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Mayall JR, Horvat JC, Mangan NE, Chevalier A, McCarthy H, Hampsey D, Donovan C, Brown AC, Matthews AY, de Weerd NA, de Geus ED, Starkey MR, Kim RY, Daly K, Goggins BJ, Keely S, Maltby S, Baldwin R, Foster PS, Boyle MJ, Tanwar PS, Huntington ND, Hertzog PJ, Hansbro PM. Interferon-epsilon is a novel regulator of NK cell responses in the uterus. EMBO Mol Med 2024; 16:267-293. [PMID: 38263527 PMCID: PMC10897320 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-023-00018-6] [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] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The uterus is a unique mucosal site where immune responses are balanced to be permissive of a fetus, yet protective against infections. Regulation of natural killer (NK) cell responses in the uterus during infection is critical, yet no studies have identified uterine-specific factors that control NK cell responses in this immune-privileged site. We show that the constitutive expression of IFNε in the uterus plays a crucial role in promoting the accumulation, activation, and IFNγ production of NK cells in uterine tissue during Chlamydia infection. Uterine epithelial IFNε primes NK cell responses indirectly by increasing IL-15 production by local immune cells and directly by promoting the accumulation of a pre-pro-like NK cell progenitor population and activation of NK cells in the uterus. These findings demonstrate the unique features of this uterine-specific type I IFN and the mechanisms that underpin its major role in orchestrating innate immune cell protection against uterine infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemma R Mayall
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Jay C Horvat
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Niamh E Mangan
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Departments of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Anne Chevalier
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Huw McCarthy
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Daniel Hampsey
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Chantal Donovan
- Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Alexandra C Brown
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Antony Y Matthews
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Departments of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Nicole A de Weerd
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Departments of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Eveline D de Geus
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Departments of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Malcolm R Starkey
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Immunology and Pathology, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Richard Y Kim
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Katie Daly
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Bridie J Goggins
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Simon Keely
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Steven Maltby
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Rennay Baldwin
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Paul S Foster
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Michael J Boyle
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Immunology and Infectious Diseases Unit, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Pradeep S Tanwar
- Gynecology Oncology Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Nicholas D Huntington
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Paul J Hertzog
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Departments of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Philip M Hansbro
- Immune Health Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia.
- Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia.
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