scholarly journals m6A demethylase ALKBH5 controls CD4+ T cell pathogenicity and promotes autoimmunity

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (25) ◽  
pp. eabg0470
Author(s):  
Jing Zhou ◽  
Xingli Zhang ◽  
Jiajia Hu ◽  
Rihao Qu ◽  
Zhibin Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Interferon Γ ◽  
Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Chemokine Ligand ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Chemokine Ligand 2

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is dynamically regulated by “writer” and “eraser” enzymes. m6A “writers” have been shown to ensure the homeostasis of CD4+ T cells, but the “erasers” functioning in T cells is poorly understood. Here, we reported that m6A eraser AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5), but not FTO, maintains the ability of naïve CD4+ T cells to induce adoptive transfer colitis. In addition, T cell–specific ablation of ALKBH5 confers protection against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. During the induced neuroinflammation, ALKBH5 deficiency increased m6A modification on interferon-γ and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2 messenger RNA (mRNA), thus decreasing their mRNA stability and protein expression in CD4+ T cells. These modifications resulted in attenuated CD4+ T cell responses and diminished recruitment of neutrophils into the central nervous system. Our findings reveal an unexpected specific role of ALKBH5 as an m6A eraser in controlling the pathogenicity of CD4+ T cells during autoimmunity.

scholarly journals Functional evidence for epitope spreading in the relapsing pathology of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

1995 ◽  
Vol 182 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
B L McRae ◽  
C L Vanderlugt ◽  
M C Dal Canto ◽  
S D Miller
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Tissue Damage ◽  
Acute Disease ◽  
Epitope Spreading ◽  
Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Experimental Autoimmune

The role of epitope spreading in the pathology of relapsing-remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (R-EAE) was examined. Using peripherally induced immunologic tolerance as a probe to analyze the neuropathologic T cell repertoire, we show that the majority of the immunopathologic reactivity during the acute phase of R-EAE in SJL/J mice induced by active immunization with the intact proteolipid (PLP) molecule is directed at the PLP139-151 epitope and that responses to secondary encephalitogenic PLP epitopes may contribute to the later relapsing phases of disease. Intermolecular epitope spreading was demonstrated by showing the development of T cell responses to PLP139-151 after acute disease in mice in which R-EAE was initiated by the transfer of T cells specific for the non-cross-reactive MBP84-104 determinant. Intramolecular epitope spreading was demonstrated by showing that endogenous host T cells specific for a secondary encephalitogenic PLP epitope (PLP178-191) are demonstrable by both splenic T cell proliferative and in vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity responses in mice in which acute central nervous system damage was initiated by T cells reactive with the immunodominant, non-cross-reactive PLP139-151 sequence. The PLP178-191-specific responses are activated as a result of and correlate with the degree of acute tissue damage, since they do not develop in mice tolerized to the initiating epitope before expression of acute disease. Most importantly, we show that the PLP178-191-specific responses are capable of mediating R-EAE upon adoptive secondary transfer to naive recipient mice. Furthermore, induction of tolerance to intact PLP (which inhibits responses to both the initiating PLP139-151 epitope and to the PLP178-191 epitope) after the acute disease episode is sufficient to prevent relapsing disease. These results strongly support a contributory role of T cell responses to epitopes released as a result of acute tissue damage to the immunopathogenesis of relapsing clinical episodes and have important implications for the design of antigen-specific immunotherapies for the treatment of chronic autoimmune disorders in humans.

scholarly journals CD4+ T-Cell Responses Are Required for Clearance of West Nile Virus from the Central Nervous System

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (24) ◽  
pp. 12060-12069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Sitati ◽  
Michael S. Diamond
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
West Nile Virus ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Deficient Mice

ABSTRACT Although studies have established that innate and adaptive immune responses are important in controlling West Nile virus (WNV) infection, the function of CD4+ T lymphocytes in modulating viral pathogenesis is less well characterized. Using a mouse model, we examined the role of CD4+ T cells in coordinating protection against WNV infection. A genetic or acquired deficiency of CD4+ T cells resulted in a protracted WNV infection in the central nervous system (CNS) that culminated in uniform lethality by 50 days after infection. Mice surviving past day 10 had high-level persistent WNV infection in the CNS compared to wild-type mice, even 45 days following infection. The absence of CD4+ T-cell help did not affect the kinetics of WNV infection in the spleen and serum, suggesting a role for CD4-independent clearance mechanisms in peripheral tissues. WNV-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels were similar to those of wild-type mice in CD4-deficient mice early during infection but dropped ∼20-fold at day 15 postinfection, whereas IgG levels in CD4-deficient mice were ∼100- to 1,000-fold lower than in wild-type mice throughout the course of infection. WNV-specific CD8+ T-cell activation and trafficking to the CNS were unaffected by the absence of CD4+ T cells at day 9 postinfection but were markedly compromised at day 15. Our experiments suggest that the dominant protective role of CD4+ T cells during primary WNV infection is to provide help for antibody responses and sustain WNV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in the CNS that enable viral clearance.

scholarly journals T cell–specific STAT3 deficiency abrogates lupus nephritis

Lupus ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 1468-1472 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Yoshida ◽  
F He ◽  
V C Kyttaris
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Lupus Nephritis ◽  
Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Cytokines And Chemokines ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Cell Tissue ◽  
External Stimuli

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 is a regulator of T-cell responses to external stimuli, such as pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. We have previously shown that STAT3 is activated (phosphorylated) at high levels in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) T cells and mediates chemokine-induced migration and T:B cell interactions. Stattic, a small molecular STAT3 inhibitor, can partially ameliorate lupus nephritis in mice. To understand the role of STAT3 better in T-cell pathophysiology in lupus nephritis and its potential as a treatment target, we silenced its expression in T cells using a cd4-driven CRE-Flox model. We found that lupus-prone mice that do not express STAT3 in T cells did not develop lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, or glomerulonephritis. Moreover, the production of anti-dsDNA antibodies was decreased in these mice compared to controls. To dissect the mechanism, we also used a nephrotoxic serum model of nephritis. In this model, T cell–specific silencing of STAT3 resulted in amelioration of nephrotoxic serum-induced kidney damage. Taken together, our results suggest that in mouse models of autoimmune nephritis, T cell–specific silencing of STAT3 can hamper their ability to help B cells to produce autoantibodies and induce cell tissue infiltration. We propose that STAT3 inhibition in T cells represents a novel approach in the treatment of SLE and lupus nephritis in particular.

scholarly journals Vaccinia-specific cytotoxic T-cell responses in the context of H-2 antigens not encountered in thymus may reflect aberrant recognition of a virus-H-2 complex.

1979 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
P C Doherty ◽  
J C Bennink
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Vaccinia Virus ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Cytotoxic T Cell ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Antigen Complex ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Cytotoxic T Cell Responses

BALB/c (H-2Kd-Dd) spleen and lymph node populations were specifically depleted of alloreactive potential by filtration through H-2 different, irradiated recipients. These negatively selected T cells were then stimulated with vaccinia virus in mice expressing the foreign H-2 determinants encountered previously in the filter environment. Strong virus-immune cytotoxic T-cell responses were seen in the context of H-2Kk and H-2Ks, but not 2H-2Kb. The T cells generated were not cross-reactive for the H-2Kk and H-2Kd alleles, and responsiveness was independent of concurrent presence of effector populations operating at H-2D. These findings are consisent with the idea that recognition is mediated via a complex receptor, part of which is specific for virus and part for self H-2. The capacity to interact with allogeneic, virus-infected cells may then reflect aberrant recognition of a virus-H-2-antigen complex by this single, large binding site. For instance, the T cell which would normally recognize H-2Kd-virus x, or H-2Dd-minor histocompatibility antigen Z, may now show specificity for H-2Kk-vaccinia virus. Implications for both the selective role of the thymus and for mechanisms of tolerance are discussed.

scholarly journals HIV-specific T-cell Responses and Generalized Activation in HIV-1 Infected Long-term Non-progressors and Progressors from South India

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 302-314
Author(s):  
Chinnambedu Ravichandran Swathirajan ◽  
Ramachandran Vignesh ◽  
Greer Waldrop ◽  
Uma Shanmugasundaram ◽  
Pannerselvam Nandagopal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
T Cell Activation ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Cd4 T Cell ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Activation Rates ◽  
Hiv 1

Background:Anti-viral cytokine expressions by cytotoxic T-cells and lower activation rates have been reported to correlate with suppressed HIV replication in long-term non-progressors (LTNP). Immune mechanisms underlying disease non-progression in LTNP might vary with HIV-1 subtype and geographical locations.Objective:This study evaluates cytokine expression and T-cells activation in relation to disease non-progression in LTNP.Methods:HIV-1 Subtype C infected LTNP (n=20) and progressors (n=15) were enrolled and flowcytometry assays were performed to study HIV-specific CD8 T-cells expressing IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α and MIP-1β against gag and env peptides. CD4+ T-cell activation was evaluated by surface expression of HLADR and CD38.Results:Proportions of cytokines studied did not differ significantly between LTNP and progressors, while contrasting correlations with disease progression markers were observed in LTNP. CD4+ T-cell activation rates were significantly lower in LTNP compared to progressors which indicate the potential role of T-cell activation rates in disease non-progression in LTNP.Conclusion:LTNP and progressors showed similar CD8+ T-cell responses, but final conclusions can be drawn only by comparing multiple immune factors in larger LTNP cohort with HIV-1 infected individuals at various levels of disease progression. A possible role of HIV-1 subtype variation and ethnic differences in addition to host-genetic and viral factors cannot be ruled out.

scholarly journals T cell-intrinsic role of IL-6 signaling in primary and memory responses

eLife ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone A Nish ◽  
Dominik Schenten ◽  
F Thomas Wunderlich ◽  
Scott D Pope ◽  
Yan Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Suppressive Effect ◽  
Immune Recognition ◽  
Th17 Response ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Specific Deletion

Innate immune recognition is critical for the induction of adaptive immune responses; however the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. In this study, we demonstrate that T cell-specific deletion of the IL-6 receptor α chain (IL-6Rα) results in impaired Th1 and Th17 T cell responses in vivo, and a defect in Tfh function. Depletion of Tregs in these mice rescued the Th1 but not the Th17 response. Our data suggest that IL-6 signaling in effector T cells is required to overcome Treg-mediated suppression in vivo. We show that IL-6 cooperates with IL-1β to block the suppressive effect of Tregs on CD4+ T cells, at least in part by controlling their responsiveness to IL-2. In addition, although IL-6Rα-deficient T cells mount normal primary Th1 responses in the absence of Tregs, they fail to mature into functional memory cells, demonstrating a key role for IL-6 in CD4+ T cell memory formation.

Obesity results in higher PD-1-mediated T-cell suppression but greater T-cell effector functions following blockade.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (5_suppl) ◽  
pp. 65-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Canter ◽  
Ethan Aguilar ◽  
Ziming Wang ◽  
Catherine Le ◽  
Lam Khuat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Murine Cytomegalovirus ◽  
Obese Mice ◽  
Effector Functions ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cell Effector

65 Background: Obesity is increasingly prevalent and viewed as a critical co-factor in many pathologic conditions due to metabolic, inflammatory and immune perturbations. We performed a multi-species evaluation of the impact of obesity T cell effector functions and markers of immune exhaustion. Methods: We examined the impact of obesity on PD-1 and T cell-mediated responses across different pre-clinical models (tumor, infection, and autoimmune encephalomyelitis [EAE]) and species (mouse, dog, non-human primate, and human). Results: CD4 and CD8 T cells from obese mice, dogs, non-human primates and humans displayed increases in memory T cells and PD-1 expression, as well as impaired proliferative responses compared to lean controls, indicating a greater degree of T cell exhaustion at baseline. Following immunization with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, obese mice were resistant to induction of EAE, correlating with reduced antigen-specific CD4 T cells in the central nervous system. Administration of anti-PD-1 resulted in restoration of EAE and increased antigen-specific T cell numbers in obese mice. Tumors in obese mice exhibited accelerated growth compared to lean mice, and T cells displayed higher PD-1 expression correlating with RNAseq/molecular signatures of exhaustion compared to tumor-bearing lean mice. PD-1 blockade resulted in marked anti-tumor effects only in obese mice, and not lean. Impaired viral resistance to murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) resulted was seen in obese mice, associated with increased PD-1/PD-L1 expression, which was reversible by PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Conclusions: Obesity results in an increase in PD-1/PD-L1 expression and inhibition of T cell responses across species, and blockade not only reverses this inhibition but also leads to markedly augmented T cell effector responses compared to lean counterparts where no effects were observed. These results highlight how the immune system has evolved to control T cell responses using checkpoints contingent on dynamic host conditions and have translational relevance for predicting both efficacy and toxicity in clinical immuno-oncology.

scholarly journals IL-27 promotes T cell–dependent colitis through multiple mechanisms

2010 ◽  
Vol 208 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer H. Cox ◽  
Noelyn M. Kljavin ◽  
Nandhini Ramamoorthi ◽  
Lauri Diehl ◽  
Marcel Batten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Intestinal Inflammation ◽  
Interferon Γ ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Proinflammatory Role ◽  
Immune Pathology

Interleukin-27 (IL-27) is a cytokine known to have both proinflammatory and immunoregulatory functions. The latter appear to dominate in vivo, where IL-27 suppresses TH17 responses and promotes the differentiation of Tr1 cells expressing interferon-γ and IL-10 and lacking forkhead box P3 (Foxp3). Accordingly, IL-27 receptor α (Il27ra)–deficient mice suffer from exacerbated immune pathology when infected with various parasites or challenged with autoantigens. Because the role of IL-27 in human and experimental mouse colitis is controversial, we studied the consequences of Il27ra deletion in the mouse T cell transfer model of colitis and unexpectedly discovered a proinflammatory role of IL-27. Absence of Il27ra on transferred T cells resulted in diminished weight loss and reduced colonic inflammation. A greater fraction of transferred T cells assumed a Foxp3+ phenotype in the absence of Il27ra, suggesting that IL-27 functions to restrain regulatory T cell (Treg) development. Indeed, IL-27 suppressed Foxp3 induction in vitro and in an ovalbumin-dependent tolerization model in vivo. Furthermore, effector cell proliferation and IFN-γ production were reduced in the absence of Il27ra. Collectively, we describe a proinflammatory role of IL-27 in T cell–dependent intestinal inflammation and provide a rationale for targeting this cytokine in pathological situations that result from a breakdown in peripheral immune tolerance.

scholarly journals Impaired response to Listeria in H2-M3–deficient mice reveals a nonredundant role of MHC class Ib–specific T cells in host defense

2006 ◽  
Vol 203 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Honglin Xu ◽  
Taehoon Chun ◽  
Hak-Jong Choi ◽  
Bin Wang ◽  
Chyung-Ru Wang
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Host Defense ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Mhc Class Ib ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Mhc Class Ia ◽  
Deficient Mice ◽  
Class Ib

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ib molecule H2-M3 primes the rapid expansion of CD8+ T cells by presenting N-formylated bacterial peptides. However, the significance of H2-M3–restricted T cells in host defense against bacteria is unclear. We generated H2-M3–deficient mice to investigate the role of H2-M3 in immunity against Listeria monocytogenes (LM), a model intracellular bacterial pathogen. H2-M3–deficient mice are impaired in early bacterial clearance during primary infection, with diminished LM-specific CD8+ T cell responses and compromised innate immune functions. Although H2-M3–restricted CD8+ T cells constitute a significant proportion of the anti-listerial CD8+ T cell repertoire, the kinetics and magnitude of MHC class Ia–restricted T cell responses are not altered in H2-M3–deficient mice. The fact that MHC class Ia–restricted responses cannot compensate for the H2-M3–mediated immunity suggests a nonredundant role of H2-M3 in the protective immunity against LM. Thus, the early H2-M3–restricted response temporally bridges the gap between innate and adaptive immune responses, subsequently affecting the function of both branches of the immune system.

scholarly journals A Pathogenic Role for Myelin-Specific Cd8+ T Cells in a Model for Multiple Sclerosis

2001 ◽  
Vol 194 (5) ◽  
pp. 669-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric S. Huseby ◽  
Denny Liggitt ◽  
Thea Brabb ◽  
Bryan Schnabel ◽  
Claes Öhlén ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Demyelinating Disease ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Effector Cells ◽  
Cns Autoimmunity ◽  
The Central Nervous System

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by plaques of infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Studies of MS and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS, focus on the contribution of CD4+ myelin-specific T cells. The role of CD8+ myelin-specific T cells in mediating EAE or MS has not been described previously. Here, we demonstrate that myelin-specific CD8+ T cells induce severe CNS autoimmunity in mice. The pathology and clinical symptoms in CD8+ T cell–mediated CNS autoimmunity demonstrate similarities to MS not seen in myelin-specific CD4+ T cell–mediated EAE. These data suggest that myelin-specific CD8+ T cells could function as effector cells in the pathogenesis of MS.

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