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Chenery AL, Rosini S, Parkinson JE, Ajendra J, Herrera JA, Lawless C, Chan BHK, Loke P, MacDonald AS, Kadler KE, Sutherland TE, Allen JE. IL-13 deficiency exacerbates lung damage and impairs epithelial-derived type 2 molecules during nematode infection. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:4/8/e202001000. [PMID: 34127548 PMCID: PMC8321663 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202001000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
IL-13 is implicated in effective repair after acute lung injury and the pathogenesis of chronic diseases such as allergic asthma. Both these processes involve matrix remodelling, but understanding the specific contribution of IL-13 has been challenging because IL-13 shares receptors and signalling pathways with IL-4. Here, we used Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection as a model of acute lung damage comparing responses between WT and IL-13-deficient mice, in which IL-4 signalling is intact. We found that IL-13 played a critical role in limiting tissue injury and haemorrhaging in the lung, and through proteomic and transcriptomic profiling, identified IL-13-dependent changes in matrix and associated regulators. We further showed a requirement for IL-13 in the induction of epithelial-derived type 2 effector molecules such as RELM-α and surfactant protein D. Pathway analyses predicted that IL-13 induced cellular stress responses and regulated lung epithelial cell differentiation by suppression of Foxa2 pathways. Thus, in the context of acute lung damage, IL-13 has tissue-protective functions and regulates epithelial cell responses during type 2 immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair L Chenery
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK,Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Silvia Rosini
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK,Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - James E Parkinson
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK,Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jesuthas Ajendra
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK,Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jeremy A Herrera
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Craig Lawless
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Brian HK Chan
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK,Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - P’ng Loke
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew S MacDonald
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Karl E Kadler
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK,Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Tara E Sutherland
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Judith E Allen
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK .,Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Ajendra J, Chenery AL, Parkinson JE, Chan BHK, Pearson S, Colombo SAP, Boon L, Grencis RK, Sutherland TE, Allen JE. IL-17A both initiates, via IFNγ suppression, and limits the pulmonary type-2 immune response to nematode infection. Mucosal Immunol 2020; 13:958-968. [PMID: 32636457 PMCID: PMC7567645 DOI: 10.1038/s41385-020-0318-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Nippostrongylus brasiliensis is a well-defined model of type-2 immunity but the early lung-migrating phase is dominated by innate IL-17A production. In this study, we confirm previous observations that Il17a-KO mice infected with N. brasiliensis exhibit an impaired type-2 immune response. Transcriptional profiling of the lung on day 2 of N. brasiliensis infection revealed an increased Ifng signature in Il17a-KO mice confirmed by enhanced IFNγ protein production in lung lymphocyte populations. Depletion of early IFNγ rescued type-2 immune responses in the Il17a-KO mice demonstrating that IL-17A-mediated suppression of IFNγ promotes type-2 immunity. Notably, later in infection, once the type-2 response was established, IL-17A limited the magnitude of the type-2 response. IL-17A regulation of type-2 immunity was lung-specific and infection with Trichuris muris revealed that IL-17A promotes a type-2 immune response in the lung even when infection is restricted to the intestine. Together our data reveal IL-17A as a major regulator of pulmonary type-2 immunity such that IL-17A supports early development of a protective type-2 response by suppression of IFNγ but subsequently limits excessive type-2 responses. A failure of this feedback loop may contribute to conditions such as severe asthma, characterised by combined elevation of IL-17 and type-2 cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesuthas Ajendra
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Alistair L Chenery
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - James E Parkinson
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Brian H K Chan
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Stella Pearson
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Stefano A P Colombo
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Louis Boon
- Bioceros, Member of Polpharma Biologics, Yalelaan 46, 3584, CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Richard K Grencis
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Tara E Sutherland
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Judith E Allen
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
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3
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Chenery AL, Alhallaf R, Agha Z, Ajendra J, Parkinson JE, Cooper MM, Chan BHK, Eichenberger RM, Dent LA, Robertson AAB, Kupz A, Brough D, Loukas A, Sutherland TE, Allen JE, Giacomin PR. Inflammasome-Independent Role for NLRP3 in Controlling Innate Antihelminth Immunity and Tissue Repair in the Lung. J Immunol 2019; 203:2724-2734. [PMID: 31586037 PMCID: PMC6826118 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Alternatively activated macrophages are essential effector cells during type 2 immunity and tissue repair following helminth infections. We previously showed that Ym1, an alternative activation marker, can drive innate IL-1R-dependent neutrophil recruitment during infection with the lung-migrating nematode, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, suggesting a potential role for the inflammasome in the IL-1-mediated innate response to infection. Although inflammasome proteins such as NLRP3 have important proinflammatory functions in macrophages, their role during type 2 responses and repair are less defined. We therefore infected Nlrp3 -/- mice with N. brasiliensis Unexpectedly, compared with wild-type (WT) mice, infected Nlrp3 -/- mice had increased neutrophilia and eosinophilia, correlating with enhanced worm killing but at the expense of increased tissue damage and delayed lung repair. Transcriptional profiling showed that infected Nlrp3 -/- mice exhibited elevated type 2 gene expression compared with WT mice. Notably, inflammasome activation was not evident early postinfection with N. brasiliensis, and in contrast to Nlrp3 -/- mice, antihelminth responses were unaffected in caspase-1/11-deficient or WT mice treated with the NLRP3-specific inhibitor MCC950. Together these data suggest that NLRP3 has a role in constraining lung neutrophilia, helminth killing, and type 2 immune responses in an inflammasome-independent manner.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Caspase 1/physiology
- Chemotaxis, Leukocyte
- Eosinophilia/etiology
- Eosinophilia/immunology
- Furans/pharmacology
- Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings
- Immunity, Innate
- Indenes
- Inflammasomes/physiology
- Interleukin-4/pharmacology
- Lectins/biosynthesis
- Lectins/genetics
- Lung/pathology
- Lung/physiology
- Lung Diseases, Parasitic/complications
- Lung Diseases, Parasitic/immunology
- Lung Diseases, Parasitic/pathology
- Lung Diseases, Parasitic/physiopathology
- Macrophages, Alveolar/enzymology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/antagonists & inhibitors
- NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/deficiency
- NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics
- NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/physiology
- Neutrophils/immunology
- Nippostrongylus/immunology
- Regeneration
- Strongylida Infections/complications
- Strongylida Infections/immunology
- Strongylida Infections/pathology
- Strongylida Infections/physiopathology
- Sulfonamides/pharmacology
- Sulfones
- Transcription, Genetic
- beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases/biosynthesis
- beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair L Chenery
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Rafid Alhallaf
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Smithfield, Queensland 4878, Australia
| | - Zainab Agha
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Smithfield, Queensland 4878, Australia
| | - Jesuthas Ajendra
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - James E Parkinson
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Martha M Cooper
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Smithfield, Queensland 4878, Australia
| | - Brian H K Chan
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Ramon M Eichenberger
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Smithfield, Queensland 4878, Australia
| | - Lindsay A Dent
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; and
| | - Avril A B Robertson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Andreas Kupz
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Smithfield, Queensland 4878, Australia
| | - David Brough
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Loukas
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Smithfield, Queensland 4878, Australia
| | - Tara E Sutherland
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Judith E Allen
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom;
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
- Lydia Becker Institute for Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Paul R Giacomin
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Smithfield, Queensland 4878, Australia;
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Chenery AL, Antignano F, Hughes MR, Burrows K, McNagny KM, Zaph C. ChronicTrichuris murisinfection alters hematopoiesis and causes IFN-γ-expressing T-cell accumulation in the mouse bone marrow. Eur J Immunol 2016; 46:2587-2596. [DOI: 10.1002/eji.201646326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alistair L. Chenery
- The Biomedical Research Centre; University of British Columbia; Vancouver Canada
| | - Frann Antignano
- The Biomedical Research Centre; University of British Columbia; Vancouver Canada
| | - Michael R. Hughes
- The Biomedical Research Centre; University of British Columbia; Vancouver Canada
| | - Kyle Burrows
- The Biomedical Research Centre; University of British Columbia; Vancouver Canada
| | - Kelly M. McNagny
- The Biomedical Research Centre; University of British Columbia; Vancouver Canada
| | - Colby Zaph
- The Biomedical Research Centre; University of British Columbia; Vancouver Canada
- Infection and Immunity Program; Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute; Monash University; Clayton Victoria Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; School of Biomedical Sciences; Monash University; Clayton Victoria Australia
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Oudhoff MJ, Antignano F, Chenery AL, Burrows K, Redpath SA, Braam MJ, Perona-Wright G, Zaph C. Intestinal Epithelial Cell-Intrinsic Deletion of Setd7 Identifies Role for Developmental Pathways in Immunity to Helminth Infection. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005876. [PMID: 27598373 PMCID: PMC5012677 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The intestine is a common site for a variety of pathogenic infections. Helminth infections continue to be major causes of disease worldwide, and are a significant burden on health care systems. Lysine methyltransferases are part of a family of novel attractive targets for drug discovery. SETD7 is a member of the Suppressor of variegation 3-9-Enhancer of zeste-Trithorax (SET) domain-containing family of lysine methyltransferases, and has been shown to methylate and alter the function of a wide variety of proteins in vitro. A few of these putative methylation targets have been shown to be important in resistance against pathogens. We therefore sought to study the role of SETD7 during parasitic infections. We find that Setd7-/- mice display increased resistance to infection with the helminth Trichuris muris but not Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri. Resistance to T. muris relies on an appropriate type 2 immune response that in turn prompts intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) to alter differentiation and proliferation kinetics. Here we show that SETD7 does not affect immune cell responses during infection. Instead, we found that IEC-specific deletion of Setd7 renders mice resistant to T. muris by controlling IEC turnover, an important aspect of anti-helminth immune responses. We further show that SETD7 controls IEC turnover by modulating developmental signaling pathways such as Hippo/YAP and Wnt/β-Catenin. We show that the Hippo pathway specifically is relevant during T. muris infection as verteporfin (a YAP inhibitor) treated mice became susceptible to T. muris. We conclude that SETD7 plays an important role in IEC biology during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menno J. Oudhoff
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Center of Molecular Inflammation Research, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- * E-mail: (MJO); (CZ)
| | - Frann Antignano
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alistair L. Chenery
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kyle Burrows
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stephen A. Redpath
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mitchell J. Braam
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Georgia Perona-Wright
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Colby Zaph
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail: (MJO); (CZ)
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6
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Antignano F, Braam M, Hughes MR, Chenery AL, Burrows K, Gold MJ, Oudhoff MJ, Rattray D, Halim TY, Cait A, Takei F, Rossi FM, McNagny KM, Zaph C. G9a regulates group 2 innate lymphoid cell development by repressing the group 3 innate lymphoid cell program. J Exp Med 2016; 213:1153-62. [PMID: 27298444 PMCID: PMC4925019 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20151646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Antignano, Zaph, and collaborators show that the lysine methyltransferase G9a plays a critical role in determining the developmental programs of group 2 and 3 innate lymphoid cells. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are emerging as important regulators of homeostatic and disease-associated immune processes. Despite recent advances in defining the molecular pathways that control development and function of ILCs, the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate ILC biology are unknown. Here, we identify a role for the lysine methyltransferase G9a in regulating ILC2 development and function. Mice with a hematopoietic cell–specific deletion of G9a (Vav.G9a−/− mice) have a severe reduction in ILC2s in peripheral sites, associated with impaired development of immature ILC2s in the bone marrow. Accordingly, Vav.G9a−/− mice are resistant to the development of allergic lung inflammation. G9a-dependent dimethylation of histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9me2) is a repressive histone mark that is associated with gene silencing. Genome-wide expression analysis demonstrated that the absence of G9a led to increased expression of ILC3-associated genes in developing ILC2 populations. Further, we found high levels of G9a-dependent H3K9me2 at ILC3-specific genetic loci, demonstrating that G9a-mediated repression of ILC3-associated genes is critical for the optimal development of ILC2s. Together, these results provide the first identification of an epigenetic regulatory mechanism in ILC development and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frann Antignano
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Mitchell Braam
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Michael R Hughes
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Alistair L Chenery
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Kyle Burrows
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Matthew J Gold
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Menno J Oudhoff
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - David Rattray
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Timotheus Y Halim
- The Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Alissa Cait
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Fumio Takei
- The Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Fabio M Rossi
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Kelly M McNagny
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Colby Zaph
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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7
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Antignano F, Burrows K, Hughes MR, Han JM, Kron KJ, Penrod NM, Oudhoff MJ, Wang SKH, Min PH, Gold MJ, Chenery AL, Braam MJS, Fung TC, Rossi FMV, McNagny KM, Arrowsmith CH, Lupien M, Levings MK, Zaph C. Methyltransferase G9A regulates T cell differentiation during murine intestinal inflammation. J Clin Invest 2014; 124:1945-55. [PMID: 24667637 DOI: 10.1172/jci69592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis is associated with dysregulated CD4⁺ Th cell responses, with intestinal homeostasis depending on the balance between IL-17-producing Th17 and Foxp3⁺ Tregs. Differentiation of naive T cells into Th17 and Treg subsets is associated with specific gene expression profiles; however, the contribution of epigenetic mechanisms to controlling Th17 and Treg differentiation remains unclear. Using a murine T cell transfer model of colitis, we found that T cell-intrinsic expression of the histone lysine methyltransferase G9A was required for development of pathogenic T cells and intestinal inflammation. G9A-mediated dimethylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me2) restricted Th17 and Treg differentiation in vitro and in vivo. H3K9me2 was found at high levels in naive Th cells and was lost following Th cell activation. Loss of G9A in naive T cells was associated with increased chromatin accessibility and heightened sensitivity to TGF-β1. Pharmacological inhibition of G9A methyltransferase activity in WT T cells promoted Th17 and Treg differentiation. Our data indicate that G9A-dependent H3K9me2 is a homeostatic epigenetic checkpoint that regulates Th17 and Treg responses by limiting chromatin accessibility and TGF-β1 responsiveness, suggesting G9A as a therapeutic target for treating intestinal inflammation.
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