scholarly journals Islet Dysfunction in a Novel Transgenic Model of T Cell Insulitis

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 552
Author(s):  
Emily Esakov ◽  
Neha Nandedkar-Kulkarni ◽  
Ali G. Al-Dieri ◽  
Hannah Hafner ◽  
Brigid Gregg ◽  
...  

The newly established CD3FLAG-mIR transgenic mouse model on a C57Bl/6 background has a FLAG tag on the mouse Insulin Receptor (mIR), specifically on T cells, as the FLAG-tagged mIR gene was engineered behind CD3 promoter and enhancer. The IR is a chemotactic molecule for insulin and the Flag-tagged mIR T cells in the BL/6-CD3FLAGmIR transgenic mice can migrate into the pancreas, as shown by immunofluorescent staining. While the transgenic mice do not become diabetic, there are phenotypic and metabolic changes in the islets. The transgenic islets become enlarged and disorganized by 15 weeks and those phenotypes continue out to 35 weeks of age. We examined the islets by RT-PCR for cell markers, ER stress markers, beta cell proliferation markers, and cytokines, as well as measuring serum insulin and insulin content in the pancreas at 15, 25, and 35 weeks of age. In transgenic mice, insulin in serum was increased at 15 weeks of age and glucose intolerance developed by 25 weeks of age. Passage of transgenic spleen cells into C57Bl/6 RAG-/- mice resulted in enlarged and disorganized islets with T infiltration by 4 to 5 weeks post-transfer, replicating the transgenic mouse studies. Therefore, migration of non-antigen-specific T cells into islets has ramifications for islet organization and function.

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 3925-3925
Author(s):  
Pedro Horna ◽  
Rahul Chavan ◽  
Jason Brayer ◽  
Ildefonso Suarez ◽  
Eduardo M. Sotomayor

Abstract A large number of CD4+ T-cells from either aged mice or humans display surface markers associated with an activated/memory phenotype. In spite of these changes however, these T-cells have a markedly decreased ability to proliferate and produce IL-2 in response to antigen stimulation in vitro. The cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in this age-related unresponsiveness of the CD4+ T-cell compartment remain poorly understood. Utilizing a well-established experimental system in which transgenic CD4+ T cells specific for a MHC class II restricted epitope of influenza hemagglutinin (HA) are adoptively transferred into non-transgenic recipients, we have previously elucidated important mechanisms involved in the induction and maintenance of CD4+ T-cell tolerance. Our studies were however limited to the analysis of T-cell function in lymphoma bearing young mice (4 to 10 weeks old). Here, we assessed the influence of the aged microenvironment in determining the phenotype and function of antigen-specific T-cells. CD4+ T-cells from young TCR transgenic mice (2 months old) were adoptively transferred into either old (20–24 months) or young (2 months old) non-transgenic mice. Two weeks later, clonotypic and non-clonotypic CD4+ T-cells were isolated from the spleens of these animals and their phenotype and function were determined in vitro. Reminiscent of the age-related changes observed within the normal CD4+ T-cell repertoire, young transgenic T-cells transferred into aged hosts have acquired an activated/memory phenotype but displayed a significant impairment in antigen-specific proliferation and IL-2 production in response to cognate antigen in vitro. These changes were not due to homeostatic proliferation of the transferred T-cells into the relatively lymphopenic aged host. To determine whether the changes observed in “aged” T-cells were reversible or not, we adoptively transfer old T-cells back into young hosts or into control old mice. While old transgenic T-cells transferred into an old environment remained fully unresponsive, the adoptive transfer of the same old T-cells into a young host restored their ability to proliferate and produce IL-2. Surprisingly, these “old” T-cells were able to produce significantly higher levels of IFN-gamma indicative of their memory/effector phenotype. Furthermore, young animals adoptively transferred with “aged” antigen-specific T-cells were now capable of rejecting A20 B-cell lymphomas expressing HA as a model tumor antigen (A20HA). Taking together, factor(s) present in the aged microenvironment are responsible for limiting the effector function of CD4+ T-cells that seem otherwise well equipped to become fully activated if the proper environment is provided (young microenvironment). The potential role of soluble suppressive factors as well as regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in the unresponsiveness observed in the T-cell compartment of aged hosts will be discussed.


2008 ◽  
Vol 294 (6) ◽  
pp. G1421-G1430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Yang ◽  
Blair Madison ◽  
Deborah L. Gumucio ◽  
Daniel H. Teitelbaum

IL-7 plays a crucial role in controlling T cell development and homeostasis. Since IL-7 may be derived from extraintestinal sources, and exogenous IL-7 broadly affects lymphoid populations, the actions of epithelial cell (EC)-derived IL-7 are not fully understood. The effect of intestinal specific expression of IL-7 on intestinal mucosal lymphocytes was investigated by using an IL-7 transgenic mouse model. We generated an intestinal EC-specific overexpressing IL-7 transgenic mouse model (IL-7vill) and compared their phenotype and function to wild-type C57BL/6J mice. EC-derived IL-7 overexpression was found to be exclusively in the small and large intestine. Numbers and subtypes of mucosal lymphocytes, including intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) and lamina propria lymphocytes (LPL), significantly changed in IL-7vill mice. From a functional standpoint, IEL proliferation also significantly increased in IL-7vill mice. IEL cytokine expression significantly changed in both T cell receptor (TCR)-αβ+ and TCR-γδ+ IEL subpopulations, including a significant increase in IFN-γ and TNF-α as well as an increase in keratinocyte growth factor expression. EC expression of CD103 (integrin αEβ7), the ligand of E-cadherin, markedly upregulated and may account for a mechanism of the massive expansion of IEL in transgenic mice. Systemic lymphoid populations did not change in transgenic mice. IL-7 overexpression by intestinal EC significantly affected IEL phenotype and function. These results offer insight into the role of IL-7 in IEL development and suggest a critical role of EC-derived expression of IL-7 in the phenotype and function of IEL.


1995 ◽  
Vol 182 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Zhou ◽  
C K Edwards ◽  
J D Mountz

T cell dysfunction and thymic involution are major immunologic abnormalities associated with aging. Fas (CD95) is a bifunctional molecule that is critical for apoptosis and stimulation during T cell development, but the role of Fas during aging has not been determined. Fas expression and function on T cells from old (22-26-mo-old) mice was compared with young (2-mo-old) mice and old CD2-fas-transgenic mice. Fas expression and ligand-induced apoptosis were decreased on T cells from old mice compared with young mice. This correlated with an age-related increase in CD44+Fas- T cells. There was a marked decrease in the proliferation of T cells from old mice after anti-CD3 stimulation compared with young mice. Anti-CD3-stimulated T cells from young mice exhibited increased production of interleukin (IL)-2 and decreased production of interferon-gamma and IL-10 compared with old mice. There was an age-related decrease in the total thymocyte count from 127 +/- 10 cells in young mice compared with 26 +/- 8 x 10(6) in old mice. In 26-mo-old CD2-fas-transgenic mice, Fas and CD44 expression, Fas-induced apoptosis, T cell proliferation, and cytokine production were comparable to that of the young mice. These results suggest that T cell senescence with age is associated with defective apoptosis, and that the CD2-fas transgene allows maintenance of Fas apoptosis function and T cell function in aged mice comparable to that of young mice.


1996 ◽  
Vol 183 (1) ◽  
pp. 203-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Granucci ◽  
M Rescigno ◽  
G Marconi ◽  
M Foti ◽  
P Ricciardi-Castagnoli

The mechanisms that induce T cell tolerance to circulating self-proteins are still controversial, and both the deletion and selection of autoreactive T cells have been observed in the thymus of transgenic mouse models. To address the question of the induction of tolerance to circulating self-constituents, a T cell receptor-transgenic mouse specific for the serum protein immunoglobulin (Ig) gamma and (IgG2ab) was generated. The choice of an allotype-specific T cell also allowed the generation of transgenic control mice not expressing the self-antigen. It was found that the transgenic T cells were not deleted in the thymus, did not become tolerant in the periphery, and regulated the function of gamma 2ab-positive B cells as shown by the lack of IgG2ab protein in the serum of the transgenic mice. In spite of this activity in vivo, the transgenic T cells did not proliferate in vitro in response to the allotype-specific peptide. Interestingly, antigen-specific T cell proliferation could be restored if the transgenic mice were previously challenged to induce IgG2ab responses. After this challenge, IgG2ab protein in the serum of the transgenic mice could be partially restored, although still remaining much lower than in control mice. In addition, there was a dramatic increase in serum IgE levels, suggesting that newly generated gamma 2ab-secreting B cells can be induced to switch to IgE in the presence of allotype-specific T cells. These results indicate that Ig-specific T cells may represent a late-acting form of T cell help for the regulation of the IgG2a-to-IgE class switch.


1997 ◽  
Vol 185 (7) ◽  
pp. 1241-1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Ehl ◽  
Joachim Hombach ◽  
Peter Aichele ◽  
Hans Hengartner ◽  
Rolf M. Zinkernagel

Bystander activation, i.e., activation of T cells specific for an antigen X during an immune response against antigen Y may occur during viral infections. However, the low frequency of bystander-activated T cells has rendered it difficult to define the mechanisms and possible in vivo relevance of this nonspecific activation. This study uses transgenic mice expressing a major histocompatibility complex class I–restricted TCR specific for glycoprotein peptide 33-41 of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) to overcome this limitation. CD8+ T cells from specific pathogen-free maintained, unimmunized “naive” TCR transgenic mice can differentiate into LCMV-specific cytolytic effector CTL during infections with vaccinia virus or Listeria monocytogenes in vivo or mixed lymphocyte culture in vitro. We show that in these model situations (a) nonspecifically activated CTL are able to confer antiviral protection in vivo, (b) bystander activation is largely independent of the expression of a second T cell receptor of different specificity, (c) bystander activation is not mediated by a broadly cross-reactive TCR, but rather by cytokines, (d) bystander activation can be mediated by cytokines such as IL-2, but not α/β-IFN in vitro; (e) bystander activation is, overall, a rare event, occuring in vivo in roughly 1 in 200 of the LCMV-specific CTL during infection of TCR transgenic mice with vaccinia virus; (f) bystander activation does not have a significant functional impact on nontransgenic CTL memory under the conditions tested; and (g) even in the TCR transgenic situation, where unphysiologically high numbers of T cells of a single specificity are present, bystander activation is not sufficient to cause clinically manifest autoimmune disease in a transgenic mouse model of diabetes. We conclude that although bystander activation via cytokines may generate cytolytically active CTL from naive precursors, quantitative considerations suggest that this is usually not of major biological consequence.


1991 ◽  
Vol 174 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Obata ◽  
O Taguchi ◽  
Y Matsudaira ◽  
H Hasegawa ◽  
N Hamasima ◽  
...  

During derivation of transgenic mouse strains with various TL and TL/H-2 chimeric genes, one strain, Tg.Tlaa-3-1, introduced with a TL gene (Tlaa-3), was found to have an abnormal thymic T cell population and to develop a high incidence of T cell lymphomas. To investigate the etiology of the thymic abnormalities and of the lymphomas, the development of lymphoid organs in transgenic mice was studied. The thymus of these mice goes through three unusual successive events: perturbation of thymic development during embryogenesis, disappearance of thymocytes between day 14 and day 21 after birth, and subsequent proliferation of large blast-like cells. These events are associated with the abolishment of T cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta lineage of the T cell differentiation, leading to preponderance of cells belonging to the TCR gamma delta L3T4-Lyt-2- double negative (DN) lineage. Bone marrow transplantation and thymic graft experiments demonstrate that the abnormality resides in the bone marrow stem cells rather than in the thymic environment. The expression of TL antigen in the transgenic mice is greatly increased and TL is expressed in a wide range of T cells, including normally TL- DN cells and L3T4+ Lyt-2- and L3T4-Lyt-2+ single positive cells. These quantitative and qualitative abnormalities in TL expression most likely cause the abnormal T cell differentiation. The gamma delta DN cells migrate into peripheral lymphoid organs and constitute nearly 50% of peripheral T cells. Immune function of the transgenic mice is severely impaired, as T cell function is defective in antibody production to sheep red blood cells, in mixed lymphocyte culture reaction to allogenic spleen cells and also in stimulation with concanavalin A. These results indicate that the gamma delta cells are incapable of participating in these reactions. Molecular and serological analysis of T cell lymphomas reveal that they belong to the gamma delta lineage, suggesting that the gamma delta DN cells in this strain are susceptible to leukemic transformation. Based on cell surface phenotype and TCR expression of the DN thymocytes and T cell lymphomas, a map of the sequential steps involved in the differentiation of gamma delta DN cells is proposed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Er-Lukowiak ◽  
Yinghui Duan ◽  
Francois Rassendren ◽  
Lauriane Ulmann ◽  
Annette Nicke ◽  
...  

AbstractAmong laboratory mouse strains many genes are differentially expressed in the same cell population. As consequence, gene targeting in 129-derived embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and backcrossing the modified mice onto the C57BL/6 (B6) background can introduce passenger mutations in the close proximity of the targeted gene. Here, we demonstrate that several 129-originating transgenic mice in which P2rx7-neighboring genes were targeted carry a P2rx7 passenger mutation that affects the vitality and function of T cells. By the example of P2rx4tm1Rass we demonstrate that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells derived from these mice express higher levels of P2X7 when compared to corresponding cell populations in B6-WT mice. The increased T cell sensitivity towards the P2X7 activators adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) rendered these cells more vulnerable towards NAD-induced cell death (NICD) compared to their B6-WT counterparts. The enhanced NICD sensitivity significantly affected the outcome of functional assays e.g. cytokine production and cell migration. For P2rx4tm1Rass, we demonstrate that the expression of P2X7 is diminished in several innate immune cell populations, possibly as a side effect of P2rx4 targeting, and independent of the P2rx7 passenger mutation. These results need to be considered when working with P2rx4tm1Rass mice or other 129-based transgenic strains that target P2rx7 neighboring genes and might have implications for other mouse models.


Endocrinology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 146 (10) ◽  
pp. 4167-4176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Rico ◽  
Marcela Del Rio ◽  
Ana Bravo ◽  
Angel Ramirez ◽  
José L. Jorcano ◽  
...  

The epidermis has a great potential as a bioreactor to produce proteins with systemic action. However, the consequences of ectopic epidermal protein overexpression need to be carefully addressed to avoid both local and systemic adverse effects. Thus, the long-term effects of leptin on skin physiology have not been studied, and the metabolic consequences of sustained keratinocyte-derived leptin overexpression are unknown. Herein we describe that very high serum leptin levels can be achieved from a cutaneous source in transgenic mice in which leptin cDNA overexpression was driven by the keratin K5 gene regulatory sequences. Histopathological analysis including the study of skin differentiation and proliferation markers in these transgenic mice revealed that keratinocyte-derived leptin overexpression appears not to have any impact on cutaneous homeostasis. Although young K5-leptin transgenic mice showed remarkable thinness and high glucose metabolism as shown in other leptin transgenic mouse models, a marked leptin insensitivity become apparent as early as 3–4 months of age as demonstrated by increased weight gain and insulin resistance development. Other signs of leptin/insulin resistance included increased bone mass, organomegaly, and wound healing impairment. In addition, to provide evidence for the lack of untoward effects of leptin on epidermis, this transgenic mouse helps us to establish the safe ranges of keratinocyte-derived leptin overexpression and may be useful as a model to study leptin resistance.


Virology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 438 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mir Munir Ahmed Rahim ◽  
Pavel Chrobak ◽  
Elena Priceputu ◽  
Zaher Hanna ◽  
Paul Jolicoeur

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e002544
Author(s):  
Eugene Shenderov ◽  
Matheswaran Kandasamy ◽  
Uzi Gileadi ◽  
Jili Chen ◽  
Dawn Shepherd ◽  
...  

BackgroundNY-ESO-1 is a tumor-specific, highly immunogenic, human germ cell antigen of the MAGE-1 family that is a promising vaccine and cell therapy candidate in clinical trial development. The mouse genome does not encode an NY-ESO-1 homolog thereby not subjecting transgenic T-cells to thymic tolerance mechanisms that might impair in-vivo studies. We hypothesized that an NY-ESO-1 T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mouse would provide the unique opportunity to study avidity of TCR response against NY-ESO-1 for tumor vaccine and cellular therapy development against this clinically relevant and physiological human antigen.MethodsTo study in vitro and in vivo the requirements for shaping an effective T cell response against the clinically relevant NY-ESO-1, we generated a C57BL/6 HLA-A*0201 background TCR transgenic mouse encoding the 1G4 TCR specific for the human HLA-A2 restricted, NY-ESO-1157-165 SLLMWITQC (9C), initially identified in an NY-ESO-1 positive melanoma patient.ResultsThe HLA-A*0201 restricted TCR was positively selected on both CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Mouse 1G4 T cells were not activated by endogenous autoimmune targets or a large library of non-cognate viral antigens. In contrast, their activation by HLA-A2 NY-ESO-1157-165 complexes was evident by proliferation, CD69 upregulation, interferon-γ production, and interleukin-2 production, and could be tuned using a twofold higher affinity altered peptide ligand, NY-ESO-1157-165V. NY-ESO-1157-165V recombinant vaccination of syngeneic mice adoptively transferred with m1G4 CD8+ T cells controlled tumor growth in vivo. 1G4 transgenic mice suppressed growth of syngeneic methylcholanthrene (MCA) induced HHD tumor cells expressing the full-length human NY-ESO-1 protein but not MCA HHD tumor cells lacking NY-ESO-1.ConclusionsThe 1G4 TCR mouse model for the physiological human TCR against the clinically relevant antigen, NY-ESO-1, is a valuable tool with the potential to accelerate clinical development of NY-ESO-1-targeted T-cell and vaccine therapies.


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