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Luo S, Liman N, Li C, Crossman A, Wang ECY, Meylan F, Park JH. The cytokine receptor DR3 identifies and promotes the activation of thymic NKT17 cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:76. [PMID: 36847849 PMCID: PMC10838626 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04726-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells correspond to a population of thymus-generated T cells with innate-like characteristics and effector functions. Among the various iNKT subsets, NKT17 is the only subset that produces the proinflammatory cytokine IL-17. But, how NKT17 cells acquire this ability and what would selectively trigger their activation remain incompletely understood. Here, we identified the cytokine receptor DR3 being specifically expressed on thymic NKT17 cells and mostly absent on other thymic iNKT subsets. Moreover, DR3 ligation promoted the in vivo activation of thymic NKT17 cells and provided costimulatory effects upon agonistic α-GalCer stimulation. Thus, we identified a specific surface marker for thymic NKT17 cells that triggers their activation and augments their effector functions both in vivo and in vitro. These findings provide new insights for deciphering the role and function of murine NKT17 cells and for understanding the development and activation mechanisms of iNKT cells in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunqun Luo
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nurcin Liman
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Can Li
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Assiatu Crossman
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Eddie C Y Wang
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Françoise Meylan
- Translational Immunology Section, NIAMS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jung-Hyun Park
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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2
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Li C, Kim HK, Prakhar P, Luo S, Crossman A, Ligons DL, Luckey MA, Awasthi P, Gress RE, Park JH. Chemokine receptor CCR9 suppresses the differentiation of CD4 +CD8αα + intraepithelial T cells in the gut. Mucosal Immunol 2022; 15:882-895. [PMID: 35778600 PMCID: PMC9391308 DOI: 10.1038/s41385-022-00540-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The chemokine receptor CCR9 equips T cells with the ability to respond to CCL25, a chemokine that is highly expressed in the thymus and the small intestine (SI). Notably, CCR9 is mostly expressed on CD8 but not on CD4 lineage T cells, thus imposing distinct tissue tropism on CD4 and CD8 T cells. The molecular basis and the consequences for such a dichotomy, however, have not been fully examined and explained. Here, we demonstrate that the forced expression of CCR9 interferes with the tissue trafficking and differentiation of CD4 T cells in SI intraepithelial tissues. While CCR9 overexpression did not alter CD4 T cell generation in the thymus, the forced expression of CCR9 was detrimental for the proper tissue distribution of CD4 T cells in the periphery, and strikingly also for their terminal differentiation in the gut epithelium. Specifically, the differentiation of SI epithelial CD4 T cells into immunoregulatory CD4+CD8αα+ T cells was impaired by overexpression of CCR9 and conversely increased by the genetic deletion of CCR9. Collectively, our results reveal a previously unappreciated role for CCR9 in the tissue homeostasis and effector function of CD4 T cells in the gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Li
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Hye Kyung Kim
- Experimental Transplantation and Immunotherapy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Praveen Prakhar
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Shunqun Luo
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Assiatu Crossman
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Davinna L Ligons
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Megan A Luckey
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Parirokh Awasthi
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Institute of Health, Frederick, MD, 21701, USA
| | - Ronald E Gress
- Experimental Transplantation and Immunotherapy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jung-Hyun Park
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Park JY, Won HY, DiPalma DT, Kim HK, Kim TH, Li C, Sato N, Hong C, Abraham N, Gress RE, Park JH. In vivo availability of the cytokine IL-7 constrains the survival and homeostasis of peripheral iNKT cells. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110219. [PMID: 35021100 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the homeostatic mechanism of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells is a critical issue in iNKT cell biology. Because interleukin (IL)-15 is required for the thymic generation of iNKT cells, IL-15 has also been considered necessary for the homeostasis of peripheral iNKT cells. Here, we delineated the in vivo cytokine requirement for iNKT cells, and we came to the surprising conclusion that IL-7, not IL-15, is the homeostatic cytokine for iNKT cells. Employing a series of experimental mouse models where the availability of IL-7 or IL-15 was manipulated in peripheral tissues, either by genetic tools or by adult thymectomy and cytokine pump installation, we demonstrate that the abundance of IL-7, and not IL-15, limits the size of the peripheral iNKT cell pool. These results redefine the cytokine requirement for iNKT cells and indicate competition for IL-7 between iNKT and conventional αβ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo-Young Park
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul National University Dental Hospital, 101 Daehakno, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03080, South Korea.
| | - Hee Yeun Won
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Devon T DiPalma
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hye Kyung Kim
- Experimental Transplantation Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tae-Hyoun Kim
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Can Li
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Noriko Sato
- Molecular Imaging Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Changwan Hong
- Department of Anatomy, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, South Korea
| | - Ninan Abraham
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Department of Zoology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Ronald E Gress
- Experimental Transplantation Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jung-Hyun Park
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Park JY, Won HY, DiPalma DT, Hong C, Park JH. Protein abundance of the cytokine receptor γc controls the thymic generation of innate-like T cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 79:17. [PMID: 34971407 PMCID: PMC8754256 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-04067-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Innate-like T (iT) cells comprise a population of immunoregulatory T cells whose effector function is imposed during their development in the thymus to provide protective immunity prior to antigen encounter. The molecular mechanism that drives the generation of iT cells remains unclear. Here, we report that the cytokine receptor γc plays a previously unappreciated role for thymic iT cells by controlling their cellular abundance, lineage commitment, and subset differentiation. As such, γc overexpression on thymocytes dramatically altered iT cell generation in the thymus, as it skewed the subset composition of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells and promoted the generation of IFNγ-producing innate CD8 T cells. Mechanistically, we found that the γc-STAT6 axis drives the differentiation of IL-4-producing iNKT cells, which in turn induced the generation of innate CD8 T cells. Collectively, these results reveal a cytokine-driven circuity of thymic iT cell differentiation that is controlled by the abundance of γc proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo-Young Park
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Seoul National University Dental Hospital, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Daehakno 101, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, South Korea
| | - Hee Yeun Won
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Devon T DiPalma
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Changwan Hong
- Department of Anatomy, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 626-870, South Korea
| | - Jung-Hyun Park
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 5B17, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Luo S, Kwon J, Crossman A, Park PW, Park JH. CD138 expression is a molecular signature but not a developmental requirement for RORγt+ NKT17 cells. JCI Insight 2021; 6:148038. [PMID: 34549726 PMCID: PMC8492317 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.148038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells are potent immunomodulatory cells that acquire effector function during their development in the thymus. IL-17-producing iNKT cells are commonly referred to as NKT17 cells, and they are unique among iNKT cells to express the heparan sulfate proteoglycan CD138 and the transcription factor RORγt. Whether and how CD138 and RORγt contribute to NKT17 cell differentiation, and whether there is an interplay between RORγt and CD138 expression to control iNKT lineage fate, remain mostly unknown. Here, we showed that CD138 expression was only associated with and not required for the differentiation and IL-17 production of NKT17 cells. Consequently, CD138-deficient mice still generated robust numbers of IL-17-producing RORγt+ NKT17 cells. Moreover, forced expression of RORγt significantly promoted the generation of thymic NKT17 cells, but did not induce CD138 expression on non-NKT17 cells. These results indicated that NKT17 cell generation and IL-17 production were driven by RORγt, employing mechanisms that were independent of CD138. Therefore, our study effectively dissociated CD138 expression from the RORγt-driven molecular pathway of NKT17 cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunqun Luo
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Juntae Kwon
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Assiatu Crossman
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Pyong Woo Park
- Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jung-Hyun Park
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Won HY, Kim HK, Crossman A, Awasthi P, Gress RE, Park JH. The Timing and Abundance of IL-2Rβ (CD122) Expression Control Thymic iNKT Cell Generation and NKT1 Subset Differentiation. Front Immunol 2021; 12:642856. [PMID: 34054809 PMCID: PMC8161506 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.642856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells are thymus-generated innate-like T cells, comprised of three distinct subsets with divergent effector functions. The molecular mechanism that drives the lineage trifurcation of immature iNKT cells into the NKT1, NKT2, and NKT17 subsets remains a controversial issue that remains to be resolved. Because cytokine receptor signaling is necessary for iNKT cell generation, cytokines are proposed to contribute to iNKT subset differentiation also. However, the precise roles and requirements of cytokines in these processes are not fully understood. Here, we show that IL-2Rβ, a nonredundant component of the IL-15 receptor complex, plays a critical role in both the development and differentiation of thymic iNKT cells. While the induction of IL-2Rβ expression on postselection thymocytes is necessary to drive the generation of iNKT cells, surprisingly, premature IL-2Rβ expression on immature iNKT cells was detrimental to their development. Moreover, while IL-2Rβ is necessary for NKT1 generation, paradoxically, we found that the increased abundance of IL-2Rβ suppressed NKT1 generation without affecting NKT2 and NKT17 cell differentiation. Thus, the timing and abundance of IL-2Rβ expression control iNKT lineage fate and development, thereby establishing cytokine receptor expression as a critical regulator of thymic iNKT cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee Yeun Won
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hye Kyung Kim
- Experimental Transplantation and Immunotherapy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Assiatu Crossman
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Parirokh Awasthi
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Ronald E Gress
- Experimental Transplantation and Immunotherapy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jung-Hyun Park
- Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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