技术资料

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (Ido2) is a recently identified catalytic enzyme in the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway that is expressed primarily in monocytes and dendritic cells. To elucidate the biological role of Ido2 in immune function,we introduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin shock to Ido2 knockout (Ido2 KO) mice,which led to higher mortality than that in the wild type (WT) mice. LPS-treated Ido2 KO mice had increased production of inflammatory cytokines (including interleukin-6; IL-6) in serum and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (stat3) phosphorylation in the spleen. Moreover,the peritoneal macrophages of LPS-treated Ido2 KO mice produced more cytokines than did the WT mice. By contrast,the overexpression of Ido2 in the murine macrophage cell line (RAW) suppressed cytokine production and decreased stat3 expression. Finally,RAW cells overexpressing Ido2 did not alter nuclear factor $\kappa$B (NF-$\kappa$B) or stat1 expression,but IL-6 and stat3 expression decreased relative to the control cell line. These results reveal that Ido2 modulates IL-6/stat3 signalling and is induced by LPS,providing novel options for the treatment of immune disorders. View Publication

Recognition of nucleic acids by endosomal Toll-like receptors (TLR) is essential to combat pathogens,but requires strict control to limit inflammatory responses. The mechanisms governing this tight regulation are unclear. We found that single-stranded oligonucleotides (ssON) inhibit endocytic pathways used by cargo destined for TLR3/4/7 signaling endosomes. Both ssDNA and ssRNA conferred the endocytic inhibition,it was concentration dependent,and required a certain ssON length. The ssON-mediated inhibition modulated signaling downstream of TLRs that localized within the affected endosomal pathway. We further show that injection of ssON dampens dsRNA-mediated inflammatory responses in the skin of non-human primates. These studies reveal a regulatory role for extracellular ssON in the endocytic uptake of TLR ligands and provide a mechanistic explanation of their immunomodulation. The identified ssON-mediated interference of endocytosis (SOMIE) is a regulatory process that temporarily dampens TLR3/4/7 signaling,thereby averting excessive immune responses. View Publication

Effective humoral immunity requires class switch recombination (CSR) catalyzed by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). In response to T cell-dependent (TD) Ags,CSR can be induced by CD40 signaling in B cells. TNFR-associated factors 2 and 3 (TRAF2/TRAF3) function as adaptors of the CD40 signaling pathway. B cell-intrinsic TRAF2 or TRAF3 (B-TRAF2 or B-TRAF3) knockout mice were previously reported to have indistinguishable phenotypes in gene expression,B cell survival and development,and enlarged peripheral lymphoid organs. However,it remains unknown whether deficiency of B-TRAF2 or B-TRAF3 differentially affects TD humoral immune responses and CD40-induced CSR. In this article,we show that B-TRAF2 is essential for optimal isotype switching induced by in vivo TD Ag immunization or by engaging CD40 in vitro. Our data clarify the controversial role of B-TRAF3 and confirm its dispensability in CD40-induced CSR. Mechanistically,CD40-induced AID expression was markedly impaired by B-TRAF2,but not B-TRAF3,deficiency. Moreover,B-TRAF2 deficiency causes defective activation of the NF-$\kappa$B1 complex in a CD40-autonomous manner,and restoring CD40-induced NF-$\kappa$B1 activation in TRAF2-deficient B cells rescues AID expression and CSR. We conclude that TRAF2 is essential but TRAF3 is dispensable for TD humoral immunity and CD40-induced CSR. Our studies provide significant biological bases for optimizing treatment of B cell-associated immune disorders by targeting CD40 signaling. View Publication

Background: B cells play an important role in the development and maintenance of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although IL-10-producing B cells represent a major subset of regulatory B cells (Bregs) able to suppress autoimmune and inflammatory responses,recent reports showed that B cell-mediated immune suppression may also occur independent of IL-10. For instance,B cells can modulate T cell immune responses through the expression of regulatory molecules such as PD-L1. So far,PD-L1-expressing B cells have not been analyzed in RA patients. Objective: To analyze the frequency of PD-L1-expressing B cells in the peripheral blood of RA patients compared to healthy controls (HC) matched for sex and age,their function on T cell response and their changes in response to therapy. Methods: Fresh peripheral blood B cells from RA patients and HC were characterized by flow cytometry and their functionality assessed in a co-culture system with autologous T cells. Results: The frequencies of CD19+PD-L1+ B cells,CD24hiCD38-PD-L1+ and CD24hiCD38hiPD-L1+ B cells were significantly lower in untreated RA patients than in HC. In a follow-up study,the frequencies of PD-L1+ B cells (CD19+PD-L1+ B cells,CD24hiCD38-PD-L1+ and CD24hiCD38hiPD-L1+ B cells) increased significantly after treatment in good responder patients,although the frequency of total CD24hiCD38hi B cells decreased. CD19+ B cells from untreated RA patients and HC upregulated PD-L1 expression similarly upon stimulation with CpG plus IL-2 and were able to suppress,in vitro,CD8+ T cell proliferation and cytokine production in a PD-L1-dependent manner. Conclusions: Our results show that PD-L1+ B cells exhibiting T cell suppressive capacity are significantly decreased in untreated RA patients but increase in response to successful treatment. PD-L1 expression on B cells from RA patients can be modulated in vitro and PD-L1+ B cells could thus provide new perspectives for future treatment strategies. View Publication

Functional CD8+ T cells in human tumors play a clear role in clinical prognosis and response to immunotherapeutic interventions. PD-1 expression in T cells involved in chronic infections and tumors such as melanoma often correlates with a state of T-cell exhaustion. Here we interrogate CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from human breast and melanoma tumors to explore their functional state. Despite expression of exhaustion hallmarks,such as PD-1 expression,human breast tumor CD8+ TILs retain robust capacity for production of effector cytokines and degranulation capacity. In contrast,melanoma CD8+ TILs display dramatic reduction of cytokine production and degranulation capacity. We show that CD8+ TILs from human breast tumors can potently kill cancer cells via bi-specific antibodies. Our data demonstrate that CD8+ TILs in human breast tumors retain polyfunctionality,despite PD-1 expression,and suggest that they may be harnessed for effective immunotherapies. View Publication

Human mucosal tissues and skin contain two distinct types of dendritic cell (DC) subsets,epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) and dermal DCs,which can be distinguished by the expression of C-type lectin receptors,Langerin and DC-SIGN,respectively. Although peripheral blood monocytes differentiate into these distinct subsets,monocyte-derived LCs (moLCs) induced by coculture with GM-CSF,IL-4,and TGF-$\beta$1 coexpress both Langerin and DC-SIGN,suggesting that the environmental cues remain unclear. In this study,we show that LC differentiation is TGF-$\beta$1 dependent and that cofactors such as IL-4 and TNF-$\alpha$ promote TGF-$\beta$1-dependent LC differentiation into Langerin+DC-SIGN- moLCs but continuous exposure to IL-4 blocks differentiation. Steroids such as dexamethasone greatly enhanced TNF-$\alpha$-induced moLC differentiation and blocked DC-SIGN expression. Consistent with primary LCs,dexamethasone-treated moLCs express CD1a,whereas monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs) express CD1b,CD1c,and CD1d. moDCs but not moLCs produced inflammatory cytokines after stimulation with CD1b and CD1d ligands mycolic acid and $\alpha$-galactosylceramide,respectively. Strikingly,CD1a triggering with squalene on moLCs but not moDCs induced strong IL-22-producing CD4+ helper T cell responses. As IL-22 is an important cytokine in the maintenance of skin homeostasis,these data suggest that CD1a on LCs is involved in maintaining the immune barrier in the skin. View Publication

Capturing where and how multipotency is lost is crucial to understand how blood formation is controlled. Blood lineage specification is currently thought to occur downstream of multipotent haematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Here we show that,in human,the first lineage restriction events occur within the CD19-CD34+CD38-CD45RA-CD49f+CD90+ (49f+) HSC compartment to generate myelo-lymphoid committed cells with no erythroid differentiation capacity. At single-cell resolution,we observe a continuous but polarised organisation of the 49f+ compartment,where transcriptional programmes and lineage potential progressively change along a gradient of opposing cell surface expression of CLEC9A and CD34. CLEC9AhiCD34lo cells contain long-term repopulating multipotent HSCs with slow quiescence exit kinetics,whereas CLEC9AloCD34hi cells are restricted to myelo-lymphoid differentiation and display infrequent but durable repopulation capacity. We thus propose that human HSCs gradually transition to a discrete lymphoid-primed state,distinct from lymphoid-primed multipotent progenitors,representing the earliest entry point into lymphoid commitment. View Publication

Memory T-cells are essential to maintain long-term immunological memory. It is widely thought that the bone marrow (BM) plays an important role in the long-term maintenance of memory T-cells. There is controversy however on the longevity and recirculating kinetics of BM memory T-cells. While some have proposed that the BM is a reservoir for long-lived,non-circulating memory T-cells,it has also been suggested to be the preferential site for memory T-cell self-renewal. In this study,we used in vivo deuterium labeling in goats to simultaneously quantify the average turnover rates-and thereby expected lifespans-of memory T-cells from BM,blood and lymph nodes (LN). While the fraction of Ki-67 positive cells,a snapshot marker for recent cell division,was higher in memory T-cells from blood compared to BM and LN,in vivo deuterium labeling revealed no substantial differences in the expected lifespans of memory T-cells between these compartments. Our results support the view that the majority of memory T-cells in the BM are self-renewing as fast as those in the periphery,and are continuously recirculating between the blood,BM,and LN. View Publication

Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) are characterized by their unique capacities of self-renewal and multi-differentiation potential. This second property makes them able to adapt their differentiation profile depending on the local environment they reach. Taking advantage of an animal model of peritonitis,induced by injection of the TLR-2 ligand,zymosan,we sought to study the relationship between bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (BM-HSPCs) and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) regarding their emergence and differentiation at the site of inflammation. Our results demonstrate that the strength of the inflammatory signals affects the capacity of BM-derived HSPCs to migrate and give rise in situ to ILCs. Both low- and high-dose of zymosan injections trigger the appearance of mature ILCs in the peritoneal cavity where the inflammation occurs. Herein,we show that only in low-dose injected mice,the recovered ILCs are dependent on an in situ differentiation of BM-derived HSPCs and/or ILC2 precursors (ILC2P) wherein high-dose,the stronger inflammatory environment seems to be able to induce the emergence of ILCs independently of BM-derived HSPCs. We suggest that a relationship between HSPCs and ILCs seems to be affected by the strength of the inflammatory stimuli opening new perspectives in the manipulation of these early hematopoietic cells. View Publication

Cellular senescence,which is characterized by an irreversible cell-cycle arrest1 accompanied by a distinctive secretory phenotype2,can be induced through various intracellular and extracellular factors. Senescent cells that express the cell cycle inhibitory protein p16INK4A have been found to actively drive naturally occurring age-related tissue deterioration3,4 and contribute to several diseases associated with ageing,including atherosclerosis5 and osteoarthritis6. Various markers of senescence have been observed in patients with neurodegenerative diseases7-9; however,a role for senescent cells in the aetiology of these pathologies is unknown. Here we show a causal link between the accumulation of senescent cells and cognition-associated neuronal loss. We found that the MAPTP301SPS19 mouse model of tau-dependent neurodegenerative disease10 accumulates p16INK4A-positive senescent astrocytes and microglia. Clearance of these cells as they arise using INK-ATTAC transgenic mice prevents gliosis,hyperphosphorylation of both soluble and insoluble tau leading to neurofibrillary tangle deposition,and degeneration of cortical and hippocampal neurons,thus preserving cognitive function. Pharmacological intervention with a first-generation senolytic modulates tau aggregation. Collectively,these results show that senescent cells have a role in the initiation and progression of tau-mediated disease,and suggest that targeting senescent cells may provide a therapeutic avenue for the treatment of these pathologies. View Publication

As the sole target of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to HIV,the envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer is the focus of vaccination strategies designed to elicit protective bnAbs in humans. Because HIV Env is densely glycosylated with 75-90 N-glycans per trimer,most bnAbs use or accommodate them in their binding epitope,making the glycosylation of recombinant Env a key aspect of HIV vaccine design. Upon analysis of three HIV strains,we here find that site-specific glycosylation of Env from infectious virus closely matches Envs from corresponding recombinant membrane-bound trimers. However,viral Envs differ significantly from recombinant soluble,cleaved (SOSIP) Env trimers,strongly impacting antigenicity. These results provide a benchmark for virus Env glycosylation needed for the design of soluble Env trimers as part of an overall HIV vaccine strategy. View Publication

Cytokine responses from monocytes and macrophages exposed to bacteria are of particular importance in innate immunity. Focusing on the impact of the immunoregulatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-27 on control of innate immune system responses,we examined human immune responses to bacterial products and bacterial infection by E. coli and S. typhimurium. Since the effect of IL-27 treatment in human myeloid cells infected with bacteria is understudied,we treated human monocytes and macrophages with IL-27 and either LPS,flagellin,or bacteria,to investigate the effect on inflammatory signaling and cytokine responses. We determined that simultaneous stimulation with IL-27 and LPS derived from E. coli or S. typhimurium resulted in enhanced IL-12p40,TNF-$\alpha$,and IL-6 expression compared to that by LPS alone. To elucidate if IL-27 manipulated the cellular response to infection with bacteria,we infected IL-27 treated human macrophages with S. typhimurium. While IL-27 did not affect susceptibility to S. typhimurium infection or S. typhimurium-induced cell death,IL-27 significantly enhanced proinflammatory cytokine production in infected cells. Taken together,we highlight a role for IL-27 in modulating innate immune responses to bacterial infection. View Publication