1
|
Klein F, Veiga-Villauriz C, Börsch A, Maio S, Palmer S, Dhalla F, Handel AE, Zuklys S, Calvo-Asensio I, Musette L, Deadman ME, White AJ, Lucas B, Anderson G, Holländer GA. Combined multidimensional single-cell protein and RNA profiling dissects the cellular and functional heterogeneity of thymic epithelial cells. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4071. [PMID: 37429879 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39722-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The network of thymic stromal cells provides essential niches with unique molecular cues controlling T cell development and selection. Recent single-cell RNA sequencing studies have uncovered previously unappreciated transcriptional heterogeneity among thymic epithelial cells (TEC). However, there are only very few cell markers that allow a comparable phenotypic identification of TEC. Here, using massively parallel flow cytometry and machine learning, we deconvoluted known TEC phenotypes into novel subpopulations. Using CITEseq, these phenotypes were related to corresponding TEC subtypes defined by the cells' RNA profiles. This approach allowed the phenotypic identification of perinatal cTEC and their physical localisation within the cortical stromal scaffold. In addition, we demonstrate the dynamic change in the frequency of perinatal cTEC in response to developing thymocytes and reveal their exceptional efficiency in positive selection. Collectively, our study identifies markers that allow for an unprecedented dissection of the thymus stromal complexity, as well as physical isolation of TEC populations and assignment of specific functions to individual TEC subtypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Klein
- Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Clara Veiga-Villauriz
- Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Stefano Maio
- Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sam Palmer
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fatima Dhalla
- Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Adam E Handel
- Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Saulius Zuklys
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Irene Calvo-Asensio
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lucas Musette
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mary E Deadman
- Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrea J White
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Beth Lucas
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Graham Anderson
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cui G, Shimba A, Jin J, Ogawa T, Muramoto Y, Miyachi H, Abe S, Asahi T, Tani-ichi S, Dijkstra JM, Iwamoto Y, Kryukov K, Zhu Y, Takami D, Hara T, Kitano S, Xu Y, Morita H, Zhang M, Zreka L, Miyata K, Kanaya T, Okumura S, Ito T, Hatano E, Takahashi Y, Watarai H, Oike Y, Imanishi T, Ohno H, Ohteki T, Minato N, Kubo M, Holländer GA, Ueno H, Noda T, Shiroguchi K, Ikuta K. A circulating subset of iNKT cells mediates antitumor and antiviral immunity. Sci Immunol 2022; 7:eabj8760. [DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abj8760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a group of innate-like T lymphocytes that recognize lipid antigens. They are supposed to be tissue resident and important for systemic and local immune regulation. To investigate the heterogeneity of iNKT cells, we recharacterized iNKT cells in the thymus and peripheral tissues. iNKT cells in the thymus were divided into three subpopulations by the expression of the natural killer cell receptor CD244 and the chemokine receptor CXCR6 and designated as C0 (CD244
−
CXCR6
−
), C1 (CD244
−
CXCR6
+
), or C2 (CD244
+
CXCR6
+
) iNKT cells. The development and maturation of C2 iNKT cells from C0 iNKT cells strictly depended on IL-15 produced by thymic epithelial cells. C2 iNKT cells expressed high levels of IFN-γ and granzymes and exhibited more NK cell–like features, whereas C1 iNKT cells showed more T cell–like characteristics. C2 iNKT cells were influenced by the microbiome and aging and suppressed the expression of the autoimmune regulator AIRE in the thymus. In peripheral tissues, C2 iNKT cells were circulating that were distinct from conventional tissue-resident C1 iNKT cells. Functionally, C2 iNKT cells protected mice from the tumor metastasis of melanoma cells by enhancing antitumor immunity and promoted antiviral immune responses against influenza virus infection. Furthermore, we identified human CD244
+
CXCR6
+
iNKT cells with high cytotoxic properties as a counterpart of mouse C2 iNKT cells. Thus, this study reveals a circulating subset of iNKT cells with NK cell–like properties distinct from conventional tissue-resident iNKT cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guangwei Cui
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Department of Virus Research, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akihiro Shimba
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Department of Virus Research, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jianshi Jin
- Laboratory for Prediction of Cell Systems Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) , Osaka, Japan
| | - Taisaku Ogawa
- Laboratory for Prediction of Cell Systems Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) , Osaka, Japan
| | - Yukiko Muramoto
- Laboratory of Ultrastructural Virology, Department of Virus Research, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Miyachi
- Reproductive Engineering Team, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shinya Abe
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Department of Virus Research, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takuma Asahi
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Department of Virus Research, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shizue Tani-ichi
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Department of Virus Research, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Johannes M. Dijkstra
- Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yayoi Iwamoto
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kirill Kryukov
- Biomedical Informatics Laboratory, Department of Molecular Life Science, Tokai University, Kanagawa, Japan
- Biological Networks Laboratory, Department of Informatics, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Yuanbo Zhu
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Department of Virus Research, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Daichi Takami
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Department of Virus Research, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takahiro Hara
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Department of Virus Research, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Satsuki Kitano
- Reproductive Engineering Team, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yan Xu
- Medical Innovation Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hajime Morita
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Moyu Zhang
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Lynn Zreka
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Keishi Miyata
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Kanaya
- Laboratory for Intestinal Ecosystem, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shinya Okumura
- Division of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Ito
- Division of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Etsuro Hatano
- Division of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Takahashi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Watarai
- Department of Immunology and Stem Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Yuichi Oike
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Tadashi Imanishi
- Biomedical Informatics Laboratory, Department of Molecular Life Science, Tokai University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ohno
- Laboratory for Intestinal Ecosystem, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Ohteki
- Department of Biodefense Research, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nagahiro Minato
- Medical Innovation Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masato Kubo
- Laboratory for Cytokine Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Japan
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Research Institute for Biomedical Science, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children’s Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hideki Ueno
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeshi Noda
- Laboratory of Ultrastructural Virology, Department of Virus Research, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Shiroguchi
- Laboratory for Prediction of Cell Systems Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) , Osaka, Japan
| | - Koichi Ikuta
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Department of Virus Research, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rota IA, Handel AE, Maio S, Klein F, Dhalla F, Deadman ME, Cheuk S, Newman JA, Michaels YS, Zuklys S, Prevot N, Hublitz P, Charles PD, Gkazi AS, Adamopoulou E, Qasim W, Davies EG, Hanson I, Pagnamenta AT, Camps C, Dreau HM, White A, James K, Fischer R, Gileadi O, Taylor JC, Fulga T, Lagerholm BC, Anderson G, Sezgin E, Holländer GA. FOXN1 forms higher-order nuclear condensates displaced by mutations causing immunodeficiency. Sci Adv 2021; 7:eabj9247. [PMID: 34860543 PMCID: PMC8641933 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj9247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor FOXN1 is a master regulator of thymic epithelial cell (TEC) development and function. Here, we demonstrate that FOXN1 expression is differentially regulated during organogenesis and participates in multimolecular nuclear condensates essential for the factor’s transcriptional activity. FOXN1’s C-terminal sequence regulates the diffusion velocity within these aggregates and modulates the binding to proximal gene regulatory regions. These dynamics are altered in a patient with a mutant FOXN1 that is modified in its C-terminal sequence. This mutant is transcriptionally inactive and acts as a dominant negative factor displacing wild-type FOXN1 from condensates and causing athymia and severe lymphopenia in heterozygotes. Expression of the mutated mouse ortholog selectively impairs mouse TEC differentiation, revealing a gene dose dependency for individual TEC subtypes. We have therefore identified the cause for a primary immunodeficiency disease and determined the mechanism by which this FOXN1 gain-of-function mutant mediates its dominant negative effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna A. Rota
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Adam E. Handel
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stefano Maio
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fabian Klein
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fatima Dhalla
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mary E. Deadman
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stanley Cheuk
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Joseph A. Newman
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, ORCRB, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Yale S. Michaels
- Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Saulius Zuklys
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children’s Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Prevot
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip Hublitz
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Genome engineering services, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip D. Charles
- Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Athina Soragia Gkazi
- Great Ormond Street Hospital and Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Eleni Adamopoulou
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Waseem Qasim
- Great Ormond Street Hospital and Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Edward Graham Davies
- Great Ormond Street Hospital and Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Imelda Hanson
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Immunology, Allergy, and Retrovirology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alistair T. Pagnamenta
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Carme Camps
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Helene M. Dreau
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Andrea White
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Kieran James
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Roman Fischer
- Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Opher Gileadi
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, ORCRB, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Jenny C. Taylor
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Tudor Fulga
- Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - B. Christoffer Lagerholm
- Wolfson Imaging Centre Oxford, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Graham Anderson
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Erdinc Sezgin
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children’s Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children’s Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jansen K, Shikama-Dorn N, Attar M, Maio S, Lopopolo M, Buck D, Holländer GA, Sansom SN. RBFOX splicing factors contribute to a broad but selective recapitulation of peripheral tissue splicing patterns in the thymus. Genome Res 2021; 31:2022-2034. [PMID: 34649931 PMCID: PMC8559713 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275245.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TEC) control the selection of a T cell repertoire reactive to pathogens but tolerant of self. This process is known to involve the promiscuous expression of virtually the entire protein-coding gene repertoire, but the extent to which TEC recapitulate peripheral isoforms, and the mechanisms by which they do so, remain largely unknown. We performed the first assembly-based transcriptomic census of transcript structures and splicing factor (SF) expression in mouse medullary TEC (mTEC) and 21 peripheral tissues. Mature mTEC expressed 60.1% of all protein-coding transcripts, more than was detected in any of the peripheral tissues. However, for genes with tissue-restricted expression, mTEC produced fewer isoforms than did the relevant peripheral tissues. Analysis of exon inclusion revealed an absence of brain-specific microexons in mTEC. We did not find unusual numbers of novel transcripts in TEC, and we show that Aire, the facilitator of promiscuous gene expression, promotes the generation of long “classical” transcripts (with 5′ and 3′ UTRs) but has only a limited impact on alternative splicing in mTEC. Comprehensive assessment of SF expression in mTEC identified a small set of nonpromiscuously expressed SF genes, among which we confirmed RBFOX to be present with AIRE in mTEC nuclei. Using a conditional loss-of-function approach, we show that Rbfox2 promotes mTEC development and regulates the alternative splicing of promiscuously expressed genes. These data indicate that TEC recommission a small number of peripheral SFs, including members of the RBFOX family, to generate a broad but selective representation of the peripheral splice isoform repertoire.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Jansen
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, United Kingdom.,Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Noriko Shikama-Dorn
- The University Children's Hospital of Basel and the Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Moustafa Attar
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, United Kingdom.,Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Maio
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Lopopolo
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - David Buck
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom.,The University Children's Hospital of Basel and the Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stephen N Sansom
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Barthlott T, Handel AE, Teh HY, Wirasinha RC, Hafen K, Žuklys S, Roch B, Orkin SH, de Villartay JP, Daley SR, Holländer GA. Indispensable epigenetic control of thymic epithelial cell development and function by polycomb repressive complex 2. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3933. [PMID: 34168132 PMCID: PMC8225857 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24158-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymic T cell development and T cell receptor repertoire selection are dependent on essential molecular cues provided by thymic epithelial cells (TEC). TEC development and function are regulated by their epigenetic landscape, in which the repressive H3K27me3 epigenetic marks are catalyzed by polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). Here we show that a TEC-targeted deficiency of PRC2 function results in a hypoplastic thymus with reduced ability to express antigens and select a normal repertoire of T cells. The absence of PRC2 activity reveals a transcriptomically distinct medullary TEC lineage that incompletely off-sets the shortage of canonically-derived medullary TEC whereas cortical TEC numbers remain unchanged. This alternative TEC development is associated with the generation of reduced TCR diversity. Hence, normal PRC2 activity and placement of H3K27me3 marks are required for TEC lineage differentiation and function and, in their absence, the thymus is unable to compensate for the loss of a normal TEC scaffold.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Barthlott
- Department of Biomedicine and University Children's Hospital of Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adam E Handel
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hong Ying Teh
- Department of Biomedicine and University Children's Hospital of Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rushika C Wirasinha
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Katrin Hafen
- Department of Biomedicine and University Children's Hospital of Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Saulius Žuklys
- Department of Biomedicine and University Children's Hospital of Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Benoit Roch
- Genome Dynamics in the Immune System Laboratory, INSERM UMR 1163, Université de Paris, Imagine Institute, Paris, France
| | - Stuart H Orkin
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jean-Pierre de Villartay
- Genome Dynamics in the Immune System Laboratory, INSERM UMR 1163, Université de Paris, Imagine Institute, Paris, France
| | - Stephen R Daley
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Department of Biomedicine and University Children's Hospital of Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Oftedal BE, Maio S, Handel AE, White MPJ, Howie D, Davis S, Prevot N, Rota IA, Deadman ME, Kessler BM, Fischer R, Trede NS, Sezgin E, Maizels RM, Holländer GA. The chaperonin CCT8 controls proteostasis essential for T cell maturation, selection, and function. Commun Biol 2021; 4:681. [PMID: 34083746 PMCID: PMC8175432 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02203-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells rely for their development and function on the correct folding and turnover of proteins generated in response to a broad range of molecular cues. In the absence of the eukaryotic type II chaperonin complex, CCT, T cell activation induced changes in the proteome are compromised including the formation of nuclear actin filaments and the formation of a normal cell stress response. Consequently, thymocyte maturation and selection, and T cell homeostatic maintenance and receptor-mediated activation are severely impaired. In the absence of CCT-controlled protein folding, Th2 polarization diverges from normal differentiation with paradoxical continued IFN-γ expression. As a result, CCT-deficient T cells fail to generate an efficient immune protection against helminths as they are unable to sustain a coordinated recruitment of the innate and adaptive immune systems. These findings thus demonstrate that normal T cell biology is critically dependent on CCT-controlled proteostasis and that its absence is incompatible with protective immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bergithe E Oftedal
- Developmental Immunology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway, K.G. Jebsen Center for Autoimmune Disorders, Bergen, Norway
| | - Stefano Maio
- Developmental Immunology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Adam E Handel
- Developmental Immunology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Madeleine P J White
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Duncan Howie
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Simon Davis
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Nicolas Prevot
- Developmental Immunology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Ioanna A Rota
- Developmental Immunology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Mary E Deadman
- Developmental Immunology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Benedikt M Kessler
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Roman Fischer
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Nikolaus S Trede
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Erdinc Sezgin
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Rick M Maizels
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Developmental Immunology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Holländer GA. Introduction: thymus development and function in health and disease. Semin Immunopathol 2021; 43:1-3. [PMID: 33651194 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-021-00841-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Georg A Holländer
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- The University Children's Hospital of Basel and the Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Asnaghi MA, Barthlott T, Gullotta F, Strusi V, Amovilli A, Hafen K, Srivastava G, Oertle P, Toni R, Wendt D, Holländer GA, Martin I. Thymus Extracellular Matrix-Derived Scaffolds Support Graft-Resident Thymopoiesis and Long-Term In Vitro Culture of Adult Thymic Epithelial Cells. Adv Funct Mater 2021; 31:2010747. [PMID: 34539304 PMCID: PMC8436951 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202010747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The thymus provides the physiological microenvironment critical for the development of T lymphocytes, the cells that orchestrate the adaptive immune system to generate an antigen-specific response. A diverse population of stroma cells provides surface-bound and soluble molecules that orchestrate the intrathymic maturation and selection of developing T cells. Forming an intricate 3D architecture, thymic epithelial cells (TEC) represent the most abundant and important constituent of the thymic stroma. Effective models for in and ex vivo use of adult TEC are still wanting, limiting the engineering of functional thymic organoids and the understanding of the development of a competent immune system. Here a 3D scaffold is developed based on decellularized thymic tissue capable of supporting in vitro and in vivo thymopoiesis by both fetal and adult TEC. For the first time, direct evidences of feasibility for sustained graft-resident T-cell development using adult TEC as input are provided. Moreover, the scaffold supports prolonged in vitro culture of adult TEC, with a retained expression of the master regulator Foxn1. The success of engineering a thymic scaffold that sustains adult TEC function provides unprecedented opportunities to investigate thymus development and physiology and to design and implement novel strategies for thymus replacement therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M. Adelaide Asnaghi
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBasel4031Switzerland
| | - Thomas Barthlott
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity Children's Hospital University of BaselBasel4058Switzerland
| | - Fabiana Gullotta
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBasel4031Switzerland
| | - Valentina Strusi
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBasel4031Switzerland
| | - Anna Amovilli
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBasel4031Switzerland
| | - Katrin Hafen
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity Children's Hospital University of BaselBasel4058Switzerland
| | | | - Philipp Oertle
- ARTIDIS AGBasel4057Switzerland
- Biozentrum and the Swiss Nanoscience InstituteUniversity of BaselBasel4056Switzerland
| | - Roberto Toni
- Department of Medicine and Surgery – DIMEC, Unit of BiomedicalBiotechnological and Translational Sciences (S.BI.BI.T.)Laboratory of Regenerative Morphology and Bioartificial Structures (Re.Mo.Bio.S.)University of ParmaParma43121Italy
- Division of Endocrinology Diabetes, and MetabolismTufts Medical Center – Tufts University School of MedicineBostonMA02111USA
| | - David Wendt
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBasel4031Switzerland
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity Children's Hospital University of BaselBasel4058Switzerland
- Developmental ImmunologyDepartment of Paediatrics and Weatherall Institute of Molecular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordOX3 9DSUK
| | - Ivan Martin
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBasel4031Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselAllschwil4123Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Paolino M, Koglgruber R, Cronin SJF, Uribesalgo I, Rauscher E, Harreiter J, Schuster M, Bancher-Todesca D, Pranjic B, Novatchkova M, Fededa JP, White AJ, Sigl V, Dekan S, Penz T, Bock C, Kenner L, Holländer GA, Anderson G, Kautzky-Willer A, Penninger JM. RANK links thymic regulatory T cells to fetal loss and gestational diabetes in pregnancy. Nature 2021; 589:442-447. [PMID: 33361811 PMCID: PMC7116618 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-03071-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Successful pregnancies rely on adaptations within the mother1, including marked changes within the immune system2. It has long been known that the thymus, the central lymphoid organ, changes markedly during pregnancy3. However, the molecular basis and importance of this process remain largely obscure. Here we show that the osteoclast differentiation receptor RANK4,5 couples female sex hormones to the rewiring of the thymus during pregnancy. Genetic deletion of Rank (also known as Tnfrsf11a) in thymic epithelial cells results in impaired thymic involution and blunted expansion of natural regulatory T (Treg) cells in pregnant female mice. Sex hormones, in particular progesterone, drive the development of thymic Treg cells through RANK in a manner that depends on AIRE+ medullary thymic epithelial cells. The depletion of Rank in the mouse thymic epithelium results in reduced accumulation of natural Treg cells in the placenta, and an increase in the number of miscarriages. Thymic deletion of Rank also results in impaired accumulation of Treg cells in visceral adipose tissue, and is associated with enlarged adipocyte size, tissue inflammation, enhanced maternal glucose intolerance, fetal macrosomia, and a long-lasting transgenerational alteration in glucose homeostasis, which are all key hallmarks of gestational diabetes. Transplantation of Treg cells rescued fetal loss, maternal glucose intolerance and fetal macrosomia. In human pregnancies, we found that gestational diabetes also correlates with a reduced number of Treg cells in the placenta. Our findings show that RANK promotes the hormone-mediated development of thymic Treg cells during pregnancy, and expand the functional role of maternal Treg cells to the development of gestational diabetes and the transgenerational metabolic rewiring of glucose homeostasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Paolino
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Rubina Koglgruber
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Shane J F Cronin
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Iris Uribesalgo
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Esther Rauscher
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Jürgen Harreiter
- Gender Medicine Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Schuster
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Science (CeMM), Vienna, Austria
| | - Dagmar Bancher-Todesca
- Division of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Blanka Pranjic
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Novatchkova
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan P Fededa
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Rodolfo A. Ugalde", IIB-UNSAM, IIBIO-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrea J White
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Institute for Biomedical Research, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Verena Sigl
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Dekan
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Penz
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Science (CeMM), Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Bock
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Science (CeMM), Vienna, Austria
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Kenner
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Division of Experimental and Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBmed), Graz, Austria
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Applied Metabolomics (CDL-AM), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Paediatrics and The Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Graham Anderson
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Institute for Biomedical Research, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Alexandra Kautzky-Willer
- Gender Medicine Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Institute for Gender Medicine, Gars am Kamp, Austria
| | - Josef M Penninger
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Baran-Gale J, Morgan MD, Maio S, Dhalla F, Calvo-Asensio I, Deadman ME, Handel AE, Maynard A, Chen S, Green F, Sit RV, Neff NF, Darmanis S, Tan W, May AP, Marioni JC, Ponting CP, Holländer GA. Ageing compromises mouse thymus function and remodels epithelial cell differentiation. eLife 2020; 9:e56221. [PMID: 32840480 PMCID: PMC7490013 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ageing is characterised by cellular senescence, leading to imbalanced tissue maintenance, cell death and compromised organ function. This is first observed in the thymus, the primary lymphoid organ that generates and selects T cells. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning these ageing processes remain unclear. Here, we show that mouse ageing leads to less efficient T cell selection, decreased self-antigen representation and increased T cell receptor repertoire diversity. Using a combination of single-cell RNA-seq and lineage-tracing, we find that progenitor cells are the principal targets of ageing, whereas the function of individual mature thymic epithelial cells is compromised only modestly. Specifically, an early-life precursor cell population, retained in the mouse cortex postnatally, is virtually extinguished at puberty. Concomitantly, a medullary precursor cell quiesces, thereby impairing maintenance of the medullary epithelium. Thus, ageing disrupts thymic progenitor differentiation and impairs the core immunological functions of the thymus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael D Morgan
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome CampusHinxtonUnited Kingdom
- Cancer Research United Kingdom - Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Stefano Maio
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Cancer ResearchOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Fatima Dhalla
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Cancer ResearchOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Irene Calvo-Asensio
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, and University Children’s HospitalBaselSwitzerland
| | - Mary E Deadman
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Cancer ResearchOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Adam E Handel
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Steven Chen
- Chan Zuckerberg BiohubSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Foad Green
- Chan Zuckerberg BiohubSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Rene V Sit
- Chan Zuckerberg BiohubSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Norma F Neff
- Chan Zuckerberg BiohubSan FranciscoUnited States
| | | | - Weilun Tan
- Chan Zuckerberg BiohubSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Andy P May
- Chan Zuckerberg BiohubSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - John C Marioni
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome CampusHinxtonUnited Kingdom
- Cancer Research United Kingdom - Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- EMBL-EBI, Wellcome Genome CampusHinxtonUnited Kingdom
| | - Chris P Ponting
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Cancer ResearchOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, and University Children’s HospitalBaselSwitzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH ZurichBaselSwitzerland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Dhalla F, Baran‐Gale J, Maio S, Chappell L, Holländer GA, Ponting CP. Biologically indeterminate yet ordered promiscuous gene expression in single medullary thymic epithelial cells. EMBO J 2020; 39:e101828. [PMID: 31657037 PMCID: PMC6939203 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019101828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To induce central T-cell tolerance, medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC) collectively express most protein-coding genes, thereby presenting an extensive library of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs). To resolve mTEC diversity and whether promiscuous gene expression (PGE) is stochastic or coordinated, we sequenced transcriptomes of 6,894 single mTEC, enriching for 1,795 rare cells expressing either of two TRAs, TSPAN8 or GP2. Transcriptional heterogeneity allowed partitioning of mTEC into 15 reproducible subpopulations representing distinct maturational trajectories, stages and subtypes, including novel mTEC subsets, such as chemokine-expressing and ciliated TEC, which warrant further characterisation. Unexpectedly, 50 modules of genes were robustly defined each showing patterns of co-expression within individual cells, which were mainly not explicable by chromosomal location, biological pathway or tissue specificity. Further, TSPAN8+ and GP2+ mTEC were randomly dispersed within thymic medullary islands. Consequently, these data support observations that PGE exhibits ordered co-expression, although mechanisms underlying this instruction remain biologically indeterminate. Ordered co-expression and random spatial distribution of a diverse range of TRAs likely enhance their presentation and encounter with passing thymocytes, while maintaining mTEC identity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Dhalla
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | | | - Stefano Maio
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | | | - Georg A Holländer
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Chris P Ponting
- MRC Human Genetics UnitMRC IGMMThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Wellcome Sanger InstituteHinxtonUK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Handel AE, Holländer GA. Comment on "Identification of an Intronic Regulatory Element Necessary for Tissue-Specific Expression of Foxn1 in Thymic Epithelial Cells". J Immunol 2019; 203:2355. [PMID: 31636132 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam E Handel
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Fergusson JR, Morgan MD, Bruchard M, Huitema L, Heesters BA, van Unen V, van Hamburg JP, van der Wel NN, Picavet D, Koning F, Tas SW, Anderson MS, Marioni JC, Holländer GA, Spits H. Maturing Human CD127+ CCR7+ PDL1+ Dendritic Cells Express AIRE in the Absence of Tissue Restricted Antigens. Front Immunol 2019; 9:2902. [PMID: 30692988 PMCID: PMC6340304 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of the Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) outside of the thymus has long been suggested in both humans and mice, but the cellular source in humans has remained undefined. Here we identify AIRE expression in human tonsils and extensively analyzed these "extra-thymic AIRE expressing cells" (eTACs) using combinations of flow cytometry, CyTOF and single cell RNA-sequencing. We identified AIRE+ cells as dendritic cells (DCs) with a mature and migratory phenotype including high levels of antigen presenting molecules and costimulatory molecules, and specific expression of CD127, CCR7, and PDL1. These cells also possessed the ability to stimulate and re-stimulate T cells and displayed reduced responses to toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists compared to conventional DCs. While expression of AIRE was enriched within CCR7+CD127+ DCs, single-cell RNA sequencing revealed expression of AIRE to be transient, rather than stable, and associated with the differentiation to a mature phenotype. The role of AIRE in central tolerance induction within the thymus is well-established, however our study shows that AIRE expression within the periphery is not associated with an enriched expression of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs). This unexpected finding, suggestive of wider functions of AIRE, may provide an explanation for the non-autoimmune symptoms of APECED patients who lack functional AIRE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joannah R. Fergusson
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Melanie Bruchard
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Leonie Huitema
- Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology and Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Rheumatology & immunology Center (ARC), Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Balthasar A. Heesters
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Jan Piet van Hamburg
- Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology and Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Rheumatology & immunology Center (ARC), Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Daisy Picavet
- EMCA, Medical Biology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Frits Koning
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sander W. Tas
- Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology and Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Rheumatology & immunology Center (ARC), Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mark S. Anderson
- UCSF Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - John C. Marioni
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory - European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Laboratory of Developmental Immunology, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hergen Spits
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Handel AE, Shikama-Dorn N, Zhanybekova S, Maio S, Graedel AN, Zuklys S, Ponting CP, Holländer GA. Comprehensively Profiling the Chromatin Architecture of Tissue Restricted Antigen Expression in Thymic Epithelial Cells Over Development. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2120. [PMID: 30283453 PMCID: PMC6156148 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TEC) effect crucial roles in thymopoiesis including the control of negative thymocyte selection. This process depends on their capacity to express promiscuously genes encoding tissue-restricted antigens. This competence is accomplished in medullary TEC (mTEC) in part by the presence of the transcriptional facilitator AutoImmune REgulator, AIRE. AIRE-regulated gene transcription is marked by repressive chromatin modifications, including H3K27me3. When during TEC development these chromatin marks are established, however, remains unclear. Here we use a comprehensive ChIP-seq dataset of multiple chromatin modifications in different TEC subtypes to demonstrate that the chromatin landscape is established early in TEC differentiation. Much of the chromatin architecture found in mature mTEC was found to be present already over earlier stages of mTEC lineage differentiation as well as in non-TEC tissues. This was reflected by the fact that a machine learning approach accurately classified genes as AIRE-induced or AIRE-independent both in immature and mature mTEC. Moreover, analysis of TEC specific enhancer elements identified candidate transcription factors likely to be important in mTEC development and function. Our findings indicate that the mature mTEC chromatin landscape is laid down early in mTEC differentiation, and that AIRE is not required for large-scale re-patterning of chromatin in mTEC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam E. Handel
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, OxfordUnited Kingdom
| | | | | | - Stefano Maio
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, OxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Annina N. Graedel
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, OxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Saulius Zuklys
- Department of Biomedicine, Universität Basel, BaselSwitzerland
| | - Chris P. Ponting
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, OxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Biomedicine, Universität Basel, BaselSwitzerland
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wendland K, Niss K, Kotarsky K, Wu NYH, White AJ, Jendholm J, Rivollier A, Izarzugaza JMG, Brunak S, Holländer GA, Anderson G, Sitnik KM, Agace WW. Retinoic Acid Signaling in Thymic Epithelial Cells Regulates Thymopoiesis. J I 2018; 201:524-532. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
16
|
Wu Q, Ferry QRV, Baeumler TA, Michaels YS, Vitsios DM, Habib O, Arnold R, Jiang X, Maio S, Steinkraus BR, Tapia M, Piazza P, Xu N, Holländer GA, Milne TA, Kim JS, Enright AJ, Bassett AR, Fulga TA. In situ functional dissection of RNA cis-regulatory elements by multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering. Nat Commun 2017; 8:2109. [PMID: 29235467 PMCID: PMC5727397 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00686-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA regulatory elements (RREs) are an important yet relatively under-explored facet of gene regulation. Deciphering the prevalence and functional impact of this post-transcriptional control layer requires technologies for disrupting RREs without perturbing cellular homeostasis. Here we describe genome-engineering based evaluation of RNA regulatory element activity (GenERA), a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 platform for in situ high-content functional analysis of RREs. We use GenERA to survey the entire regulatory landscape of a 3′UTR, and apply it in a multiplex fashion to analyse combinatorial interactions between sets of miRNA response elements (MREs), providing strong evidence for cooperative activity. We also employ this technology to probe the functionality of an entire MRE network under cellular homeostasis, and show that high-resolution analysis of the GenERA dataset can be used to extract functional features of MREs. This study provides a genome editing-based multiplex strategy for direct functional interrogation of RNA cis-regulatory elements in a native cellular environment. RNA regulatory elements (RREs) are important post-transcriptional control features but studying them requires disrupting their activity without disturbing cellular homeostasis. Here the authors present GenERA, a CRISPR-Cas9 screening platform of in situ analysis of native RREs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qianxin Wu
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.,Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Quentin R V Ferry
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Toni A Baeumler
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Yale S Michaels
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Dimitrios M Vitsios
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory-European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Omer Habib
- Center for Genome Engineering, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Roland Arnold
- Molecular and Population Genetics Laboratory, Oxford Centre for Cancer Gene Research, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Xiaowei Jiang
- Molecular and Population Genetics Laboratory, Oxford Centre for Cancer Gene Research, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Stefano Maio
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Developmental Immunology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Bruno R Steinkraus
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Marta Tapia
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Programme, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Paolo Piazza
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Ni Xu
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Developmental Immunology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.,Department of Biomedicine, Laboratory of Paediatric Immunology, University of Basel, CH-4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas A Milne
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Programme, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Jin-Soo Kim
- Center for Genome Engineering, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.,Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-747, Republic of Korea
| | - Anton J Enright
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory-European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Andrew R Bassett
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RF, UK.,Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Tudor A Fulga
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Smith MJ, Reichenbach DK, Parker SL, Riddle MJ, Mitchell J, Osum KC, Mohtashami M, Stefanski HE, Fife BT, Bhandoola A, Hogquist KA, Holländer GA, Zúñiga-Pflücker JC, Tolar J, Blazar BR. T cell progenitor therapy-facilitated thymopoiesis depends upon thymic input and continued thymic microenvironment interaction. JCI Insight 2017; 2:92056. [PMID: 28515359 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.92056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Infusion of in vitro-derived T cell progenitor (proT) therapy with hematopoietic stem cell transplant aids the recovery of the thymus damaged by total body irradiation. To understand the interaction between proTs and the thymic microenvironment, WT mice were lethally irradiated and given T cell-deficient (Rag1-/-) marrow with WT in vitro-generated proTs, limiting mature T cell development to infused proTs. ProTs within the host thymus led to a significant increase in thymic epithelial cells (TECs) by day 21 after transplant, increasing actively cycling TECs. Upon thymus egress (day 28), proT TEC effects were lost, suggesting that continued signaling from proTs is required to sustain TEC cycling and cellularity. Thymocytes increased significantly by day 21, followed by a significant improvement in mature T cell numbers in the periphery by day 35. This protective surge was temporary, receding by day 60. Double-negative 2 (DN2) proTs selectively increased thymocyte number, while DN3 proTs preferentially increased TECs and T cells in the spleen that persisted at day 60. These findings highlight the importance of the interaction between proTs and TECs in the proliferation and survival of TECs and that the maturation stage of proTs has unique effects on thymopoiesis and peripheral T cell recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle J Smith
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Dawn K Reichenbach
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Sarah L Parker
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Megan J Riddle
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jason Mitchell
- Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and.,Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kevin C Osum
- Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and.,Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Mahmood Mohtashami
- Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Heather E Stefanski
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Brian T Fife
- Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and.,Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Avinash Bhandoola
- T-Cell Biology and Development Unit, Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Georg A Holländer
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Paediatrics and Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jakub Tolar
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Bruce R Blazar
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Center for Immunology, Department of Medicine, and
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Žuklys S, Handel A, Zhanybekova S, Govani F, Keller M, Maio S, Mayer CE, Teh HY, Hafen K, Gallone G, Barthlott T, Ponting CP, Holländer GA. Foxn1 regulates key target genes essential for T cell development in postnatal thymic epithelial cells. Nat Immunol 2016; 17:1206-1215. [PMID: 27548434 PMCID: PMC5033077 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [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: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cell differentiation, growth and function depend on the expression of the transcription factor Foxn1, however its target genes have never been physically identified. Using novel static and inducible genetic model systems and chromatin studies, we provide now a genome wide map of direct Foxn1 target genes for postnatal thymic epithelia and define the Foxn1 binding motif. We detail the function of Foxn1 in these cells and demonstrate that in addition to the transcriptional control of genes involved in the attraction and lineage commitment of T cell precursors, Foxn1 regulates the expression of genes involved in antigen processing and thymocyte selection. Thus, critical events in thymic lympho-stromal cross-talk and T cell selection are indispensably choreographed by Foxn1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saulius Žuklys
- Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adam Handel
- MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Saule Zhanybekova
- Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fatima Govani
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Marcel Keller
- Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Maio
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos E Mayer
- Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hong Ying Teh
- Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Katrin Hafen
- Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Gallone
- MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Barthlott
- Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Chris P Ponting
- MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Smith MJ, Reichenbach DK, Parker SL, Mohtashami M, Stefanski HE, Hogquist KA, Holländer GA, Zúñiga-Pflücker JC, Blazar BR. The increase in thymopoiesis following T cell progenitor therapy is dependent upon the input population and continued interaction between developing T cells and the thymic microenvironment. The Journal of Immunology 2016. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.196.supp.140.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The inclusion of in vitro derived T cell progenitor (proT) therapy with hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) aids in the recovery of the thymus damaged by total body irradiation and improves de novo thymopoiesis. To understand the interaction between proTs and the thymic microenvironment, wildtype (WT) mice were lethally irradiated and given T cell deficient donor (Rag1−/−) marrow along with in vitro generated proT from WT donors, limiting mature T cell development to infused proT. Donor proTs within the host thymus led to a significant increase in thymic epithelial cell (TEC) numbers by day 21 post-transplant, and increased actively cycling TECs as measured by Ki67 expression and BrdU uptake. However, that gain was temporary and lost by day 28, suggesting that continued signaling from proT cells is required to sustain TEC cycling and mass. We also find a significant improvement in total thymocyte number by day 21 followed by a significant increase in the total mature T cell number in the secondary lymphoid organs by day 28. This protective surge is also temporary, receding by day 60. In this time period, infused DN2 proTs selectively increased thymocyte number while DN3 proTs preferentially led to a greater TEC numbers. Interestingly, an exception in persistence occurs when DN3 proTs are used and the increase in mature T cells in the spleen persists at day 60. As a result of the lack of competition for thymic niches by cells from the Rag1−/− graft, a subpopulation of the infused proT persisted in the thymus in an immature state at day 60. These findings highlight the importance of the interaction between developing T cells and TECs in the proliferation and survival of these critical components of the thymic microenvironment.
Collapse
|
20
|
Mayer CE, Žuklys S, Zhanybekova S, Ohigashi I, Teh HY, Sansom SN, Shikama-Dorn N, Hafen K, Macaulay IC, Deadman ME, Ponting CP, Takahama Y, Holländer GA. Dynamic spatio-temporal contribution of single β5t+ cortical epithelial precursors to the thymus medulla. Eur J Immunol 2016; 46:846-56. [PMID: 26694097 PMCID: PMC4832341 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201545995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Intrathymic T‐cell development is critically dependent on cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (TECs). Both epithelial subsets originate during early thymus organogenesis from progenitor cells that express the thymoproteasome subunit β5t, a typical feature of cortical TECs. Using in vivo lineage fate mapping, we demonstrate in mice that β5t+ TEC progenitors give rise to the medullary TEC compartment early in life but significantly limit their contribution once the medulla has completely formed. Lineage‐tracing studies at single cell resolution demonstrate for young mice that the postnatal medulla is expanded from individual β5t+ cortical progenitors located at the cortico‐medullary junction. These results therefore not only define a developmental window during which the expansion of medulla is efficiently enabled by progenitors resident in the thymic cortex, but also reveal the spatio‐temporal dynamics that control the growth of the thymic medulla.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Mayer
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Saulius Žuklys
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Izumi Ohigashi
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Japan
| | - Hong-Ying Teh
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stephen N Sansom
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Katrin Hafen
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Iain C Macaulay
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute-EBI Single Cell Genomics Centre, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mary E Deadman
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chris P Ponting
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute-EBI Single Cell Genomics Centre, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.,MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yousuke Takahama
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Japan
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Barthlott T, Bosch AJT, Berkemeier C, Nogales-Cadenas R, Jeker LT, Keller MP, Pascual-Montano A, Holländer GA. A subpopulation of CD103(pos) ICOS(pos) Treg cells occurs at high frequency in lymphopenic mice and represents a lymph node specific differentiation stage. Eur J Immunol 2015; 45:1760-71. [PMID: 25752506 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201445235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Revised: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells are pivotal for the maintenance of peripheral tolerance by controlling self-reactive, chronic, and homeostatic T-cell responses. Here, we report that the increase in Treg-cell suppressive function observed in lymphopenic mice correlates with the degree of lymphopenia and is caused by a higher frequency of a novel subpopulation of CD103(pos) ICOS(pos) Treg cells. Though present in the thymus, CD103(pos) ICOS(pos) Treg cells are not generated there but recirculate from the periphery to that site. The acquisition and maintenance of this distinctive phenotype requires the LN microenvironment and the in situ availability of antigen. Contrary to conventional effector and other Treg cells, the cellularity of CD103(pos) ICOS(pos) Treg cells is not affected by the absence of IL-7 and thymic stroma lymphopoetin. Given their increased frequency in lymphopenia, the absolute number of CD103(pos) ICOS(pos) Treg cells remains unchanged in the periphery irrespective of a paucity of total Treg cells. We furthermore demonstrate, with cell transfers in mice, that the CD103(pos) ICOS(pos) phenotype represents a LN-specific differentiation stage arrived at by several other Treg-cell subsets. Thus, tissue-specific cues determine the overall potency of the peripheral Treg-cell pool by shaping its subset composition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Barthlott
- Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Angela J T Bosch
- Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Berkemeier
- Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rubén Nogales-Cadenas
- Functional Bioinformatics Group, National Center for Biotechnology-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lukas T Jeker
- Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marcel P Keller
- Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Georg A Holländer
- Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Sansom SN, Shikama-Dorn N, Zhanybekova S, Nusspaumer G, Macaulay IC, Deadman ME, Heger A, Ponting CP, Holländer GA. Population and single-cell genomics reveal the Aire dependency, relief from Polycomb silencing, and distribution of self-antigen expression in thymic epithelia. Genome Res 2014; 24:1918-31. [PMID: 25224068 PMCID: PMC4248310 DOI: 10.1101/gr.171645.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 229] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.9] [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: 12/22/2013] [Accepted: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Promiscuous gene expression (PGE) by thymic epithelial cells (TEC) is essential for generating a diverse T cell antigen receptor repertoire tolerant to self-antigens, and thus for avoiding autoimmunity. Nevertheless, the extent and nature of this unusual expression program within TEC populations and single cells are unknown. Using deep transcriptome sequencing of carefully identified mouse TEC subpopulations, we discovered a program of PGE that is common between medullary (m) and cortical TEC, further elaborated in mTEC, and completed in mature mTEC expressing the autoimmune regulator gene (Aire). TEC populations are capable of expressing up to 19,293 protein-coding genes, the highest number of genes known to be expressed in any cell type. Remarkably, in mouse mTEC, Aire expression alone positively regulates 3980 tissue-restricted genes. Notably, the tissue specificities of these genes include known targets of autoimmunity in human AIRE deficiency. Led by the observation that genes induced by Aire expression are generally characterized by a repressive chromatin state in somatic tissues, we found these genes to be strongly associated with H3K27me3 marks in mTEC. Our findings are consistent with AIRE targeting and inducing the promiscuous expression of genes previously epigenetically silenced by Polycomb group proteins. Comparison of the transcriptomes of 174 single mTEC indicates that genes induced by Aire expression are transcribed stochastically at low cell frequency. Furthermore, when present, Aire expression-dependent transcript levels were 16-fold higher, on average, in individual TEC than in the mTEC population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen N Sansom
- MRC Computational Genomics Analysis and Training Programme, MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PT, United Kingdom;
| | - Noriko Shikama-Dorn
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, and The Basel University Children's Hospital, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
| | - Saule Zhanybekova
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, and The Basel University Children's Hospital, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
| | - Gretel Nusspaumer
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, and The Basel University Children's Hospital, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
| | - Iain C Macaulay
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute-EBI Single Cell Genomics Centre, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Mary E Deadman
- Developmental Immunology, Department of Paediatrics, and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Heger
- MRC Computational Genomics Analysis and Training Programme, MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Chris P Ponting
- MRC Computational Genomics Analysis and Training Programme, MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PT, United Kingdom; Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute-EBI Single Cell Genomics Centre, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, and The Basel University Children's Hospital, Basel, 4058, Switzerland; Developmental Immunology, Department of Paediatrics, and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Odaka C, Hauri-Hohl M, Takizawa K, Nishikawa Y, Yano M, Matsumoto M, Boyd R, Holländer GA. TGF-β type II receptor expression in thymic epithelial cells inhibits the development of Hassall's corpuscles in mice. Int Immunol 2013; 25:633-42. [PMID: 23929912 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxt026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hassall's corpuscles are concentric clusters of keratinized epithelial cells located within the thymic medulla of humans and guinea pigs but are scant in mouse and rat. They are considered to be the terminally differentiated stages of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) but the mechanisms of their origin are unclear. We have previously deleted the TGF-β type II receptor (TGFβRII) specifically in mouse TECs and reported that these mice have mitigated thymic involution and exhibit earlier reconstitution post-irradiation. In this study, we analyzed the differentiation of mTECs in the TGFβRII-knockout mice. Interestingly, the TGFβRII-knockout mice display enhanced development of Hassall's corpuscles. The expression of Aire, stromal-cell-derived factor 1 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin in the thymi of the TGFβRII-knockout mice was similar to that previously reported for the human thymus. In addition, the putative epithelial progenitor markers MTS20 and MTS24 labeled Hassall's corpuscles in normal mice, but the extent and intensity of this staining were greatly enhanced in Hassall's corpuscles of the TGFβRII-knockout mice. The phosphorylated forms of ERK and JNK were also found in Hassall's corpuscles of the TGFβRII-knockout mice. Taken together, we suggest that TGFβRII-mediated signaling in TECs inhibits their development into Hassall's corpuscles in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chikako Odaka
- Department of Safety Research on Blood and Biological Products, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Ohigashi I, Zuklys S, Sakata M, Mayer CE, Zhanybekova S, Murata S, Tanaka K, Holländer GA, Takahama Y. Aire-expressing thymic medullary epithelial cells originate from β5t-expressing progenitor cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:9885-90. [PMID: 23720310 PMCID: PMC3683726 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1301799110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus provides multiple microenvironments that are essential for the development and repertoire selection of T lymphocytes. The thymic cortex induces the generation and positive selection of T lymphocytes, whereas the thymic medulla establishes self-tolerance among the positively selected T lymphocytes. Cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) and medullary TECs (mTECs) constitute the major stromal cells that structurally form and functionally characterize the cortex and the medulla, respectively. cTECs and mTECs are both derived from the endodermal epithelium of the third pharyngeal pouch. However, the molecular and cellular characteristics of the progenitor cells for the distinct TEC lineages are unclear. Here we report the preparation and characterization of mice that express the recombinase Cre instead of β5t, a proteasome subunit that is abundant in cTECs and not detected in other cell types, including mTECs. By crossing β5t-Cre knock-in mice with loxP-dependent GFP reporter mice, we found that β5t-Cre-mediated recombination occurs specifically in TECs but not in any other cell types in the mouse. Surprisingly, in addition to cTECs, β5t-Cre-loxP-mediated GFP expression was detected in almost all mTECs. These results indicate that the majority of mTECs, including autoimmune regulator-expressing mTECs, are derived from β5t-expressing progenitor cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Izumi Ohigashi
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Saulius Zuklys
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mie Sakata
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Carlos E. Mayer
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Saule Zhanybekova
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Shigeo Murata
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Keiji Tanaka
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan; and
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children's Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Yousuke Takahama
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Shitara S, Hara T, Liang B, Wagatsuma K, Zuklys S, Holländer GA, Nakase H, Chiba T, Tani-ichi S, Ikuta K. IL-7 produced by thymic epithelial cells plays a major role in the development of thymocytes and TCRγδ+ intraepithelial lymphocytes. J Immunol 2013; 190:6173-9. [PMID: 23686483 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1202573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
IL-7 is a cytokine essential for T cell development and survival. However, the local function of IL-7 produced by thymic epithelial cells (TECs) is poorly understood. To address this question, we generated IL-7-floxed mice and crossed them with FoxN1 promoter-driven Cre (FoxN1-Cre) mice to establish knockout mice conditionally deficient for the expression of IL-7 by TECs. We found that αβ and γδ T cells were significantly reduced in the thymus of IL-7(f/f) FoxN1-Cre mice. Proportion of mature single-positive thymocytes was increased. In lymph nodes and the spleen, the numbers of T cells were partially restored in IL-7(f/f) FoxN1-Cre mice. In addition, γδ T cells were absent from the fetal thymus and epidermis of IL-7(f/f) FoxN1-Cre mice. Furthermore, TCRγδ(+) intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) were significantly decreased in the small intestines of IL-7(f/f) FoxN1-Cre mice. To evaluate the function of IL-7 produced in the intestine, we crossed the IL-7(f/f) mice with villin promoter-driven Cre (Vil-Cre) mice to obtain the mice deficient in IL-7 production from intestinal epithelial cells. We observed that αβ and γδ IELs of IL-7(f/f) Vil-Cre mice were comparable to control mice. Collectively, our results suggest that TEC-derived IL-7 plays a major role in proliferation, survival, and maturation of thymocytes and is indispensable for γδ T cell development. This study also demonstrates that IL-7 produced in the thymus is essential for the development of γδ IELs and indicates the thymic origin of γδ IELs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soichiro Shitara
- Laboratory of Biological Protection, Department of Biological Responses, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Zuklys S, Mayer CE, Zhanybekova S, Stefanski HE, Nusspaumer G, Gill J, Barthlott T, Chappaz S, Nitta T, Dooley J, Nogales-Cadenas R, Takahama Y, Finke D, Liston A, Blazar BR, Pascual-Montano A, Holländer GA. MicroRNAs control the maintenance of thymic epithelia and their competence for T lineage commitment and thymocyte selection. J Immunol 2012; 189:3894-904. [PMID: 22972926 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1200783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells provide unique cues for the lifelong selection and differentiation of a repertoire of functionally diverse T cells. Rendered microRNA (miRNA) deficient, these stromal cells in the mouse lose their capacity to instruct the commitment of hematopoietic precursors to a T cell fate, to effect thymocyte positive selection, and to achieve promiscuous gene expression required for central tolerance induction. Over time, the microenvironment created by miRNA-deficient thymic epithelia assumes the cellular composition and structure of peripheral lymphoid tissue, where thympoiesis fails to be supported. These findings emphasize a global role for miRNA in the maintenance and function of the thymic epithelial cell scaffold and establish a novel mechanism how these cells control peripheral tissue Ag expression to prompt central immunological tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saulius Zuklys
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and Basel University Children's Hospital, Basel 4031, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Lopez-Rios J, Speziale D, Robay D, Scotti M, Osterwalder M, Nusspaumer G, Galli A, Holländer GA, Kmita M, Zeller R. GLI3 constrains digit number by controlling both progenitor proliferation and BMP-dependent exit to chondrogenesis. Dev Cell 2012; 22:837-48. [PMID: 22465667 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2012.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2011] [Revised: 11/23/2011] [Accepted: 01/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Inactivation of Gli3, a key component of Hedgehog signaling in vertebrates, results in formation of additional digits (polydactyly) during limb bud development. The analysis of mouse embryos constitutively lacking Gli3 has revealed the essential GLI3 functions in specifying the anteroposterior (AP) limb axis and digit identities. We conditionally inactivated Gli3 during mouse hand plate development, which uncoupled the resulting preaxial polydactyly from known GLI3 functions in establishing AP and digit identities. Our analysis revealed that GLI3 directly restricts the expression of regulators of the G(1)-S cell-cycle transition such as Cdk6 and constrains S phase entry of digit progenitors in the anterior hand plate. Furthermore, GLI3 promotes the exit of proliferating progenitors toward BMP-dependent chondrogenic differentiation by spatiotemporally restricting and terminating the expression of the BMP antagonist Gremlin1. Thus, Gli3 is a negative regulator of the proliferative expansion of digit progenitors and acts as a gatekeeper for the exit to chondrogenic differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Lopez-Rios
- Developmental Genetics, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Pedraza-Alva G, Mérida LB, del Rio R, Fierro NA, Cruz-Muñoz ME, Olivares N, Melchy E, Igras V, Holländer GA, Burakoff SJ, Rosenstein Y. CD43 regulates the threshold for T cell activation by targeting Cbl functions. IUBMB Life 2011; 63:940-8. [PMID: 21905200 DOI: 10.1002/iub.554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2011] [Accepted: 07/12/2011] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
T cell (TC) activation requires the coordinated signaling of the T cell receptor (TCR) and coreceptor molecules, allowing TCs to respond to lower degrees of TCR occupancy. Coreceptor molecules set the threshold for TC activation by controlling different regulatory signaling loops. The Cbl family members prevent undesired activation of T cells by regulating TCR signals. In this report, we show that TC prestimulation by the CD43 coreceptor molecule before TCR engagement inhibits TCR-dependent c-Cbl tyrosine phosphorylation, c-Cbl interaction with the adapter molecule Crk-L and promotes Cbl-b degradation in a PKCθ-dependent manner. Consequently, the prolonged tyrosine phosphorylation and delayed degradation of ZAP-70 and of the ζ chain lead to enhanced mitogen-activated protein kinase activation and robust TC response. These data indicates that CD43-mediated signals lower the threshold for TC activation by restricting the c-Cbl and Cbl-b inhibitory effects on TCR signaling. In addition to the strength and duration of intracellular signals, our data underscore temporality with which certain molecules are engaged as yet another mechanism to fine tune TC signal quality, and ultimately immune function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Pedraza-Alva
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mor. México 62210
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Lei Y, Ripen AM, Ishimaru N, Ohigashi I, Nagasawa T, Jeker LT, Bösl MR, Holländer GA, Hayashi Y, de Waal Malefyt R, Nitta T, Takahama Y. Aire-dependent production of XCL1 mediates medullary accumulation of thymic dendritic cells and contributes to regulatory T cell development. J Exp Med 2011; 208:383-94. [PMID: 21300913 PMCID: PMC3039864 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20102327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 221] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2010] [Accepted: 01/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) in the thymus (tDCs) are predominantly accumulated in the medulla and contribute to the establishment of self-tolerance. However, how the medullary accumulation of tDCs is regulated and involved in self-tolerance is unclear. We show that the chemokine receptor XCR1 is expressed by tDCs, whereas medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) express the ligand XCL1. XCL1-deficient mice are defective in the medullary accumulation of tDCs and the thymic generation of naturally occurring regulatory T cells (nT reg cells). Thymocytes from XCL1-deficient mice elicit dacryoadenitis in nude mice. mTEC expression of XCL1, tDC medullary accumulation, and nT reg cell generation are diminished in Aire-deficient mice. These results indicate that the XCL1-mediated medullary accumulation of tDCs contributes to nT reg cell development and is regulated by Aire.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Lei
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, Department of Oral Molecular Pathology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Disease of the People’s Republic of China Ministry of Education, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China
| | - Adiratna Mat Ripen
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, Department of Oral Molecular Pathology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Naozumi Ishimaru
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, Department of Oral Molecular Pathology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Izumi Ohigashi
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, Department of Oral Molecular Pathology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Takashi Nagasawa
- Department of Immunobiology and Hematology, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Lukas T. Jeker
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Center for Biomedicine, University of Basel and The University Children’s Hospital of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael R. Bösl
- Transgenic Core Facility, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Center for Biomedicine, University of Basel and The University Children’s Hospital of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yoshio Hayashi
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, Department of Oral Molecular Pathology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | | | - Takeshi Nitta
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, Department of Oral Molecular Pathology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yousuke Takahama
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, Department of Oral Molecular Pathology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Gossens K, Naus S, Holländer GA, Ziltener HJ. Deficiency of the metalloproteinase-disintegrin ADAM8 is associated with thymic hyper-cellularity. PLoS One 2010; 5:e12766. [PMID: 20856819 PMCID: PMC2939894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 03/05/2010] [Accepted: 08/19/2010] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thymopoiesis requires thymocyte-stroma interactions and proteases that promote cell migration by degrading extracellular matrix and releasing essential cytokines and chemokines. A role for several members of the A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease (ADAM) family in T cell development has been reported in the past. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here, we present data indicating that the family member ADAM8 plays a role in thymic T cell development. We used qrtPCR on FACS sorted thymic subsets together with immunofluorescence to analyze thymic ADAM8 expression. We found that ADAM8 was expressed in murine thymic stromal cells and at lower levels in thymocytes where its expression increased as cell matured, suggesting involvement of ADAM8 in thymopoiesis. Further flow cytometry analysis revealed that ADAM8 deficient mice showed normal development and expansion of immature thymocyte subsets. There was however an intrathymic accumulation of single positive CD4 and CD8 T cells which was most noticeable in the late mature T cell subsets. Accumulation of single positive T cells coincided with changes in the thymic architecture manifest in a decreased cortex/medulla ratio and an increase in medullary epithelial cells as determined by histology and flow cytometry. The increase in single positive T cells was thymus-intrinsic, independent of progenitor homing to the thymus or thymic exit rate of mature T cells. Chemotaxis assays revealed that ADAM8 deficiency was associated with reduced migration of single positive thymocytes towards CCL21. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our results show that ADAM8 is involved in T cell maturation in the medulla and suggest a role for this protease in fine-tuning maturation of thymocytes in the medulla. In contrast to ADAM10 and ADAM17 lack of ADAM8 appears to have a relatively minor impact on T cell development, which was unexpected given that maturation of thymocytes is dependent on proper localization and timing of migration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Gossens
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and The University Children's Hospital (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Naus
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and The University Children's Hospital (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and The University Children's Hospital (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hermann J. Ziltener
- 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
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Abstract
The thymus serves as the primary site for the lifelong formation of new T lymphocytes; hence, it is essential for the maintenance of an effective immune system. Although thymocyte development has been widely studied, the mechanisms involved are incompletely defined. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular events that control regular thymocyte development will not only shed light on the physiological control of T cell differentiation but also probably provide insight into the pathophysiology of T cell immunodeficiencies, the molecular basis that underpins autoimmunity, and the mechanisms that instigate the formation of T cell lymphomas. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks) play a critical role in thymocyte development, although not all of their downstream mediators have yet been identified. Here, we discuss experimental evidence that argues for a critical role of the PI3K-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase (PDK1)-protein kinase B (PKB) signaling pathway in the development of both normal and malignant thymocytes, and we highlight molecules that can potentially be targeted therapeutically.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Fayard
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Abstract
Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is used to treat an increasing number of congenital and acquired disorders of the haematopoietic system. Even though cytoreductive conditioning regimens vary in intensity, all clinically used protocols invariably cause side effects that compromise transiently or long-term the response of the natural and the adaptive immune systems. However, in the context of the reconstruction of immunity, the generation of naïve T cells constitutes a slow process, and requires a functionally competent thymus. Unfortunately, regular thymic function is frequently suppressed by transplant-related toxicities. Most notably, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) causes a state of posttransplantation immune deficiency. Here we discuss preclinical allogeneic HSCT models and clinical observations that have contributed to a detailed understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the thymic dysfunction caused by acute GVHD. An in-depth knowledge of the mechanisms that control regular thymopoiesis and, conversely, affect thymus function is expected to provide the factual basis for the design of innovative therapies to recover T-cell numbers and function following allogeneic HSCT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Werner Krenger
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, and Basel University Children's Hospital (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland.
| | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Holländer GA, Krenger W, Blazar BR. Emerging strategies to boost thymic function. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2010; 10:443-53. [PMID: 20447867 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2010.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2010] [Revised: 04/06/2010] [Accepted: 04/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The thymus constitutes the primary lymphoid organ for the generation of T cells. Its function is particularly susceptible to various negative influences ranging from age-related involution to atrophy as a consequence of malnutrition, infection or harmful iatrogenic influences such as chemotherapy and radiation. The loss of regular thymus function significantly increases the risk for infections and cancer because of a restricted capacity for immune surveillance. In recent years, thymus-stimulatory, thymus-regenerative, and thymus-protective strategies have been developed to enhance and repair thymus function in the elderly and in individuals undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. These strategies include the use of sex steroid ablation, the administration of growth and differentiation factors, the inhibition of p53, and the transfer of T cell progenitors to alleviate the effects of thymus dysfunction and consequent T cell deficiency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Georg A Holländer
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, The University Children's Hospital (UKBB), Mattenstrasse 28, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Saade M, Irla M, Yammine M, Boulanger N, Victorero G, Vincentelli R, Penninger JM, Holländer GA, Chauvet S, Nguyen C. Spatial (Tbata) expression in mature medullary thymic epithelial cells. Eur J Immunol 2010; 40:530-8. [PMID: 19918778 DOI: 10.1002/eji.200939605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The Spatial gene is expressed in highly polarized cell types such as testis germ cells, brain neurons and thymic epithelial cells (TEC). Its expression was documented in testis and brain but poorly characterized in thymus. Here, we characterize for the first time Spatial-expressing TEC throughout ontogeny and adult mouse thymus. Spatial is expressed in thymic-fated domain by embryonic day E10.5 and persists in subcapsular, cortical, medullary epithelial cells and in MTS24(+) progenitor TEC. Using mouse strains in which thymocyte development is blocked at various stages, we show that Spatial expression is independent of thymocyte-derived signals during thymus organogenesis. Analyses on purified thymic cell subsets show that Spatial short isoforms are expressed in cortical TEC (cTEC) and mature medullary TEC (mTEC). Spatial long isoforms were detected in the same TEC population. Spatial presents a nuclear distribution specific to mature mTEC expressing UEA1 and Aire. Aire- and RANKL-deficient mice revealed that Spatial expression is drastically reduced in the thymus of these mutants. These findings reveal a critical function of Aire in regulating Spatial expression, which is compatible with promiscuous Spatial gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Murielle Saade
- INSERM U928, Technologies Avancées pour le Génome et la Clinique, Université de la Méditerranée, Parc Scientifique de Luminy, Marseille Cedex, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Saade M, Irla M, Yammine M, Boulanger N, Victorero G, Vincentelli R, Penninger JM, Holländer GA, Chauvet S, Nguyen C. Cover Picture: Eur. J. Immunol. 2/10. Eur J Immunol 2010. [DOI: 10.1002/eji.201090005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
36
|
Vroegindeweij E, Crobach S, Itoi M, Satoh R, Zuklys S, Happe C, Germeraad WT, Cornelissen JJ, Cupedo T, Holländer GA, Kawamoto H, van Ewijk W. Thymic cysts originate from Foxn1 positive thymic medullary epithelium. Mol Immunol 2010; 47:1106-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2009.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2009] [Revised: 10/26/2009] [Accepted: 10/28/2009] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
|
37
|
Kenins L, Gill JW, Holländer GA, Wodnar-Filipowicz A. Flt3 ligand-receptor interaction is important for maintenance of early thymic progenitor numbers in steady-state thymopoiesis. Eur J Immunol 2010; 40:81-90. [PMID: 19830725 DOI: 10.1002/eji.200839213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
T-cell production throughout life depends on efficient colonization and intrathymic expansion of BM-derived hematopoietic precursors. After irradiation-induced thymic damage, thymic recovery is facilitated by Flt3 ligand (FL), expressed by perivascular fibroblasts surrounding the thymic entry site of Flt3 receptor-positive progenitor cells. Whether intrathymic FL-Flt3 interactions play a role in steady-state replenishment of T cells remains unknown. Here, using competitive BM transplantation studies and fetal thymic organ cultures we demonstrated the continued numerical advantage of Flt3+ intrathymic T-cell precursors. Sub-kidney capsule thymic transplantation experiments, in which WT and FL-/- thymic lobes were grafted into FL-/- recipients, revealed that FL expression by the thymic microenvironment plays a role in steady-state thymopoiesis. The deficiency of the most immature thymic T-cell precursors correlated to upregulation of FL by thymic MTS15+ fibroblasts, suggesting that the number of Flt3+ progenitor cells may regulate the thymic expression of this cytokine. Together, these results show that FL expression by thymic stromal fibroblasts interacting with Flt3+ T-cell progenitors is important for the physiological maintenance of early T-cell development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Kenins
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Shikama N, Nusspaumer G, Holländer GA. Clearing the AIRE: on the pathophysiological basis of the autoimmune polyendocrinopathy syndrome type-1. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 2009; 38:273-88, vii. [PMID: 19328411 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecl.2009.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type-1 clinically manifests as the triad of hypoparathyroidism, primary adrenocortical insufficiency, and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis. Mutations in the gene that encodes the autoimmune regulator protein, AIRE, have been identified as the cause of the autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type-1. The loss of immunologic tolerance to tissue-restricted antigens consequent to an absence of AIRE expression in the thymus results in the thymic export of autoreactive T cells that initiate autoimmunity. In this article, we discuss the role of AIRE in autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type-1 and identify issues that still need to be addressed to fully understand the molecular pathophysiology of this complex syndrome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Shikama
- Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and The University Children's Hospital (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
A pool of immature T cells with a seemingly unrestricted repertoire of antigen specificities is generated life-long in the thymus. Amongst these cells are, however, thymocytes that express a strongly self-reactive antigen receptor and hence hold the potential to trigger autoimmunity. To prevent such an outcome, the thymus employs several independent but functionally related strategies that act in parallel to enforce self-tolerance. The deletion of strongly self-reactive thymocytes and the generation of regulatory T cells constitute the two most efficient mechanisms to induce and maintain immunological tolerance. Thymic epithelial cells of the medulla express for this purpose tissue-restricted self-antigens. This review will focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms operative in the thymus to shape a repertoire of mature T cells tolerant to self-antigens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G A Holländer
- Department of Clinical-Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, Center for Biomedicine, University of Basel and The University Children's Hospital, Switzerland.
| | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Zuklys S, Gill J, Keller MP, Hauri-Hohl M, Zhanybekova S, Balciunaite G, Na KJ, Jeker LT, Hafen K, Tsukamoto N, Amagai T, Taketo MM, Krenger W, Holländer GA. Stabilized beta-catenin in thymic epithelial cells blocks thymus development and function. J Immunol 2009; 182:2997-3007. [PMID: 19234195 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0713723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Thymic T cell development is dependent on a specialized epithelial microenvironment mainly composed of cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (TECs). The molecular programs governing the differentiation and maintenance of TECs remain largely unknown. Wnt signaling is central to the development and maintenance of several organ systems but a specific role of this pathway for thymus organogenesis has not yet been ascertained. In this report, we demonstrate that activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway by a stabilizing mutation of beta-catenin targeted exclusively to TECs changes the initial commitment of endodermal epithelia to a thymic cell fate. Consequently, the formation of a correctly composed and organized thymic microenvironment is prevented, thymic immigration of hematopoietic precursors is restricted, and intrathymic T cell differentiation is arrested at a very early developmental stage causing severe immunodeficiency. These results suggest that a precise regulation of canonical Wnt signaling in thymic epithelia is essential for normal thymus development and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saulius Zuklys
- Department of Clinical-Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Pediatric Immunology, University of Basel, and Basel University Children's Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Abstract
The clinical success of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) depends on the appropriate reconstitution of the host's immune system. While recovery of T-cell immunity may occur in transplant recipients via both thymus-dependent and thymus-independent pathways, the regeneration of a population of phenotypically naive T cells with a broad receptor repertoire relies entirely on the de novo generation of T-cells in the thymus. Preclinical models and clinical studies of allogeneic HSCT have identified the thymus as a target of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), thus limiting T-cell regeneration. The present review focuses on recent insight into how GVHD affects thymic structure and function and how this knowledge may aid in the design of new strategies to improve T-cell reconstitution following allogeneic HSCT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Werner Krenger
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, 4005, Switzerland.
| | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Hozumi K, Mailhos C, Negishi N, Hirano KI, Yahata T, Ando K, Zuklys S, Holländer GA, Shima DT, Habu S. Delta-like 4 is indispensable in thymic environment specific for T cell development. J Biophys Biochem Cytol 2008. [DOI: 10.1083/jcb1831oia2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
|
43
|
Hozumi K, Mailhos C, Negishi N, Hirano KI, Yahata T, Ando K, Zuklys S, Holländer GA, Shima DT, Habu S. Delta-like 4 is indispensable in thymic environment specific for T cell development. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 205:2507-13. [PMID: 18824583 PMCID: PMC2571926 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20080134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 287] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [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] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The thymic microenvironment is required for T cell development in vivo. However, in vitro studies have shown that when hematopoietic progenitors acquire Notch signaling via Delta-like (Dll)1 or Dll4, they differentiate into the T cell lineage in the absence of a thymic microenvironment. It is not clear, however, whether the thymus supports T cell development specifically by providing Notch signaling. To address this issue, we generated mice with a loxP-flanked allele of Dll4 and induced gene deletion specifically in thymic epithelial cells (TECs). In the thymus of mutant mice, the expression of Dll4 was abrogated on the epithelium, and the proportion of hematopoietic cells bearing the intracellular fragment of Notch1 (ICN1) was markedly decreased. Corresponding to this, CD4 CD8 double-positive or single-positive T cells were not detected in the thymus. Further analysis showed that the double-negative cell fraction was lacking T cell progenitors. The enforced expression of ICN1 in hematopoietic progenitors restored thymic T cell differentiation, even when the TECs were deficient in Dll4. These results indicate that the thymus-specific environment for determining T cell fate indispensably requires Dll4 expression to induce Notch signaling in the thymic immigrant cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katsuto Hozumi
- Department of Immunology and Research Center for Embryogenesis and Organogenesis, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara 259-1193, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Irla M, Hugues S, Gill J, Nitta T, Hikosaka Y, Williams IR, Hubert FX, Scott HS, Takahama Y, Holländer GA, Reith W. Autoantigen-specific interactions with CD4+ thymocytes control mature medullary thymic epithelial cell cellularity. Immunity 2008; 29:451-63. [PMID: 18799151 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2008.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2008] [Revised: 07/18/2008] [Accepted: 08/28/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) are specialized for inducing central immunological tolerance to self-antigens. To accomplish this, mTECs must adopt a mature phenotype characterized by expression of the autoimmune regulator Aire, which activates the transcription of numerous genes encoding tissue-restricted self-antigens. The mechanisms that control mature Aire(+) mTEC development in the postnatal thymus remain poorly understood. We demonstrate here that, although either CD4(+) or CD8(+) thymocytes are sufficient to sustain formation of a well-defined medulla, expansion of the mature mTEC population requires autoantigen-specific interactions between positively selected CD4(+) thymocytes bearing autoreactive T cell receptor (TCR) and mTECs displaying cognate self-peptide-MHC class II complexes. These interactions also involve the engagement of CD40 on mTECs by CD40L induced on the positively selected CD4(+) thymocytes. This antigen-specific TCR-MHC class II-mediated crosstalk between CD4(+) thymocytes and mTECs defines a unique checkpoint in thymic stromal development that is pivotal for generating a mature mTEC population competent for ensuring central T cell tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magali Irla
- University of Geneva Medical School, CMU, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, CH-1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Heikenwalder M, Prinz M, Zeller N, Lang KS, Junt T, Rossi S, Tumanov A, Schmidt H, Priller J, Flatz L, Rülicke T, Macpherson AJ, Holländer GA, Nedospasov SA, Aguzzi A. Overexpression of lymphotoxin in T cells induces fulminant thymic involution. Am J Pathol 2008; 172:1555-70. [PMID: 18483211 PMCID: PMC2408416 DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2008.070572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2008] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Activated lymphocytes and lymphoid-tissue inducer cells express lymphotoxins (LTs), which are essential for the organogenesis and maintenance of lymphoreticular microenvironments. Here we describe that T-cell-restricted overexpression of LT induces fulminant thymic involution. This phenotype was prevented by ablation of the LT receptors tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) 1 or LT beta receptor (LTbetaR), representing two non-redundant pathways. Multiple lines of transgenic Ltalphabeta and Ltalpha mice show such a phenotype, which was not observed on overexpression of LTbeta alone. Reciprocal bone marrow transfers between LT-overexpressing and receptor-ablated mice show that involution was not due to a T cell-autonomous defect but was triggered by TNFR1 and LTbetaR signaling to radioresistant stromal cells. Thymic involution was partially prevented by the removal of one allele of LTbetaR but not of TNFR1, establishing a hierarchy in these signaling events. Infection with the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus triggered a similar thymic pathology in wt, but not in Tnfr1(-/-) mice. These mice displayed elevated TNFalpha in both thymus and plasma, as well as increased LTs on both CD8(+) and CD4(-)CD8(-) thymocytes. These findings suggest that enhanced T cell-derived LT expression helps to control the physiological size of the thymic stroma and accelerates its involution via TNFR1/LTbetaR signaling in pathological conditions and possibly also in normal aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Heikenwalder
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Alimohammadi M, Björklund P, Hallgren A, Pöntynen N, Szinnai G, Shikama N, Keller MP, Ekwall O, Kinkel SA, Husebye ES, Gustafsson J, Rorsman F, Peltonen L, Betterle C, Perheentupa J, Akerström G, Westin G, Scott HS, Holländer GA, Kämpe O. Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 and NALP5, a parathyroid autoantigen. N Engl J Med 2008; 358:1018-28. [PMID: 18322283 DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa0706487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is a multiorgan autoimmune disorder caused by mutations in AIRE, the autoimmune regulator gene. Though recent studies concerning AIRE deficiency have begun to elucidate the molecular pathogenesis of organ-specific autoimmunity in patients with APS-1, the autoantigen responsible for hypoparathyroidism, a hallmark of APS-1 and its most common autoimmune endocrinopathy, has not yet been identified. METHODS We performed immunoscreening of a human parathyroid complementary DNA library, using serum samples from patients with APS-1 and hypoparathyroidism, to identify patients with reactivity to the NACHT leucine-rich-repeat protein 5 (NALP5). Subsequently, serum samples from 87 patients with APS-1 and 293 controls, including patients with other autoimmune disorders, were used to determine the frequency and specificity of autoantibodies against NALP5. In addition, the expression of NALP5 was investigated in various tissues. RESULTS NALP5-specific autoantibodies were detected in 49% of the patients with APS-1 and hypoparathyroidism but were absent in all patients with APS-1 but without hypoparathyroidism, in all patients with other autoimmune endocrine disorders, and in all healthy controls. NALP5 was predominantly expressed in the cytoplasm of parathyroid chief cells. CONCLUSIONS NALP5 appears to be a tissue-specific autoantigen involved in hypoparathyroidism in patients with APS-1. Autoantibodies against NALP5 appear to be highly specific and may be diagnostic for this prominent component of APS-1.
Collapse
|
47
|
Kenins L, Gill JW, Boyd RL, Holländer GA, Wodnar-Filipowicz A. Intrathymic expression of Flt3 ligand enhances thymic recovery after irradiation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 205:523-31. [PMID: 18299401 PMCID: PMC2275376 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20072065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) requires conditioning treatments such as irradiation, which leads to a severely delayed recovery of T cell immunity and constitutes a major complication of this therapy. Currently, our understanding of the mechanisms regulating thymic recovery is limited. It is known that a subpopulation of bone marrow (BM)–derived thymic immigrant cells and the earliest intrathymic progenitors express the FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (Flt3) receptor; however, the functional significance of this expression in the thymus is not known. We used the BM transplant model to investigate the importance of Flt3 ligand (FL) for the regeneration of the T cell compartment. We show that FL is expressed in the adult mouse thymus on the surface of perivascular fibroblasts. These cells surround the proposed thymic entry site of Flt3 receptor–positive T cell progenitors. After irradiation, perivascular FL expression is up-regulated and results in an enhanced recovery of thymic cellularity. Thymic grafting experiments confirm an intrathymic requirement for FL. Collectively, these results show that thymic stromal cell–mediated FL–Flt3 receptor interactions are important in the reconstitution of thymopoiesis early after lethal irradiation and HSCT, and provide a functional relevance to the expression of the Flt3 receptor on intrathymic T cell progenitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Kenins
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Abstract
Background The thymus constitutes the primary lymphoid organ for the majority of T cells. The phosphatidyl-inositol 3 kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway is involved in lymphoid development. Defects in single components of this pathway prevent thymocytes from progressing beyond early T cell developmental stages. Protein kinase B (PKB) is the main effector of the PI3K pathway. Methodology/Principal Findings To determine whether PKB mediates PI3K signaling in the thymus, we characterized PKB knockout thymi. Our results reveal a significant thymic hypocellularity in PKBα−/− neonates and an accumulation of early thymocyte subsets in PKBα−/− adult mice. Using thymic grafting and fetal liver cell transfer experiments, the latter finding was specifically attributed to the lack of PKBα within the lymphoid component of the thymus. Microarray analyses show that the absence of PKBα in early thymocyte subsets modifies the expression of genes known to be involved in pre-TCR signaling, in T cell activation, and in the transduction of interferon-mediated signals. Conclusions/Significance This report highlights the specific requirements of PKBα for thymic development and opens up new prospects as to the mechanism downstream of PKBα in early thymocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Fayard
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jason Gill
- Pediatric Immunology, Center for Biomedicine, Department of Clinical-Biological Sciences, The University of Basel, The University Children's Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Magdalena Paolino
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Debby Hynx
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Pediatric Immunology, Center for Biomedicine, Department of Clinical-Biological Sciences, The University of Basel, The University Children's Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Brian A. Hemmings
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Barthlott T, Keller MP, Krenger W, Holländer GA. A short primer on early molecular and cellular events in thymus organogenesis and replacement. Swiss Med Wkly 2007; 137 Suppl 155:9S-13S. [PMID: 17874494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Haematopoietic precursors have to undergo a complex series of maturational steps in the thymus before they exit into the periphery as functional T lymphocytes. Thymic stroma cells, the majority being of epithelial origin, provide the functional partners for the maturational progression along this differentiation pathway. Here we review some of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that account for thymus organogenesis and discuss a strategy to use thymic epithelial precursor cells for the regeneration of the thymic microenvironment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Barthlott
- Department of Clinical-Biological Sciences, University of Basel and the University Children's Hospital of Basel (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
|