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Wijdeven RH, Luk SJ, Schoufour TAW, van der Zanden SY, Cabezuelo M, Heemskerk MHM, Neefjes J. Balanced Epigenetic Regulation of MHC Class I Expression in Tumor Cells by the Histone Ubiquitin Modifiers BAP1 and PCGF1. J Immunol 2024; 212:446-454. [PMID: 38088808 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
MHC class I (MHC-I) molecules are critical for CD8+ T cell responses to viral infections and malignant cells, and tumors can downregulate MHC-I expression to promote immune evasion. In this study, using a genome-wide CRISPR screen on a human melanoma cell line, we identified the polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) subunit PCGF1 and the deubiquitinating enzyme BAP1 as opposite regulators of MHC-I transcription. PCGF1 facilitates deposition of ubiquitin at H2AK119 at the MHC-I promoters to silence MHC-I, whereas BAP1 removes this modification to restore MHC-I expression. PCGF1 is widely expressed in tumors and its depletion increased MHC-I expression in multiple tumor lines, including MHC-Ilow tumors. In cells characterized by poor MHC-I expression, PRC1 and PRC2 act in parallel to impinge low transcription. However, PCGF1 depletion was sufficient to increase MHC-I expression and restore T cell-mediated killing of the tumor cells. Taken together, our data provide an additional layer of regulation of MHC-I expression in tumors: epigenetic silencing by PRC1 subunit PCGF1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruud H Wijdeven
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sietse J Luk
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Tom A W Schoufour
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sabina Y van der Zanden
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marta Cabezuelo
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Mirjam H M Heemskerk
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jacques Neefjes
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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Middelburg J, Ghaffari S, Schoufour TAW, Sluijter M, Schaap G, Göynük B, Sala BM, Al-Tamimi L, Scheeren F, Franken KLMC, Akkermans JJLL, Cabukusta B, Joosten SA, Derksen I, Neefjes J, van der Burg SH, Achour A, Wijdeven RHM, Weidanz J, van Hall T. The MHC-E peptide ligands for checkpoint CD94/NKG2A are governed by inflammatory signals, whereas LILRB1/2 receptors are peptide indifferent. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113516. [PMID: 38048225 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune checkpoint NKG2A/CD94 is a promising target for cancer immunotherapy, and its ligand major histocompatibility complex E (MHC-E) is frequently upregulated in cancer. NKG2A/CD94-mediated inhibition of lymphocytes depends on the presence of specific leader peptides in MHC-E, but when and where they are presented in situ is unknown. We apply a nanobody specific for the Qdm/Qa-1b complex, the NKG2A/CD94 ligand in mouse, and find that presentation of Qdm peptide depends on every member of the endoplasmic reticulum-resident peptide loading complex. With a turnover rate of 30 min, the Qdm peptide reflects antigen processing capacity in real time. Remarkably, Qdm/Qa-1b complexes require inflammatory signals for surface expression in situ, despite the broad presence of Qa-1b molecules in homeostasis. Furthermore, we identify LILRB1 as a functional inhibition receptor for MHC-E in steady state. These data provide a molecular understanding of NKG2A blockade in immunotherapy and assign MHC-E as a convergent ligand for multiple immune checkpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim Middelburg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Soroush Ghaffari
- Department of Biology, College of Science, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Tom A W Schoufour
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marjolein Sluijter
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Gaby Schaap
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Büsra Göynük
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Benedetta M Sala
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute & Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Lejla Al-Tamimi
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute & Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Ferenc Scheeren
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Kees L M C Franken
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jimmy J L L Akkermans
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Birol Cabukusta
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Simone A Joosten
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ian Derksen
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jacques Neefjes
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Adnane Achour
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute & Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Ruud H M Wijdeven
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jon Weidanz
- Abexxa Biologics, Inc., Arlington, TX, USA; College of Nursing and Health Innovation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Thorbald van Hall
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Ruibal P, Derksen I, van Wolfswinkel M, Voogd L, Franken KLMC, El Hebieshy AF, van Hall T, Schoufour TAW, Wijdeven RH, Ottenhoff THM, Scheeren FA, Joosten SA. Thermal-exchange HLA-E multimers reveal specificity in HLA-E and NKG2A/CD94 complex interactions. Immunology 2023; 168:526-537. [PMID: 36217755 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing interest in HLA-E-restricted T-cell responses as a possible novel, highly conserved, vaccination targets in the context of infectious and malignant diseases. The developing field of HLA multimers for the detection and study of peptide-specific T cells has allowed the in-depth study of TCR repertoires and molecular requirements for efficient antigen presentation and T-cell activation. In this study, we developed a method for efficient peptide thermal exchange on HLA-E monomers and multimers allowing the high-throughput production of HLA-E multimers. We optimized the thermal-mediated peptide exchange, and flow cytometry staining conditions for the detection of TCR and NKG2A/CD94 receptors, showing that this novel approach can be used for high-throughput identification and analysis of HLA-E-binding peptides which could be involved in T-cell and NK cell-mediated immune responses. Importantly, our analysis of NKG2A/CD94 interaction in the presence of modified peptides led to new molecular insights governing the interaction of HLA-E with this receptor. In particular, our results reveal that interactions of HLA-E with NKG2A/CD94 and the TCR involve different residues. Altogether, we present a novel HLA-E multimer technology based on thermal-mediated peptide exchange allowing us to investigate the molecular requirements for HLA-E/peptide interaction with its receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Ruibal
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ian Derksen
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Linda Voogd
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Kees L M C Franken
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Angela F El Hebieshy
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Thorbald van Hall
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Tom A W Schoufour
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud H Wijdeven
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Tom H M Ottenhoff
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ferenc A Scheeren
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Simone A Joosten
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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