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Lee DY, Song WH, Lim YS, Lee C, Rajbongshi L, Hwang SY, Kim BS, Lee D, Song YJ, Kim HG, Yoon S. Fish Collagen Peptides Enhance Thymopoietic Gene Expression, Cell Proliferation, Thymocyte Adherence, and Cytoprotection in Thymic Epithelial Cells via Activation of the Nuclear Factor-κB Pathway, Leading to Thymus Regeneration after Cyclophosphamide-Induced Injury. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:531. [PMID: 37888466 PMCID: PMC10608061 DOI: 10.3390/md21100531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Prolonged thymic involution results in decreased thymopoiesis and thymic output, leading to peripheral T-cell deficiency. Since the thymic-dependent pathway is the only means of generating fully mature T cells, the identification of strategies to enhance thymic regeneration is crucial in developing therapeutic interventions to revert immune suppression in immunocompromised patients. The present study clearly shows that fish collagen peptides (FCPs) stimulate activities of thymic epithelial cells (TECs), including cell proliferation, thymocyte adhesion, and the gene expression of thymopoietic factors such as FGF-7, IGF-1, BMP-4, VEGF-A, IL-7, IL-21, RANKL, LTβ, IL-22R, RANK, LTβR, SDF-1, CCL21, CCL25, CXCL5, Dll1, Dll4, Wnt4, CD40, CD80, CD86, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, FoxN1, leptin, cathepsin L, CK5, and CK8 through the NF-κB signal transduction pathway. Furthermore, our study also revealed the cytoprotective effects of FCPs on TECs against cyclophosphamide-induced cellular injury through the NF-κB signaling pathway. Importantly, FCPs exhibited a significant capability to facilitate thymic regeneration in mice after cyclophosphamide-induced damage via the NF-κB pathway. Taken together, this study sheds light on the role of FCPs in TEC function, thymopoiesis, and thymic regeneration, providing greater insight into the development of novel therapeutic strategies for effective thymus repopulation for numerous clinical conditions in which immune reconstitution is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do Young Lee
- Department of Anatomy and Convergence Medical Sciences, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
- Immune Reconstitution Research Center of Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Hoon Song
- Immune Reconstitution Research Center of Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
- Department of Urology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital and Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
| | - Ye Seon Lim
- Department of Anatomy and Convergence Medical Sciences, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
- Immune Reconstitution Research Center of Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
| | - Changyong Lee
- Department of Anatomy and Convergence Medical Sciences, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
- Immune Reconstitution Research Center of Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
| | - Lata Rajbongshi
- Department of Anatomy and Convergence Medical Sciences, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
- Immune Reconstitution Research Center of Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
| | - Seon Yeong Hwang
- Department of Anatomy and Convergence Medical Sciences, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
- Immune Reconstitution Research Center of Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung Soo Kim
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongjun Lee
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Jung Song
- Immune Reconstitution Research Center of Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital and Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwi-Gon Kim
- Immune Reconstitution Research Center of Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital and Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
| | - Sik Yoon
- Department of Anatomy and Convergence Medical Sciences, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
- Immune Reconstitution Research Center of Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan 626-870, Republic of Korea
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2
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Morales-Sanchez A, Shissler SC, Cowan JE, Bhandoola A. Revelations in Thymic Epithelial Cell Biology and Heterogeneity from Single-Cell RNA Sequencing and Lineage Tracing Methodologies. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2580:25-49. [PMID: 36374449 PMCID: PMC10802793 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2740-2_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) make up the thymic microenvironments that support the generation of a functionally competent and self-tolerant T-cell repertoire. Cortical (c)TECs, present in the cortex, are essential for early thymocyte development including selection of thymocytes expressing functional TCRs (positive selection). Medullary (m)TECs, located in the medulla, play a key role in late thymocyte development, including depletion of self-reactive T cells (negative selection) and selection of regulatory T cells. In recent years, transcriptomic analysis by single-cell (sc)RNA sequencing (Seq) has revealed TEC heterogeneity previously masked by population-level RNA-Seq or phenotypic studies. We summarize the discoveries made possible by scRNA-Seq, including the identification of novel mTEC subsets, advances in understanding mTEC promiscuous gene expression, and TEC alterations from embryonic to adult stages. Whereas pseudotime analyses of scRNA-Seq data can suggest relationships between TEC subsets, experimental methods such as lineage tracing and reaggregate thymic organ culture (RTOC) are required to test these hypotheses. Lineage tracing - namely, of β5t or Aire expressing cells - has exposed progenitor and parent-daughter cellular relationships within TEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Morales-Sanchez
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Children's Hospital of Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Susannah C Shissler
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer E Cowan
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Avinash Bhandoola
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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3
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Petrušić M, Stojić-Vukanić Z, Pilipović I, Kosec D, Prijić I, Leposavić G. Thymic changes as a contributing factor in the increased susceptibility of old Albino Oxford rats to EAE development. Exp Gerontol 2023; 171:112009. [PMID: 36334894 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2022.112009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The study was aimed to examine putative contribution of thymic involution to ageing-associated increase in susceptibility of Albino Oxford (AO) rats to the development of clinical EAE, and vice versa influence of the disease on the progression of thymic involution. To this end we examined (i) the parameters of thymocyte negative selection efficacy, the thymic generation of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) and thymic capacity to instruct/predetermine IL-17-producing T-cell differentiation, and thymopietic efficacy-associated accumulation of "inflammescent" cytotoxic CD28- T cells in the periphery, and (ii) the key underlying mechanisms in young and old non-immunised AO rats and their counterparts immunised for EAE (on the 16th day post-immunisation when the disease in old rats reached the plateau) using flow cytometry analysis and/or RT-qPCR. It was found that thymic involution impairs: (i) the efficacy of negative selection (by affecting thymocyte expression of CD90, negative regulator of selection threshold and the expression of thymic stromal cell integrity factors) and (ii) Treg generation (by diminishing expression of cytokines supporting their differentiation/maturation). Additionally, the results suggest that thymic involution facilitates CD8+ T-cell differentiation into IL-17-producing cells (previously linked to the development of clinical EAE in old AO rats). Furthermore, they confirmed that ageing-related decrease in thymic T-cell output (as indicated by diminished frequency of recent thymic emigrants in peripheral blood) resulted in the accumulation of CD28- T cells in peripheral blood and, upon immunisation, in the target organ. On the other hand, the development of EAE (most likely by increasing circulatory levels of proinflammatory cytokines) contributed to the decline in thymic output of T cells, including Tregs, and thereby to the progression/maintenance of clinical EAE. Thus, in AO rats thymic involution via multi-layered mechanisms may favour the development of clinically manifested autoimmunity, which, in turn, precipitates the thymus atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Petrušić
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, 450 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Zorica Stojić-Vukanić
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, 450 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ivan Pilipović
- Immunology Research Centre "Branislav Janković", Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak", 458 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Duško Kosec
- Immunology Research Centre "Branislav Janković", Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak", 458 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ivana Prijić
- Immunology Research Centre "Branislav Janković", Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak", 458 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Gordana Leposavić
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, 450 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia.
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4
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Bhalla P, Su DM, van Oers NSC. Thymus Functionality Needs More Than a Few TECs. Front Immunol 2022; 13:864777. [PMID: 35757725 PMCID: PMC9229346 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.864777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus, a primary lymphoid organ, produces the T cells of the immune system. Originating from the 3rd pharyngeal pouch during embryogenesis, this organ functions throughout life. Yet, thymopoiesis can be transiently or permanently damaged contingent on the types of systemic stresses encountered. The thymus also undergoes a functional decline during aging, resulting in a progressive reduction in naïve T cell output. This atrophy is evidenced by a deteriorating thymic microenvironment, including, but not limited, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions, fibrosis and adipogenesis. An exploration of cellular changes in the thymus at various stages of life, including mouse models of in-born errors of immunity and with single cell RNA sequencing, is revealing an expanding number of distinct cell types influencing thymus functions. The thymus microenvironment, established through interactions between immature and mature thymocytes with thymus epithelial cells (TEC), is well known. Less well appreciated are the contributions of neural crest cell-derived mesenchymal cells, endothelial cells, diverse hematopoietic cell populations, adipocytes, and fibroblasts in the thymic microenvironment. In the current review, we will explore the contributions of the many stromal cell types participating in the formation, expansion, and contraction of the thymus under normal and pathophysiological processes. Such information will better inform approaches for restoring thymus functionality, including thymus organoid technologies, beneficial when an individuals’ own tissue is congenitally, clinically, or accidentally rendered non-functional.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratibha Bhalla
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Dong-Ming Su
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Genetics, The University of North Texas Health Sciences Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
| | - Nicolai S C van Oers
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.,Department of Microbiology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
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5
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Chen Y, Chen Y, Yin W, Han H, Miller H, Li J, Herrada AA, Kubo M, Sui Z, Gong Q, Liu C. The regulation of DOCK family proteins on T and B cells. J Leukoc Biol 2020; 109:383-394. [PMID: 32542827 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.1mr0520-221rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The dedicator of cytokinesis (DOCK) family proteins consist of 11 members, each of which contains 2 domains, DOCK homology region (DHR)-1 and DHR-2, and as guanine nucleotide exchange factors, they mediate activation of small GTPases. Both DOCK2 and DOCK8 deficiencies in humans can cause severe combined immunodeficiency, but they have different characteristics. DOCK8 defect mainly causes high IgE, allergic disease, refractory skin virus infection, and increased incidence of malignant tumor, whereas DOCK2 defect mainly causes early-onset, invasive infection with less atopy and increased IgE. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms causing the disease remain unclear. This paper discusses the role of DOCK family proteins in regulating B and T cells, including development, survival, migration, activation, immune tolerance, and immune functions. Moreover, related signal pathways or molecule mechanisms are also described in this review. A greater understanding of DOCK family proteins and their regulation of lymphocyte functions may facilitate the development of new therapeutics for immunodeficient patients and improve their prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Chen
- The Second Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Wei Yin
- Wuhan Children's Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong Han
- Department of Hematology of Liyuan Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Heather Miller
- The Laboratory of Intracellular Parasites, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Jianrong Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Andres A Herrada
- Lymphatic and Inflammation Research Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidad Autonoma de Chile, Talca, Chile
| | - Masato Kubo
- Laboratory for Cytokine Regulation, Center for Integrative Medical Science (IMS), RIKEN Yokohama Institute, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Zhiwei Sui
- Division of Medical and Biological Measurement, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China
| | - Quan Gong
- Department of immunology, School of Medicine, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China.,Clinical Molecular Immunology Center, School of Medicine, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Chaohong Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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6
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Lu X, Zhang Y, Liu F, Wang L. Rac2 Regulates the Migration of T Lymphoid Progenitors to the Thymus during Zebrafish Embryogenesis. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 204:2447-2454. [PMID: 32198141 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1901494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The caudal hematopoietic tissue in zebrafish, the equivalent to the fetal liver in mammals, is an intermediate hematopoietic niche for the maintenance and differentiation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells before homing to the thymus and kidney marrow. As one of the ultimate hematopoietic organs, the thymus sustains T lymphopoiesis, which is essential for adaptive immune system. However, the mechanism of prethymic T lymphoid progenitors migrating to the thymus remains elusive. In this study, we identify an Rho GTPase Rac2 as a modulator of T lymphoid progenitor homing to the thymus in zebrafish. rac2-Deficient embryos show the inability of T lymphoid progenitors homing to the thymus because of defective cell-autonomous motility. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that Rac2 regulates homing of T lymphoid progenitor through Pak1-mediated AKT pathway. Taken together, our work reveals an important function of Rac2 in directing T lymphoid progenitor migration to the thymus during zebrafish embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China.,State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; and.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuanlin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China.,State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; and
| | - Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; and .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China;
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7
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Abstract
The generation of a functional T cell repertoire in the thymus is mainly orchestrated by thymic epithelial cells (TECs), which provide developing T cells with cues for their navigation, proliferation, differentiation and survival. The TEC compartment has been segregated historically into two major populations of medullary TECs and cortical TECs, which differ in their anatomical localization, molecular characteristics and functional roles. However, recent studies have shown that TECs are highly heterogeneous and comprise multiple subpopulations with distinct molecular and functional characteristics, including tuft cell-like or corneocyte-like phenotypes. Here, we review the most recent advances in our understanding of TEC heterogeneity from a molecular, functional and developmental perspective. In particular, we highlight the key insights that were recently provided by single-cell genomic technologies and in vivo fate mapping and discuss them in the context of previously published data.
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8
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Nacka-Aleksić M, Stojanović M, Pilipović I, Stojić-Vukanić Z, Kosec D, Leposavić G. Strain differences in thymic atrophy in rats immunized for EAE correlate with the clinical outcome of immunization. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201848. [PMID: 30086167 PMCID: PMC6080797 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
An accumulating body of evidence suggests that development of autoimmune pathologies leads to thymic dysfunction and changes in peripheral T-cell compartment, which, in turn, perpetuate their pathogenesis. To test this hypothesis, thymocyte differentiation/maturation in rats susceptible (Dark Agouti, DA) and relatively resistant (Albino Oxford, AO) to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induction was examined. Irrespective of strain, immunization for EAE (i) increased the circulating levels of IL-6, a cytokine causally linked with thymic atrophy, and (ii) led to thymic atrophy reflecting partly enhanced thymocyte apoptosis associated with downregulated thymic IL-7 expression. Additionally, immunization diminished the expression of Thy-1, a negative regulator of TCRαβ-mediated signaling and activation thresholds, on CD4+CD8+ TCRαβlo/hi thymocytes undergoing selection and thereby impaired thymocyte selection/survival. This diminished the generation of mature CD4+ and CD8+ single positive TCRαβhi thymocytes and, consequently, CD4+ and CD8+ recent thymic emigrants. In immunized rats, thymic differentiation of natural regulatory CD4+Foxp3+CD25+ T cells (nTregs) was particularly affected reflecting a diminished expression of IL-7, IL-2 and IL-15. The decline in the overall thymic T-cell output and nTreg generation was more pronounced in DA than AO rats. Additionally, differently from immunized AO rats, in DA ones the frequency of CD28- cells secreting cytolytic enzymes within peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes increased, as a consequence of thymic atrophy-related replicative stress (mirrored in CD4+ cell memory pool expansion and p16INK4a accumulation). The higher circulating level of TNF-α in DA compared with AO rats could also contribute to this difference. Consistently, higher frequency of cytolytic CD4+ granzyme B+ cells (associated with greater tissue damage) was found in spinal cord of immunized DA rats compared with their AO counterparts. In conclusion, the study indicated that strain differences in immunization-induced changes in thymopoiesis and peripheral CD4+CD28- T-cell generation could contribute to rat strain-specific clinical outcomes of immunization for EAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjana Nacka-Aleksić
- Department of Physiology, University of Belgrade - Faculty of Pharmacy, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marija Stojanović
- Department of Physiology, University of Belgrade - Faculty of Pharmacy, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ivan Pilipović
- Immunology Research Centre “Branislav Janković”, Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera “Torlak”, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Zorica Stojić-Vukanić
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Belgrade - Faculty of Pharmacy, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Duško Kosec
- Immunology Research Centre “Branislav Janković”, Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera “Torlak”, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Gordana Leposavić
- Department of Physiology, University of Belgrade - Faculty of Pharmacy, Belgrade, Serbia
- * E-mail:
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9
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Tenno M, Kojo S, Lawir DF, Hess I, Shiroguchi K, Ebihara T, Endo TA, Muroi S, Satoh R, Kawamoto H, Boehm T, Taniuchi I. Cbfβ2 controls differentiation of and confers homing capacity to prethymic progenitors. J Exp Med 2018; 215:595-610. [PMID: 29343500 PMCID: PMC5789415 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20171221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tenno et al. show that an evolutionarily conserved alternative splicing event in the Cbfb gene generates Cbfβ2, which forms a functionally distinct transcription factor complex underlying the differentiation of extrathymic T cell progenitors, including induction of the principal thymus-homing receptor, Ccr9. Multipotent hematopoietic progenitors must acquire thymus-homing capacity to initiate T lymphocyte development. Despite its importance, the transcriptional program underlying this process remains elusive. Cbfβ forms transcription factor complexes with Runx proteins, and here we show that Cbfβ2, encoded by an RNA splice variant of the Cbfb gene, is essential for extrathymic differentiation of T cell progenitors. Furthermore, Cbfβ2 endows extrathymic progenitors with thymus-homing capacity by inducing expression of the principal thymus-homing receptor, Ccr9. This occurs via direct binding of Cbfβ2 to cell type–specific enhancers, as is observed in Rorγt induction during differentiation of lymphoid tissue inducer cells by activation of an intronic enhancer. As in mice, an alternative splicing event in zebrafish generates a Cbfβ2-specific mRNA, important for ccr9 expression. Thus, despite phylogenetically and ontogenetically variable sites of origin of T cell progenitors, their robust thymus-homing capacity is ensured by an evolutionarily conserved mechanism emerging from functional diversification of Runx transcription factor complexes by acquisition of a novel splice variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mari Tenno
- Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kojo
- Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Divine-Fondzenyuy Lawir
- Department of Developmental Immunology, Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Isabell Hess
- Department of Developmental Immunology, Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katsuyuki Shiroguchi
- Laboratory for Immunogenetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.,Laboratory for Integrative Omics, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, Osaka, Japan.,Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takashi Ebihara
- Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takaho A Endo
- Laboratory for Integrative Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Sawako Muroi
- Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Rumi Satoh
- Laboratory for Lymphocyte Development, RIKEN Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kawamoto
- Laboratory for Lymphocyte Development, RIKEN Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Thomas Boehm
- Department of Developmental Immunology, Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ichiro Taniuchi
- Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
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10
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Abstract
Intrathymic T cell development is a complex process that depends upon continuous guidance from thymus stromal cell microenvironments. The thymic epithelium within the thymic stroma comprises highly specialized cells with a high degree of anatomic, phenotypic, and functional heterogeneity. These properties are collectively required to bias thymocyte development toward production of self-tolerant and functionally competent T cells. The importance of thymic epithelial cells (TECs) is evidenced by clear links between their dysfunction and multiple diseases where autoimmunity and immunodeficiency are major components. Consequently, TECs are an attractive target for cell therapies to restore effective immune system function. The pathways and molecular regulators that control TEC development are becoming clearer, as are their influences on particular stages of T cell development. Here, we review both historical and the most recent advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling TEC development, function, dysfunction, and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Abramson
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
| | - Graham Anderson
- MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom;
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11
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Luis TC, Luc S, Mizukami T, Boukarabila H, Thongjuea S, Woll PS, Azzoni E, Giustacchini A, Lutteropp M, Bouriez-Jones T, Vaidya H, Mead AJ, Atkinson D, Böiers C, Carrelha J, Macaulay IC, Patient R, Geissmann F, Nerlov C, Sandberg R, de Bruijn MFTR, Blackburn CC, Godin I, Jacobsen SEW. Initial seeding of the embryonic thymus by immune-restricted lympho-myeloid progenitors. Nat Immunol 2016; 17:1424-1435. [PMID: 27695000 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The final stages of restriction to the T cell lineage occur in the thymus after the entry of thymus-seeding progenitors (TSPs). The identity and lineage potential of TSPs remains unclear. Because the first embryonic TSPs enter a non-vascularized thymic rudiment, we were able to directly image and establish the functional and molecular properties of embryonic thymopoiesis-initiating progenitors (T-IPs) before their entry into the thymus and activation of Notch signaling. T-IPs did not include multipotent stem cells or molecular evidence of T cell-restricted progenitors. Instead, single-cell molecular and functional analysis demonstrated that most fetal T-IPs expressed genes of and had the potential to develop into lymphoid as well as myeloid components of the immune system. Moreover, studies of embryos deficient in the transcriptional regulator RBPJ demonstrated that canonical Notch signaling was not involved in pre-thymic restriction to the T cell lineage or the migration of T-IPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago C Luis
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Sidinh Luc
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom.,Hematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Klinikgatan 26, 221 84, Lund, Sweden.,MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Takuo Mizukami
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Hanane Boukarabila
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Supat Thongjuea
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom.,MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Petter S Woll
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Emanuele Azzoni
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Giustacchini
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Lutteropp
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom.,MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Tiphaine Bouriez-Jones
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Harsh Vaidya
- Institute for Stem Cell Research, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4UU Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adam J Mead
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Deborah Atkinson
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotta Böiers
- Division of Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Joana Carrelha
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Iain C Macaulay
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Roger Patient
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Frederic Geissmann
- King's College London, Great Maze Pond, SE1 1UL London, UK.,Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 417 East 68(th) Street, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Claus Nerlov
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Rickard Sandberg
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet and Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marella F T R de Bruijn
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - C Clare Blackburn
- Institute for Stem Cell Research, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4UU Edinburgh, UK
| | - Isabelle Godin
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1170; Univ Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay; Gustave Roussy, 114, rue Edouard Vaillant; Villejuif, F-94805, France
| | - Sten Eirik W Jacobsen
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom.,MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Wallenberg Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
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12
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Lucas B, James KD, Cosway EJ, Parnell SM, Tumanov AV, Ware CF, Jenkinson WE, Anderson G. Lymphotoxin β Receptor Controls T Cell Progenitor Entry to the Thymus. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2016; 197:2665-72. [PMID: 27549174 PMCID: PMC5026032 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The recruitment of lymphoid progenitors to the thymus is essential to sustain T cell production throughout life. Importantly, it also limits T lineage regeneration following bone marrow transplantation, and so contributes to the secondary immunodeficiency that is caused by delayed immune reconstitution. Despite this significance, the mechanisms that control thymus colonization are poorly understood. In this study, we show that in both the steady-state and after bone marrow transplant, lymphotoxin β receptor (LTβR) controls entry of T cell progenitors to the thymus. We show that this requirement maps to thymic stroma, further underlining the key importance of this TNFR superfamily member in regulation of thymic microenvironments. Importantly, analysis of the requirement for LTβR in relationship to known regulators of thymus seeding suggests that it acts independently of its regulation of thymus-homing chemokines. Rather, we show that LTβR differentially regulates intrathymic expression of adhesion molecules known to play a role in T cell progenitor entry to the thymus. Finally, Ab-mediated in vivo LTβR stimulation following bone marrow transplant enhances initial thymus recovery and boosts donor-derived T cell numbers, which correlates with increased adhesion molecule expression by thymic stroma. Collectively, we reveal a novel link between LTβR and thymic stromal cells in thymus colonization, and highlight its potential as an immunotherapeutic target to boost T cell reconstitution after transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Lucas
- Medical Research Council Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Kieran D James
- Medical Research Council Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Emilie J Cosway
- Medical Research Council Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Sonia M Parnell
- Medical Research Council Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Carl F Ware
- Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases Research Center, Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - William E Jenkinson
- Medical Research Council Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Graham Anderson
- Medical Research Council Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom;
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13
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Schulz O, Hammerschmidt SI, Moschovakis GL, Förster R. Chemokines and Chemokine Receptors in Lymphoid Tissue Dynamics. Annu Rev Immunol 2016; 34:203-42. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-041015-055649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Schulz
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
| | | | | | - Reinhold Förster
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
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14
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Montero-Herradón S, García-Ceca J, Sánchez Del Collado B, Alfaro D, Zapata AG. Eph/ephrin-B-mediated cell-to-cell interactions govern MTS20(+) thymic epithelial cell development. Histochem Cell Biol 2016; 146:167-82. [PMID: 27060907 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-016-1431-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Thymus development is a complex process in which cell-to-cell interactions between thymocytes and thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are essential to allow a proper maturation of both thymic cell components. Although signals that control thymocyte development are well known, mechanisms governing TEC maturation are poorly understood, especially those that regulate the maturation of immature TEC populations during early fetal thymus development. In this study, we show that EphB2-deficient, EphB2LacZ and EphB3-deficient fetal thymuses present a lower number of cells and delayed maturation of DN cell subsets compared to WT values. Moreover, deficits in the production of chemokines, known to be involved in the lymphoid seeding into the thymus, contribute in decreased proportions of intrathymic T cell progenitors (PIRA/B(+)) in the mutant thymuses from early stages of development. These features correlate with increased proportions of MTS20(+) cells but fewer MTS20(-) cells from E13.5 onward in the deficient thymuses, suggesting a delayed development of the first epithelial cells. In addition, in vitro the lack of thymocytes or the blockade of Eph/ephrin-B-mediated cell-to-cell interactions between either thymocytes-TECs or TECs-TECs in E13.5 fetal thymic lobes coursed with increased proportions of MTS20(+) TECs. This confirms, for the first time, that the presence of CD45(+) cells, corresponding at these stages to DN1 and DN2 cells, and Eph/ephrin-B-mediated heterotypic or homotypic cell interactions between thymocytes and TECs, or between TECs and themselves, contribute to the early maturation of MTS20(+) TECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Montero-Herradón
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier García-Ceca
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Sánchez Del Collado
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Alfaro
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín G Zapata
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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15
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Jurberg AD, Vasconcelos-Fontes L, Cotta-de-Almeida V. A Tale from TGF-β Superfamily for Thymus Ontogeny and Function. Front Immunol 2015; 6:442. [PMID: 26441956 PMCID: PMC4564722 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple signaling pathways control every aspect of cell behavior, organ formation, and tissue homeostasis throughout the lifespan of any individual. This review takes an ontogenetic view focused on the large superfamily of TGF-β/bone morphogenetic protein ligands to address thymus morphogenesis and function in T cell differentiation. Recent findings on a role of GDF11 for reversing aging-related phenotypes are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnon Dias Jurberg
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil ; Graduate Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
| | - Larissa Vasconcelos-Fontes
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
| | - Vinícius Cotta-de-Almeida
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
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16
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Alfaro D, García-Ceca J, Farias-de-Oliveira DA, Terra-Granado E, Montero-Herradón S, Cotta-de-Almeida V, Savino W, Zapata A. EphB2 and EphB3 play an important role in the lymphoid seeding of murine adult thymus. J Leukoc Biol 2015; 98:883-96. [DOI: 10.1189/jlb.1hi1114-568r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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17
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Mendes-da-Cruz DA, Stimamiglio MA, Muñoz JJ, Alfaro D, Terra-Granado E, Garcia-Ceca J, Alonso-Colmenar LM, Savino W, Zapata AG. Developing T-cell migration: role of semaphorins and ephrins. FASEB J 2012; 26:4390-9. [PMID: 22815386 DOI: 10.1096/fj.11-202952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cell migration is a crucial event for normal T-cell development, and various ligand/receptor pairs have been implicated. Most of them, including chemokines and extracellular matrix proteins, have attractant properties on thymocytes. We discuss herein two further groups of ligand/receptor pairs, semaphorins/neuropilins and ephs/ephrins, which are constitutively expressed by thymocytes and thymic microenvironmental cells. Evidence shows that the corresponding interactions are relevant for developing T-cell migration, including the entry of bone marrow progenitor cells, migration of CD4/CD8-defined thymocyte subpopulations triggered by chemokines and/or extracellular matrix proteins, and thymocyte export. Conceptually, the data summarized here show that thymocyte migration results from a complex network of molecular interactions, which generate not only attraction, but also repulsion of migrating T-cell precursors.
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18
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Belyaev NN, Biró J, Athanasakis D, Fernandez-Reyes D, Potocnik AJ. Global transcriptional analysis of primitive thymocytes reveals accelerated dynamics of T cell specification in fetal stages. Immunogenetics 2012; 64:591-604. [PMID: 22581009 PMCID: PMC3395349 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-012-0620-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2011] [Accepted: 04/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
T cell development constitutes a multistage process allowing the dissection of events resulting in cellular commitment and functional specification in a specialized microenvironment. This process is guided by the appropriate expression of regulatory genetic factors like transcriptional activators or repressors which are, in part, dependent on instructive signals of the microenvironment. To date, it remains unclear whether exactly the same genetic mechanism acts in adult compared to fetal T cell development. In order to directly compare T cell commitment during adult and fetal differentiation, we isolated subsequent stages of intrathymic subpopulations starting with early canonical T cell progenitors up to irreversibly committed T cell precursors. The genome-wide analysis revealed several distinct gene clusters with a specific pattern of gene regulation for each subset. The largest cluster contained genes upregulated after transition through the most primitive pool into the next transitory population with a consistently elevated expression of elements associated with ongoing T cell fate specification, like Gata3 and Tcf7, in fetal progenitors. Furthermore, adult and fetal T cell progenitors occupied distinct "transcriptional territories" revealing a precise land map of the progression to final T cell commitment operating in different developmental windows. The presence and/or elevated expression of elements associated with an ongoing establishment of a T cell signature in the most primitive fetal subset is highly suggestive for an extrathymic initiation of T cell specification and underlines the fundamental differences in fetal versus adult lymphopoiesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai N Belyaev
- Division of Molecular Immunology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK
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19
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Hess I, Boehm T. Intravital imaging of thymopoiesis reveals dynamic lympho-epithelial interactions. Immunity 2012; 36:298-309. [PMID: 22342843 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2011.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2011] [Revised: 11/24/2011] [Accepted: 12/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
T cell development occurs in the thymus. The thymic microenvironment attracts hematopoietic progenitors, specifies them toward the T cell lineage, and orchestrates their differentiation and egress into the periphery. The anatomical location of the thymus and the intrauterine development of mouse embryos have so far precluded a direct visualization of the initial steps of thymopoiesis. Here, we describe transgenic zebrafish lines enabling the in vivo observation of thymopoiesis. The cell-autonomous proliferation of thymic epithelial cells, their morphological transformation into a reticular meshwork upon contact with hematopoietic cells, and the multiple migration routes of thymus-settling cells could be directly visualized. The unexpectedly dynamic thymus homing process is chemokine driven and independent of blood circulation. Thymocyte development appears to be completed in less than 4 days. Our work establishes a versatile model for the in vivo observation and manipulation of thymopoiesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabell Hess
- Department of Developmental Immunology, Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Stuebeweg 51, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
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20
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Mendes-da-Cruz DA, Linhares-Lacerda L, Smaniotto S, Dardenne M, Savino W. Semaphorins and neuropilins: new players in the neuroendocrine control of the intrathymic T-cell migration in humans. Exp Physiol 2012; 97:1146-50. [PMID: 22327328 DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2011.061515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cell migration is a key event for proper intrathymic T-cell differentiation, and several ligand-receptor interactions contribute to the well-co ordinated movement of developing thymocytes within the thymic lobules. Herein we summarize recent data that place semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) and its receptor neuropilin 1 (NRP1) as further players in the physiological process of cell migration in the human thymus. These molecules, as well as class A plexins (necessary for the intracellular signalling transduction triggered by Sema3A-NRP1 ligation), are constitutively expressed by both developing thymocytes and components of the thymic microenvironment, including epithelial and dendritic cells. Functionally, Sema3A decreases the adhesion of human thymocytes on thymic epithelial cell monolayers and exerts per se a dose-dependent chemorepulsive effect on human thymocytes. Moreover, Sema3A inhibits chemoattractant migratory responses induced by other ligands, including fibronectin, laminin and CXCL12 (chemokine CXC motif ligand 12). These data should be placed in the context of the concept that migration of developing T cells is a multivectorial system, in which the resulting migration vector derives from a balance of several simultaneous and/or sequential ligand-receptor pair interactions. Accordingly, semaphorins and neuropilins can be considered as further players in the system.
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21
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Three chemokine receptors cooperatively regulate homing of hematopoietic progenitors to the embryonic mouse thymus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:7517-22. [PMID: 21502490 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1016428108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus lacks self-renewing hematopoietic cells, and thymopoiesis fails rapidly when the migration of progenitor cells to the thymus ceases. Hence, the process of thymus homing is an essential step for T-cell development and cellular immunity. Despite decades of research, the molecular details of thymus homing have not been elucidated fully. Here, we show that chemotaxis is the key mechanism regulating thymus homing in the mouse embryo. We determined the number of early thymic progenitors in the thymic rudiments of mice deficient for one, two, or three of the chemokine receptor genes, chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 9 (Ccr9), chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 7 (Ccr7), and chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (Cxcr4). In the absence of all three chemokine receptors, thymus homing was reduced about 100-fold both before and after vascularization of the thymic rudiment. In the absence of only two of these three chemokine receptor genes, thymus homing was much less affected (only two- to 10-fold), indicating that the chemotactic regulation of thymus homing is remarkably robust. Our results reveal the redundant roles of Ccr9, Ccr7, and Cxcr4 for thymic homing and provide a framework to examine the regulation of progenitor homing in the postnatal thymus.
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22
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Desanti GE, Jenkinson WE, Parnell SM, Boudil A, Gautreau-Rolland L, Eksteen B, Ezine S, Lane PJL, Jenkinson EJ, Anderson G. Clonal analysis reveals uniformity in the molecular profile and lineage potential of CCR9(+) and CCR9(-) thymus-settling progenitors. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2011; 186:5227-35. [PMID: 21421850 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1002686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The entry of T cell progenitors to the thymus marks the beginning of a multistage developmental process that culminates in the generation of self-MHC-restricted CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. Although multiple factors including the chemokine receptors CCR7 and CCR9 are now defined as important mediators of progenitor recruitment and colonization in both the fetal and adult thymi, the heterogeneity of thymus-colonizing cells that contribute to development of the T cell pool is complex and poorly understood. In this study, in conjunction with lineage potential assays, we perform phenotypic and genetic analyses on thymus-settling progenitors (TSP) isolated from the embryonic mouse thymus anlagen and surrounding perithymic mesenchyme, including simultaneous gene expression analysis of 14 hemopoietic regulators using single-cell multiplex RT-PCR. We show that, despite the known importance of CCL25-CCR9 mediated thymic recruitment of T cell progenitors, embryonic PIR(+)c-Kit(+) TSP can be subdivided into CCR9(+) and CCR9(-) subsets that differ in their requirements for a functional thymic microenvironment for thymus homing. Despite these differences, lineage potential studies of purified CCR9(+) and CCR9(-) TSP reveal a common bias toward T cell-committed progenitors, and clonal gene expression analysis reveals a genetic consensus that is evident between and within single CCR9(+) and CCR9(-) TSP. Collectively, our data suggest that although the earliest T cell progenitors may display heterogeneity with regard to their requirements for thymus colonization, they represent a developmentally homogeneous progenitor pool that ensures the efficient generation of the first cohorts of T cells during thymus development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume E Desanti
- Medical School, Institute for Biomedical Research, Medical Research Council Center for Immune Regulation, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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23
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Bunting MD, Comerford I, McColl SR. Finding their niche: chemokines directing cell migration in the thymus. Immunol Cell Biol 2010; 89:185-96. [PMID: 21135866 DOI: 10.1038/icb.2010.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
T lymphocytes are generated throughout life, arising from bone marrow-derived progenitors that complete an essential developmental process in the thymus. Thymic T cell education leads to the generation of a self-restricted and largely self-tolerant peripheral T-cell pool and is facilitated by interactions with thymic stromal cells residing in distinct supportive niches. The signals governing thymocyte precursor migration into the thymus, directing thymocyte navigation through thymic microenvironments and mature T-cell egress into circulation were, until recently, largely unknown, but presumed to be mediated to a large extent by chemokine signalling. Recent studies have now uncovered various specific functions for members of the chemokine superfamily in the thymus. These studies have not only revealed distinct but also in some cases overlapping roles for several chemokine family members in various thymocyte migration events and have also shown that homing and positioning of other cells in the thymus, such as dendritic cells and natural killer T cells is also chemokine-dependent. Here, we discuss current understanding of the role of chemokines in the thymus and highlight key future avenues for investigation in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Bunting
- Chemokine Biology Laboratory, Discipline of Microbiology and Immunology, The School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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24
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Gameiro J, Nagib P, Verinaud L. The thymus microenvironment in regulating thymocyte differentiation. Cell Adh Migr 2010; 4:382-90. [PMID: 20418658 DOI: 10.4161/cam.4.3.11789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The thymus plays a crucial role in the development of T lymphocytes by providing an inductive microenvironment in which committed progenitors undergo proliferation, T-cell receptor gene rearrangements and thymocyte differentiate into mature T cells. The thymus microenvironment forms a complex network of interaction that comprises non lymphoid cells (e.g., thymic epithelial cells, TEC), cytokines, chemokines, extracellular matrix elements (ECM), matrix metalloproteinases and other soluble proteins. The thymic epithelial meshwork is the major component of the thymic microenvironment, both morphologically and phenotypically limiting heterogeneous regions in thymic lobules and fulfilling an important role during specific stages of T-cell maturation. The process starts when bone marrow-derived lymphocyte precursors arrive at the outer cortical region of the thymic gland and begin to mature into functional T lymphocytes that will finally exit the thymus and populate the peripheral lymphoid organs. During their journey inside the thymus, thymocytes must interact with stromal cells (and their soluble products) and extracellular matrix proteins to receive appropriate signals for survival, proliferation and differentiation. The crucial components of the thymus microenvironment, and their complex interactions during the T-cell maturation process are summarized here with the objective of contributing to a better understanding of the function of the thymus, as well as assisting in the search for new therapeutic approaches to improve the immune response in various pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacy Gameiro
- Department of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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25
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Stimamiglio MA, Jiménez E, Silva-Barbosa SD, Alfaro D, García-Ceca JJ, Muñoz JJ, Cejalvo T, Savino W, Zapata A. EphB2-mediated interactions are essential for proper migration of T cell progenitors during fetal thymus colonization. J Leukoc Biol 2010; 88:483-94. [DOI: 10.1189/jlb.0210079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
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26
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CC chemokine receptor 7 and 9 double-deficient hematopoietic progenitors are severely impaired in seeding the adult thymus. Blood 2009; 115:1906-12. [PMID: 20040757 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2009-07-235721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
T-cell development depends on recruitment of bone marrow-derived precursor cells to the thymus via a multistep adhesion cascade involving the chemokine receptor CCR9. However, CCR9 deficiency does not result in complete abrogation of progenitor entry into the adult thymus. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that additional chemokine/chemokine receptor systems might play a role in this process. To this end, we generated mice deficient in both CCR9 and CCR7. Deficiency in both chemokine receptors resulted in severely reduced numbers of early T-cell progenitors and in near-complete abrogation of thymus reconstitution. Progenitors in bone marrow and peripheral blood remained largely unaffected in CCR7(-/-)CCR9(-/-) mice, and direct intrathymic transfer of precursors from CCR7(-/-)CCR9(-/-) mice as well as single-mutant mice showed that intrathymic differentiation of these precursors remained functional. Thus, our data reveal a previously unrecognized role of CCR7 in progenitor seeding of the adult thymus, which is largely masked by compensatory effects of CCR9 signals. In turn, CCR7 signals can partially compensate for CCR9 signals, thus explaining the rather mild phenotype of CCR9(-/-) mice with respect to progenitor seeding.
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Lei Y, Liu C, Saito F, Fukui Y, Takahama Y. Role of DOCK2 and DOCK180 in fetal thymus colonization. Eur J Immunol 2009; 39:2695-702. [PMID: 19728314 DOI: 10.1002/eji.200939630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Fetal thymus colonization is initiated before the vascularization of the thymus primordium. This prevascular colonization of the fetal thymus by T-lymphoid progenitor cells is guided by the coordination of CCR7- and CCR9-mediated chemokine signals. However, the intracellular signals that mediate the prevascular migration of T-lymphoid progenitor cells to the fetal thymus are unknown. Here we show that T-lymphoid progenitor cells in fetal mice express two closely related CDM family molecules, DOCK2 and DOCK180. We found that the prevascular fetal thymus accumulation in vivo was significantly reduced in mice doubly deficient for DOCK2 and DOCK180 but not in mice deficient for either DOCK2 or DOCK180. Immature T-lymphoid cells from mice doubly deficient for DOCK2 and DOCK180 were defective in their in vitro migration towards fetal thymus lobes. The T-lymphoid progenitor cells generated in mice lacking DOCK2 and DOCK180 were capable of T-cell development after their transfer into a fetal thymus environment, and the impaired fetal thymus colonization in mice deficient for DOCK2 and DOCK180 was not as severe as that in mice doubly deficient for CCR7 and CCR9. These results indicate that the combination of DOCK2 and DOCK180 plays a significant but not essential role in prevascular fetal thymus colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Lei
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
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Yang H, Youm YH, Dixit VD. Inhibition of thymic adipogenesis by caloric restriction is coupled with reduction in age-related thymic involution. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 183:3040-52. [PMID: 19648267 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0900562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Aging of thymus is characterized by reduction in naive T cell output together with progressive replacement of lymphostromal thymic zones with adipocytes. Determining how calorie restriction (CR), a prolongevity metabolic intervention, regulates thymic aging may allow identification of relevant mechanisms to prevent immunosenescence. Using a mouse model of chronic CR, we found that a reduction in age-related thymic adipogenic mechanism is coupled with maintenance of thymic function. The CR increased cellular density in the thymic cortex and medulla and preserved the epithelial signatures. Interestingly, CR prevented the age-related increase in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulators, FoxC2, and fibroblast-specific protein-1 (FSP-1), together with reduction in lipid-laden thymic fibroblasts. Additionally, CR specifically blocked the age-related elevation of thymic proadipogenic master regulator, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), and its upstream activator xanthine-oxidoreductase (XOR). Furthermore, we found that specific inhibition of PPARgamma in thymic stromal cells prevented their adipogenic transformation in an XOR-dependent mechanism. Activation of PPARgamma-driven adipogenesis in OP9-DL1 stromal cells compromised their ability to support T cell development. Conversely, CR-induced reduction in EMT and thymic adipogenesis were coupled with elevated thymic output. Compared with 26-mo-old ad libitum fed mice, the T cells derived from age-matched CR animals displayed greater proliferation and higher IL-2 expression. Furthermore, CR prevented the deterioration of the peripheral TCR repertoire diversity in older animals. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that reducing proadipogenic signaling in thymus via CR may promote thymopoiesis during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunwon Yang
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA
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Gene expression profile of the third pharyngeal pouch reveals role of mesenchymal MafB in embryonic thymus development. Blood 2009; 113:2976-87. [PMID: 19164599 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2008-06-164921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus provides a microenvironment that induces the differentiation of T-progenitor cells into functional T cells and that establishes a diverse yet self-tolerant T-cell repertoire. However, the mechanisms that lead to the development of the thymus are incompletely understood. We report herein the results of screening for genes that are expressed in the third pharyngeal pouch, which contains thymic primordium. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based cDNA subtraction screening for genes expressed in microdissected tissues of the third pharyngeal pouch rather than the second pharyngeal arch yielded one transcription factor, MafB, which was predominantly expressed in CD45(-)IA(-)PDGFRalpha(+) mesenchymal cells and was detectable even in the third pharyngeal pouch of FoxN1-deficient nude mice. Interestingly, the number of CD45(+) cells that initially accumulated in the embryonic thymus was significantly decreased in MafB-deficient mice. Alterations of gene expression in the embryonic thymi of MafB-deficient mice included the reduced expression of Wnt3 and BMP4 in mesenchymal cells and of CCL21 and CCL25 in epithelial cells. These results suggest that MafB expressed in third pharyngeal pouch mesenchymal cells critically regulates lymphocyte accumulation in the embryonic thymus.
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Boehm T. Thymus development and function. Curr Opin Immunol 2008; 20:178-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2008.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2007] [Accepted: 03/11/2008] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Nitta T, Murata S, Ueno T, Tanaka K, Takahama Y. Thymic microenvironments for T-cell repertoire formation. Adv Immunol 2008; 99:59-94. [PMID: 19117532 DOI: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)00603-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Functionally competent immune system includes a functionally competent T-cell repertoire that is reactive to foreign antigens but is tolerant to self-antigens. The repertoire of T cells is primarily formed in the thymus through positive and negative selection of developing thymocytes. Immature thymocytes that undergo V(D)J recombination of T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) genes and that express the virgin repertoire of TCRs are generated in thymic cortex. The recent discovery of thymoproteasomes, a molecular complex specifically expressed in cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTEC), has revealed a unique role of cTEC in cuing the further development of immature thymocytes in thymic cortex, possibly by displaying unique self-peptides that induce positive selection. Cortical thymocytes that receive TCR-mediated positive selection signals are destined to survive for further differentiation and are induced to express CCR7, a chemokine receptor. Being attracted to CCR7 ligands expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC), CCR7-expressing positively selected thymocytes relocate to thymic medulla. The medullary microenvironment displays another set of unique self-peptides for trimming positively selected T-cell repertoire to establish self-tolerance, via promiscuous expression of tissue-specific antigens by mTEC and efficient antigen presentation by dendritic cells. Recent results demonstrate that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily ligands, including receptor activating NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL), CD40L, and lymphotoxin, are produced by positively selected thymocytes and pivotally regulate mTEC development and thymic medulla formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Nitta
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
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