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Li NN, Lun DX, Gong N, Meng G, Du XY, Wang H, Bao X, Li XY, Song JW, Hu K, Li L, Li SY, Liu W, Zhu W, Zhang Y, Li J, Yao T, Mou L, Han X, Hao F, Hu Y, Liu L, Zhu H, Wu Y, Liu B. Targeting the chromatin structural changes of antitumor immunity. J Pharm Anal 2024; 14:100905. [PMID: 38665224 PMCID: PMC11043877 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2023.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenomic imbalance drives abnormal transcriptional processes, promoting the onset and progression of cancer. Although defective gene regulation generally affects carcinogenesis and tumor suppression networks, tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses may also be affected by epigenomic changes, which may have significant implications for the development and application of epigenetic therapy, cancer immunotherapy, and their combinations. Herein, we focus on the impact of epigenetic regulation on tumor immune cell function and the role of key abnormal epigenetic processes, DNA methylation, histone post-translational modification, and chromatin structure in tumor immunogenicity, and introduce these epigenetic research methods. We emphasize the value of small-molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modulators in enhancing antitumor immune responses and discuss the challenges of developing treatment plans that combine epigenetic therapy and immunotherapy through the complex interaction between cancer epigenetics and cancer immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nian-nian Li
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
- School of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Deng-xing Lun
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Ningning Gong
- Weifang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Gang Meng
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Ankang University, Ankang, Shaanxi, 725000, China
| | - Xin-ying Du
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - He Wang
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Xiangxiang Bao
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Xin-yang Li
- Guizhou Education University, Guiyang, 550018, China
| | - Ji-wu Song
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Kewei Hu
- Weifang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Lala Li
- Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Si-ying Li
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Wenbo Liu
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Wanping Zhu
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Yunlong Zhang
- School of Medical Imaging, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261053, China
| | - Jikai Li
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Oncology, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin, 300299, China
| | - Ting Yao
- School of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Teda Institute of Biological Sciences & Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Leming Mou
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Xiaoqing Han
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Furong Hao
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Yongcheng Hu
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Lin Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Hongguang Zhu
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Yuyun Wu
- Xinqiao Hospital of Army Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
- School of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Teda Institute of Biological Sciences & Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300457, China
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2
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Sumida TS, Cheru NT, Hafler DA. The regulation and differentiation of regulatory T cells and their dysfunction in autoimmune diseases. Nat Rev Immunol 2024:10.1038/s41577-024-00994-x. [PMID: 38374298 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-024-00994-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
The discovery of FOXP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells as a distinct cell lineage with a central role in regulating immune responses provided a deeper understanding of self-tolerance. The transcription factor FOXP3 serves a key role in Treg cell lineage determination and maintenance, but is not sufficient to enable the full potential of Treg cell suppression, indicating that other factors orchestrate the fine-tuning of Treg cell function. Moreover, FOXP3-independent mechanisms have recently been shown to contribute to Treg cell dysfunction. FOXP3 mutations in humans cause lethal fulminant systemic autoinflammation (IPEX syndrome). However, it remains unclear to what degree Treg cell dysfunction is contributing to the pathophysiology of common autoimmune diseases. In this Review, we discuss the origins of Treg cells in the periphery and the multilayered mechanisms by which Treg cells are induced, as well as the FOXP3-dependent and FOXP3-independent cellular programmes that maintain the suppressive function of Treg cells in humans and mice. Further, we examine evidence for Treg cell dysfunction in the context of common autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomokazu S Sumida
- Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Nardos T Cheru
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - David A Hafler
- Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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3
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Qiao Z, Zhao W, Liu Y, Feng W, Ma Y, Jin H. Low-dose Interleukin-2 For Psoriasis Therapy Based on the Regulation of Th17/Treg Cell Balance in Peripheral Blood. Inflammation 2023; 46:2359-2373. [PMID: 37596509 PMCID: PMC10673739 DOI: 10.1007/s10753-023-01883-6] [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] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
The imbalance between regulatory T (Treg) cells and efficient T cells plays an important role in psoriasis. Low-dose interleukin (IL)-2 can preferentially activate Treg cells and ameliorate the imbalance of Treg/efficient T cells. This study focused on the status of circulating CD4+ T subsets and the clinical efficacy of low-dose IL-2 therapies in psoriasis. This retrospective study included peripheral blood samples obtained from 45 psoriatic patients and 40 healthy controls. The 45 psoriatic patients received three cycles of subcutaneous low-dose IL-2 treatment (0.5 million IU/day for 2 weeks) combined with conventional therapies. Inflammatory indices, CD4+ T-lymphocyte subsets, and cytokines were measured in all patients before and after treatment. The percentage of Treg cells was dramatically decreased in the psoriasis group compared to the healthy group, and the percentage of Treg cells negatively correlated with the disease indices and the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) (P < 0.001). The Th17/Treg ratio was significantly increased in the psoriasis group compared to the healthy group, and the Th17/Treg ratio positively correlated with disease indices and PASI (P < 0.001). Low-dose IL-2 treatment significantly amplified the percentage of Treg cells and restored the Th17 and Treg immune balance in psoriasis (P < 0.001). Low-dose IL-2 combination therapy effectively improved the clinical manifestations of psoriasis but decreased the inflammatory indicators of the disease activity, with no apparent side effects. Thus, low-dose IL-2 provides a new strategy for the treatment of psoriasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zusha Qiao
- Department of Dermatology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Department of Dermatology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Wenpeng Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Cancer prevention and control office, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital/Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Wenli Feng
- Department of Dermatology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yan Ma
- Department of Dermatology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Hongzhong Jin
- Department of Dermatology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing, 100730, China.
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4
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Li YK, Wang HY, Chen Y, Shi XQ, Zhang XX, Li K, Fu WP, Sun C. Single‑nucleotide polymorphism rs6592645 confers asthma risk through regulating LRRC32 expression. Exp Ther Med 2023; 26:451. [PMID: 37614425 PMCID: PMC10443064 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2023.12150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Asthma is a complex disease, often with evident genetic predisposition; for example, the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs7130588 was significantly associated with asthma by genome-wide association study (GWAS). Analysis of 1000 Genomes Project data suggests that there is another SNP, rs6592645, in complete linkage disequilibrium with rs7130588 and should present the same signal in GWAS. However, the causal SNP and the mechanism for the association between rs7130588 and asthma remain to be elucidated. In the presents study, results from dual-luciferase assays indicated that the A/G alleles of rs7130588 failed to present significantly different reporter gene expression. By contrast, A allele of rs6592645 presented a significant increase in relative luciferase activity than G allele, thus suggesting that rs6592645 may be a causal SNP. Using chromosome conformation capture, the enhancer region containing rs6592645 was observed to interact with promoter region of leucine-rich repeat-containing 32 (LRRC32). Gene expression quantification suggested that LRRC32 expression is significantly increased in lung tissue of patients with asthma and is dependent on the genotype of this locus, thus verifying that LRRC32 may be involved in asthma onset and that rs6592645 can regulate LRRC32 expression. Through chromatin immunoprecipitation, transcription factor 3 (TCF3) was identified to bind to rs6592645 surrounding region and the interaction between TCF3 and rs6592645 surrounding region was investigated. Results from the present study may improve our understanding of the mechanism by which the genetic variation in this locus might influence asthma susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Kun Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Yan Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, P.R. China
| | - Ying Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Qian Shi
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, P.R. China
| | - Xin-Xin Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, P.R. China
| | - Ke Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, P.R. China
| | - Wei-Ping Fu
- Department of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650032, P.R. China
| | - Chang Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, P.R. China
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5
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Lee EY, Dai Z, Jaiswal A, Wang EHC, Anandasabapathy N, Christiano AM. Functional interrogation of lymphocyte subsets in alopecia areata using single-cell RNA sequencing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2305764120. [PMID: 37428932 PMCID: PMC10629527 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305764120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Alopecia areata (AA) is among the most prevalent autoimmune diseases, but the development of innovative therapeutic strategies has lagged due to an incomplete understanding of the immunological underpinnings of disease. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) of skin-infiltrating immune cells from the graft-induced C3H/HeJ mouse model of AA, coupled with antibody-based depletion to interrogate the functional role of specific cell types in AA in vivo. Since AA is predominantly T cell-mediated, we focused on dissecting lymphocyte function in AA. Both our scRNAseq and functional studies established CD8+ T cells as the primary disease-driving cell type in AA. Only the depletion of CD8+ T cells, but not CD4+ T cells, NK, B, or γδ T cells, was sufficient to prevent and reverse AA. Selective depletion of regulatory T cells (Treg) showed that Treg are protective against AA in C3H/HeJ mice, suggesting that failure of Treg-mediated immunosuppression is not a major disease mechanism in AA. Focused analyses of CD8+ T cells revealed five subsets, whose heterogeneity is defined by an "effectorness gradient" of interrelated transcriptional states that culminate in increased effector function and tissue residency. scRNAseq of human AA skin showed that CD8+ T cells in human AA follow a similar trajectory, underscoring that shared mechanisms drive disease in both murine and human AA. Our study represents a comprehensive, systematic interrogation of lymphocyte heterogeneity in AA and uncovers a novel framework for AA-associated CD8+ T cells with implications for the design of future therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunice Y. Lee
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY10032
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Columbia University, New York, NY10032
| | - Zhenpeng Dai
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY10032
| | - Abhinav Jaiswal
- Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
| | - Eddy Hsi Chun Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY10032
| | - Niroshana Anandasabapathy
- Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
| | - Angela M. Christiano
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY10032
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY10032
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6
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Wang L, Rossi RM, Chen X, Chen J, Runyon J, Chawla M, Miller D, Forney C, Lynch A, Zhang X, Kong F, Jacobsson B, Kottyan LC, Weirauch MT, Zhang G, Muglia LJ. A functional mechanism for a non-coding variant near AGTR2 associated with risk for preterm birth. BMC Med 2023; 21:258. [PMID: 37455310 PMCID: PMC10351137 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-02973-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preterm birth (PTB), defined as delivery before 37 gestational weeks, imposes significant public health burdens. A recent maternal genome-wide association study of spontaneous PTB identified a noncoding locus near the angiotensin II receptor type 2 (AGTR2) gene. Genotype-Tissue Expression data revealed that alleles associated with decreased AGTR2 expression in the uterus were linked to an increased risk of PTB and shortened gestational duration. We hypothesized that a causative variant in this locus modifies AGTR2 expression by altering transcription factor (TF) binding. METHODS To investigate this hypothesis, we performed bioinformatics analyses and functional characterizations at the implicated locus. Potential causal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were prioritized, and allele-dependent binding of TFs was predicted. Reporter assays were employed to assess the enhancer activity of the top PTB-associated non-coding variant, rs7889204, and its impact on TF binding. RESULTS Our analyses revealed that rs7889204, a top PTB-associated non-coding genetic variant is one of the strongest eQTLs for the AGTR2 gene in uterine tissue samples. We observed differential binding of CEBPB (CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta) and HOXA10 (homeobox A10) to the alleles of rs7889204. Reporter assays demonstrated decreased enhancer activity for the rs7889204 risk "C" allele. CONCLUSION Collectively, these results demonstrate that decreased AGTR2 expression caused by reduced transcription factor binding increases the risk for PTB and suggest that enhancing AGTR2 activity may be a preventative measure in reducing PTB risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- Present Address: Department of Biology, Xavier University, OH, Cincinnati, USA.
| | - Robert M Rossi
- Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Xiaoting Chen
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jilian Runyon
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Mehak Chawla
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Daniel Miller
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Carmy Forney
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Arthur Lynch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Xuzhe Zhang
- Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Fansheng Kong
- Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Bo Jacobsson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Genetics and Bioinformatics, Domain of Health Data and Digitalisation, Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Leah C Kottyan
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Ge Zhang
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Louis J Muglia
- Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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7
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Demela P, Pirastu N, Soskic B. Cross-disorder genetic analysis of immune diseases reveals distinct gene associations that converge on common pathways. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2743. [PMID: 37173304 PMCID: PMC10182075 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38389-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have mapped thousands of susceptibility loci associated with immune-mediated diseases. To assess the extent of the genetic sharing across nine immune-mediated diseases we apply genomic structural equation modelling to GWAS data from European populations. We identify three disease groups: gastrointestinal tract diseases, rheumatic and systemic diseases, and allergic diseases. Although loci associated with the disease groups are highly specific, they converge on perturbing the same pathways. Finally, we test for colocalization between loci and single-cell eQTLs derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We identify the causal route by which 46 loci predispose to three disease groups and find evidence for eight genes being candidates for drug repurposing. Taken together, here we show that different constellations of diseases have distinct patterns of genetic associations, but that associated loci converge on perturbing different nodes in T cell activation and signalling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Demela
- Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi-Montalcini 1, 20157, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Pirastu
- Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi-Montalcini 1, 20157, Milan, Italy
| | - Blagoje Soskic
- Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi-Montalcini 1, 20157, Milan, Italy.
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8
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Dolsten GA, Pritykin Y. Genomic Analysis of Foxp3 Function in Regulatory T Cells. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 210:880-887. [PMID: 36947819 PMCID: PMC10037560 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells are critical for tolerance to self-antigens and for preventing autoimmunity. Foxp3 has been identified as a Treg cell lineage-defining transcription factor controlling Treg cell differentiation and function. In this article, we review the current mechanistic and systemic understanding of Foxp3 function enabled by experimental and computational advances in high-throughput genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A Dolsten
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Quantitative and Computational Biology Graduate Program, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Yuri Pritykin
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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9
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Stankey CT, Lee JC. Translating non-coding genetic associations into a better understanding of immune-mediated disease. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:297044. [PMID: 36897113 PMCID: PMC10040244 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049790] [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: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies have identified hundreds of genetic loci that are associated with immune-mediated diseases. Most disease-associated variants are non-coding, and a large proportion of these variants lie within enhancers. As a result, there is a pressing need to understand how common genetic variation might affect enhancer function and thereby contribute to immune-mediated (and other) diseases. In this Review, we first describe statistical and experimental methods to identify causal genetic variants that modulate gene expression, including statistical fine-mapping and massively parallel reporter assays. We then discuss approaches to characterise the mechanisms by which these variants modulate immune function, such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based screens. We highlight examples of studies that, by elucidating the effects of disease variants within enhancers, have provided important insights into immune function and uncovered key pathways of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina T Stankey
- Genetic Mechanisms of Disease Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - James C Lee
- Genetic Mechanisms of Disease Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Institute of Liver and Digestive Health, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London NW3 2PF, UK
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10
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Gerussi A, Soskic B, Asselta R, Invernizzi P, Gershwin ME. GWAS and autoimmunity: What have we learned and what next. J Autoimmun 2022; 133:102922. [PMID: 36209690 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2022.102922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases are common conditions characterized by loss of tolerance, female predominance and a remarkable heterogeneity among different populations. Most often they are polygenic and several genetic loci have been linked with the risk of developing autoimmune diseases. However, causal inference is difficult. When the genomic revolution began there were high hopes of translating fast genetic analyses to the bedside but this has proven to be challenging. Nonetheless, over the last decade, fine-mapping strategies have greatly improved; one of the most significant research lines focuses on the in vivo and ex vivo definition of the effect of genetic variants within the target tissues and within specific subpopulations of immune cells that are involved in the disease pathogenesis. This strategy also includes the longitudinal tracking of a large number of immunophenotypes in many individuals to build a large reference atlas for variant characterization. In this review, we discuss the results obtained by GWAS in autoimmune diseases and review recent advances in fine mapping strategies. More importantly, we discuss gaps and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Gerussi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy; European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy.
| | - Blagoje Soskic
- Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi-Montalcini 1, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Rosanna Asselta
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Invernizzi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy; European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Merrill E Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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Chen XY, Zhu XJ, Chen M, Lu MP, Wang ML, Yin M, Chen RX, Wu ZF, Bu DY, Zhang ZD, Cheng L. GARP Polymorphisms Associated with Susceptibility to House Dust Mite-Sensitized Persistent Allergic Rhinitis in a Chinese Population. J Asthma Allergy 2022; 15:1369-1381. [PMID: 36196093 PMCID: PMC9527031 DOI: 10.2147/jaa.s366815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genetic variants in GARP (also known as LRRC32) have been reported to have significant associations with asthma and eczema in special populations, but little is known about allergic rhinitis. This study purposes to evaluate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GARP with house dust mite (HDM)-sensitized persistent allergic rhinitis (PER) in a population of Han Chinese. Methods In this hospital-based case–control study, 534 HDM-sensitized PER patients and 451 healthy controls were recruited from East China. In this population, six SNPs in GARP were identified. Serum total and specific IgE levels were measured with ImmunoCAP. Secondary structure and minimum free energy were predicted by RNAfold. Results rs79525962 was associated with the risk of HDM-sensitized PER (P < 0.05). The individuals with CT+TT genotype demonstrated a higher risk of HDM-sensitized PER than those with CC genotype (adjusted OR = 1.393, 95% CI = 1.019–1.904). The homozygous genotype CC of rs3781699 rendered a lower risk of HDM-sensitized PER than the wild-type genotype AA (adjusted OR = 0.646, 95% CI = 0.427–0.976); however, the genotype and allele frequencies of rs3781699 demonstrated no associations with HDM-sensitized PER (P > 0.05). rs79525962 increased the risk of HDM-sensitized PER in the subgroup aged ≥16 years (adjusted OR = 1.745, 95% CI = 1.103–2.760), and this high risk was also found in the females (adjusted OR = 1.708, 95% CI = 1.021–2.856). The G-C haplotype of rs1320646-rs3781699 rendered a lower risk of HDM-sensitized PER than the common haplotype G-A (adjusted OR = 0.819, 95% CI = 0.676–0.993). The secondary structure of GARP altered in response to different genotypes of rs79525962 and rs3781699. Conclusion SNP rs79525962 in the GARP gene marks a risk locus of HDM-sensitized PER in Chinese Hans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yuan Chen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin-Jie Zhu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mei-Ping Lu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mei-Lin Wang
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Min Yin
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
- International Centre for Allergy Research, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ruo-Xi Chen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhong-Fei Wu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dong-Yun Bu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zheng-Dong Zhang
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
- Zheng-Dong Zhang, Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, People’s Republic of China, Email
| | - Lei Cheng
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
- International Centre for Allergy Research, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Lei Cheng, Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, People’s Republic of China, Email
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12
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Zhu Y, Zhou Z, Huang T, Zhang Z, Li W, Ling Z, Jiang T, Yang J, Yang S, Xiao Y, Charlier C, Georges M, Yang B, Huang L. Mapping and analysis of a spatiotemporal H3K27ac and gene expression spectrum in pigs. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:1517-1534. [PMID: 35122624 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2034-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The limited knowledge of genomic noncoding and regulatory regions has restricted our ability to decipher the genetic mechanisms underlying complex traits in pigs. In this study, we characterized the spatiotemporal landscape of putative enhancers and promoters and their target genes by combining H3K27ac-targeted ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq in fetal (prenatal days 74-75) and adult (postnatal days 132-150) tissues (brain, liver, heart, muscle and small intestine) sampled from Asian aboriginal Bama Xiang and European highly selected Large White pigs of both sexes. We identified 101,290 H3K27ac peaks, marking 18,521 promoters and 82,769 enhancers, including peaks that were active across all tissues and developmental stages (which could indicate safe harbor locus for exogenous gene insertion) and tissue- and developmental stage-specific peaks (which regulate gene pathways matching tissue- and developmental stage-specific physiological functions). We found that H3K27ac and DNA methylation in the promoter region of the XIST gene may be involved in X chromosome inactivation and demonstrated the utility of the present resource for revealing the regulatory patterns of known causal genes and prioritizing candidate causal variants for complex traits in pigs. In addition, we identified an average of 1,124 super-enhancers per sample and found that they were more likely to show tissue-specific activity than ordinary peaks. We have developed a web browser to improve the accessibility of the results ( http://segtp.jxau.edu.cn/pencode/?genome=susScr11 ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaling Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
- Laboratory Animal Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Zhimin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Tao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Wanbo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Ziqi Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Jiawen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Siyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Yanyuan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Carole Charlier
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-Institute and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Michel Georges
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-Institute and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Bin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China.
| | - Lusheng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China.
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13
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Zimmer N, Trzeciak ER, Graefen B, Satoh K, Tuettenberg A. GARP as a Therapeutic Target for the Modulation of Regulatory T Cells in Cancer and Autoimmunity. Front Immunol 2022; 13:928450. [PMID: 35898500 PMCID: PMC9309211 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.928450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Treg) play a critical role in immune homeostasis by suppressing several aspects of the immune response. Herein, Glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP), the docking receptor for latent transforming growth factor (LTGF-β), which promotes its activation, plays a crucial role in maintaining Treg mediated immune tolerance. After activation, Treg uniquely express GARP on their surfaces. Due to its location and function, GARP may represent an important target for immunotherapeutic approaches, including the inhibition of Treg suppression in cancer or the enhancement of suppression in autoimmunity. In the present review, we will clarify the cellular and molecular regulation of GARP expression not only in human Treg but also in other cells present in the tumor microenvironment. We will also examine the overall roles of GARP in the regulation of the immune system. Furthermore, we will explore potential applications of GARP as a predictive and therapeutic biomarker as well as the targeting of GARP itself in immunotherapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Zimmer
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Emily R. Trzeciak
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Barbara Graefen
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kazuki Satoh
- Early Clinical Development Department, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Andrea Tuettenberg
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Research Center for Immunotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- *Correspondence: Andrea Tuettenberg,
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14
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Yang JM, Ren Y, Kumar A, Xiong X, Das JK, Peng HY, Wang L, Ren X, Zhang Y, Ji C, Cheng Y, Zhang L, Alaniz RC, de Figueiredo P, Fang D, Zhou H, Liu X, Wang J, Song J. NAC1 modulates autoimmunity by suppressing regulatory T cell-mediated tolerance. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo0183. [PMID: 35767626 PMCID: PMC9242588 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo0183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
We report here that nucleus accumbens-associated protein-1 (NAC1), a nuclear factor of the Broad-complex, Tramtrack, Bric-a-brac/poxvirus and zinc finger (BTB/POZ) gene family, is a negative regulator of FoxP3 in regulatory T cells (Tregs) and a critical determinant of immune tolerance. Phenotypically, NAC1-/- mice showed substantial tolerance to the induction of autoimmunity and generated a larger amount of CD4+ Tregs that exhibit a higher metabolic profile and immune-suppressive activity, increased acetylation and expression of FoxP3, and slower turnover of this transcription factor. Treatment of Tregs with the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β or tumor necrosis factor-α induced a robust up-regulation of NAC1 but evident down-regulation of FoxP3 as well as the acetylated FoxP3. These findings imply that NAC1 acts as a trigger of the immune response through destabilization of Tregs and suppression of tolerance induction, and targeting of NAC1 warrants further exploration as a potential tolerogenic strategy for treatment of autoimmune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Ming Yang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Science, and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Yijie Ren
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
| | - Anil Kumar
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
| | - Xiaofang Xiong
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
| | - Jugal Kishore Das
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
| | - Hao-Yun Peng
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
| | - Liqing Wang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
| | - Xingcong Ren
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Science, and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Science, and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Cheng Ji
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Science, and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Yan Cheng
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Science, and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Science, and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Robert C. Alaniz
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
| | - Paul de Figueiredo
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA
- Norman Borlaug Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA
| | - Deyu Fang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Hongwei Zhou
- Department of Medicine, Columbia Center for Human Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Xiaoqi Liu
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Science, and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Jianlong Wang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia Center for Human Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jianxun Song
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
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15
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Liu N, Sadlon T, Wong YY, Pederson S, Breen J, Barry SC. 3DFAACTS-SNP: using regulatory T cell-specific epigenomics data to uncover candidate mechanisms of type 1 diabetes (T1D) risk. Epigenetics Chromatin 2022; 15:24. [PMID: 35773720 PMCID: PMC9244893 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-022-00456-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have enabled the discovery of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are significantly associated with many autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, many of the identified variants lie in non-coding regions, limiting the identification of mechanisms that contribute to autoimmune disease progression. To address this problem, we developed a variant filtering workflow called 3DFAACTS-SNP to link genetic variants to target genes in a cell-specific manner. Here, we use 3DFAACTS-SNP to identify candidate SNPs and target genes associated with the loss of immune tolerance in regulatory T cells (Treg) in T1D. Results Using 3DFAACTS-SNP, we identified from a list of 1228 previously fine-mapped variants, 36 SNPs with plausible Treg-specific mechanisms of action. The integration of cell type-specific chromosome conformation capture data in 3DFAACTS-SNP identified 266 regulatory regions and 47 candidate target genes that interact with these variant-containing regions in Treg cells. We further demonstrated the utility of the workflow by applying it to three other SNP autoimmune datasets, identifying 16 Treg-centric candidate variants and 60 interacting genes. Finally, we demonstrate the broad utility of 3DFAACTS-SNP for functional annotation of all known common (> 10% allele frequency) variants from the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD). We identified 9376 candidate variants and 4968 candidate target genes, generating a list of potential sites for future T1D or other autoimmune disease research. Conclusions We demonstrate that it is possible to further prioritise variants that contribute to T1D based on regulatory function, and illustrate the power of using cell type-specific multi-omics datasets to determine disease mechanisms. Our workflow can be customised to any cell type for which the individual datasets for functional annotation have been generated, giving broad applicability and utility. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13072-022-00456-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Liu
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, Australia.,Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.,Bioinformatics Hub, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Timothy Sadlon
- Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.,Women's and Children's Health Network, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Ying Y Wong
- Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.,Women's and Children's Health Network, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Stephen Pederson
- Bioinformatics Hub, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - James Breen
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, Australia. .,Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia. .,Bioinformatics Hub, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia. .,Black Ochre Data Labs, Indigenous Genomics, Telethon Kids Institute, Adelaide, Australia. .,John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
| | - Simon C Barry
- Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.,Women's and Children's Health Network, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
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16
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Abstract
The debate over whether viruses are living organisms tends to be paradigmatically determined. The metabolic paradigm denies that they are, while new research evidences the opposite. The purpose of this paper is to deliver a generic model for viral contexts that explains why viruses are alive. It will take a systems biology approach, with a qualitative part (using metacybernetics) to provide deeper explanations of viral contexts, and a quantitative part (using Fisher Information deriving from the variational principle of Extreme Physical Information) which is in principle able to take measurements and predict outcomes. The modelling process provides an extended view of the epigenetic processes of viruses. The generic systems biology model will depict viruses as autonomous entities with metaphysical processes of autopoietic self-organisation and adaptation, enabling them to maintain their physical viability and hence, within their populations, mutate and evolve. The autopoietic epigenetic processes are shown to describe their capability to change, and these are both qualitatively and quantitatively explored, the latter providing an approach to make measurements of physical phenomena under uncertainty. Viruses maintain their fitness when they are able to maintain their stability, and this is indicated by information flow efficacy. A brief case study is presented on the COVID-19 virus from the perspective that it is a living system, and this includes outcome predictions given Fisher Information conditions for known contexts.
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17
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Bossini-Castillo L, Glinos DA, Kunowska N, Golda G, Lamikanra AA, Spitzer M, Soskic B, Cano-Gamez E, Smyth DJ, Cattermole C, Alasoo K, Mann A, Kundu K, Lorenc A, Soranzo N, Dunham I, Roberts DJ, Trynka G. Immune disease variants modulate gene expression in regulatory CD4 + T cells. CELL GENOMICS 2022; 2:None. [PMID: 35591976 PMCID: PMC9010307 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Identifying cellular functions dysregulated by disease-associated variants could implicate novel pathways for drug targeting or modulation in cell therapies. However, follow-up studies can be challenging if disease-relevant cell types are difficult to sample. Variants associated with immune diseases point toward the role of CD4+ regulatory T cells (Treg cells). We mapped genetic regulation (quantitative trait loci [QTL]) of gene expression and chromatin activity in Treg cells, and we identified 133 colocalizing loci with immune disease variants. Colocalizations of immune disease genome-wide association study (GWAS) variants with expression QTLs (eQTLs) controlling the expression of CD28 and STAT5A, involved in Treg cell activation and interleukin-2 (IL-2) signaling, support the contribution of Treg cells to the pathobiology of immune diseases. Finally, we identified seven known drug targets suitable for drug repurposing and suggested 63 targets with drug tractability evidence among the GWAS signals that colocalized with Treg cell QTLs. Our study is the first in-depth characterization of immune disease variant effects on Treg cell gene expression modulation and dysregulation of Treg cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dafni A. Glinos
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalia Kunowska
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gosia Golda
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Abigail A. Lamikanra
- NHS Blood and Transplant, Oxford, UK
- BRC Haematology Theme, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michaela Spitzer
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Blagoje Soskic
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eddie Cano-Gamez
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Deborah J. Smyth
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Kaur Alasoo
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Alice Mann
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kousik Kundu
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anna Lorenc
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicole Soranzo
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ian Dunham
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - David J. Roberts
- NHS Blood and Transplant, Oxford, UK
- BRC Haematology Theme, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gosia Trynka
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
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18
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Alsheikh AJ, Wollenhaupt S, King EA, Reeb J, Ghosh S, Stolzenburg LR, Tamim S, Lazar J, Davis JW, Jacob HJ. The landscape of GWAS validation; systematic review identifying 309 validated non-coding variants across 130 human diseases. BMC Med Genomics 2022; 15:74. [PMID: 35365203 PMCID: PMC8973751 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-022-01216-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The remarkable growth of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has created a critical need to experimentally validate the disease-associated variants, 90% of which involve non-coding variants. Methods To determine how the field is addressing this urgent need, we performed a comprehensive literature review identifying 36,676 articles. These were reduced to 1454 articles through a set of filters using natural language processing and ontology-based text-mining. This was followed by manual curation and cross-referencing against the GWAS catalog, yielding a final set of 286 articles. Results We identified 309 experimentally validated non-coding GWAS variants, regulating 252 genes across 130 human disease traits. These variants covered a variety of regulatory mechanisms. Interestingly, 70% (215/309) acted through cis-regulatory elements, with the remaining through promoters (22%, 70/309) or non-coding RNAs (8%, 24/309). Several validation approaches were utilized in these studies, including gene expression (n = 272), transcription factor binding (n = 175), reporter assays (n = 171), in vivo models (n = 104), genome editing (n = 96) and chromatin interaction (n = 33). Conclusions This review of the literature is the first to systematically evaluate the status and the landscape of experimentation being used to validate non-coding GWAS-identified variants. Our results clearly underscore the multifaceted approach needed for experimental validation, have practical implications on variant prioritization and considerations of target gene nomination. While the field has a long way to go to validate the thousands of GWAS associations, we show that progress is being made and provide exemplars of validation studies covering a wide variety of mechanisms, target genes, and disease areas. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12920-022-01216-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammar J Alsheikh
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois, 60064, USA.
| | - Sabrina Wollenhaupt
- Information Research, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, 67061, Knollstrasse, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Emily A King
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois, 60064, USA
| | - Jonas Reeb
- Information Research, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, 67061, Knollstrasse, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Sujana Ghosh
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois, 60064, USA
| | | | - Saleh Tamim
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois, 60064, USA
| | - Jozef Lazar
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois, 60064, USA
| | - J Wade Davis
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois, 60064, USA
| | - Howard J Jacob
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois, 60064, USA
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19
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Bernard BE, Landmann E, Jeker LT, Schumann K. CRISPR/Cas-based Human T cell Engineering: Basic Research and Clinical Application. Immunol Lett 2022; 245:18-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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20
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Schmidt R, Steinhart Z, Layeghi M, Freimer JW, Bueno R, Nguyen VQ, Blaeschke F, Ye CJ, Marson A. CRISPR activation and interference screens decode stimulation responses in primary human T cells. Science 2022; 375:eabj4008. [PMID: 35113687 DOI: 10.1126/science.abj4008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of cytokine production in stimulated T cells can be disrupted in autoimmunity, immunodeficiencies, and cancer. Systematic discovery of stimulation-dependent cytokine regulators requires both loss-of-function and gain-of-function studies, which have been challenging in primary human cells. We now report genome-wide CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) and interference (CRISPRi) screens in primary human T cells to identify gene networks controlling interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production. Arrayed CRISPRa confirmed key hits and enabled multiplexed secretome characterization, revealing reshaped cytokine responses. Coupling CRISPRa screening with single-cell RNA sequencing enabled deep molecular characterization of screen hits, revealing how perturbations tuned T cell activation and promoted cell states characterized by distinct cytokine expression profiles. These screens reveal genes that reprogram critical immune cell functions, which could inform the design of immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Schmidt
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Zachary Steinhart
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Madeline Layeghi
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jacob W Freimer
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Raymund Bueno
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Vinh Q Nguyen
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Franziska Blaeschke
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Chun Jimmie Ye
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA.,Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Alexander Marson
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA.,Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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21
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Atopic eczema: How genetic studies can contribute to understanding this complex trait. J Invest Dermatol 2022; 142:1015-1019. [PMID: 35007558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Atopic eczema is an itchy inflammatory skin disease. This complex trait results from multiple genetic and environmental factors, but atopic eczema also shows great complexity in its heterogenous presentation, clinical signs and longitudinal trajectory, with or without co-morbid conditions. The past 50 years have produced substantial improvements in the management of atopic eczema, but many patients still suffer a burden of disease affecting personal, social and family life. Genetic research refocused interest on skin barrier function, but effective targeting of this central pathomechanism remains elusive. This Perspective highlights progress in understanding molecular mechanisms and translational opportunities for the future.
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22
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Regulatory T cells function in established systemic inflammation and reverse fatal autoimmunity. Nat Immunol 2021; 22:1163-1174. [PMID: 34426690 PMCID: PMC9341271 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-021-01001-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The immunosuppressive function of regulatory T (Treg) cells is dependent on continuous expression of the transcription factor Foxp3. Foxp3 loss-of-function or induced ablation of Treg cells results in a fatal autoimmune disease featuring all known types of inflammatory responses with every manifestation stemming from Treg cell paucity, highlighting a vital function of Treg cells in preventing fatal autoimmune inflammation. However, a major question remains whether Treg cells can persist and effectively exert their function in a disease state, where a broad spectrum of inflammatory mediators can either inactivate Treg cells or render innate and adaptive pro-inflammatory effector cells insensitive to suppression. By reinstating Foxp3 protein expression and suppressor function in cells expressing a reversible Foxp3 null allele in severely diseased mice, we found that the resulting single pool of “redeemed” Treg cells normalized immune activation, quelled severe tissue inflammation, reversed fatal autoimmune disease, and provided long-term protection against them. Thus, Treg cells are functional in settings of established broad spectrum systemic inflammation and are capable of affording sustained reset of immune homeostasis.
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23
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Baglaenko Y, Macfarlane D, Marson A, Nigrovic PA, Raychaudhuri S. Genome editing to define the function of risk loci and variants in rheumatic disease. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2021; 17:462-474. [PMID: 34188205 PMCID: PMC10782829 DOI: 10.1038/s41584-021-00637-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Discoveries in human genetic studies have revolutionized our understanding of complex rheumatic and autoimmune diseases, including the identification of hundreds of genetic loci and single nucleotide polymorphisms that potentially predispose individuals to disease. However, in most cases, the exact disease-causing variants and their mechanisms of action remain unresolved. Functional follow-up of these findings is most challenging for genomic variants that are in non-coding genomic regions, where the large majority of common disease-associated variants are located, and/or that probably affect disease progression via cell type-specific gene regulation. To deliver on the therapeutic promise of human genetic studies, defining the mechanisms of action of these alleles is essential. Genome editing technology, such as CRISPR-Cas, has created a vast toolbox for targeted genetic and epigenetic modifications that presents unprecedented opportunities to decipher disease-causing loci, genes and variants in autoimmunity. In this Review, we discuss the past 5-10 years of progress in resolving the mechanisms underlying rheumatic disease-associated alleles, with an emphasis on how genomic editing techniques can enable targeted dissection and mechanistic studies of causal autoimmune risk variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuriy Baglaenko
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dana Macfarlane
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Marson
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Rosalind Russell/Ephraim P. Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Peter A Nigrovic
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Soumya Raychaudhuri
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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24
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Muthuirulan P, Zhao D, Young M, Richard D, Liu Z, Emami A, Portilla G, Hosseinzadeh S, Cao J, Maridas D, Sedlak M, Menghini D, Cheng L, Li L, Ding X, Ding Y, Rosen V, Kiapour AM, Capellini TD. Joint disease-specificity at the regulatory base-pair level. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4161. [PMID: 34230488 PMCID: PMC8260791 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24345-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the pleiotropic nature of coding sequences and that many loci exhibit multiple disease associations, it is within non-coding sequence that disease-specificity likely exists. Here, we focus on joint disorders, finding among replicated loci, that GDF5 exhibits over twenty distinct associations, and we identify causal variants for two of its strongest associations, hip dysplasia and knee osteoarthritis. By mapping regulatory regions in joint chondrocytes, we pinpoint two variants (rs4911178; rs6060369), on the same risk haplotype, which reside in anatomical site-specific enhancers. We show that both variants have clinical relevance, impacting disease by altering morphology. By modeling each variant in humanized mice, we observe joint-specific response, correlating with GDF5 expression. Thus, we uncouple separate regulatory variants on a common risk haplotype that cause joint-specific disease. By broadening our perspective, we finally find that patterns of modularity at GDF5 are also found at over three-quarters of loci with multiple GWAS disease associations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dewei Zhao
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Mariel Young
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Richard
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zun Liu
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alireza Emami
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gabriela Portilla
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shayan Hosseinzadeh
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jiaxue Cao
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - David Maridas
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mary Sedlak
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Danilo Menghini
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liangliang Cheng
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Lu Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Xinjia Ding
- Department of Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Yan Ding
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vicki Rosen
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ata M Kiapour
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Terence D Capellini
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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25
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Lehmkuhl P, Gentz M, Garcia de Otezya AC, Grimbacher B, Schulze-Koops H, Skapenko A. Dysregulated immunity in PID patients with low GARP expression on Tregs due to mutations in LRRC32. Cell Mol Immunol 2021; 18:1677-1691. [PMID: 34059789 PMCID: PMC8245512 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-021-00701-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune dysregulation diseases are characterized by heterogeneous clinical manifestations and may have severe disease courses. The identification of the genetic causes of these diseases therefore has critical clinical implications. We performed whole-exome sequencing of patients with immune dysregulation disorders and identified two patients with previously undescribed mutations in LRRC32, which encodes glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP). These patients were characterized by markedly reduced numbers and frequencies of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Tregs with mutated LRRC32 exhibited strongly diminished cell-surface GARP expression and reduced suppressor function. In a model of conditional Garp deficiency in mice, we confirmed increased susceptibility to inflammatory diseases once GARP expression on Tregs was decreased. Garp deficiency led to an unstable Treg phenotype due to diminished Foxp3 protein acetylation and stability. Our study reinforces the understanding of the immunological mechanisms of immune dysregulation and expands the knowledge on the immunological function of GARP as an important regulator of Treg stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Lehmkuhl
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDivision of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine IV, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Magdalena Gentz
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDivision of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine IV, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andres Caballero Garcia de Otezya
- grid.5963.9Institute for Immunodeficiency, Centre of Chronic Immunodeficiency, Medical Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Bodo Grimbacher
- grid.5963.9Institute for Immunodeficiency, Centre of Chronic Immunodeficiency, Medical Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hendrik Schulze-Koops
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDivision of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine IV, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alla Skapenko
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDivision of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine IV, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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26
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Laber S, Forcisi S, Bentley L, Petzold J, Moritz F, Smirnov KS, Al Sadat L, Williamson I, Strobel S, Agnew T, Sengupta S, Nicol T, Grallert H, Heier M, Honecker J, Mianne J, Teboul L, Dumbell R, Long H, Simon M, Lindgren C, Bickmore WA, Hauner H, Schmitt-Kopplin P, Claussnitzer M, Cox RD. Linking the FTO obesity rs1421085 variant circuitry to cellular, metabolic, and organismal phenotypes in vivo. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg0108. [PMID: 34290091 PMCID: PMC8294759 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Variants in FTO have the strongest association with obesity; however, it is still unclear how those noncoding variants mechanistically affect whole-body physiology. We engineered a deletion of the rs1421085 conserved cis-regulatory module (CRM) in mice and confirmed in vivo that the CRM modulates Irx3 and Irx5 gene expression and mitochondrial function in adipocytes. The CRM affects molecular and cellular phenotypes in an adipose depot-dependent manner and affects organismal phenotypes that are relevant for obesity, including decreased high-fat diet-induced weight gain, decreased whole-body fat mass, and decreased skin fat thickness. Last, we connected the CRM to a genetically determined effect on steroid patterns in males that was dependent on nutritional challenge and conserved across mice and humans. Together, our data establish cross-species conservation of the rs1421085 regulatory circuitry at the molecular, cellular, metabolic, and organismal level, revealing previously unknown contextual dependence of the variant's action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Laber
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK.
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sara Forcisi
- Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Liz Bentley
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Julia Petzold
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Franco Moritz
- Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Kirill S Smirnov
- Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Loubna Al Sadat
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Else Kröner-Fresenius-Centre for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Iain Williamson
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sophie Strobel
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Agnew
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Shahana Sengupta
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Tom Nicol
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Harald Grallert
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Research Unit of Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Center Munich, Germany
| | - Margit Heier
- KORA Study Center Augsburg, University Hospital of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Julius Honecker
- Else Kröner-Fresenius-Centre for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Joffrey Mianne
- Mary Lyon Centre, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Lydia Teboul
- Mary Lyon Centre, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Rebecca Dumbell
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Helen Long
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Henry Wellcome Building for Molecular Physiology, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Michelle Simon
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Cecilia Lindgren
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Wendy A Bickmore
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hans Hauner
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Else Kröner-Fresenius-Centre for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin
- Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Analytical Food Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Melina Claussnitzer
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roger D Cox
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK.
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27
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Jones DM, Read KA, Oestreich KJ. Dynamic Roles for IL-2-STAT5 Signaling in Effector and Regulatory CD4 + T Cell Populations. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 205:1721-1730. [PMID: 32958706 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
CD4+ Th cells are responsible for orchestrating diverse, pathogen-specific immune responses through their differentiation into a number of subsets, including TH1, TH2, TH9, T follicular helper, T follicular regulatory, and regulatory T cells. The differentiation of each subset is guided by distinct regulatory requirements, including those derived from extracellular cytokine signals. IL-2 has emerged as a critical immunomodulatory cytokine that both positively and negatively affects the differentiation of individual Th cell subsets. IL-2 signals are propagated, in part, via activation of STAT5, which functions as a key regulator of CD4+ T cell gene programs. In this review, we discuss current understanding of the mechanisms that allow IL-2-STAT5 signaling to exert divergent effects across CD4+ T cell subsets and highlight specific roles for this pathway in the regulation of individual Th cell differentiation programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin M Jones
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210; and.,Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Kaitlin A Read
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210; and.,Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Kenneth J Oestreich
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210; and
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28
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Chu JM, Pease NA, Kueh HY. In search of lost time: Enhancers as modulators of timing in lymphocyte development and differentiation. Immunol Rev 2021; 300:134-151. [PMID: 33734444 PMCID: PMC8005465 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Proper timing of gene expression is central to lymphocyte development and differentiation. Lymphocytes often delay gene activation for hours to days after the onset of signaling components, which act on the order of seconds to minutes. Such delays play a prominent role during the intricate choreography of developmental events and during the execution of an effector response. Though a number of mechanisms are sufficient to explain timing at short timescales, it is not known how timing delays are implemented over long timescales that may span several cell generations. Based on the literature, we propose that a class of cis-regulatory elements, termed "timing enhancers," may explain how timing delays are controlled over these long timescales. By considering chromatin as a kinetic barrier to state switching, the timing enhancer model explains experimentally observed dynamics of gene expression where other models fall short. In this review, we elaborate on features of the timing enhancer model and discuss the evidence for its generality throughout development and differentiation. We then discuss potential molecular mechanisms underlying timing enhancer function. Finally, we explore recent evidence drawing connections between timing enhancers and genetic risk for immunopathology. We argue that the timing enhancer model is a useful framework for understanding how cis-regulatory elements control the central dimension of timing in lymphocyte biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Chu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nicholas A Pease
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Hao Yuan Kueh
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
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29
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A centric view of JAK/STAT5 in intestinal homeostasis, infection, and inflammation. Cytokine 2021; 139:155392. [PMID: 33482575 PMCID: PMC8276772 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cytokines, growth factors or hormones take action through the JAK/STAT5 signaling pathway, which plays a critical role in regulating the intestinal response to infection and inflammation. However, the way in which STAT5 regulates intestinal epithelial compartment is largely ignored due to the lack of genetic tools for proper exploration and because the two STAT5 transcription factors (STAT5A and STAT5B) have some redundant but also distinct functions. In this review article, by focusing on STAT5 functions in the intestinal undifferentiated and differentiated epithelia, we discuss major advances of the growth factor/cytokine-JAK/STAT5 research in view of intestinal mucosal inflammation and immunity. We highlight the gap in the research of the intestinal STAT5 signaling to anticipate the gastrointestinal explorative insights. Furthermore, we address the critical questions to illuminate how STAT5 signaling influences intestinal epithelial cell differentiation and stem cell regeneration during homeostasis and injury. Overall, our article provides a centric view of the relevance of the relationship between chronic inflammatory diseases and JAK/STAT5 pathway and it also gives an example of how chronic infection and inflammation pirate STAT5 signaling to worsen intestinal injuries. Importantly, our review suggests how to protect a wound healing from gastrointestinal diseases by modulating intestinal STAT5.
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30
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Ramos-Rodríguez M, Pérez-González B, Pasquali L. The β-Cell Genomic Landscape in T1D: Implications for Disease Pathogenesis. Curr Diab Rep 2021; 21:1. [PMID: 33387073 PMCID: PMC7778620 DOI: 10.1007/s11892-020-01370-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Type 1 diabetes (T1D) develops as a consequence of a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Combined, these events trigger an autoimmune disease that results in progressive loss of pancreatic β cells, leading to insulin deficiency. This article reviews the current knowledge on the genetics of T1D with a specific focus on genetic variation in pancreatic islet regulatory networks and its implication to T1D risk and disease development. RECENT FINDINGS Accumulating evidence suggest an active role of β cells in T1D pathogenesis. Based on such observation several studies aimed in mapping T1D risk variants acting at the β cell level. Such studies unravel T1D risk loci shared with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and T1D risk variants potentially interfering with β-cell responses to external stimuli. The characterization of regulatory genomics maps of disease-relevant states and cell types can be used to elucidate the mechanistic role of β cells in the pathogenesis of T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Ramos-Rodríguez
- Endocrine Regulatory Genomics, Department of Experimental & Health Sciences, University Pompeu Fabra, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Pérez-González
- Endocrine Regulatory Genomics, Department of Experimental & Health Sciences, University Pompeu Fabra, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Pasquali
- Endocrine Regulatory Genomics, Department of Experimental & Health Sciences, University Pompeu Fabra, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
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Kottyan LC, Trimarchi MP, Lu X, Caldwell JM, Maddox A, Parameswaran S, Lape M, D'Mello RJ, Bonfield M, Ballaban A, Mukkada V, Putnam PE, Abonia P, Ben-Baruch Morgenstern N, Eapen AA, Wen T, Weirauch MT, Rothenberg ME. Replication and meta-analyses nominate numerous eosinophilic esophagitis risk genes. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2021; 147:255-266. [PMID: 33446330 PMCID: PMC8082436 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an emerging, chronic, rare allergic disease associated with marked eosinophil accumulation in the esophagus. Previous genome-wide association studies have provided strong evidence for 3 genome-wide susceptibility loci. OBJECTIVE We sought to replicate known and suggestive EoE genetic risk loci and conduct a meta-analysis of previously reported data sets. METHODS An EoE-Custom single-nucleotide polymophism (SNP) Chip containing 956 candidate EoE risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms was used to genotype 627 cases and 365 controls. Statistical power was enhanced by adding 1959 external controls and performing meta-analyses with 2 independent EoE genome-wide association studies. RESULTS Meta-analysis identified replicated association and genome-wide significance at 6 loci: 2p23 (2 independent genetic effects) and 5q22, 10p14, 11q13, and 16p13. Seven additional loci were identified at suggestive significance (P < 10-6): 1q31, 5q23, 6q15, 6q21, 8p21, 17q12, and 22q13. From these risk loci, 13 protein-coding EoE candidate risk genes were expressed in a genotype-dependent manner. EoE risk genes were expressed in disease-relevant cell types, including esophageal epithelia, fibroblasts, and immune cells, with some expressed as a function of disease activity. The genetic risk burden of EoE-associated genetic variants was markedly larger in cases relative to controls (P < 10-38); individuals with the highest decile of genetic burden had greater than 12-fold risk of EoE compared with those within the lowest decile. CONCLUSIONS This study extends the genetic underpinnings of EoE, highlighting 13 genes whose genotype-dependent expression expands our etiologic understanding of EoE and provides a framework for a polygenic risk score to be validated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah C Kottyan
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Michael P Trimarchi
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Xiaoming Lu
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Julie M Caldwell
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Avery Maddox
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Sreeja Parameswaran
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Michael Lape
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Graduate Program in Biomedical Informatics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Rahul J D'Mello
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Immunology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Madeline Bonfield
- Immunology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Adina Ballaban
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Vincent Mukkada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Philip E Putnam
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Pablo Abonia
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | | | - Amy A Eapen
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Ting Wen
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Marc E Rothenberg
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Turner JA, Stephen-Victor E, Wang S, Rivas MN, Abdel-Gadir A, Harb H, Cui Y, Fanny M, Charbonnier LM, Fong JJH, Benamar M, Wang L, Burton OT, Bansal K, Bry L, Zhu C, Li QZ, Clement RL, Oettgen HC, Crestani E, Rachid R, Sage PT, Chatila TA. Regulatory T Cell-Derived TGF-β1 Controls Multiple Checkpoints Governing Allergy and Autoimmunity. Immunity 2020; 53:1202-1214.e6. [PMID: 33086036 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2020.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which regulatory T (Treg) cells differentially control allergic and autoimmune responses remain unclear. We show that Treg cells in food allergy (FA) had decreased expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) because of interleukin-4 (IL-4)- and signal transducer and activator of transciription-6 (STAT6)-dependent inhibition of Tgfb1 transcription. These changes were modeled by Treg cell-specific Tgfb1 monoallelic inactivation, which induced allergic dysregulation by impairing microbiota-dependent retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor gamma t (ROR-γt)+ Treg cell differentiation. This dysregulation was rescued by treatment with Clostridiales species, which upregulated Tgfb1 expression in Treg cells. Biallelic deficiency precipitated fatal autoimmunity with intense autoantibody production and dysregulated T follicular helper and B cell responses. These results identify a privileged role of Treg cell-derived TGF-β1 in regulating allergy and autoimmunity at distinct checkpoints in a Tgfb1 gene dose- and microbiota-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Turner
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Emmanuel Stephen-Victor
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sen Wang
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Magali Noval Rivas
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Infectious and Immunologic Diseases Research Center (IIDRC), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Azza Abdel-Gadir
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hani Harb
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ye Cui
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Manoussa Fanny
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Louis-Marie Charbonnier
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jason Jun Hung Fong
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mehdi Benamar
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Leighanne Wang
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Oliver T Burton
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Signaling and Development, The Babraham Institute, Cambridgeshire CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Kushagra Bansal
- Molecular Biology & Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore 560064, India
| | - Lynn Bry
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Chengsong Zhu
- Department of Immunology and Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Quan-Zhen Li
- Department of Immunology and Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Rachel L Clement
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hans C Oettgen
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Elena Crestani
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rima Rachid
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Peter T Sage
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Talal A Chatila
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Pillai S. The (inner) world according to GARP: Genetic susceptibility and regulatory T cells. Sci Immunol 2020; 5:5/50/eabe0976. [PMID: 32769174 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abe0976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
A human autoimmune and allergic disease susceptibility variant on chromosome 11 results in the reduced expression of the gene encoding the GARP protein and thus compromises the function of regulatory T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiv Pillai
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139-3583, USA.
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34
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Epigenome-metabolome-microbiome axis in health and IBD. Curr Opin Microbiol 2020; 56:97-108. [PMID: 32920333 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Environmental triggers in the context of genetic susceptibility drive phenotypes of complex immune disorders such as Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). One such trigger of IBD is perturbations in enteric commensal bacteria, fungi or viruses that shape both immune and neuronal state. The epigenome acts as an interface between microbiota and context-specific gene expression and is thus emerging as a third key contributor to IBD. Here we review evidence that the host epigenome plays a significant role in orchestrating the bidirectional crosstalk between mammals and their commensal microorganisms. We discuss disruption of chromatin regulatory regions and epigenetic enzyme mutants as a causative factor in IBD patients and mouse models of intestinal inflammation and consider the possible translation of this knowledge. Furthermore, we present emerging insights into the intricate connection between the microbiome and epigenetic enzyme activity via host or bacterial metabolites and how these interactions fine-tune the microorganism-host relationship.
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35
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Buszko M, Shevach EM. Control of regulatory T cell homeostasis. Curr Opin Immunol 2020; 67:18-26. [PMID: 32810642 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
CD4+ Foxp3+ T Regulatory (Treg) cells play a critical role in the homeostasis and maintenance of the immune system. The understanding of different aspects of Treg cells biology remains an intensively investigated subject as altering their generation, stability, or function by drugs or biologics may have therapeutic value in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases as well as cancers. This review will focus on recent studies on the role of cytokines, T Cell Receptor (TCR) and co-stimulatory/co-inhibitory molecules signaling, location and metabolism on the homeostasis and stability of Treg cells. The potential for therapeutic manipulation of each of these factors will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Buszko
- Laboratory of Immune System Biology, Cellular Immunology Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ethan M Shevach
- Laboratory of Immune System Biology, Cellular Immunology Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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