Reprogramming of committed T cell progenitors to macrophages and dendritic cells by C/EBP alpha and PU.1 transcription factors

Dose-dependent repression of T-cell and natural killer cell genes by PU.1 enforces myeloid and B-cell identity

The Ets transcription factor PU.1, encoded by the gene Sfpi1, functions in a concentration-dependent manner to promote myeloid and B-cell development and has been implicated in myeloid and lymphoid leukemias. To determine the consequences of reducing PU.1 concentration during hematopoiesis, we analyzed mice with two distinct hypomorphic alleles of Sfpi1 that produce PU.1 at approximately 20% (BN) or approximately 2% (Blac) of wild-type levels. Myeloid development was impaired in these mice, but less severely than in Sfpi1 null mice. To identify the downstream target genes that respond to changes in PU.1 concentration, we analyzed ex vivo interleukin-3 dependent myeloid cell lines established from Sfpi1(BN/BN), Sfpi1(Blac/Blac) and Sfpi1(-/-) fetal liver cells. Unexpectedly, many T-cell and natural killer cell genes were expressed in Sfpi1(-/-) cells and repressed in a dose-dependent manner in Sfpi1(Blac/Blac) and Sfpi1(BN/BN) cells. This pattern of dose-dependent T/NK-cell gene repression also occurred in ex vivo interleukin-7 dependent progenitor B cell lines. These results suggest that PU.1 functions in a concentration-dependent manner to repress T-cell and natural killer cell fates while promoting myeloid and B-cell fates.

Hematopoiesis: an evolving paradigm for stem cell biology

Establishment and maintenance of the blood system relies on self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that normally reside in small numbers in the bone marrow niche of adult mammals. This Review describes the developmental origins of HSCs and the molecular mechanisms that regulate lineage-specific differentiation. Studies of hematopoiesis provide critical insights of general relevance to other areas of stem cell biology including the role of cellular interactions in development and tissue homeostasis, lineage programming and reprogramming by transcription factors, and stage- and age-specific differences in cellular phenotypes.

Mutation of C/EBPalpha predisposes to the development of myeloid leukemia in a retroviral insertional mutagenesis screen

The CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) is an important myeloid tumor suppressor that is frequently mutated in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We have previously shown that mice homozygous for the E2F repression-deficient Cebpa(BRM2) allele develop nonfatal AML with long latency and incomplete penetrance, suggesting that accumulation of secondary mutations is necessary for disease progression. Here, we use SRS19-6-driven retroviral insertional mutagenesis to compare the phenotypes of leukemias arising in Cebpa(+/+), Cebpa(+/BRM2), and Cebpa(BRM2/BRM2) mice, with respect to disease type, latency of tumor development, and identity of the retroviral insertion sites (RISs). Both Cebpa(+/BRM2) and Cebpa(BRM2/BRM2) mice preferentially develop myeloid leukemias, but with differing latencies, thereby demonstrating the importance of gene dosage. Determination of RISs led to the identification of several novel candidate oncogenes, some of which may collaborate specifically with the E2F repression-deficient allele of Cebpa. Finally, we used an in silico pathway analysis approach to extract additional information from single RISs, leading to the identification of signaling pathways which were preferentially deregulated in a disease- and/or genotype-specific manner.

Launching the T-cell-lineage developmental programme

Multipotent blood progenitor cells enter the thymus and begin a protracted differentiation process in which they gradually acquire T-cell characteristics while shedding their legacy of developmental plasticity. Notch signalling and basic helix-loop-helix E-protein transcription factors collaborate repeatedly to trigger and sustain this process throughout the period leading up to T-cell lineage commitment. Nevertheless, the process is discontinuous with separately regulated steps that demand roles for additional collaborating factors. This Review discusses new evidence on the coordination of specification and commitment in the early T-cell pathway; effects of microenvironmental signals; the inheritance of stem-cell regulatory factors; and the ensemble of transcription factors that modulate the effects of Notch and E proteins, to distinguish individual stages and to polarize T-cell-lineage fate determination.

Expression profiling of immature thymocytes revealed a novel homeobox gene that regulates double-negative thymocyte development

Intrathymic development of CD4/CD8 double-negative (DN) thymocytes can be tracked by well-defined chronological subsets of thymocytes, and is an ideal target of gene expression profiling analysis to clarify the genetic basis of mature T cell production, by which differentiation of immature thymocytes is investigated in terms of gene expression profiles. In this study, we show that development of murine DN thymocytes is predominantly regulated by largely repressive rather than inductive activities of transcriptions, where lineage-promiscuous gene expression in immature thymocytes is down-regulated during their differentiation. Functional mapping of genes showing common temporal expression profiles implicates previously uncharacterized gene regulations that may be relevant to early thymocytes development. A small minority of genes is transiently expressed in the CD44(low)CD25(+) subset of DN thymocytes, from which we identified a novel homeobox gene, Duxl, whose expression is up-regulated by Runx1. Duxl promotes the transition from CD44(high)CD25(+) to CD44(low)CD25(+) in DN thymocytes, while constitutive expression of Duxl inhibits expression of TCR beta-chains and leads to impaired beta selection and greatly reduced production of CD4/CD8 double-positive thymocytes, indicating its critical roles in DN thymocyte development.

The Pu.1 locus is differentially regulated at the level of chromatin structure and noncoding transcription by alternate mechanisms at distinct developmental stages of hematopoiesis

The Ets family transcription factor PU.1 is crucial for the regulation of hematopoietic development. Pu.1 is activated in hematopoietic stem cells and is expressed in mast cells, B cells, granulocytes, and macrophages but is switched off in T cells. Many of the transcription factors regulating Pu.1 have been identified, but little is known about how they organize Pu.1 chromatin in development. We analyzed the Pu.1 promoter and the upstream regulatory element (URE) using in vivo footprinting and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. In B cells, Pu.1 was bound by a set of transcription factors different from that in myeloid cells and adopted alternative chromatin architectures. In T cells, Pu.1 chromatin at the URE was open and the same transcription factor binding sites were occupied as in B cells. The transcription factor RUNX1 was bound to the URE in precursor cells, but binding was down-regulated in maturing cells. In PU.1 knockout precursor cells, the Ets factor Fli-1 compensated for the lack of PU.1, and both proteins could occupy a subset of Pu.1 cis elements in PU.1-expressing cells. In addition, we identified novel URE-derived noncoding transcripts subject to tissue-specific regulation. Our results provide important insights into how overlapping, but different, sets of transcription factors program tissue-specific chromatin structures in the hematopoietic system.

C/EBPalpha induces PU.1 and interacts with AP-1 and NF-kappaB to regulate myeloid development

C/EBPalpha and PU.1 are key regulators of early myeloid development. Mice lacking C/EBPalpha or PU.1 have reduced granulocytes and monocytes. Consistent with a model in which induction of PU.1 by C/EBPalpha contributes to monocyte lineage specification, mice with reduced PU.1 have diminished monocytes but retain granulocytes, C/EBPalpha directly activates PU.1 gene transcription, and exogenous C/EBPalpha increases monocytic lineage commitment from bipotential myeloid progenitors. In addition to C/EBPalpha, AP-1 proteins also have the capacity to induce monocytic maturation. C/EBPalpha:c-Jun or C/EBPalpha:c-Fos leucine zipper heterodimers induce monopoiesis more potently than C/EBPalpha or c-Jun homodimers or c-Fos:c-Jun heterodimers. C/EBPs and NF-kappaB cooperatively regulate numerous genes during the inflammatory response. The C/EBPalpha basic region interacts with NF-kappaB p50, but not p65, to induce bcl-2, and this interaction may be relevant to myeloid cell survival and development.

Myeloid lineage commitment from the hematopoietic stem cell

Prospective isolation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells has identified the lineal relationships among all blood-cell types and has allowed their developmental mechanisms to be assayed at the single-cell level. These isolated cell populations are used to elucidate the molecular mechanism of lineage fate decision and of its plasticity directly by stage-specific enforcement or repression of lineage-instructive signaling in purified cells. With an emphasis on the myeloid lineage, this review summarizes current concepts and controversies regarding adult murine hematopoietic development and discusses the potential mechanisms, operated by single or by multiple transcription factors, of myeloid lineage fate decision.

Negotiation of the T lineage fate decision by transcription-factor interplay and microenvironmental signals

Notch-Delta signaling of hematopoietic precursors sets in motion a train of events that activates expression of T lineage genes. Even so, through many cell generations the pro-T cells remain uncommitted to the T cell fate, preserving alternative potentials as divergent as monocyte or dendritic cell fates. This plasticity can be explained by the tenacious expression of stem- and progenitor-associated regulatory genes in the cells, and by the combinatorial coding of T cell identity by factors that are not intrinsically T lineage specific in their spectra of activity. T lineage developmental success depends on precise temporal and quantitative regulation of these factors and on the continuing modulating influence of Notch-Delta signals that buffer the cells against mechanisms promoting non-T outcomes. An additional mechanism, still not fully defined, is required just prior to T cell receptor-mediated selection to end plasticity and make T lineage commitment irreversible.

Mast cell lineage diversion of T lineage precursors by the essential T cell transcription factor GATA-3

GATA-3 is essential for T cell development from the earliest stages. However, abundant GATA-3 can drive T lineage precursors to a non-T cell fate, depending on Notch signaling and developmental stage. Here, overexpression of GATA-3 blocked the survival of pro-T cells when Notch-Delta signals were present but enhanced viability in their absence. In fetal thymocytes at the double-negative 1 (DN1) stage and DN2 stage but not those at the DN3 stage, overexpression of GATA-3 rapidly induced respecification to the mast cell lineage with high frequency by direct transcriptional 'reprogramming'. Normal DN2 thymocytes also showed mast cell potential when interleukin 3 and stem cell factor were added in the absence of Notch signaling. Our results suggest a close relationship between the pro-T cell and mast cell programs and a previously unknown function for Notch in T lineage fidelity.

Cell lineage regulators in B and T cell development

This special issue highlights a pivotal set of regulatory molecules that have emerged as central controllers of cell-type identity in the immune system. Each in its own way has been considered as a kind of 'master' regulator of a particular cell fate choice, but the actual modes of action of these factors vary widely. The comparison among them sheds light on the different ways that an essential regulatory input can affect cellular identity.

Regulatory factors for initial T lymphocyte lineage specification

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Initiation of T lymphocyte development depends on balanced regulatory inputs from multiple essential transcription factors. This review highlights contributions of E2A, hematopoietic transcription factor PU.1, growth factor independence (Gfi)-1, T cell factor (TCF)-1, and Runx factors and their interactions with the Notch pathway to promote T cell development.

RECENT FINDINGS

E2A and Runx family factors have been implicated in establishing competent precursors in which Notch signaling can induce the T cell program. An early role was also indicated for PU.1. Later PU.1 activities are antagonistic to pro-T cell factors, however, including E proteins, Myb, Gfi-1, and TCF-1. Diversion to a non-T lineage can be promoted by PU.1, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein, or even GATA and TCF, but these diversion mechanisms are blocked by Notch signaling. An emergent gene network summarizes the cross-regulatory relationships among these factors.

SUMMARY

Entry into the T-cell pathway is controlled by a dynamic balance among essential regulatory factors that depend on Notch signaling not only to trigger initiation of the T-cell program but also to maintain the lineage fidelity of their collective action.

Influence of prothymosin-alpha on HIV-1 target cells

The important role of CD8(+) T cells in controlling HIV-1 infection through the innate as well as the adaptive immune system is well established. In addition to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-dependent cytotoxic activity of CD8(+) T cells, they produce soluble factors that suppress HIV-1 replication in an MHC-independent manner. Several of those factors have been identified, including beta-chemokines, Rantes, MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta, and MDC. We previously identified that prothymosin alpha (ProTalpha) in the conditioned medium of HVS transformed CD8(+) T cells was a potent inhibitor of HIV-1 replication following proviral integration. In this report we further characterize the anti-HIV-1 activity of ProTalpha by demonstrating its target-cell specificity, distinction from additional inhibitors of HIV-1 transcription in CD8(+) T cell supernatants, as well as the differential regulation of host cell antiviral genes that could impact HIV-1 replication. These genes include a number of transcription factors as well IFN-alpha-inducible genes including PKR, IRF1, and Rantes, in the absence of induction of IFN-alpha. These data suggest that the anti-HIV-1 activity of ProTalpha is mediated through the modulation of a number of genes that have been reported to suppress HIV-1 replication including the dysregulation of transcription factors and the induction of PKR and Rantes mRNA.

CCAAT enhancer-binding protein beta regulates constitutive gene expression during late stages of monocyte to macrophage differentiation

Human monocyte to macrophage differentiation is accompanied by pronounced phenotypical changes and generally proceeds in the absence of proliferation. The molecular events governing this process are poorly understood. Here, we studied the regulation of the macrophage-specific chitotriosidase (CHIT1) gene promoter to gain insights into the mechanisms of transcriptional control during the differentiation of human blood monocytes into macrophages. We used transient transfections to define a cell type-specific minimal promoter that was mainly dependent on a proximal C/EBP motif that bound multiple C/EBP factors in gel shift assays. In depth analysis of occupied promoter elements using in vivo footprinting and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses demonstrated the differentiation-associated recruitment of C/EBPbeta and PU.1 at the proximal promoter in parallel with CHIT1 mRNA induction. Notably, the induction of C/EBPbeta promoter binding strongly correlated with increased nuclear levels of Thr-235-phosphorylated C/EBPbeta protein during the differentiation process, whereas C/EBPbeta mRNA and total protein expression remained relatively stable. Our data suggest an important constitutive gene regulatory function for C/EBPbeta in differentiated macrophages but not in human blood monocytes.

Early decisions in lymphoid development

Recent research suggests that lymphoid progenitors in the bone marrow comprise a heterogeneous cell population. This population first loses megakaryocyte/erythroid, and then granulocyte/macrophage, potential before committing to lymphoid lineages. B and T cells can originate by way of different pathways that appear to be used with varying frequencies in the animal. In the bone marrow, B cell specification and commitment is driven by the concerted action of transcription factors and IL-7 signaling. In the thymus, multipotent progenitors become committed to the T-cell lineage through the action of Notch1. The activated intracellular form of Notch1 suppresses transcription factors that can instruct myeloid cell fates, thereby directly coupling extracellular signaling with changes in transcriptional networks. In conclusion, although a lot is known about B and T cell commitment, more work needs to be done to clarify the earliest steps in lymphoid specification.

Is PU.1 a dosage-sensitive regulator of haemopoietic lineage commitment and leukaemogenesis?

The transcription factor PU.1 is an essential regulator of haemopoiesis and a suppressor of myeloid leukaemia. PU.1 displays a complex expression pattern characterized by high expression in myeloid cells and low amounts in lymphoid cells. Based on this transcriptional profile, and the analysis of cell lines and mice expressing altered levels of PU.1, a model has been proposed where the concentration of PU.1 determines cell fate, whereas the graded reduction, but not absence, of PU.1 facilitates leukaemogenesis. The recent reports of mouse strains that enable the accurate determination of PU.1 expression and the conditional inactivation of PU.1 in adult haemopoiesis have led us to re-examine our understanding of the complex functions of PU.1. Here, we will discuss the data that, we believe, argue against the dosage-sensitive model of PU.1-mediated lineage commitment and leukaemogenesis.

Thymus Exclusivity: All the Right Conditions for T Cells

A fraction of primitive "lymphoid" precursors retain plasticity for myeloid differentiation. In this issue of Immunity, Laiosa et al. describe that Notch-Delta signals can protect thymic precursors from reprogramming into the myeloid lineage, antagonizing the enforced myeloid transcription factors such as PU.1 and C/EBPalpha.