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Perez C, Plaza-Rojas L, Boucher JC, Nagy MZ, Kostenko E, Prajapati K, Burke B, Reyes MD, Austin AL, Zhang S, Le PT, Guevara-Patino JA. NKG2D receptor signaling shapes T cell thymic education. J Leukoc Biol 2024; 115:306-321. [PMID: 37949818 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiad130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) in peripheral T cells as a costimulatory receptor is well established. However, its contribution to T cell thymic education and functional imprint is unknown. Here, we report significant changes in development, receptor signaling, transcriptional program, and function in T cells from mice lacking NKG2D signaling. In C57BL/6 (B6) and OT-I mice, we found that NKG2D deficiency results in Vβ chain usage changes and stagnation of the double-positive stage in thymic T cell development. We found that the expression of CD5 and CD45 in thymocytes from NKG2D deficient mice were reduced, indicating a direct influence of NKG2D on the strength of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling during the developmental stage of T cells. Depicting the functional consequences of NKG2D, peripheral OT-I NKG2D-deficient cells were unresponsive to ovalbumin peptide stimulation. Paradoxically, while αCD3/CD28 agonist antibodies led to phenotypic T cell activation, their ability to produce cytokines remained severely compromised. We found that OT-I NKG2D-deficient cells activate STAT5 in response to interleukin-15 but were unable to phosphorylate ERK or S6 upon TCR engagement, underpinning a defect in TCR signaling. Finally, we showed that NKG2D is expressed in mouse and human thymic T cells at the double-negative stage, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved function during T cell development. The data presented in this study indicate that NKG2D impacts thymic T cell development at a fundamental level by reducing the TCR threshold and affecting the functional imprint of the thymic progeny. In summary, understanding the impact of NKG2D on thymic T cell development and TCR signaling contributes to our knowledge of immune system regulation, immune dysregulation, and the design of immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Perez
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. First Ave, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
| | - Lourdes Plaza-Rojas
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - Justin C Boucher
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - Mate Z Nagy
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - Elena Kostenko
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - Kushal Prajapati
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. First Ave, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
| | - Brianna Burke
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. First Ave, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
| | - Michael Delos Reyes
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. First Ave, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
| | - Anna L Austin
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - Shubin Zhang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. First Ave, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. First Ave, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
| | - Phong T Le
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. First Ave, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. First Ave, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
| | - José A Guevara-Patino
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. First Ave, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
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2
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Gelatinase B/matrix metalloproteinase-9 and other neutrophil proteases switch off interleukin-2 activity. Biochem J 2019; 476:2191-2208. [PMID: 31262730 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20180382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin 2 (IL-2) is critical for T cell development and homeostasis, being a key regulator of adaptive immune responses in autoimmunity, hypersensitivity reactions and cancer. Therefore, its abundance in serum and peripheral tissues needs tight control. Here, we described a new mechanism contributing to the immunobiology of IL-2. We demonstrated, both in biochemical and cell-based assays, that IL-2 is subject to proteolytic processing by neutrophil matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). IL-2 fragments produced after cleavage by MMP-9 remained linked by a disulfide bond and displayed a reduced affinity for all IL-2 receptor subunits and a distinct pattern and timing of signal transduction. Stimulation of IL-2-dependent cells, including murine CTLL-2 and primary human regulatory T cells, with cleaved IL-2 resulted in significantly decreased proliferation. The concerted action of neutrophil proteases destroyed IL-2. Our data suggest that in neutrophil-rich inflammatory conditions in vivo, neutrophil MMP-9 may reduce the abundance of signaling-competent IL-2 and generate a fragment that competes with IL-2 for receptor binding, whereas the combined activity of granulocyte proteases has the potential to degrade and thus eliminate bioavailable IL-2.
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Chen EW, Tay NQ, Brzostek J, Gascoigne NRJ, Rybakin V. A Dual Inhibitor of Cdc7/Cdk9 Potently Suppresses T Cell Activation. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1718. [PMID: 31402912 PMCID: PMC6670834 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
T cell activation is mediated by signaling pathways originating from the T cell receptor (TCR). Propagation of signals downstream of the TCR involves a cascade of numerous kinases, some of which have yet to be identified. Through a screening strategy that we have previously introduced, PHA-767491, an inhibitor of the kinases Cdc7 and Cdk9, was identified to impede TCR signaling. PHA-767491 suppressed several T cell activation phenomena, including the expression of activation markers, proliferation, and effector functions. We also observed a defect in TCR signaling pathways upon PHA-767491 treatment. Inhibition of Cdc7/Cdk9 impairs T cell responses, which could potentially be detrimental for the immune response to tumors, and also compromises the ability to resist infections. The Cdc7/Cdk9 inhibitor is a strong candidate as a cancer therapeutic, but its effect on the immune system poses a problem for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elijah W Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Neil Q Tay
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Immunology Programme, Centre for Life Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Life Sciences (CeLS), NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joanna Brzostek
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nicholas R J Gascoigne
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Immunology Programme, Centre for Life Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Life Sciences (CeLS), NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vasily Rybakin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Laboratory of Immunobiology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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4
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Chen EW, Brzostek J, Gascoigne NRJ, Rybakin V. Development of a screening strategy for new modulators of T cell receptor signaling and T cell activation. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10046. [PMID: 29968737 PMCID: PMC6030045 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28106-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of the T cell receptor (TCR) leads to the generation of a network of signaling events critical to the developmental decision making and activation of T cells. Various experimental approaches continue to identify new signaling molecules, adaptor proteins, and other regulators of TCR signaling. We propose a screening strategy for the identification of small molecules affecting TCR signaling based on the uncoupling of TCR stimulation from cellular responses in developing thymocytes. We demonstrate that this strategy successfully identifies inhibitors of kinases already shown to act downstream of TCR engagement, as well as new inhibitors. The proposed strategy is easily scalable for high throughput screening and will contribute to the identification of new druggable targets in T cell activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elijah W Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2 Blk MD4, Singapore, 117545, Singapore
| | - Joanna Brzostek
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2 Blk MD4, Singapore, 117545, Singapore
| | - Nicholas R J Gascoigne
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2 Blk MD4, Singapore, 117545, Singapore.
| | - Vasily Rybakin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2 Blk MD4, Singapore, 117545, Singapore. .,Department of Immunobiology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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5
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Dong M, Artusa P, Kelly SA, Fournier M, Baldwin TA, Mandl JN, Melichar HJ. Alterations in the Thymic Selection Threshold Skew the Self-Reactivity of the TCR Repertoire in Neonates. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 199:965-973. [PMID: 28659353 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1602137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal and adult T cells differ in their effector functions. Although it is known that cell-intrinsic differences in mature T cells contribute to this phenomenon, the factors involved remain unclear. Given emerging evidence that the binding strength of a TCR for self-peptide presented by MHC (self-pMHC) impacts T cell function, we sought to determine whether altered thymic selection influences the self-reactivity of the TCR repertoire during ontogeny. We found that conventional and regulatory T cell subsets in the thymus of neonates and young mice expressed higher levels of cell surface CD5, a surrogate marker for TCR avidity for self-pMHC, as compared with their adult counterparts, and this difference in self-reactivity was independent of the germline bias of the neonatal TCR repertoire. The increased binding strength of the TCR repertoire for self-pMHC in neonates was not solely due to reported defects in clonal deletion. Rather, our data suggest that thymic selection is altered in young mice such that thymocytes bearing TCRs with low affinity for self-peptide are not efficiently selected into the neonatal repertoire, and stronger TCR signals accompany both conventional and regulatory T cell selection. Importantly, the distinct levels of T cell self-reactivity reflect physiologically relevant differences based on the preferential expansion of T cells from young mice to fill a lymphopenic environment. Therefore, differences in thymic selection in young versus adult mice skew the TCR repertoire, and the relatively higher self-reactivity of the T cell pool may contribute to the distinct immune responses observed in neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Dong
- Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec H1T 2M4, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, and Immunology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Patricio Artusa
- Department of Physiology and McGill Research Centre for Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Stephanie A Kelly
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada; and
| | - Marilaine Fournier
- Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Troy A Baldwin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada; and
| | - Judith N Mandl
- Department of Physiology and McGill Research Centre for Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Heather J Melichar
- Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec H1T 2M4, Canada; .,Department of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada
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6
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Post-translational control of T cell development by the ESCRT protein CHMP5. Nat Immunol 2017; 18:780-790. [DOI: 10.1038/ni.3764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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7
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Gounko NV, Martens E, Opdenakker G, Rybakin V. Thymocyte development in the absence of matrix metalloproteinase-9/gelatinase B. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29852. [PMID: 27432536 PMCID: PMC4949482 DOI: 10.1038/srep29852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) play critical roles in a variety of immune reactions by facilitating cell migration, and affect cell communication by processing both cytokines and cell surface receptors. Based on published data indicating that MMP-9 is upregulated upon T cell activation and also in the thymus upon the induction of negative selection, we investigated the contribution of MMP-9 into mouse T cell development and differentiation in the thymus. Our data suggest that MMP-9 deficiency does not result in major abnormalities in the development of any conventionally selected or agonist selected subsets and does not interfere with thymocyte apoptosis and clearance, and that MMP-9 expression is not induced in immature T cells at any stage of their thymic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia V Gounko
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, REGA Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Electron Microscopy Platform, Center for the Biology of Disease VIB and Center for Human Genetics KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Erik Martens
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, REGA Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Ghislain Opdenakker
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, REGA Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Vasily Rybakin
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, REGA Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven 3000, Belgium
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8
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Fu G, Casas J, Rigaud S, Rybakin V, Lambolez F, Brzostek J, Hoerter JAH, Paster W, Acuto O, Cheroutre H, Sauer K, Gascoigne NRJ. Themis sets the signal threshold for positive and negative selection in T-cell development. Nature 2013; 504:441-5. [PMID: 24226767 PMCID: PMC3977001 DOI: 10.1038/nature12718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Development of a self-tolerant T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire with the potential to recognize the universe of infectious agents depends on proper regulation of TCR signalling. The repertoire is whittled down during T-cell development in the thymus by the ability of quasi-randomly generated TCRs to interact with self-peptides presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins. Low-affinity TCR interactions with self-MHC proteins generate weak signals that initiate 'positive selection', causing maturation of CD4- or CD8αβ-expressing 'single-positive' thymocytes from CD4(+)CD8αβ(+) 'double-positive' precursors. These develop into mature naive T cells of the secondary lymphoid organs. TCR interaction with high-affinity agonist self-ligands results in 'negative selection' by activation-induced apoptosis or 'agonist selection' of functionally differentiated self-antigen-experienced T cells. Here we show that positive selection is enabled by the ability of the T-cell-specific protein Themis to specifically attenuate TCR signal strength via SHP1 recruitment and activation in response to low- but not high-affinity TCR engagement. Themis acts as an analog-to-digital converter translating graded TCR affinity into clear-cut selection outcome. By dampening mild TCR signals Themis increases the affinity threshold for activation, enabling positive selection of T cells with a naive phenotype in response to low-affinity self-antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo Fu
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Javier Casas
- 1] Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA [2] Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Immunology Programme, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545 [3]
| | - Stephanie Rigaud
- 1] Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA [2]
| | - Vasily Rybakin
- 1] Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA [2] Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Immunology Programme, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545 [3]
| | - Florence Lambolez
- Developmental Immunology, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Joanna Brzostek
- 1] Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA [2] Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Immunology Programme, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545
| | - John A H Hoerter
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Wolfgang Paster
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Oreste Acuto
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Hilde Cheroutre
- Developmental Immunology, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Karsten Sauer
- 1] Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA [2] Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Nicholas R J Gascoigne
- 1] Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA [2] Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Immunology Programme, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545
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