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Chen X, Kozhaya L, Tastan C, Placek L, Dogan M, Horne M, Abblett R, Karhan E, Vaeth M, Feske S, Unutmaz D. Functional Interrogation of Primary Human T Cells via CRISPR Genetic Editing. J Immunol 2018; 201:1586-1598. [PMID: 30021769 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1701616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Developing precise and efficient gene editing approaches using CRISPR in primary human T cell subsets would provide an effective tool in decoding their functions. Toward this goal, we used lentiviral CRISPR/Cas9 systems to transduce primary human T cells to stably express the Cas9 gene and guide RNAs that targeted either coding or noncoding regions of genes of interest. We showed that multiple genes (CD4, CD45, CD95) could be simultaneously and stably deleted in naive, memory, effector, or regulatory T cell (Treg) subsets at very high efficiency. Additionally, nuclease-deficient Cas9, associated with a transcriptional activator or repressor, can downregulate or increase expression of genes in T cells. For example, expression of glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP), a gene that is normally and exclusively expressed on activated Tregs, could be induced on non-Treg effector T cells by nuclease-deficient Cas9 fused to transcriptional activators. Further analysis determined that this approach could be used in mapping promoter sequences involved in gene transcription. Through this CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genetic editing we also demonstrated the feasibility of human T cell functional analysis in several examples: 1) CD95 deletion inhibited T cell apoptosis upon reactivation; 2) deletion of ORAI1, a Ca2+ release-activated channel, abolished Ca2+ influx and cytokine secretion, mimicking natural genetic mutations in immune-deficient patients; and 3) transcriptional activation of CD25 or CD127 expression enhanced cytokine signaling by IL-2 or IL-7, respectively. Taken together, application of the CRISPR toolbox to human T cell subsets has important implications for decoding the mechanisms of their functional outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Chen
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032.,Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030; and
| | - Lina Kozhaya
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032
| | - Cihan Tastan
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032.,Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Lindsey Placek
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032
| | - Mikail Dogan
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032
| | - Meghan Horne
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032
| | - Rebecca Abblett
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032.,Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030; and
| | - Ece Karhan
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032
| | - Martin Vaeth
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Stefan Feske
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Derya Unutmaz
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032; .,Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030; and
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Mittal P, Abblett R, Ryan JM, Hagymasi AT, Agyekum-Yamoah A, Svedova J, Reiner SL, St Rose MC, Hanley MP, Vella AT, Adler AJ. An Immunotherapeutic CD137 Agonist Releases Eomesodermin from ThPOK Repression in CD4 T Cells. J Immunol 2018; 200:1513-1526. [PMID: 29305435 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1701039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Agonists to the TNF/TNFR costimulatory receptors CD134 (OX40) and CD137 (4-1BB) elicit antitumor immunity. Dual costimulation with anti-CD134 plus anti-CD137 is particularly potent because it programs cytotoxic potential in CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. Cytotoxicity in dual-costimulated CD4 T cells depends on the T-box transcription factor eomesodermin (Eomes), which we report is induced via a mechanism that does not rely on IL-2, in contrast to CD8+ CTL, but rather depends on the CD8 T cell lineage commitment transcription factor Runx3, which supports Eomes expression in mature CD8+ CTLs. Further, Eomes and Runx3 were indispensable for dual-costimulated CD4 T cells to mediate antitumor activity in an aggressive melanoma model. Runx3 is also known to be expressed in standard CD4 Th1 cells where it fosters IFN-γ expression; however, the CD4 T cell lineage commitment factor ThPOK represses transcription of Eomes and other CD8 lineage genes, such as Cd8a Hence, CD4 T cells can differentiate into Eomes+ cytotoxic CD4+CD8+ double-positive T cells by terminating ThPOK expression. In contrast, dual-costimulated CD4 T cells express Eomes, despite the continued expression of ThPOK and the absence of CD8α, indicating that Eomes is selectively released from ThPOK repression. Finally, although Eomes was induced by CD137 agonist, but not CD134 agonist, administered individually, CD137 agonist failed to induce CD134-/- CD4 T cells to express Eomes or Runx3, indicating that both costimulatory pathways are required for cytotoxic Th1 programming, even when only CD137 is intentionally engaged with a therapeutic agonist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payal Mittal
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
| | - Rebecca Abblett
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
| | - Joseph M Ryan
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
| | - Adam T Hagymasi
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
| | | | - Julia Svedova
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
| | - Steven L Reiner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032; and.,Department of Pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
| | - Marie-Clare St Rose
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
| | - Matthew P Hanley
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
| | - Anthony T Vella
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
| | - Adam J Adler
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030;
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