune disease is a wide-ranging concept including exposure to immunotoxic environmental chemicals. Because the immune system is immature during development suggests that adult-onset autoimmunity may originate when the immune system is particularly sensitive. Among the pollutants most closely associated with inflammation and/or autoimmunity include Bisphenol-A, mercury, TCDD, and trichloroethylene. These toxicants have been shown to impart epigenetic changes (e.g., DNA methylation) that may alter immune function and promote autoreactivity. Here we review these autoimmune-promoting toxicants and their relation to immune cell epigenetics both in terms of adult and developmental exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Blossom
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children's Research Institute, 13 Children's Way, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Kathleen M Gilbert
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children's Research Institute, 13 Children's Way, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
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37
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Hale MD, Galligan TM, Rainwater TR, Moore BC, Wilkinson PM, Guillette LJ, Parrott BB. AHR and CYP1A expression link historical contamination events to modern day developmental effects in the American alligator. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 230:1050-1061. [PMID: 28764121 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.07.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that initiates a transcriptional pathway responsible for the expression of CYP1A subfamily members, key to the metabolism of xenobiotic compounds. Toxic planar halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, including dioxin and PCBs, are capable of activating the AHR, and while dioxin and PCB inputs into the environment have been dramatically curbed following strict regulatory efforts in the United States, they persist in the environment and exposures remain relevant today. Little is known regarding the effects that long-term chronic exposures to dioxin or dioxin-like compounds might have on the development and subsequent health of offspring from exposed individuals, nor is much known regarding AHR expression in reptilians. Here, we characterize AHR and CYP1A gene expression in embryonic and juvenile specimen of a long-lived, apex predator, the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), and investigate variation in gene expression profiles in offspring collected from sites conveying differential exposures to environmental contaminants. Both age- and tissue-dependent patterning of AHR isoform expression are detected. We characterize two downstream transcriptional targets of the AHR, CYP1A1 and CYP1A2, and describe conserved elements of their genomic architecture. When comparisons across different sites are made, hepatic expression of CYP1A2, a direct target of the AHR, appears elevated in embryos from a site associated with a dioxin point source and previously characterized PCB contamination. Elevated CYP1A2 expression is not persistent, as site-specific variation was absent in juveniles originating from field-collected eggs but reared under lab conditions. Our results illustrate the patterning of AHR gene expression in a long-lived environmental model species, and indicate a potential contemporary influence of historical contamination. This research presents a novel opportunity to link contamination events to critical genetic pathways during embryonic development, and carries significant potential to inform our understanding of potential health effects in wildlife and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Hale
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, United States; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States
| | - Thomas M Galligan
- Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences Program, Hollings Marine Laboratory and the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29412, United States
| | - Thomas R Rainwater
- Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center & Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson University, Georgetown, SC 29442, United States
| | - Brandon C Moore
- Department of Biology, Sewanee: the University of the South, Sewanee, TN 37383, United States
| | - Philip M Wilkinson
- Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Georgetown, SC 29440, United States
| | - Louis J Guillette
- Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences Program, Hollings Marine Laboratory and the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29412, United States
| | - Benjamin B Parrott
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, United States; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States.
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38
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Abstract
Recent evidence from embryonic stem cells suggests that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) plays a central role in the regulation of pluripotency, a short-lived property of cells in the early blastula inner cell mass (ICM). Four key observations support this conclusion. The first is the temporal association between upregulation of AHR expression and the onset of cell differentiation, which argues for the AHR as a determinant of cell fate decisions. The second is the repression of the pluripotency factors OCT4 and NANOG by the AHR, which depresses their function and contributes to the cell's exit from pluripotency. The third is the temporal association between changes in global DNA methylation and stage-dependent AHR expression, which parallel each other during embryonic development, suggesting that AHR helps configure a repressive chromatin structure that controls differentiation. The fourth is the incidence of early developmental aberrations that take place in Ahr-null mice and cause the disruption of their embryonic program, which is likely to be a consequence of the loss of pluripotency of the Ahr-/- ICM cells. In this short review, we will focus on the modulation of pluripotency as a novel function of the AHR, and on the potentially detrimental developmental outcomes that may result from exposure to environmental toxicants. This line of enquiry brings us to the tantalizing conclusion that by activating mechanisms that modulate pluripotency, AHR regulates embryonic development. The likelihood that exposure to environmental AHR ligands might disrupt developmental processes is a reasonable corollary to this conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-I Ko
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics University of Cincinnati College of Medicine 160 Panzeca Way, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45267, USA
| | - Alvaro Puga
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics University of Cincinnati College of Medicine 160 Panzeca Way, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45267, USA
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39
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Cella M, Colonna M. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor: Linking environment to immunity. Semin Immunol 2016; 27:310-4. [PMID: 26561251 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Mucosal and barrier tissues are unique in that they mediate crosstalk between the host and the surrounding environment, which contains many potentially harmful factors. Therefore, it is critical that cell types present at barrier and mucosal surfaces are equipped with mechanisms to sense changes in the environment and to calibrate their responses accordingly. Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) is a ligand dependent transcription factor well known to generate biological responses to environmental pollutants, such as benzo{a}pyrene and halogenated dioxins. Surprisingly, in the last few years a large body of evidence has shown that AHR is also involved in maintaining homeostasis or in triggering pathology by modulating the biological responses of critical cell types at the barrier and mucosal interfaces. Here, we will review progresses in this field and discuss how targeting AHR activation may impact disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Cella
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, United States.
| | - Marco Colonna
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, United States.
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40
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Kreitinger JM, Beamer CA, Shepherd DM. Environmental Immunology: Lessons Learned from Exposure to a Select Panel of Immunotoxicants. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 196:3217-25. [PMID: 27044635 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1502149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental contaminants can produce profound effects on the immune system. Many classes of xenobiotics can significantly suppress or enhance immune responsiveness depending on the levels (i.e., dose) and context (i.e., timing, route) of exposure. Although defining the effects that toxicants can have on the immune system is a valuable component to improving public health, environmental immunology has greatly enhanced our understanding of how the immune system functions and has provided innovative avenues to explore new immunotherapies. This Brief Review focuses on three examples of how immunotoxicology has benefitted the field of immunology, presenting information on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling pathway, the immunomodulatory effects of nanomaterials, and the impact of xenobiotic exposure on the developing immune system. Collectively, contributions from immunotoxicology have significantly enhanced public health and spurred seminal advances in both basic and applied immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Kreitinger
- Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812; and
| | - Celine A Beamer
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812
| | - David M Shepherd
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812
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Laiosa MD, Tate ER, Ahrenhoerster LS, Chen Y, Wang D. Effects of Developmental Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor by 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on Long-term Self-renewal of Murine Hematopoietic Stem Cells. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2016; 124:957-65. [PMID: 26495820 PMCID: PMC4937855 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1509820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human epidemiological and animal studies suggest that developmental exposure to contaminants that activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) lead to suppression of immune system function throughout life. The persistence of immune deficiency throughout life suggests that the cellular target of AHR activation is a fetal hematopoietic progenitor or stem cell. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to identify the effects of transplacental exposure to an AHR agonist on long-term self-renewal of fetal hematopoietic stem cells. METHODS Pregnant C57BL/6 or AHR+/- mice were exposed to the AHR agonist, 2,3,7,8-tetra-chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). On day 14 of gestation, hematopoietic progenitors from wild-type or AHR-deficient fetuses were placed into in vitro T-lymphocyte differentiation cultures to identify the effects of transplacental TCDD on AHR activation in the fetus. We next analyzed the fetal hematopoietic progenitor cells for changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Finally, hematopoietic progenitors from fetuses exposed transplacentally to TCDD were mixed 1:1 with cells from congenic controls and used to reconstitute lethally irradiated recipients for analysis of long-term self-renewal potential. RESULTS Our findings suggested that the effects of TCDD on the developing hematopoietic system were mediated by direct AHR activation in the fetus. Furthermore, developmental AHR activation by TCDD increased ROS in the fetal hematopoietic stem cells, and the elevated ROS was associated with a reduced capacity of the TCDD-exposed fetal cells to compete with control cells in a mixed competitive irradiation/reconstitution assay. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that AHR activation by TCDD in the fetus during pregnancy leads to impairment of long-term self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells. CITATION Laiosa MD, Tate ER, Ahrenhoerster LS, Chen Y, Wang D. 2016. Effects of developmental activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on long-term self-renewal of murine hematopoietic stem cells. Environ Health Perspect 124:957-965; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509820.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Laiosa
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Address correspondence to M.D. Laiosa, Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, 3335 North Maryland Ave., Kenwood Interdisciplinary Complex Room 5071, Milwaukee, WI 53211 USA. Telephone: (414) 229-2279. E-mail:
| | - Everett R. Tate
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Lori S. Ahrenhoerster
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Yuhong Chen
- Blood Research Institute, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Demin Wang
- Blood Research Institute, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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Carreira VS, Fan Y, Kurita H, Wang Q, Ko CI, Naticchioni M, Jiang M, Koch S, Zhang X, Biesiada J, Medvedovic M, Xia Y, Rubinstein J, Puga A. Disruption of Ah Receptor Signaling during Mouse Development Leads to Abnormal Cardiac Structure and Function in the Adult. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142440. [PMID: 26555816 PMCID: PMC4640841 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) Theory proposes that the environment encountered during fetal life and infancy permanently shapes tissue physiology and homeostasis such that damage resulting from maternal stress, poor nutrition or exposure to environmental agents may be at the heart of adult onset disease. Interference with endogenous developmental functions of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), either by gene ablation or by exposure in utero to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a potent AHR ligand, causes structural, molecular and functional cardiac abnormalities and altered heart physiology in mouse embryos. To test if embryonic effects progress into an adult phenotype, we investigated whether Ahr ablation or TCDD exposure in utero resulted in cardiac abnormalities in adult mice long after removal of the agent. Ten-months old adult Ahr-/- and in utero TCDD-exposed Ahr+/+ mice showed sexually dimorphic abnormal cardiovascular phenotypes characterized by echocardiographic findings of hypertrophy, ventricular dilation and increased heart weight, resting heart rate and systolic and mean blood pressure, and decreased exercise tolerance. Underlying these effects, genes in signaling networks related to cardiac hypertrophy and mitochondrial function were differentially expressed. Cardiac dysfunction in mouse embryos resulting from AHR signaling disruption seems to progress into abnormal cardiac structure and function that predispose adults to cardiac disease, but while embryonic dysfunction is equally robust in males and females, the adult abnormalities are more prevalent in females, with the highest severity in Ahr-/- females. The findings reported here underscore the conclusion that AHR signaling in the developing heart is one potential target of environmental factors associated with cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius S. Carreira
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Yunxia Fan
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Hisaka Kurita
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Chia-I Ko
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Mindi Naticchioni
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Min Jiang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Sheryl Koch
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Jacek Biesiada
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Mario Medvedovic
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Ying Xia
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Jack Rubinstein
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
| | - Alvaro Puga
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Laiosa MD, Tate ER. Fetal Hematopoietic Stem Cells Are the Canaries in the Coal Mine That Portend Later Life Immune Deficiency. Endocrinology 2015; 156:3458-65. [PMID: 26241066 PMCID: PMC4588830 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Disorders of the blood system are a significant and growing global health concern and include a spectrum of diseases ranging from aplastic anemia and leukemias to immune suppression. This array of hematological disorders is attributed to the fact that the blood system undergoes a perpetual cycle of turn over with aged and exhausted red and white blood cells undergoing daily replacement. The foundational cells of this replenishment process are comprised of rare hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) located in the bone marrow that possess the dual function of long-term self-renewal and multilineage differentiation. This constant turnover makes the hematopoietic system uniquely vulnerable to changes in the environment that impact multilineage differentiation, self-renewal, or both. Notably, environmental endocrine-disrupting exposures occurring during development, when HSCs are first emerging, can lead to alterations in HSC programming that impacts the blood and immune systems throughout life. In this review, we describe the process of fetal hematopoiesis and provide an overview of the intrauterine environmental and endocrine-disrupting compounds that disrupt this process. Finally, we describe research opportunities for fetal HSCs as potential sentinels of later-life blood and immune system disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Laiosa
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
| | - Everett R Tate
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
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Boule LA, Burke CG, Fenton BM, Thevenet-Morrison K, Jusko TA, Lawrence BP. Developmental Activation of the AHR Increases Effector CD4+ T Cells and Exacerbates Symptoms in Autoimmune Disease-Prone Gnaq+/- Mice. Toxicol Sci 2015; 148:555-66. [PMID: 26363170 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfv203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Perinatal environmental exposures are potentially important contributors to the increase in autoimmune diseases. Yet, the mechanisms by which these exposures increase self-reactive immune responses later in life are poorly understood. Autoimmune diseases require CD4(+) T cells for initiation, progression, and/or clinical symptoms; thus, developmental exposures that cause durable changes in CD4(+) T cells may play a role. Early life activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) causes persistent changes in the response of CD4(+) T cells to infection later in life but whether CD4(+) T cells are affected by developmental exposure in the context of an autoimmune disease is unknown. Gnaq(+/-) mice develop symptoms of autoimmune disease similar to those measured clinically, and therefore can be used to evaluate gene-environment interactions during development on disease progression. Herein, we examined the effect of AHR activation in utero and via lactation, or solely via lactation, on disease onset and severity in adult Gnaq(+/-) offspring. Developmental activation of the AHR-accelerated disease in Gnaq(+/-) mice, and this correlates with increases in effector CD4(+) T-cell populations. Increased symptom onset and cellular changes due to early life AHR activation were more evident in female Gnaq(+/-) mice compared with males. These observations suggest that developmental AHR activation by pollutants, and other exogenous ligands, may increase the likelihood that genetically predisposed individuals will develop clinical symptoms of autoimmune disease later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Todd A Jusko
- Department of Public Health Sciences, and Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
| | - B Paige Lawrence
- *Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
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Verdeil G, Fuertes Marraco SA, Murray T, Speiser DE. From T cell "exhaustion" to anti-cancer immunity. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2015; 1865:49-57. [PMID: 26123831 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2015.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The immune system has the potential to protect from malignant diseases for extended periods of time. Unfortunately, spontaneous immune responses are often inefficient. Significant effort is required to develop reliable, broadly applicable immunotherapies for cancer patients. A major innovation was transplantation with hematopoietic stem cells from genetically distinct donors for patients with hematologic malignancies. In this setting, donor T cells induce long-term remission by keeping cancer cells in check through powerful allogeneic graft-versus-leukemia effects. More recently, a long awaited breakthrough for patients with solid tissue cancers was achieved, by means of therapeutic blockade of T cell inhibitory receptors. In untreated cancer patients, T cells are dysfunctional and remain in a state of T cell "exhaustion". Nonetheless, they often retain a high potential for successful defense against cancer, indicating that many T cells are not entirely and irreversibly exhausted but can be mobilized to become highly functional. Novel antibody therapies that block inhibitory receptors can lead to strong activation of anti-tumor T cells, mediating clinically significant anti-cancer immunity for many years. Here we review these new treatments and the current knowledge on tumor antigen-specific T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégory Verdeil
- Ludwig Cancer Research Center and Department of Oncology, Clinical Tumor Biology & Immunotherapy Group, Lausanne University Hospital Center (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 9A, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Silvia A Fuertes Marraco
- Ludwig Cancer Research Center and Department of Oncology, Clinical Tumor Biology & Immunotherapy Group, Lausanne University Hospital Center (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 9A, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Timothy Murray
- Ludwig Cancer Research Center and Department of Oncology, Clinical Tumor Biology & Immunotherapy Group, Lausanne University Hospital Center (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 9A, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Daniel E Speiser
- Ludwig Cancer Research Center and Department of Oncology, Clinical Tumor Biology & Immunotherapy Group, Lausanne University Hospital Center (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 9A, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.
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46
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Boule LA, Winans B, Lambert K, Vorderstrasse BA, Topham DJ, Pavelka MS, Lawrence BP. Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor during development enhances the pulmonary CD4+ T-cell response to viral infection. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2015; 309:L305-13. [PMID: 26071552 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00135.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Respiratory infections are a threat to health and economies worldwide, yet the basis for striking variation in the severity of infection is not completely understood. Environmental exposures during development are associated with increased severity and incidence of respiratory infection later in life. Many of these exposures include ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a transcription factor expressed by immune and nonimmune cells. In adult animals, AHR activation alters CD4(+) T cells and changes immunopathology. Developmental AHR activation impacts CD4(+) T-cell responses in lymphoid tissues, but whether skewed responses are also present in the infected lung is unknown. To determine whether pulmonary CD4(+) T-cell responses are modified by developmental AHR activation, mice were exposed to the prototypical AHR ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin during development and infected with influenza virus as adults. Lungs of exposed offspring had greater bronchopulmonary inflammation compared with controls, and activated, virus-specific CD4(+) T cells contributed to the infiltrating leukocytes. These effects were CD4(+) T cell subset specific, with increases in T helper type 1 and regulatory T cells, but no change in the frequency of T helper type 17 cells in the infected lung. This is in direct contrast to prior reports of suppressed conventional CD4(+) T-cell responses in the lymph node. Using adoptive transfers and manipulating the pathogen properties, we determined that developmental exposure influenced factors intrinsic and extrinsic to CD4(+) T cells and may involve developmentally induced changes in signals from infected lung epithelial cells. Thus developmental exposures lead to context-dependent changes in pulmonary CD4(+) T-cell subsets, which may contribute to differential responses to respiratory infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisbeth A Boule
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
| | - Bethany Winans
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York; and
| | - Kris Lambert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
| | - Beth A Vorderstrasse
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon
| | - David J Topham
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
| | - Martin S Pavelka
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
| | - B Paige Lawrence
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York; Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York; and
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