1
|
Herppich S, Hoenicke L, Kern F, Kruse F, Smout J, Greweling-Pils MC, Geffers R, Burton OT, Liston A, Keller A, Floess S, Huehn J. Zfp362 potentiates murine colonic inflammation by constraining Treg cell function rather than promoting Th17 cell differentiation. Eur J Immunol 2023; 53:e2250270. [PMID: 37366299 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202250270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Mucosal barrier integrity and pathogen clearance is a complex process influenced by both Th17 and Treg cells. Previously, we had described the DNA methylation profile of Th17 cells and identified Zinc finger protein (Zfp)362 to be uniquely demethylated. Here, we generated Zfp362-/- mice to unravel the role of Zfp362 for Th17 cell biology. Zfp362-/- mice appeared clinically normal, showed no phenotypic alterations in the T-cell compartment, and upon colonization with segmented filamentous bacteria, no effect of Zfp362 deficiency on Th17 cell differentiation was observed. By contrast, Zfp362 deletion resulted in increased frequencies of colonic Foxp3+ Treg cells and IL-10+ and RORγt+ Treg cell subsets in mesenteric lymph nodes. Adoptive transfer of naïve CD4+ T cells from Zfp362-/- mice into Rag2-/- mice resulted in a significantly lower weight loss when compared with controls receiving cells from Zfp362+/+ littermates. However, this attenuated weight loss did not correlate with alterations of Th17 cells but instead was associated with an increase of effector Treg cells in mesenteric lymph nodes. Together, these results suggest that Zfp362 plays an important role in promoting colonic inflammation; however, this function is derived from constraining the effector function of Treg cells rather than directly promoting Th17 cell differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Herppich
- Department Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lisa Hoenicke
- Department Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Fabian Kern
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Department of Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Friederike Kruse
- Department Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Justine Smout
- Department Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Robert Geffers
- Genome Analytics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Oliver T Burton
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Signalling and Development, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adrian Liston
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Signalling and Development, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Andreas Keller
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Department of Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Floess
- Department Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jochen Huehn
- Department Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhao B, Osbelt L, Lesker TR, Wende M, Galvez EJC, Hönicke L, Bublitz A, Greweling-Pils MC, Grassl GA, Neumann-Schaal M, Strowig T. Helicobacter spp. are prevalent in wild mice and protect from lethal Citrobacter rodentium infection in the absence of adaptive immunity. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112549. [PMID: 37245209 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Transfer of the gut microbiota from wild to laboratory mice alters the host's immune status and enhances resistance to infectious and metabolic diseases, but understanding of which microbes and how they promote host fitness is only emerging. Our analysis of metagenomic sequencing data reveals that Helicobacter spp. are enriched in wild compared with specific-pathogen-free (SPF) and conventionally housed mice, with multiple species commonly co-colonizing their hosts. We create laboratory mice harboring three non-SPF Helicobacter spp. to evaluate their effect on mucosal immunity and colonization resistance to the enteropathogen Citrobacter rodentium. Our experiments reveal that Helicobacter spp. interfere with C. rodentium colonization and attenuate C. rodentium-induced gut inflammation in wild-type (WT) mice, even preventing lethal infection in Rag2-/- SPF mice. Further analyses suggest that Helicobacter spp. interfere with tissue attachment of C. rodentium, putatively by reducing the availability of mucus-derived sugars. These results unveil pivotal protective functions of wild mouse microbiota constituents against intestinal infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bei Zhao
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lisa Osbelt
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; ESF International Graduate School on Analysis, Imaging, and Modelling of Neuronal and Inflammatory Processes, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Till Robin Lesker
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Marie Wende
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; ESF International Graduate School on Analysis, Imaging, and Modelling of Neuronal and Inflammatory Processes, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Eric J C Galvez
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lisa Hönicke
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Arne Bublitz
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Guntram A Grassl
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Bacterial Metabolomics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Till Strowig
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany; Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Centre for Individualized Infection Medicine (CiiM), A Joint Venture Between the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) and Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|