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Ushio A, Matsuda-Lennikov M, Kalle-Youngoue F, Shimizu A, Abdelmaksoud A, Kelly MC, Ishimaru N, Takahama Y. Functionally diverse thymic medullary epithelial cells interplay to direct central tolerance. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114072. [PMID: 38581680 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114072] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) are essential for the establishment of self-tolerance in T cells. Promiscuous gene expression by a subpopulation of mTECs regulated by the nuclear protein Aire contributes to the display of self-genomic products to newly generated T cells. Recent reports have highlighted additional self-antigen-displaying mTEC subpopulations, namely Fezf2-expressing mTECs and a mosaic of self-mimetic mTECs including thymic tuft cells. In addition, a functionally different subset of mTECs produces chemokine CCL21, which attracts developing thymocytes to the medullary region. Here, we report that CCL21+ mTECs and Aire+ mTECs non-redundantly cooperate to direct self-tolerance to prevent autoimmune pathology by optimizing the deletion of self-reactive T cells and the generation of regulatory T cells. We also detect cooperation for self-tolerance between Aire and Fezf2, the latter of which unexpectedly regulates thymic tuft cells. Our results indicate an indispensable interplay among functionally diverse mTECs for the establishment of central self-tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Ushio
- Thymus Biology Section, Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Department of Oral Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8504, Japan
| | - Mami Matsuda-Lennikov
- Thymus Biology Section, Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Felix Kalle-Youngoue
- Thymus Biology Section, Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Akihide Shimizu
- Thymus Biology Section, Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Abdalla Abdelmaksoud
- Center for Cancer Research Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael C Kelly
- Single Cell Analysis Facility, Cancer Research Technology Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Naozumi Ishimaru
- Department of Oral Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8504, Japan
| | - Yousuke Takahama
- Thymus Biology Section, Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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2
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Larouche JD, Laumont CM, Trofimov A, Vincent K, Hesnard L, Brochu S, Côté C, Humeau JF, Bonneil É, Lanoix J, Durette C, Gendron P, Laverdure JP, Richie ER, Lemieux S, Thibault P, Perreault C. Transposable elements regulate thymus development and function. eLife 2024; 12:RP91037. [PMID: 38635416 PMCID: PMC11026094 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91037] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive sequences representing ~45% of the human and mouse genomes and are highly expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). In this study, we investigated the role of TEs on T-cell development in the thymus. We performed multiomic analyses of TEs in human and mouse thymic cells to elucidate their role in T-cell development. We report that TE expression in the human thymus is high and shows extensive age- and cell lineage-related variations. TE expression correlates with multiple transcription factors in all cell types of the human thymus. Two cell types express particularly broad TE repertoires: mTECs and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). In mTECs, transcriptomic data suggest that TEs interact with transcription factors essential for mTEC development and function (e.g., PAX1 and REL), and immunopeptidomic data showed that TEs generate MHC-I-associated peptides implicated in thymocyte education. Notably, AIRE, FEZF2, and CHD4 regulate small yet non-redundant sets of TEs in murine mTECs. Human thymic pDCs homogenously express large numbers of TEs that likely form dsRNA, which can activate innate immune receptors, potentially explaining why thymic pDCs constitutively secrete IFN ɑ/β. This study highlights the diversity of interactions between TEs and the adaptive immune system. TEs are genetic parasites, and the two thymic cell types most affected by TEs (mTEcs and pDCs) are essential to establishing central T-cell tolerance. Therefore, we propose that orchestrating TE expression in thymic cells is critical to prevent autoimmunity in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-David Larouche
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
| | - Céline M Laumont
- Deeley Research Centre, BC CancerVictoriaCanada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Assya Trofimov
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Computer Science and Operations Research, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleUnited States
- Department of Physics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Krystel Vincent
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Leslie Hesnard
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Sylvie Brochu
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Caroline Côté
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Juliette F Humeau
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Éric Bonneil
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Joel Lanoix
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Chantal Durette
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Patrick Gendron
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | | | - Ellen R Richie
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonUnited States
| | - Sébastien Lemieux
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Pierre Thibault
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Chemistry, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
| | - Claude Perreault
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
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3
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James KD, Cowan JE. Insm1: orchestrating cellular mimicry in the thymus medulla. Cell Mol Immunol 2024; 21:416-418. [PMID: 38503886 PMCID: PMC11001603 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-024-01151-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- K D James
- UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, The Pears Building, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PP, UK
| | - J E Cowan
- UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, The Pears Building, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PP, UK.
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4
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Lammers S, Barrera V, Brennecke P, Miller C, Yoon J, Balolong J, Anderson MS, Ho Sui S, Steinmetz LM, von Andrian UH, Rattay K. Ehf and Fezf2 regulate late medullary thymic epithelial cell and thymic tuft cell development. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1277365. [PMID: 38420512 PMCID: PMC10901246 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1277365] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells are indispensable for T cell maturation and selection and the induction of central immune tolerance. The self-peptide repertoire expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells is in part regulated by the transcriptional regulator Aire (Autoimmune regulator) and the transcription factor Fezf2. Due to the high complexity of mTEC maturation stages (i.e., post-Aire, Krt10+ mTECs, and Dclk1+ Tuft mTECs) and the heterogeneity in their gene expression profiles (i.e., mosaic expression patterns), it has been challenging to identify the additional factors complementing the transcriptional regulation. We aimed to identify the transcriptional regulators involved in the regulation of mTEC development and self-peptide expression in an unbiased and genome-wide manner. We used ATAC footprinting analysis as an indirect approach to identify transcription factors involved in the gene expression regulation in mTECs, which we validated by ChIP sequencing. This study identifies Fezf2 as a regulator of the recently described thymic Tuft cells (i.e., Tuft mTECs). Furthermore, we identify that transcriptional regulators of the ELF, ESE, ERF, and PEA3 subfamily of the ETS transcription factor family and members of the Krüppel-like family of transcription factors play a role in the transcriptional regulation of genes involved in late mTEC development and promiscuous gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sören Lammers
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Victor Barrera
- Bioinformatics Core, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Philip Brennecke
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Corey Miller
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Joon Yoon
- Bioinformatics Core, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jared Balolong
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Mark S. Anderson
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Shannan Ho Sui
- Bioinformatics Core, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lars M. Steinmetz
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ulrich H. von Andrian
- Department of Immunology & HMS Center for Immune Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Kristin Rattay
- Department of Immunology & HMS Center for Immune Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Pharmacological Institute, Biochemical Pharmacological Center, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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5
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Aytekin ES, Cagdas D. APECED and the place of AIRE in the puzzle of the immune network associated with autoimmunity. Scand J Immunol 2023; 98:e13299. [PMID: 38441333 DOI: 10.1111/sji.13299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
In the last 20 years, discoveries about the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) protein and its critical role in immune tolerance have provided fundamental insights into understanding the molecular basis of autoimmunity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the effect of AIRE on immunological tolerance and the characteristics of autoimmune diseases in Autoimmune Polyendocrinopathy-Candidiasis-Ectodermal Dystrophy (APECED), which is caused by biallelic AIRE mutations. A better understanding of the immunological mechanisms of AIRE deficiency may enlighten immune tolerance mechanisms and new diagnostic and treatment strategies for autoimmune diseases. Considering that not all clinical features of APECED are present in a given follow-up period, the diagnosis is not easy in a patient at the first visit. Longer follow-up and a multidisciplinary approach are essential for diagnosis. It is challenging to prevent endocrine and other organ damage compared with other diseases associated with multiple autoimmunities, such as FOXP3, LRBA, and CTLA4 deficiencies. Unfortunately, no curative therapy like haematopoietic stem cell transplantation or specific immunomodulation is present that is successful in the treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Soyak Aytekin
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, SBU Dr. Sami Ulus Children Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Deniz Cagdas
- Division of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Ihsan Dogramaci Children`s Hospital, Institute of Child Health, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey
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6
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Sundaresan B, Shirafkan F, Ripperger K, Rattay K. The Role of Viral Infections in the Onset of Autoimmune Diseases. Viruses 2023; 15:v15030782. [PMID: 36992490 PMCID: PMC10051805 DOI: 10.3390/v15030782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are the consequence of a breach in immune tolerance, leading to the inability to sufficiently differentiate between self and non-self. Immune reactions that are targeted towards self-antigens can ultimately lead to the destruction of the host's cells and the development of autoimmune diseases. Although autoimmune disorders are comparatively rare, the worldwide incidence and prevalence is increasing, and they have major adverse implications for mortality and morbidity. Genetic and environmental factors are thought to be the major factors contributing to the development of autoimmunity. Viral infections are one of the environmental triggers that can lead to autoimmunity. Current research suggests that several mechanisms, such as molecular mimicry, epitope spreading, and bystander activation, can cause viral-induced autoimmunity. Here we describe the latest insights into the pathomechanisms of viral-induced autoimmune diseases and discuss recent findings on COVID-19 infections and the development of AIDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhargavi Sundaresan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Biochemical Pharmacological Center, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Fatemeh Shirafkan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Biochemical Pharmacological Center, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Kevin Ripperger
- Institute of Pharmacology, Biochemical Pharmacological Center, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Kristin Rattay
- Institute of Pharmacology, Biochemical Pharmacological Center, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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7
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Martinez RJ, Breed ER, Worota Y, Ashby KM, Vobořil M, Mathes T, Salgado OC, O’Connor CH, Kotenko SV, Hogquist KA. Type III interferon drives thymic B cell activation and regulatory T cell generation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220120120. [PMID: 36802427 PMCID: PMC9992806 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220120120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The activation of thymic B cells is critical for their licensing as antigen presenting cells and resulting ability to mediate T cell central tolerance. The processes leading to licensing are still not fully understood. By comparing thymic B cells to activated Peyer's patch B cells at steady state, we found that thymic B cell activation starts during the neonatal period and is characterized by TCR/CD40-dependent activation, followed by immunoglobulin class switch recombination (CSR) without forming germinal centers. Transcriptional analysis also demonstrated a strong interferon signature, which was not apparent in the periphery. Thymic B cell activation and CSR were primarily dependent on type III IFN signaling, and loss of type III IFN receptor in thymic B cells resulted in reduced thymocyte regulatory T cell (Treg) development. Finally, from TCR deep sequencing, we estimate that licensed B cells induce development of a substantial fraction of the Treg cell repertoire. Together, these findings reveal the importance of steady-state type III IFN in generating licensed thymic B cells that induce T cell tolerance to activated B cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J. Martinez
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Elise R. Breed
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Yosan Worota
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Katherine M. Ashby
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Matouš Vobořil
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Tailor Mathes
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Oscar C. Salgado
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Christine H. O’Connor
- Research Informatics Solutions, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology Group, Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, Minneapolis, MN55455
| | - Sergei V. Kotenko
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ07103
- Center for Cell Signaling, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ07103
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ07103
| | - Kristin A. Hogquist
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN55455
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8
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Ishina IA, Zakharova MY, Kurbatskaia IN, Mamedov AE, Belogurov AA, Gabibov AG. MHC Class II Presentation in Autoimmunity. Cells 2023; 12:314. [PMID: 36672249 PMCID: PMC9856717 DOI: 10.3390/cells12020314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Antigen presentation by major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) molecules is crucial for eliciting an efficient immune response by CD4+ T cells and maintaining self-antigen tolerance. Some MHC-II alleles are known to be positively or negatively associated with the risk of the development of different autoimmune diseases (ADs), including those characterized by the emergence of autoreactive T cells. Apparently, the MHC-II presentation of self-antigens contributes to the autoimmune T cell response, initiated through a breakdown of central tolerance to self-antigens in the thymus. The appearance of autoreactive T cell might be the result of (i) the unusual interaction between T cell receptors (TCRs) and self-antigens presented on MHC-II; (ii) the posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of self-antigens; (iii) direct loading of the self-antigen to classical MHC-II without additional nonclassical MHC assistance; (iv) the proinflammatory environment effect on MHC-II expression and antigen presentation; and (v) molecular mimicry between foreign and self-antigens. The peculiarities of the processes involved in the MHC-II-mediated presentation may have crucial importance in the elucidation of the mechanisms of triggering and developing ADs as well as for clarification on the protective effect of MHC-II alleles that are negatively associated with ADs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina A. Ishina
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria Y. Zakharova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Inna N. Kurbatskaia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Azad E. Mamedov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey A. Belogurov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Evdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, 127473 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander G. Gabibov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Life Sciences, Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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9
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Carter JA, Strömich L, Peacey M, Chapin SR, Velten L, Steinmetz LM, Brors B, Pinto S, Meyer HV. Transcriptomic diversity in human medullary thymic epithelial cells. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4296. [PMID: 35918316 PMCID: PMC9345899 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31750-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The induction of central T cell tolerance in the thymus depends on the presentation of peripheral self-epitopes by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). This promiscuous gene expression (pGE) drives mTEC transcriptomic diversity, with non-canonical transcript initiation, alternative splicing, and expression of endogenous retroelements (EREs) representing important but incompletely understood contributors. Here we map the expression of genome-wide transcripts in immature and mature human mTECs using high-throughput 5' cap and RNA sequencing. Both mTEC populations show high splicing entropy, potentially driven by the expression of peripheral splicing factors. During mTEC maturation, rates of global transcript mis-initiation increase and EREs enriched in long terminal repeat retrotransposons are up-regulated, the latter often found in proximity to differentially expressed genes. As a resource, we provide an interactive public interface for exploring mTEC transcriptomic diversity. Our findings therefore help construct a map of transcriptomic diversity in the healthy human thymus and may ultimately facilitate the identification of those epitopes which contribute to autoimmunity and immune recognition of tumor antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A. Carter
- grid.225279.90000 0004 0387 3667Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY USA ,grid.36425.360000 0001 2216 9681Medical Scientist Training Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY USA ,grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Léonie Strömich
- grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Present Address: Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew Peacey
- grid.225279.90000 0004 0387 3667School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY USA
| | - Sarah R. Chapin
- grid.225279.90000 0004 0387 3667Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY USA
| | - Lars Velten
- grid.473715.30000 0004 6475 7299Centre for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain ,grid.5612.00000 0001 2172 2676Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lars M. Steinmetz
- grid.4709.a0000 0004 0495 846XEuropean Molecular Biology Laboratory, Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956Stanford Genome Technology Center, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Benedikt Brors
- grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sheena Pinto
- grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hannah V. Meyer
- grid.225279.90000 0004 0387 3667Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY USA
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10
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Březina J, Vobořil M, Filipp D. Mechanisms of Direct and Indirect Presentation of Self-Antigens in the Thymus. Front Immunol 2022; 13:926625. [PMID: 35774801 PMCID: PMC9237256 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.926625] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The inevitability of evolution of the adaptive immune system with its mechanism of randomly rearranging segments of the T cell receptor (TCR) gene is the generation of self-reactive clones. For the sake of prevention of autoimmunity, these clones must be eliminated from the pool of circulating T cells. This process occurs largely in the thymic medulla where the strength of affinity between TCR and self-peptide MHC complexes is the factor determining thymocyte fate. Thus, the display of self-antigens in the thymus by thymic antigen presenting cells, which are comprised of medullary thymic epithelial (mTECs) and dendritic cells (DCs), is fundamental for the establishment of T cell central tolerance. Whereas mTECs produce and present antigens in a direct, self-autonomous manner, thymic DCs can acquire these mTEC-derived antigens by cooperative antigen transfer (CAT), and thus present them indirectly. While the basic characteristics for both direct and indirect presentation of self-antigens are currently known, recent reports that describe the heterogeneity of mTEC and DC subsets, their presentation capacity, and the potentially non-redundant roles in T cell selection processes represents another level of complexity which we are attempting to unravel. In this review, we underscore the seminal studies relevant to these topics with an emphasis on new observations pertinent to the mechanism of CAT and its cellular trajectories underpinning the preferential distribution of thymic epithelial cell-derived self-antigens to specific subsets of DC. Identification of molecular determinants which control CAT would significantly advance our understanding of how the cellularly targeted presentation of thymic self-antigens is functionally coupled to the T cell selection process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dominik Filipp
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
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11
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Russo F, Ruggiero E, Curto R, Passeri L, Sanvito F, Bortolomai I, Villa A, Gregori S, Annoni A. Editing T cell repertoire by thymic epithelial cell-directed gene transfer abrogates risk of type 1 diabetes development. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 25:508-519. [PMID: 35615710 PMCID: PMC9121074 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Insulin is the primary autoantigen (Ag) targeted by T cells in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Although biomarkers precisely identifying subjects at high risk of T1D are available, successful prophylaxis is still an unmet need. Leaky central tolerance to insulin may be partially ascribed to the instability of the MHC-InsB9-23 complex, which lowers TCR avidity, thus resulting in defective negative selection of autoreactive clones and inadequate insulin-specific T regulatory cell (Treg) induction. We developed a lentiviral vector (LV)-based strategy to engineer thymic epithelial cells (TECs) to correct diabetogenic T cell repertoire. Intrathymic (it) LV injection established stable transgene expression in EpCAM+ TECs, by virtue of transduction of TEC precursors. it-LV-driven presentation of the immunodominant portion of ovalbumin allowed persistent and complete negative selection of responsive T cells in OT-II chimeric mice. We successfully applied this strategy to correct the diabetogenic repertoire of young non-obese diabetic mice, imposing the presentation by TECs of the stronger agonist InsulinB9-23R22E and partially depleting the existing T cell compartment. We further circumscribed LV-driven presentation of InsulinB9-23R22E by micro-RNA regulation to CD45− TECs without loss of efficacy in protection from diabetes, associated with expanded insulin-specific Tregs. Overall, our gene transfer-based prophylaxis fine-tuned the central tolerance processes of negative selection and Treg induction, correcting an autoimmune prone T cell repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Russo
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Eliana Ruggiero
- Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Rosalia Curto
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Passeri
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Sanvito
- Pathology Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Ileana Bortolomai
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Villa
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Milan Unit, Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica (IRGB), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 20090 Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Gregori
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Annoni
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
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12
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Lancaster JN, Keatinge‐Clay DE, Srinivasan J, Li Y, Selden HJ, Nam S, Richie ER, Ehrlich LIR. Central tolerance is impaired in the middle-aged thymic environment. Aging Cell 2022; 21:e13624. [PMID: 35561351 PMCID: PMC9197411 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the earliest hallmarks of immune aging is thymus involution, which not only reduces the number of newly generated and exported T cells, but also alters the composition and organization of the thymus microenvironment. Thymic T‐cell export continues into adulthood, yet the impact of thymus involution on the quality of newly generated T‐cell clones is not well established. Notably, the number and proportion of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) and expression of tissue‐restricted antigens (TRAs) decline with age, suggesting the involuting thymus may not promote efficient central tolerance. Here, we demonstrate that the middle‐aged thymic environment does not support rapid motility of medullary thymocytes, potentially diminishing their ability to scan antigen presenting cells (APCs) that display the diverse self‐antigens that induce central tolerance. Consistent with this possibility, thymic slice assays reveal that the middle‐aged thymic environment does not support efficient negative selection or regulatory T‐cell (Treg) induction of thymocytes responsive to either TRAs or ubiquitous self‐antigens. This decline in central tolerance is not universal, but instead impacts lower‐avidity self‐antigens that are either less abundant or bind to TCRs with moderate affinities. Additionally, the decline in thymic tolerance by middle age is accompanied by both a reduction in mTECs and hematopoietic APC subsets that cooperate to drive central tolerance. Thus, age‐associated changes in the thymic environment result in impaired central tolerance against moderate‐avidity self‐antigens, potentially resulting in export of increasingly autoreactive naive T cells, with a deficit of Treg counterparts by middle age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica N. Lancaster
- Department of Molecular Biosciences The University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
| | | | - Jayashree Srinivasan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences The University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
| | - Yu Li
- Department of Molecular Biosciences The University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
| | - Hilary J. Selden
- Department of Molecular Biosciences The University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
| | - Seohee Nam
- Department of Molecular Biosciences The University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
| | - Ellen R. Richie
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston Texas USA
| | - Lauren I. R. Ehrlich
- Department of Molecular Biosciences The University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
- Department of Oncology Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
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13
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Padonou F, Gonzalez V, Provin N, Yayilkan S, Jmari N, Maslovskaja J, Kisand K, Peterson P, Irla M, Giraud M. Aire-dependent transcripts escape Raver2-induced splice-event inclusion in the thymic epithelium. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e53576. [PMID: 35037357 PMCID: PMC8892270 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202153576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aire allows medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) to express and present a large number of self-antigens for central tolerance. Although mTECs express a high diversity of self-antigen splice isoforms, the extent and regulation of alternative splicing events (ASEs) in their transcripts, notably in those induced by Aire, is unknown. In contrast to Aire-neutral genes, we find that transcripts of Aire-sensitive genes show only a low number of ASEs in mTECs, with about a quarter present in peripheral tissues excluded from the thymus. We identify Raver2, as a splicing-related factor overexpressed in mTECs and dependent on H3K36me3 marks, that promotes ASEs in transcripts of Aire-neutral genes, leaving Aire-sensitive ones unaffected. H3K36me3 profiling reveals its depletion at Aire-sensitive genes and supports a mechanism that is preceding Aire expression leading to transcripts of Aire-sensitive genes with low ASEs that escape Raver2-induced alternative splicing. The lack of ASEs in Aire-induced transcripts would result in an incomplete Aire-dependent negative selection of autoreactive T cells, thus highlighting the need of complementary tolerance mechanisms to prevent activation of these cells in the periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francine Padonou
- Nantes UniversitéINSERMCenter for Research in Transplantation and Translational Immunology, UMR 1064NantesFrance,Institut CochinINSERMCNRSParis UniversitéParisFrance
| | | | - Nathan Provin
- Nantes UniversitéINSERMCenter for Research in Transplantation and Translational Immunology, UMR 1064NantesFrance
| | - Sümeyye Yayilkan
- Nantes UniversitéINSERMCenter for Research in Transplantation and Translational Immunology, UMR 1064NantesFrance
| | - Nada Jmari
- Institut CochinINSERMCNRSParis UniversitéParisFrance
| | | | - Kai Kisand
- Molecular Pathology Research GroupUniversity of TartuTartuEstonia
| | - Pärt Peterson
- Molecular Pathology Research GroupUniversity of TartuTartuEstonia
| | - Magali Irla
- Aix‐Marseille UniversitéCNRSINSERMCIML, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille‐LuminyMarseilleFrance
| | - Matthieu Giraud
- Nantes UniversitéINSERMCenter for Research in Transplantation and Translational Immunology, UMR 1064NantesFrance,Institut CochinINSERMCNRSParis UniversitéParisFrance
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14
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Hester AK, Semwal MK, Cepeda S, Xiao Y, Rueda M, Wimberly K, Venables T, Dileepan T, Kraig E, Griffith AV. Redox regulation of age-associated defects in generation and maintenance of T cell self-tolerance and immunity to foreign antigens. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110363. [PMID: 35172147 PMCID: PMC8898380 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymic atrophy reduces naive T cell production and contributes to increased susceptibility to viral infection with age. Expression of tissue-restricted antigen (TRA) genes also declines with age and has been thought to increase autoimmune disease susceptibility. We find that diminished expression of a model TRA gene in aged thymic stromal cells correlates with impaired clonal deletion of cognate T cells recognizing an autoantigen involved in atherosclerosis. Clonal deletion in the polyclonal thymocyte population is also perturbed. Distinct age-associated defects in the generation of antigen-specific T cells include a conspicuous decline in generation of T cells recognizing an immunodominant influenza epitope. Increased catalase activity delays thymic atrophy, and here, we show that it mitigates declining production of influenza-specific T cells and their frequency in lung after infection, but does not reverse declines in TRA expression or efficient negative selection. These results reveal important considerations for strategies to restore thymic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison K Hester
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Manpreet K Semwal
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Sergio Cepeda
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yangming Xiao
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Meghan Rueda
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Kymberly Wimberly
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | | | - Thamotharampillai Dileepan
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ellen Kraig
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Ann V Griffith
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
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15
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Vobořil M, Březina J, Brabec T, Dobeš J, Ballek O, Dobešová M, Manning J, Blumberg RS, Filipp D. A model of preferential pairing between epithelial and dendritic cells in thymic antigen transfer. eLife 2022; 11:71578. [PMID: 35099391 PMCID: PMC8803313 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), which produce and present self-antigens, are essential for the establishment of central tolerance. Since mTEC numbers are limited, their function is complemented by thymic dendritic cells (DCs), which transfer mTEC-produced self-antigens via cooperative antigen transfer (CAT). While CAT is required for effective T cell selection, many aspects remain enigmatic. Given the recently described heterogeneity of mTECs and DCs, it is unclear whether the antigen acquisition from a particular TEC subset is mediated by preferential pairing with a specific subset of DCs. Using several relevant Cre-based mouse models that control for the expression of fluorescent proteins, we have found that, in regards to CAT, each subset of thymic DCs preferentially targets a distinct mTEC subset(s). Importantly, XCR1+-activated DC subset represented the most potent subset in CAT. Interestingly, thymic DCs can also acquire antigens from more than one mTEC, and of these, monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) were determined to be the most efficient. moDCs also represented the most potent DC subset in the acquisition of antigen from other DCs. These findings suggest a preferential pairing model for the distribution of mTEC-derived antigens among distinct populations of thymic DCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matouš Vobořil
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Březina
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Cell Biology, Charles University, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Brabec
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Dobeš
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Cell Biology, Charles University, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Ballek
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Dobešová
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jasper Manning
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Richard S Blumberg
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endoscopy, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Dominik Filipp
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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16
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Castañeda J, Hidalgo Y, Sauma D, Rosemblatt M, Bono MR, Núñez S. The Multifaceted Roles of B Cells in the Thymus: From Immune Tolerance to Autoimmunity. Front Immunol 2021; 12:766698. [PMID: 34790201 PMCID: PMC8591215 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.766698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus is home to a significant number of resident B cells which possess several unique characteristics regarding their origin, phenotype and function. Evidence shows that they originate both from precursors that mature intrathymically and as the entry of recirculating mature B cells. Under steady-state conditions they exhibit hallmark signatures of activated B cells, undergo immunoglobulin class-switch, and express the Aire transcription factor. These features are imprinted within the thymus and enable B cells to act as specialized antigen-presenting cells in the thymic medulla that contribute negative selection of self-reactive T cells. Though, most studies have focused on B cells located in the medulla, a second contingent of B cells is also present in non-epithelial perivascular spaces of the thymus. This latter group of B cells, which includes memory B cells and plasma cells, is not readily detected in the thymus of infants or young mice but gradually accumulates during normal aging. Remarkably, in many autoimmune diseases the thymus suffers severe structural atrophy and infiltration of B cells in the perivascular spaces, which organize into follicles similar to those typically found in secondary lymphoid organs. This review provides an overview of the pathways involved in thymic B cell origin and presents an integrated view of both thymic medullary and perivascular B cells and their respective physiological and pathological roles in central tolerance and autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Castañeda
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Yessia Hidalgo
- Cells for cells-Consorcio Regenero, Universidad de Los Andes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela Sauma
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mario Rosemblatt
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
- Fundación Ciencia y Vida, Santiago, Chile
| | - María Rosa Bono
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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17
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Wang Y, Chen D, Xu D, Huang C, Xing R, He D, Xu H. Early developing B cells undergo negative selection by central nervous system-specific antigens in the meninges. Immunity 2021; 54:2784-2794.e6. [PMID: 34626548 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Self-reactive B cell progenitors are eliminated through central tolerance checkpoints, a process thought to be restricted to the bone marrow in mammals. Here, we identified a consecutive trajectory of B cell development in the meninges of mice and non-human primates. The meningeal B cells were located predominantly at the dural sinuses, where endothelial cells expressed essential niche factors to support B cell development. Parabiosis experiments together with lineage tracing showed that meningeal developing B cells were replenished continuously from hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-derived progenitors via a circulation-independent route. Autoreactive immature B cells that recognized myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), a central nervous system-specific antigen, were eliminated specifically from the meninges. Furthermore, genetic deletion of the Mog gene restored the self-reactive B cell population in the meninges. These findings identify the meninges as a distinct reservoir for B cell development, allowing in situ negative selection to ensure a locally non-self-reactive immune repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Systems Immunology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dianyu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Systems Immunology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
| | - Di Xu
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Systems Immunology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ruxiao Xing
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
| | - Danyang He
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Heping Xu
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Systems Immunology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China.
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18
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Bosticardo M, Ohigashi I, Cowan JE, Alves NL. Editorial: Thymic Epithelial Cells: New Insights Into the Essential Driving Force of T-Cell Differentiation. Front Immunol 2021; 12:744623. [PMID: 34484248 PMCID: PMC8414565 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.744623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marita Bosticardo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, IDGS, DIR, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Izumi Ohigashi
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Jennifer E Cowan
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Nuno L Alves
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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19
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Abstract
The enormous diversity of antibody specificities is generated by random rearrangement of immunoglobulin gene segments and is important for general protection against pathogens. Since random rearrangement harbors the risk of producing self-destructive antibodies, it is assumed that autoreactive antibody specificities are removed during early B-cell development leading to a peripheral compartment devoid of autoreactivity. Here, we immunized wild-type mice with insulin as a common self-antigen and monitored diabetes symptoms as a measure for autoimmune disease. Our results show that autoreactive anti-insulin IgM and IgG antibodies associated with autoimmune diabetes can readily be generated in wild-type animals. Surprisingly, recall immunizations induced increased titers of high-affinity insulin-specific IgM, which prevented autoimmune diabetes. We refer to this phenomenon as adaptive tolerance, in which high-affinity memory IgM prevents autoimmune destruction by competing with self-destructive antibodies. Together, this study suggests that B-cell tolerance is not defined by the absolute elimination of autoreactive specificities, as harmful autoantibody responses can be generated in wild-type animals. In contrast, inducible generation of autoantigen-specific affinity-matured IgM acts as a protective mechanism preventing self-destruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timm Amendt
- Institute of ImmunologyUniversity Hospital UlmUlmGermany
| | - Hassan Jumaa
- Institute of ImmunologyUniversity Hospital UlmUlmGermany
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20
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Ferrua F, Bortolomai I, Fontana E, Di Silvestre D, Rigoni R, Marcovecchio GE, Draghici E, Brambilla F, Castiello MC, Delfanti G, Moshous D, Picard C, Taghon T, Bordon V, Schulz AS, Schuetz C, Giliani S, Soresina A, Gennery AR, Signa S, Dávila Saldaña BJ, Delmonte OM, Notarangelo LD, Roifman CM, Poliani PL, Uva P, Mauri PL, Villa A, Bosticardo M. Thymic Epithelial Cell Alterations and Defective Thymopoiesis Lead to Central and Peripheral Tolerance Perturbation in MHCII Deficiency. Front Immunol 2021; 12:669943. [PMID: 34211466 PMCID: PMC8239840 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.669943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II (MHCII) deficiency (MHCII-D), also known as Bare Lymphocyte Syndrome (BLS), is a rare combined immunodeficiency due to mutations in genes regulating expression of MHCII molecules. MHCII deficiency results in impaired cellular and humoral immune responses, leading to severe infections and autoimmunity. Abnormal cross-talk with developing T cells due to the absence of MHCII expression likely leads to defects in thymic epithelial cells (TEC). However, the contribution of TEC alterations to the pathogenesis of this primary immunodeficiency has not been well characterized to date, in particular in regard to immune dysregulation. To this aim, we have performed an in-depth cellular and molecular characterization of TEC in this disease. We observed an overall perturbation of thymic structure and function in both MHCII-/- mice and patients. Transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of murine TEC revealed several alterations. In particular, we demonstrated that impairment of lymphostromal cross-talk in the thymus of MHCII-/- mice affects mTEC maturation and promiscuous gene expression and causes defects of central tolerance. Furthermore, we observed peripheral tolerance impairment, likely due to defective Treg cell generation and/or function and B cell tolerance breakdown. Overall, our findings reveal disease-specific TEC defects resulting in perturbation of central tolerance and limiting the potential benefits of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in MHCII deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Ferrua
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Pediatric Immunohematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Ileana Bortolomai
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Fontana
- Human Genome Department, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Milan Unit, Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research, National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Dario Di Silvestre
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Biomedical Technologies-National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Rosita Rigoni
- Human Genome Department, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Milan Unit, Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research, National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Genni Enza Marcovecchio
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Draghici
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Brambilla
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Biomedical Technologies-National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Carmina Castiello
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Milan Unit, Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research, National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Gloria Delfanti
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Despina Moshous
- Department of Pediatric Immunology, Hematology and Rheumatology, Necker Children’s Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
- Laboratory “Genome Dynamics in the Immune System”, INSERM UMR1163, Université de Paris, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Capucine Picard
- Department of Pediatric Immunology, Hematology and Rheumatology, Necker Children’s Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
- Centre d’Etude des Déficits Immunitaires, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Activation and Susceptibility to EBV infection, Inserm UMR 1163, University Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Imagine Institute, Paris, France
| | - Tom Taghon
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Victoria Bordon
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ansgar S. Schulz
- Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Catharina Schuetz
- Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Silvia Giliani
- Cytogenetics and Medical Genetics Unit and “A. Nocivelli” Institute for Molecular Medicine, Spedali Civili Hospital, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Annarosa Soresina
- Unit of Pediatric Immunology, Pediatrics Clinic, University of Brescia, ASST-Spedali Civili Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Andrew R. Gennery
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and HSCT, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Signa
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and HSCT, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Autoinflammatory Diseases and Immunodeficiencies Center, IRCCS Istituto G. Gaslini, and Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, and Maternal and Children's Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Blachy J. Dávila Saldaña
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Ottavia M. Delmonte
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Luigi D. Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Chaim M. Roifman
- Division of Immunology & Allergy, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, the Canadian Centre for Primary Immunodeficiency and the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Pietro Luigi Poliani
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Pathology Unit, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Paolo Uva
- CRS4, Science and Technology Park Polaris, Pula, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Pier Luigi Mauri
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Biomedical Technologies-National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Villa
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Milan Unit, Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research, National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Marita Bosticardo
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
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21
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Srinivasan J, Lancaster JN, Singarapu N, Hale LP, Ehrlich LIR, Richie ER. Age-Related Changes in Thymic Central Tolerance. Front Immunol 2021; 12:676236. [PMID: 33968086 PMCID: PMC8100025 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.676236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and hematopoietic antigen presenting cells (HAPCs) in the thymus microenvironment provide essential signals to self-reactive thymocytes that induce either negative selection or generation of regulatory T cells (Treg), both of which are required to establish and maintain central tolerance throughout life. HAPCs and TECs are comprised of multiple subsets that play distinct and overlapping roles in central tolerance. Changes that occur in the composition and function of TEC and HAPC subsets across the lifespan have potential consequences for central tolerance. In keeping with this possibility, there are age-associated changes in the cellular composition and function of T cells and Treg. This review summarizes changes in T cell and Treg function during the perinatal to adult transition and in the course of normal aging, and relates these changes to age-associated alterations in thymic HAPC and TEC subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayashree Srinivasan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | | | - Nandini Singarapu
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States
| | - Laura P Hale
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Lauren I R Ehrlich
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.,Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Ellen R Richie
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States
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22
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Abstract
Subclasses of lymphocytes carry different functional roles to work together and produce an immune response and lasting immunity. Additionally to these functional roles, T and B cell lymphocytes rely on the diversity of their receptor chains to recognize different pathogens. The lymphocyte subclasses emerge from common ancestors generated with the same diversity of receptors during selection processes. Here, we leverage biophysical models of receptor generation with machine learning models of selection to identify specific sequence features characteristic of functional lymphocyte repertoires and subrepertoires. Specifically, using only repertoire-level sequence information, we classify CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, find correlations between receptor chains arising during selection, and identify T cell subsets that are targets of pathogenic epitopes. We also show examples of when simple linear classifiers do as well as more complex machine learning methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Isacchini
- Statistical Physics of Evolving Systems, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Laboratoire de Physique de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris Sciences & Lettres (PSL) University, CNRS, Sorbonne Université and Université de Paris, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Aleksandra M Walczak
- Laboratoire de Physique de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris Sciences & Lettres (PSL) University, CNRS, Sorbonne Université and Université de Paris, 75005 Paris, France;
| | - Thierry Mora
- Laboratoire de Physique de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris Sciences & Lettres (PSL) University, CNRS, Sorbonne Université and Université de Paris, 75005 Paris, France;
| | - Armita Nourmohammad
- Statistical Physics of Evolving Systems, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany;
- Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Herbold Computational Biology Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109
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23
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Laan M, Salumets A, Klein A, Reintamm K, Bichele R, Peterson H, Peterson P. Post-Aire Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cells and Hassall's Corpuscles as Inducers of Tonic Pro-Inflammatory Microenvironment. Front Immunol 2021; 12:635569. [PMID: 33868260 PMCID: PMC8050345 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.635569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While there is convincing evidence on the role of Aire-positive medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC) in the induction of central tolerance, the nature and function of post-Aire mTECs and Hassall's corpuscles have remained enigmatic. Here we summarize the existing data on these late stages of mTEC differentiation with special focus on their potential to contribute to central tolerance induction by triggering the unique pro-inflammatory microenvironment in the thymus. In order to complement the existing evidence that has been obtained from mouse models, we performed proteomic analysis on microdissected samples from human thymic medullary areas at different differentiation stages. The analysis confirms that at the post-Aire stages, the mTECs lose their nuclei but maintain machinery required for translation and exocytosis and also upregulate proteins specific to keratinocyte differentiation and cornification. In addition, at the late stages of differentiation, the human mTECs display a distinct pro-inflammatory signature, including upregulation of the potent endogenous TLR4 agonist S100A8/S100A9. Collectively, the study suggests a novel mechanism by which the post-Aire mTECs and Hassall's corpuscles contribute to the thymic microenvironment with potential cues on the induction of central tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martti Laan
- Molecular Pathology Research Group, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ahto Salumets
- Molecular Pathology Research Group, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Institute of Computer Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Annabel Klein
- Molecular Pathology Research Group, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kerli Reintamm
- Molecular Pathology Research Group, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Rudolf Bichele
- Molecular Pathology Research Group, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Hedi Peterson
- Institute of Computer Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Pärt Peterson
- Molecular Pathology Research Group, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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24
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Bautista JL, Cramer NT, Miller CN, Chavez J, Berrios DI, Byrnes LE, Germino J, Ntranos V, Sneddon JB, Burt TD, Gardner JM, Ye CJ, Anderson MS, Parent AV. Single-cell transcriptional profiling of human thymic stroma uncovers novel cellular heterogeneity in the thymic medulla. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1096. [PMID: 33597545 PMCID: PMC7889611 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21346-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The thymus' key function in the immune system is to provide the necessary environment for the development of diverse and self-tolerant T lymphocytes. While recent evidence suggests that the thymic stroma is comprised of more functionally distinct subpopulations than previously appreciated, the extent of this cellular heterogeneity in the human thymus is not well understood. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing to comprehensively profile the human thymic stroma across multiple stages of life. Mesenchyme, pericytes and endothelial cells are identified as potential key regulators of thymic epithelial cell differentiation and thymocyte migration. In-depth analyses of epithelial cells reveal the presence of ionocytes as a medullary population, while the expression of tissue-specific antigens is mapped to different subsets of epithelial cells. This work thus provides important insight on how the diversity of thymic cells is established, and how this heterogeneity contributes to the induction of immune tolerance in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhoanne L Bautista
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nathan T Cramer
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Corey N Miller
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Chavez
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David I Berrios
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lauren E Byrnes
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joe Germino
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Bakar Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vasilis Ntranos
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Bakar Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Julie B Sneddon
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Trevor D Burt
- Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Division of Neonatology and the Children's Health & Discovery Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - James M Gardner
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chun J Ye
- Bakar Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mark S Anderson
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Audrey V Parent
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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25
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Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) provide essential clues for the proliferation, survival, migration, and differentiation of thymocytes. Recent advances in mouse and human have revealed that TECs constitute a highly heterogeneous cell population with distinct functional properties. Importantly, TECs are sensitive to thymic damages engendered by myeloablative conditioning regimen used for bone marrow transplantation. These detrimental effects on TECs delay de novo T-cell production, which can increase the risk of morbidity and mortality in many patients. Alike that TECs guide the development of thymocytes, reciprocally thymocytes control the differentiation and organization of TECs. These bidirectional interactions are referred to as thymic crosstalk. The tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) member, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B (RANK) and its cognate ligand RANKL have emerged as key players of the crosstalk between TECs and thymocytes. RANKL, mainly provided by positively selected CD4+ thymocytes and a subset of group 3 innate lymphoid cells, controls mTEC proliferation/differentiation and TEC regeneration. In this review, I discuss recent advances that have unraveled the high heterogeneity of TECs and the implication of the RANK-RANKL signaling axis in TEC differentiation and regeneration. Targeting this cell-signaling pathway opens novel therapeutic perspectives to recover TEC function and T-cell production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Irla
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, CIML, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France
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26
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Sidler X, Sydler T, Mateos JM, Klausmann S, Brugnera E. Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Pathogenicity Alters Host's Central Tolerance for Propagation. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9100839. [PMID: 33066216 PMCID: PMC7602090 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9100839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infections and resulting diseases are a worldwide threat to pig production. PCV2 bears a uniqueness that allows for us to understand more about chronic infections and the immune system in general. The virus can be phylogenetically subdivided into PCV2a to PCV2h genotypes. Although vaccination against PCV2 has been seen to prevent the manifestation of PCV disease, PCV2 still lingers as subclinical infections in all developmental stages of pigs. The “slow and low” tactic gives PCV2 a particular advantage in a host’s immune surveillance. Since the inception of the PCV2 associated panzootic, research scientists have been trying to understand the pathogenicity of PCV2. Different research groups found that one genotype group member was more pathogenic than others. We found, in our weaner infection model with in vivo transfection of different recombinant PCV2 genotype group members that these viruses alter T cell maturation in the thymus, including host’s central tolerance. Here, we extend these original observations by showing that PCV2 infected cells were also found in proximity within the female and male reproductive organs of stillborn pig fetuses. These PCV2 pools were sufficient in infecting three and half-day-old embryos in sows. Furthermore, the dominant PCV2 group member was more pathogenic in our weaner infection model. PCV2 pre-immunocompetence infection makes PCV2 recognized by central immune tolerance as belonging to the host. This also explains why pathogenicity is not a genetically intrinsic characteristic of PCV2; however, the dominance of any one PCV2 genotype group member leads to a more efficient deletion of the T cells against that specific genotype group member in the thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xaver Sidler
- Department of Farm Animals, Division of Swine Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
- Correspondence: (X.S.); (E.B.)
| | - Titus Sydler
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - José Maria Mateos
- Center for Microscopy and Image Analysis, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Stefanie Klausmann
- Department of Farm Animals, Division of Swine Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Enrico Brugnera
- Department of Farm Animals, Division of Swine Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
- Correspondence: (X.S.); (E.B.)
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27
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Lebel MÈ, Coutelier M, Galipeau M, Kleinman CL, Moon JJ, Melichar HJ. Differential expression of tissue-restricted antigens among mTEC is associated with distinct autoreactive T cell fates. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3734. [PMID: 32709894 PMCID: PMC7381629 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17544-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC) contribute to the development of T cell tolerance by expressing and presenting tissue-restricted antigens (TRA), so that developing T cells can assess the self-reactivity of their antigen receptors prior to leaving the thymus. mTEC are a heterogeneous population of cells that differentially express TRA. Whether mTEC subsets induce distinct autoreactive T cell fates remains unclear. Here, we establish bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-transgenic mouse lines with biased mTEClo or mTEChi expression of model antigens. The transgenic lines support negative selection of antigen-specific thymocytes depending on antigen dose. However, model antigen expression predominantly by mTEClo supports TCRαβ+ CD8αα intraepithelial lymphocyte development; meanwhile, mTEChi-restricted expression preferentially induces Treg differentiation of antigen-specific cells in these models to impact control of infectious agents and tumor growth. In summary, our data suggest that mTEC subsets may have a function in directing distinct mechanisms of T cell tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Ève Lebel
- Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, 5415 Boulevard de l'Assomption, Montreal, QC, H1T 2M4, Canada
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succ. Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Marie Coutelier
- The Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Côte Ste-Catherine Road Room E-542, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Rm W-315, Strathcona Anatomy & Dentistry Building 3640 rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Maria Galipeau
- Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, 5415 Boulevard de l'Assomption, Montreal, QC, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Claudia L Kleinman
- The Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Côte Ste-Catherine Road Room E-542, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Rm W-315, Strathcona Anatomy & Dentistry Building 3640 rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - James J Moon
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Heather J Melichar
- Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, 5415 Boulevard de l'Assomption, Montreal, QC, H1T 2M4, Canada.
- Département de médecine, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succ. Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada.
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28
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Ahn SH, Nguyen SL, Petroff MG. Exploring the Origin and Antigenic Specificity of Maternal Regulatory T Cells in Pregnancy. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1302. [PMID: 32670288 PMCID: PMC7330120 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful pregnancy outcome is partially determined by the suppression of reactive effector T cells by maternal regulatory T cells (TRegs) at the maternal-fetal interface. While a large area of research has focused on the regulation of peripherally-induced TReg (pTReg) distribution and differentiation using transgenic mouse models and human samples, studies focusing on the role of TRegs derived from the thymus (tTRegs), and the potential role of central tolerance in maternal-fetal tolerance is less explored. The genome of the fetus is composed of both the tissue-specific and paternally-inherited antigens, and a break in maternal immune tolerance to either antigen may result in adverse pregnancy outcomes. Notably, "self"-antigens, including antigens that are highly restricted to the fetus and placenta, are promiscuously expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells under the control of Autoimmune Regulator (Aire), which skews the tTReg T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire to be specific toward these antigens. TRegs that circulate in mothers during pregnancy may be comprised of TRegs that stem from the thymus as well as those induced in the periphery. Moreover, despite a wealth of research dedicated to elucidating the function of TRegs in maternal-fetal tolerance, little is understood about the origin of these cells, and whether/how tTRegs may contribute. Investigation into this question is complicated by the absence of reliable markers to distinguish between the two. In this review, we discuss how distinct types of fetal/placental antigens may determine the generation of different subtypes of TReg cells in the mother, and in turn how these may promote maternal tolerance to the fetus in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Hyun Ahn
- Department of Pathobiology Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Sean L Nguyen
- Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Margaret G Petroff
- Department of Pathobiology Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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29
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Huoh YS, Wu B, Park S, Yang D, Bansal K, Greenwald E, Wong WP, Mathis D, Hur S. Dual functions of Aire CARD multimerization in the transcriptional regulation of T cell tolerance. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1625. [PMID: 32242017 PMCID: PMC7118133 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15448-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregate-like biomolecular assemblies are emerging as new conformational states with functionality. Aire, a transcription factor essential for central T cell tolerance, forms large aggregate-like assemblies visualized as nuclear foci. Here we demonstrate that Aire utilizes its caspase activation recruitment domain (CARD) to form filamentous homo-multimers in vitro, and this assembly mediates foci formation and transcriptional activity. However, CARD-mediated multimerization also makes Aire susceptible to interaction with promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) bodies, sites of many nuclear processes including protein quality control of nuclear aggregates. Several loss-of-function Aire mutants, including those causing autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type-1, form foci with increased PML body association. Directing Aire to PML bodies impairs the transcriptional activity of Aire, while dispersing PML bodies with a viral antagonist restores this activity. Our study thus reveals a new regulatory role of PML bodies in Aire function, and highlights the interplay between nuclear aggregate-like assemblies and PML-mediated protein quality control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-San Huoh
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Sehoon Park
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Darren Yang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kushagra Bansal
- Department of Immunology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Molecular Biology & Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, 560 064, India
| | - Emily Greenwald
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Wesley P Wong
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Diane Mathis
- Department of Immunology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Sun Hur
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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30
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Wortel IMN, Keşmir C, de Boer RJ, Mandl JN, Textor J. Is T Cell Negative Selection a Learning Algorithm? Cells 2020; 9:E690. [PMID: 32168897 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Our immune system can destroy most cells in our body, an ability that needs to be tightly controlled. To prevent autoimmunity, the thymic medulla exposes developing T cells to normal “self” peptides and prevents any responders from entering the bloodstream. However, a substantial number of self-reactive T cells nevertheless reaches the periphery, implying that T cells do not encounter all self peptides during this negative selection process. It is unclear if T cells can still discriminate foreign peptides from self peptides they haven’t encountered during negative selection. We use an “artificial immune system”—a machine learning model of the T cell repertoire—to investigate how negative selection could alter the recognition of self peptides that are absent from the thymus. Our model reveals a surprising new role for T cell cross-reactivity in this context: moderate T cell cross-reactivity should skew the post-selection repertoire towards peptides that differ systematically from self. Moreover, even some self-like foreign peptides can be distinguished provided that the peptides presented in the thymus are not too similar to each other. Thus, our model predicts that negative selection on a well-chosen subset of self peptides would generate a repertoire that tolerates even “unseen” self peptides better than foreign peptides. This effect would resemble a “generalization” process as it is found in learning systems. We discuss potential experimental approaches to test our theory.
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31
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Loll B, Rückert C, Uchanska-Ziegler B, Ziegler A. Conformational Plasticity of HLA-B27 Molecules Correlates Inversely With Efficiency of Negative T Cell Selection. Front Immunol 2020; 11:179. [PMID: 32117305 PMCID: PMC7027375 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of autoimmune disorders is incompletely understood. Inefficient thymic T cell selection against self-peptides presented by major histocompatibility antigens (HLA in humans) may contribute to the emergence of auto-reactive effector cells, and molecular mimicry between foreign and self-peptides could promote T cell cross-reactivity. A pair of class I subtypes, HLA-B2705 and HLA-B2709, have previously been intensely studied, because they are distinguished from each other only by a single amino acid exchange at the floor of the peptide-binding groove, yet are differentially associated with the autoinflammatory disorder ankylosing spondylitis. Using X-ray crystallography in combination with ensemble refinement, we find that the non-disease-associated subtype HLA-B2709, when presenting the self-peptide pGR (RRRWHRWRL), exhibits elevated conformational dynamics, and the complex can also be recognized by T cells. Both features are not observed in case of the sequence-related self-peptide pVIPR (RRKWRRWHL) in complex with this subtype, and T cell cross-reactivity between pGR, pVIPR, and the viral peptide pLMP2 (RRRWRRLTV) is only rarely observed. The disease-associated subtype HLA-B2705, however, exhibits extensive conformational flexibility in case of the three complexes, all of which are also recognized by frequently occurring cross-reactive T cells. A comparison of the structural and dynamic properties of the six HLA-B27 complexes, together with their individual ability to interact with T cells, permits us to correlate the flexibility of HLA-B27 complexes with effector cell reactivity. The results suggest the existence of an inverse relationship between conformational plasticity of peptide-HLA-B27 complexes and the efficiency of negative selection of self-reactive cells within the thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Loll
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Abteilung Strukturbiochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany,*Correspondence: Bernhard Loll
| | - Christine Rückert
- Institut für Immungenetik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Barbara Uchanska-Ziegler
- Institut für Immungenetik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Ziegler Biosolutions, Waldshut-Tiengen, Germany
| | - Andreas Ziegler
- Ziegler Biosolutions, Waldshut-Tiengen, Germany,Andreas Ziegler
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32
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Abstract
An immunocompetent and self-tolerant pool of naive T cells is formed in the thymus through the process of repertoire selection. T cells that are potentially capable of responding to foreign antigens are positively selected in the thymic cortex and are further selected in the thymic medulla to help prevent self-reactivity. The affinity between T-cell antigen receptors expressed by newly generated T cells and self-peptide-major histocompatibility complexes displayed in the thymic microenvironments plays a key role in determining the fate of developing T cells during thymic selection. Recent advances in our knowledge of the biology of thymic epithelial cells have revealed unique machinery that contributes to positive and negative selection in the thymus. In this article, we summarize recent findings on thymic T-cell selection, focusing on the machinery unique to thymic epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Kondo
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, University of Tokushima, Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Izumi Ohigashi
- Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, University of Tokushima, Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Yousuke Takahama
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, University of Tokushima, Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan
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33
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Kurd NS, Lutes LK, Yoon J, Chan SW, Dzhagalov IL, Hoover AR, Robey EA. A role for phagocytosis in inducing cell death during thymocyte negative selection. eLife 2019; 8:48097. [PMID: 31868579 PMCID: PMC6957271 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoreactive thymocytes are eliminated during negative selection in the thymus, a process important for establishing self-tolerance. Thymic phagocytes serve to remove dead thymocytes, but whether they play additional roles during negative selection remains unclear. Here, using a murine thymic slice model in which thymocytes undergo negative selection in situ, we demonstrate that phagocytosis promotes negative selection, and provide evidence for the escape of autoreactive CD8 T cells to the periphery when phagocytosis in the thymus is impaired. We also show that negative selection is more efficient when the phagocyte also presents the negative selecting peptide. Our findings support a model for negative selection in which the death process initiated following strong TCR signaling is facilitated by phagocytosis. Thus, the phagocytic capability of cells that present self-peptides is a key determinant of thymocyte fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia S Kurd
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Lydia K Lutes
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Jaewon Yoon
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Shiao Wei Chan
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Ivan L Dzhagalov
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Ashley R Hoover
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
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34
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Melo‐Lima BL, Poras I, Passos GA, Carosella ED, Donadi EA, Moreau P. The Autoimmune Regulator (Aire) transactivates HLA-G gene expression in thymic epithelial cells. Immunology 2019; 158:121-135. [PMID: 31322727 PMCID: PMC6742766 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Autoimmune Regulator (Aire) protein coordinates the negative selection of developing thymocytes by inducing the expression of hundreds of tissue-specific antigens within the thymic medulla, which is also a primary site of the expression of the immune checkpoint HLA-G molecule. Considering the immunomodulatory properties of Aire and HLA-G, and considering that the role of the constitutive thymus expression of HLA-G has not been elucidated, we studied the effect of AIRE cDNA transfection on HLA-G expression in 4D6 thymic cells and in the HLA-G-positive JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells. Aire promoted the transactivation of HLA-G gene by increasing the overall transcription, inducing the transcription of at least G1 and G2/G4 isoforms, and incrementing the occurrence and distribution of intracellular HLA-G protein solely in 4D6 thymic cells. Luciferase-based assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments performed in 4D6 cells revealed that Aire targeted at least two regions within the 5'-untranslated regulatory region (5'-URR) extending 1·4 kb from the first ATG initiation codon. The interaction occurs independently of three putative Aire-binding sites. These results indicate that the Aire-induced upregulation of HLA-G in thymic cells is likely to act through the interaction of Aire with specific HLA-G 5'-URR DNA-binding factors. Such a multimeric transcriptional complex might operate in the thymus during the process of promiscuous gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breno Luiz Melo‐Lima
- Direction de la Recherche FondamentaleInstitut de Biologie François JacobService de Recherches en Hémato‐ImmunologieHôpital Saint‐LouisCommissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies AlternativesParisFrance
- Institut de Recherche Saint‐LouisUniversité de ParisUMR976 HIPIHôpital Saint‐LouisUniversité Paris‐DiderotParisFrance
- Division of Clinical ImmunologyDepartment of MedicineRibeirao Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSão PauloBrazil
| | - Isabelle Poras
- Direction de la Recherche FondamentaleInstitut de Biologie François JacobService de Recherches en Hémato‐ImmunologieHôpital Saint‐LouisCommissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies AlternativesParisFrance
- Institut de Recherche Saint‐LouisUniversité de ParisUMR976 HIPIHôpital Saint‐LouisUniversité Paris‐DiderotParisFrance
| | - Geraldo Aleixo Passos
- Molecular Immunogenetics GroupDepartment of GeneticsRibeirão Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSão PauloBrazil
| | - Edgardo D. Carosella
- Direction de la Recherche FondamentaleInstitut de Biologie François JacobService de Recherches en Hémato‐ImmunologieHôpital Saint‐LouisCommissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies AlternativesParisFrance
- Institut de Recherche Saint‐LouisUniversité de ParisUMR976 HIPIHôpital Saint‐LouisUniversité Paris‐DiderotParisFrance
| | - Eduardo Antonio Donadi
- Division of Clinical ImmunologyDepartment of MedicineRibeirao Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São PauloRibeirão PretoSão PauloBrazil
| | - Philippe Moreau
- Direction de la Recherche FondamentaleInstitut de Biologie François JacobService de Recherches en Hémato‐ImmunologieHôpital Saint‐LouisCommissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies AlternativesParisFrance
- Institut de Recherche Saint‐LouisUniversité de ParisUMR976 HIPIHôpital Saint‐LouisUniversité Paris‐DiderotParisFrance
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35
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Lancaster JN, Thyagarajan HM, Srinivasan J, Li Y, Hu Z, Ehrlich LIR. Live-cell imaging reveals the relative contributions of antigen-presenting cell subsets to thymic central tolerance. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2220. [PMID: 31101805 PMCID: PMC6525199 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09727-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Both medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC) and dendritic cells (DC) present tissue-restricted antigens (TRA) to thymocytes to induce central tolerance, but the relative contributions of these antigen-presenting cell (APC) subsets remain unresolved. Here we developed a two-photon microscopy approach to observe thymocytes interacting with intact APCs presenting TRAs. We find that mTECs and DCs cooperate extensively to induce tolerance, with their relative contributions regulated by the cellular form of the TRA and the class of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on which antigen is presented. Even when TRA expression is restricted to mTECs, DCs still present self-antigens at least as frequently as mTECs. Notably, the DC subset cDC2 efficiently acquires secreted mTEC-derived TRAs for cross-presentation on MHC-I. By directly imaging interactions between thymocytes and APCs, while monitoring intracellular signaling, this study reveals that distinct DC subsets and AIRE+ mTECs contribute substantially to presentation of diverse self-antigens for establishing central tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- J N Lancaster
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - H M Thyagarajan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - J Srinivasan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Y Li
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Z Hu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - L I R Ehrlich
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E. 24th Street A5000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
- Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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36
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Abstract
The identification of Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) and its cognate receptor Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (RANK) during a search for novel tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily members has dramatically changed the scenario of bone biology by providing the functional and biochemical proof that RANKL signaling via RANK is the master factor for osteoclastogenesis. In parallel, two independent studies reported the identification of mouse RANKL on activated T cells and of a ligand for osteoprotegerin on a murine bone marrow-derived stromal cell line. After these seminal findings, accumulating data indicated RANKL and RANK not only as essential players for the development and activation of osteoclasts, but also for the correct differentiation of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) that act as mediators of the central tolerance process by which self-reactive T cells are eliminated while regulatory T cells are generated. In light of the RANKL-RANK multi-task function, an antibody targeting this pathway, denosumab, is now commonly used in the therapy of bone loss diseases including chronic inflammatory bone disorders and osteolytic bone metastases; furthermore, preclinical data support the therapeutic application of denosumab in the framework of a broader spectrum of tumors. Here, we discuss advances in cellular and molecular mechanisms elicited by RANKL-RANK pathway in the bone and thymus, and the extent to which its inhibition or augmentation can be translated in the clinical arena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Sobacchi
- Milan Unit, Institute for Genetic and Biomedical Research (CNR-IRGB), Milan, Italy.,Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Ciro Menale
- Milan Unit, Institute for Genetic and Biomedical Research (CNR-IRGB), Milan, Italy.,Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Anna Villa
- Milan Unit, Institute for Genetic and Biomedical Research (CNR-IRGB), Milan, Italy.,San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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37
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Abstract
The success of tissue transplantation from a healthy donor to a diseased individual (allo-transplantation) is regulated by the immune systems of both donor and recipient. Developing a state of specific non-reactivity between donor and recipient, while maintaining the salutary effects of immune function in the recipient, is called “immune (transplantation) tolerance”. In the classic early post-transplant period, minimizing bidirectional donor ←→ recipient reactivity requires the administration of immunosuppressive drugs, which have deleterious side effects (severe immunodeficiency, opportunistic infections, and neoplasia, in addition to drug-specific reactions and organ toxicities). Inducing immune tolerance directly through donor and recipient immune cells, particularly via subsets of immune regulatory cells, has helped to significantly reduce side effects associated with multiple immunosuppressive drugs after allo-transplantation. The innate and adaptive arms of the immune system are both implicated in inducing immune tolerance. In the present article, we will review innate immune subset manipulations and their potential applications in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to cure malignant and non-malignant hematological disorders by inducing long-lasting donor ←→ recipient (bidirectional) immune tolerance and reduced graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). These innate immunotherapeutic strategies to promote long-term immune allo-transplant tolerance include myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), regulatory macrophages, tolerogenic dendritic cells (tDCs), Natural Killer (NK) cells, invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells, gamma delta T (γδ-T) cells and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk A J Hamers
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology / Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Batchelor Children's Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Sunil K Joshi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology / Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Batchelor Children's Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Asha B Pillai
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology / Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Batchelor Children's Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Holtz Children's Hospital, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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38
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Constantine GM, Lionakis MS. Lessons from primary immunodeficiencies: Autoimmune regulator and autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy. Immunol Rev 2019; 287:103-120. [PMID: 30565240 PMCID: PMC6309421 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) protein and the delineation of its critical contributions in the establishment of central immune tolerance has significantly expanded our understanding of the immunological mechanisms that protect from the development of autoimmune disease. The parallel identification and characterization of patient cohorts with the monogenic disorder autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), which is typically caused by biallelic AIRE mutations, has underscored the critical contribution of AIRE in fungal immune surveillance at mucosal surfaces and in prevention of multiorgan autoimmunity in humans. In this review, we synthesize the current clinical, genetic, molecular and immunological knowledge derived from basic studies in Aire-deficient animals and from APECED patient cohorts. We also outline major advances and research endeavors that show promise for informing improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with APECED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M Constantine
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Michail S Lionakis
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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39
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Hu Z, Li Y, Van Nieuwenhuijze A, Selden HJ, Jarrett AM, Sorace AG, Yankeelov TE, Liston A, Ehrlich LIR. CCR7 Modulates the Generation of Thymic Regulatory T Cells by Altering the Composition of the Thymic Dendritic Cell Compartment. Cell Rep 2018; 21:168-180. [PMID: 28978470 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon recognition of auto-antigens, thymocytes are negatively selected or diverted to a regulatory T cell (Treg) fate. CCR7 is required for negative selection of auto-reactive thymocytes in the thymic medulla. Here, we describe an unanticipated contribution of CCR7 to intrathymic Treg generation. Ccr7-/- mice have increased Treg cellularity because of a hematopoietic but non-T cell autonomous CCR7 function. CCR7 expression by thymic dendritic cells (DCs) promotes survival of mature Sirpα- DCs. Thus, CCR7 deficiency results in apoptosis of Sirpα- DCs, which is counterbalanced by expansion of immature Sirpα+ DCs that efficiently induce Treg generation. CCR7 deficiency results in enhanced intrathymic generation of Tregs at the neonatal stage and in lymphopenic adults, when Treg differentiation is critical for establishing self-tolerance. Together, these results reveal a complex function for CCR7 in thymic tolerance induction, where CCR7 not only promotes negative selection but also governs intrathymic Treg generation via non-thymocyte intrinsic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zicheng Hu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Yu Li
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Annemarie Van Nieuwenhuijze
- Translational Immunology Laboratory, VIB, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Hilary J Selden
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Angela M Jarrett
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Anna G Sorace
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Diagnostic Medicine, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Thomas E Yankeelov
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Diagnostic Medicine, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Adrian Liston
- Translational Immunology Laboratory, VIB, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Lauren I R Ehrlich
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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40
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Abstract
A pathogenic connection between autoreactive T cells, fungal infection, and carcinogenesis has been demonstrated in studies of human autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) as well as in a mouse model in which kinase-dead Ikkα knock-in mice develop impaired central tolerance, autoreactive T cell-mediated autoimmunity, chronic fungal infection, and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, which recapitulates APECED. IκB kinase α (IKKα) is one subunit of the IKK complex required for NF-κB activation. IKK/NF-κB is essential for central tolerance establishment by regulating the development of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) that facilitate the deletion of autoreactive T cells in the thymus. In this review, we extensively discuss the pathogenic roles of inborn errors in the IKK/NF-κB loci in the phenotypically related diseases APECED, immune deficiency syndrome, and severe combined immunodeficiency; differentiate how IKK/NF-κB components, through mTEC (stroma), T cells/leukocytes, or epithelial cells, contribute to the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and cancer; and highlight the medical significance of IKK/NF-κB in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhu
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, 21701, Maryland, USA
| | - Yinling Hu
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, 21701, Maryland, USA
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41
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Yap JY, Wirasinha RC, Chan A, Howard DR, Goodnow CC, Daley SR. Indirect presentation in the thymus limits naive and regulatory T-cell differentiation by promoting deletion of self-reactive thymocytes. Immunology 2018; 154:522-532. [PMID: 29411880 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12904] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of T-cell central tolerance involves distinct pathways of self-antigen presentation to thymocytes. One pathway termed indirect presentation requires a self-antigen transfer step from thymic epithelial cells (TECs) to bone marrow-derived cells before the self-antigen is presented to thymocytes. The role of indirect presentation in central tolerance is context-dependent, potentially due to variation in self-antigen expression, processing and presentation in the thymus. Here, we report experiments in mice in which TECs expressed a membrane-bound transgenic self-antigen, hen egg lysozyme (HEL), from either the insulin (insHEL) or thyroglobulin (thyroHEL) promoter. Intrathymic HEL expression was less abundant and more confined to the medulla in insHEL mice compared with thyroHEL mice. When indirect presentation was impaired by generating mice lacking MHC class II expression in bone marrow-derived antigen-presenting cells, insHEL-mediated thymocyte deletion was abolished, whereas thyroHEL-mediated deletion occurred at a later stage of thymocyte development and Foxp3+ regulatory T-cell differentiation increased. Indirect presentation increased the strength of T-cell receptor signalling that both self-antigens induced in thymocytes, as assessed by Helios expression. Hence, indirect presentation limits the differentiation of naive and regulatory T cells by promoting deletion of self-reactive thymocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Yan Yap
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Rushika C Wirasinha
- Infection and Immunity Programme, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Anna Chan
- Infection and Immunity Programme, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Debbie R Howard
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher C Goodnow
- Immunology Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Stephen R Daley
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Infection and Immunity Programme, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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42
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Wang L, Winnewisser J, Federle C, Jessberger G, Nave KA, Werner HB, Kyewski B, Klein L, Hinterberger M. Epitope-Specific Tolerance Modes Differentially Specify Susceptibility to Proteolipid Protein-Induced Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1511. [PMID: 29170668 PMCID: PMC5684123 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunization with myelin components can elicit experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). EAE susceptibility varies between mouse strains, depending on the antigen employed. BL/6 mice are largely resistant to EAE induction with proteolipid protein (PLP), probably a reflection of antigen-specific tolerance. However, the extent and mechanism(s) of tolerance to PLP remain unclear. Here, we identified three PLP epitopes in PLP-deficient BL/6 mice. PLP-sufficient mice did not respond against two of these, whereas tolerance was “leaky” for an epitope with weak predicted MHCII binding, and only this epitope was encephalitogenic. In TCR transgenic mice, the “EAE-susceptibility-associated” epitope was “ignored” by specific CD4 T cells, whereas the “resistance-associated” epitope induced clonal deletion and Treg induction in the thymus. Central tolerance was autoimmune regulator dependent and required expression and presentation of PLP by thymic epithelial cells (TECs). TEC-specific ablation of PLP revealed that peripheral tolerance, mediated by dendritic cells through recessive tolerance mechanisms (deletion and anergy), could largely compensate for a lack of central tolerance. However, adoptive EAE was exacerbated in mice lacking PLP in TECs, pointing toward a non-redundant role of the thymus in dominant tolerance to PLP. Our findings reveal multiple layers of tolerance to a central nervous system autoantigen that vary among epitopes and thereby specify disease susceptibility. Understanding how different modalities of tolerance apply to distinct T cell epitopes of a target in autoimmunity has implications for antigen-specific strategies to therapeutically interfere with unwanted immune reactions against self.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Institute for Immunology, Biomedical Center (BMC) Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Winnewisser
- Institute for Immunology, Biomedical Center (BMC) Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Christine Federle
- Institute for Immunology, Biomedical Center (BMC) Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Gregor Jessberger
- Institute for Immunology, Biomedical Center (BMC) Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Klaus-Armin Nave
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Hauke B Werner
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Bruno Kyewski
- Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ludger Klein
- Institute for Immunology, Biomedical Center (BMC) Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Maria Hinterberger
- Institute for Immunology, Biomedical Center (BMC) Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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Assad S, Khan HH, Ghazanfar H, Khan ZH, Mansoor S, Rahman MA, Khan GH, Zafar B, Tariq U, Malik SA. Role of Sex Hormone Levels and Psychological Stress in the Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Diseases. Cureus 2017; 9:e1315. [PMID: 28690949 PMCID: PMC5498122 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.1315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this review article is to assess the connection between psychological stress and sex hormones and their effect on the development of autoimmune diseases. Psychological stress describes what people feel when they are under mental, physical, or emotional pressure. We searched for online articles using MEDLINE®, Embase, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. Our research yielded a total of 165 articles out of which 30 articles were considered for further perusal. The articles were reviewed from February 2016 to February 2017. Case reports and patients suffering from hematolymphoid malignancies and active infections were excluded from the review. Estrogen and testosterone are potential physiological regulatory factors for the peripheral development of CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells. Stress at any age leads to the depletion of estrogen and testosterone stores in the body, leading to the loss of expansion of T regulatory cells, making the immature B cells evade the negative selection at the germinal center, or in other words, leading to the loss of central tolerance, a triggering event in autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus. Autoimmune diseases in women are most likely due to changes in estrogen levels during mental, physical, pre-menopausal, post-menopausal, and pregnancy-induced stress. We conclude that modulating estrogen in females (pre-menopausal and post-menopausal) and testosterone in males can be used to treat stress-related immune imbalance resulting in autoimmune diseases in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salman Assad
- Department of Medicine, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Hamza H Khan
- Graduate, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Haider Ghazanfar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Zarak H Khan
- Department of Medicine, Shifa College of Medicine
| | - Salman Mansoor
- Department of Neurology, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Bilal Zafar
- Internal Medicine, Shifa College of Medicine
| | - Usman Tariq
- Internal Medicine, Shifa College of Medicine
| | - Shuja A Malik
- Department of Medicine, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Abstract
The thymus consists of two distinct anatomical regions, the cortex and the medulla; medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) play a crucial role in establishing central T-cell tolerance for self-antigens. Although the understanding of mTEC development in thymic organogenesis as well as the regulation of their differentiation and maturation has improved, the mechanisms of postnatal maintenance remain poorly understood. This issue has a central importance in immune homeostasis and physiological thymic involution as well as autoimmune disorders in various clinicopathological settings. Recently, several reports have demonstrated the existence of TEC stem or progenitor cells in the postnatal thymus, which are either bipotent or unipotent. We identified stem cells specified for mTEC-lineage that are generated in the thymic ontogeny and may sustain mTEC regeneration and lifelong central T-cell self-tolerance. This finding suggested that the thymic medulla is maintained autonomously by its own stem cells. Although several issues, including the relationship with other putative TEC stem/progenitors, remain unclear, further examination of mTEC stem cells (mTECSCs) and their regulatory mechanisms may contribute to the understanding of postnatal immune homeostasis. Possible relationships between decline of mTECSC activity and early thymic involution as well as various autoimmune disorders are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Hamazaki
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Miho Sekai
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Nagahiro Minato
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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45
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Abramson J, Goldfarb Y. AIRE: From promiscuous molecular partnerships to promiscuous gene expression. Eur J Immunol 2016; 46:22-33. [PMID: 26450177 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201545792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [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: 08/10/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a unique transcriptional regulator that induces promiscuous expression of thousands of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), a step critical for the induction of immunological self-tolerance. The past 15 years have seen dramatic progress in our understanding of how AIRE induces immunological self-tolerance on a molecular level. This major advancement can be greatly attributed to the identification of a large variety of proteins that physically associate with AIRE, supporting and regulating its transcription-transactivation capacity. These diverse molecular partnerships have been shown to play roles in shuttling AIRE to the nucleus, securing AIRE's interaction with nuclear matrix and chromatin, releasing RNA polymerase-II from its stalled state and potentiating AIRE-mediated gene expression, among others. In this review we discuss the relationship of AIRE with its vast and rather diverse repertoire of partners and highlight how such "promiscuous partnerships" contribute to the phenomenon of "promiscuous gene expression" in the thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Abramson
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yael Goldfarb
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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46
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Passos GA, Mendes-da-Cruz DA, Oliveira EH. Editorial: The Role of Aire, microRNAs and Cell-Cell Interactions on Thymic Architecture and Induction of Tolerance. Front Immunol 2015; 6:615. [PMID: 26697011 PMCID: PMC4677259 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Geraldo Aleixo Passos
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo , Ribeirão Preto , Brazil ; Disciplines of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Department of Morphology, Physiology and Basic Pathology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo , Ribeirão Preto , Brazil
| | | | - Ernna Hérida Oliveira
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo , Ribeirão Preto , Brazil
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47
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Bremel RD, Homan EJ. Extensive T-Cell Epitope Repertoire Sharing among Human Proteome, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, and Pathogenic Bacteria: Implications for the Definition of Self. Front Immunol 2015; 6:538. [PMID: 26557118 PMCID: PMC4617169 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell receptor binding to MHC-bound peptides plays a key role in discrimination between self and non-self. Only a subset, typically a pentamer, of amino acids in a MHC-bound peptide form the motif exposed to the T-cell receptor. We categorize and compare the T-cell exposed amino acid motif repertoire of the total proteomes of two groups of bacteria, comprising pathogens and gastrointestinal microbiome organisms, with the human proteome and immunoglobulins. Given the maximum 205, or 3.2 million of such motifs that bind T-cell receptors, there is considerable overlap in motif usage. We show that the human proteome, exclusive of immunoglobulins, only comprises three quarters of the possible motifs, of which 65.3% are also present in both composite bacterial proteomes. Very few motifs are unique to the human proteome. Immunoglobulin variable regions carry a broad diversity of T-cell exposed motifs (TCEMs) that provides a stratified random sample of the motifs found in pathogens, microbiome, and the human proteome. Individual bacterial genera and species vary in the content of immunoglobulin and human proteome matched motifs that they carry. Mycobacteria and Burkholderia spp carry a particularly high content of such matched motifs. Some bacteria retain a unique motif signature and motif sharing pattern with the human proteome. The implication is that distinguishing self from non-self does not depend on individual TCEMs, but on a complex and dynamic overlay of signals wherein the same TCEM may play different roles in different organisms, and the frequency with which a particular TCEM appears influences its effect. The patterns observed provide clues to bacterial immune evasion and to strategies for intervention, including vaccine design. The breadth and distinct frequency patterns of the immunoglobulin-derived peptides suggest a role of immunoglobulins in maintaining a broadly responsive T-cell repertoire.
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48
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Hu Z, Lancaster JN, Ehrlich LIR. The Contribution of Chemokines and Migration to the Induction of Central Tolerance in the Thymus. Front Immunol 2015; 6:398. [PMID: 26300884 PMCID: PMC4528182 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
As T cells develop, they migrate throughout the thymus where they undergo essential bi-directional signaling with stromal cells in distinct thymic microenvironments. Immature thymocyte progenitors are located in the thymic cortex. Following T cell receptor expression and positive selection, thymocytes undergo a dramatic transition: they become rapidly motile and relocate to the thymic medulla. Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) within the cortex and medulla display peptides derived from a wide array of self-proteins, which promote thymocyte self-tolerance. If a thymocyte is auto-reactive against such antigens, it undergoes either negative selection, via apoptosis, or differentiation into the regulatory T cell lineage. This induction of central tolerance is critical for prevention of autoimmunity. Chemokines and adhesion molecules play an essential role in tolerance induction, as they promote migration of developing thymocytes through the different thymic microenvironments and enhance interactions with APCs displaying self-antigens. Herein, we review the contribution of chemokines and other regulators of thymocyte localization and motility to T cell development, with a focus on their contribution to the induction of central tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zicheng Hu
- Ehrlich Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX , USA
| | - Jessica Naomi Lancaster
- Ehrlich Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX , USA
| | - Lauren I R Ehrlich
- Ehrlich Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX , USA
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49
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Abstract
Central T cell tolerance is believed to be mainly induced by thymic dendritic cells and medullary thymic epithelial cells. The thymus also harbors substantial numbers of B cells. These may arise though intrathymic B lymphopoiesis or immigration from the bloodstream. Importantly, and in contrast to resting “mainstream” B cells in the periphery, thymic B cells display elevated levels of MHC class II and constitutively express CD80. Arguably, their most unexpected feature is the expression of autoimmune regulator. These unique features of thymic B cells result from a licensing process that involves cross-talk with CD4 single-positive T cells and CD40 signaling. Together, these recent findings suggest that B cells play a more prominent role as thymic APCs than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyoshi Yamano
- Institute for Immunology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich , Munich , Germany
| | - Madlen Steinert
- Institute for Immunology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich , Munich , Germany
| | - Ludger Klein
- Institute for Immunology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich , Munich , Germany
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50
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Passos GA, Mendes-da-Cruz DA, Oliveira EH. The Thymic Orchestration Involving Aire, miRNAs, and Cell-Cell Interactions during the Induction of Central Tolerance. Front Immunol 2015; 6:352. [PMID: 26236310 PMCID: PMC4500981 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Developing thymocytes interact sequentially with two distinct structures within the thymus: the cortex and medulla. Surviving single-positive and double-positive thymocytes from the cortex migrate into the medulla, where they interact with medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). These cells ectopically express a vast set of peripheral tissue antigens (PTAs), a property termed promiscuous gene expression that is associated with the presentation of PTAs by mTECs to thymocytes. Thymocyte clones that have a high affinity for PTAs are eliminated by apoptosis in a process termed negative selection, which is essential for tolerance induction. The Aire gene is an important factor that controls the expression of a large set of PTAs. In addition to PTAs, Aire also controls the expression of miRNAs in mTECs. These miRNAs are important in the organization of the thymic architecture and act as posttranscriptional controllers of PTAs. Herein, we discuss recent discoveries and highlight open questions regarding the migration and interaction of developing thymocytes with thymic stroma, the ectopic expression of PTAs by mTECs, the association between Aire and miRNAs and its effects on central tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldo Aleixo Passos
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo , Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo , Brazil ; Disciplines of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Department of Morphology, Physiology and Basic Pathology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo , Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo , Brazil
| | - Daniella Arêas Mendes-da-Cruz
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation , Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
| | - Ernna Hérida Oliveira
- Molecular Immunogenetics Group, Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo , Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo , Brazil
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