BACH1 deficiency prevents neointima formation and maintains the differentiated phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells by regulating chromatin accessibility.

The transcription factor BTB and CNC homology 1(BACH1) has been linked to coronary artery disease risk by human genome-wide association studies, but little is known about the role of BACH1 in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotype switching and neointima formation following vascular injury. Therefore, this study aims to explore the role of BACH1 in vascular remodeling and its underlying mechanisms. BACH1 was highly expressed in human atherosclerotic plaques and has high transcriptional factor activity in VSMCs of human atherosclerotic arteries. VSMC-specific loss of Bach1 in mice inhibited the transformation of VSMC from contractile to synthetic phenotype and VSMC proliferation and attenuated the neointimal hyperplasia induced by wire injury. Mechanistically, BACH1 suppressed chromatin accessibility at the promoters of VSMC marker genes via recruiting histone methyltransferase G9a and cofactor YAP and maintaining the H3K9me2 state, thereby repressing VSMC marker genes expression in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). BACH1-induced repression of VSMC marker genes was abolished by the silencing of G9a or YAP. Thus, these findings demonstrate a crucial regulatory role of BACH1 in VSMC phenotypic transition and vascular homeostasis and shed light on potential future protective vascular disease intervention via manipulation of BACH1.

NFIL3 deficiency alleviates EAE through regulating different immune cell subsets.

INTRODUCTION: The transcription factor NFIL3 exerts comprehensive effects on the immune system. Previous studies revealed that NFIL3 is related to the function and development of different immune cell subsets. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is mediated by immune cells which results in inflammatory demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS). However, how NFIL3 affects EAE has not been thoroughly studied. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to investigate how NFIL3 affects EAE, especially the changes of T cells and dendritic cells as well as the crosstalk between them. METHODS: We used NFIL3-/- mice and C57BL/6J mice (wildtype) to establish MOG35-55-induced EAE. The clinical scores were recorded daily. The immune cells within and outside the CNS of EAE mice were analyzed by flow cytometry. Histology was used to evaluated the neuroinflammation and demyelination in the CNS. Besides, CD11c+ dendritic cells (DCs) were cocultured with T cells and the interplay was measured. RESULTS: At the peak of EAE, Th17 cells decreased within the CNS accompanying with lower clinical scores and milder neuroinflammation and demyelination in NFIL3 knockout EAE mice. Outside the CNS, PD-1 and ICOS on CD4+T cells increased, whereas Th2, Th9, CD8+CD103+T cells and GM-CSF+CD4+T cells decreased. Besides, the pro-inflammatory capacity of NFIL3-/- CD11c+ dendritic cells was impaired while the anti-inflammatory capacity was promoted. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that NFIL3 deficiency could alleviate MOG35-55-induced EAE through regulating different immune cell subsets, which is not only related with adaptive immunity and innate immunity, but also related with the cross-talk between them, especially CD4+ T cells and CD11c+ dendritic cells.

Batf-mediated epigenetic control of effector CD8+ T cell differentiation.

The response of naive CD8+ T cells to their cognate antigen involves rapid and broad changes to gene expression that are coupled with extensive chromatin remodeling, but the mechanisms governing these changes are not fully understood. Here, we investigated how these changes depend on the basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor Batf, which is essential for the early phases of the process. Through genome scale profiling, we characterized the role of Batf in chromatin organization at several levels, including the accessibility of key regulatory regions, the expression of their nearby genes, and the interactions that these regions form with each other and with key transcription factors. We identified a core network of transcription factors that cooperated with Batf, including Irf4, Runx3, and T-bet, as indicated by their colocalization with Batf and their binding in regions whose accessibility, interactions, and expression of nearby genes depend on Batf. We demonstrated the synergistic activity of this network by overexpressing the different combinations of these genes in fibroblasts. Batf and Irf4, but not Batf alone, were sufficient to increase accessibility and transcription of key loci, normally associated with T cell function. Addition of Runx3 and T-bet further contributed to fine-tuning of these changes and was essential for establishing chromatin loops characteristic of T cells. These data provide a resource for studying the epigenomic and transcriptomic landscape of effector differentiation of cytotoxic T cells and for investigating the interdependency between transcription factors and its effects on the epigenome and transcriptome of primary cells.

BATF promotes group 2 innate lymphoid cell-mediated lung tissue protection during acute respiratory virus infection.

Activated group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) accumulate and promote inflammatory resolution and tissue repair in host defense against acute respiratory viral infections. However, the heterogeneity of ILC2s in the lung and the mechanisms by which ILC2 cells contribute to tissue repair remain elusive. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we identify a transcriptionally distinct ILC2 subset that showed enrichment for wound healing signature genes and the transcription factor BATF. BATF promotes the proliferation and function of ILC2s and restricts their plasticity during infection with influenza virus. In the absence of BATF, ILC2s lose their immune protective properties and acquire pathogenic ILC3-like functions, leading to persistent neutrophil infiltration, tissue damage, and respiratory failure. Mechanistically, BATF directly binds to the cis-regulatory elements of wound healing genes, maintains their chromatin accessibility, and promotes their expression. Last, BATF plays an important role in an IL-33­ST2 feed-forward loop that supports ILC2 cell identity and function. Collectively, our findings shed light on a BATF-dependent ILC2 program, thereby providing a potential therapeutic target for terminating detrimental inflammation during acute viral infection.

BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1) induces lung cancer stem cell phenotypes by stimulating CD44 expression.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for cancer initiation in tumors. Bach1 has been identified to contribute to several tumor progression, including lung cancer. The role of Bach1 in CSCs remains poorly known. Therefore, the function of Bach1 on lung CSCs was focused currently. METHODS: The expression of Bach1, CD133, CD44, Sox2, Nanog and Oct4 mRNA was assessed using Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). Protein expression of Bach1, CD133, CD44, Sox2, Nanog, Oct4, p53, BCL2, BAX, p-p38, p-AKT1, c-Fos and c-Jun protein was analyzed by western blotting. 5-ethynyl-29-deoxyuridine (EdU), colony formation, Flow cytometry analysis and transwell invasion assay were carried out to analyze lung cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion respectively. Tumor sphere formation assay was utilized to evaluate spheroid capacity. Flow cytometry analysis was carried out to isolate CD133 or CD44 positive lung cancer cells. The relationship between Bach1 and CD44 was verified using ChIP-qPCR and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Xenograft tumor tissues were collected for hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and IHC analysis to evaluate histology and Ki-67. RESULTS: The ratio of CD44 + CSCs from A549 and SPC-A1 cells were significantly enriched. Tumor growth of CD44 + CSCs was obviously suppressed in vivo compared to CD44- CSCs. Bach1 expression was obviously increased in CD44 + CSCs. Then, via using the in vitro experiment, it was observed that CSCs proliferation and invasion were greatly reduced by the down-regulation of Bach1 while cell apoptosis was triggered by knockdown of Bach1. Loss of Bach1 was able to repress tumor-sphere formation and tumor-initiating CSC markers. A repression of CSCs growth and metastasis of shRNA-Bach1 was confirmed using xenograft models and caudal vein injection. The direct interaction between Bach1 and CD44 was confirmed by ChIP-qPCR and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway was selected and we proved the effects of Bach1 on lung CSCs were associated with the activation of the MAPK pathway. As manifested, loss of Bach1 was able to repress p-p38, p-AKT1, c-Fos, c-Jun protein levels in lung CSCs. Inhibition of MAPK signaling remarkably restrained lung CSCs growth and CSCs properties induced by Bach1 overexpression. CONCLUSION: In summary, we imply that Bach1 demonstrates great potential for the treatment of lung cancer metastasis and recurrence via activating CD44 and MPAK signaling.

BACH2 enforces the transcriptional and epigenetic programs of stem-like CD8+ T cells.

During chronic infection and cancer, a self-renewing CD8+ T cell subset maintains long-term immunity and is critical to the effectiveness of immunotherapy. These stem-like CD8+ T cells diverge from other CD8+ subsets early after chronic viral infection. However, pathways guarding stem-like CD8+ T cells against terminal exhaustion remain unclear. Here, we show that the gene encoding transcriptional repressor BACH2 is transcriptionally and epigenetically active in stem-like CD8+ T cells but not terminally exhausted cells early after infection. BACH2 overexpression enforced stem-like cell fate, whereas BACH2 deficiency impaired stem-like CD8+ T cell differentiation. Single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic approaches revealed that BACH2 established the transcriptional and epigenetic programs of stem-like CD8+ T cells. In addition, BACH2 suppressed the molecular program driving terminal exhaustion through transcriptional repression and epigenetic silencing. Thus, our study reveals a new pathway that enforces commitment to stem-like CD8+ lineage and prevents an alternative terminally exhausted cell fate.

NRL-/- gene edited human embryonic stem cells generate rod-deficient retinal organoids enriched in S-cone-like photoreceptors.

Organoid cultures represent a unique tool to investigate the developmental complexity of tissues like the human retina. NRL is a transcription factor required for the specification and homeostasis of mammalian rod photoreceptors. In Nrl-deficient mice, photoreceptor precursor cells do not differentiate into rods, and instead follow a default photoreceptor specification pathway to generate S-cone-like cells. To investigate whether this genetic switch mechanism is conserved in humans, we used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to engineer an NRL-deficient embryonic stem cell (ESC) line (NRL-/- ), and differentiated it into retinal organoids. Retinal organoids self-organize and resemble embryonic optic vesicles (OVs) that recapitulate the natural histogenesis of rods and cone photoreceptors. NRL-/- OVs develop comparably to controls, and exhibit a laminated, organized retinal structure with markers of photoreceptor synaptogenesis. Using immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), we observed that NRL-/- OVs do not express NRL, or other rod photoreceptor markers directly or indirectly regulated by NRL. On the contrary, they show an abnormal number of photoreceptors positive for S-OPSIN, which define a primordial subtype of cone, and overexpress other cone genes indicating a conserved molecular switch in mammals. This study represents the first evidence in a human in vitro ESC-derived organoid system that NRL is required to define rod identity, and that in its absence S-cone-like cells develop as the default photoreceptor cell type. It shows how gene edited retinal organoids provide a useful system to investigate human photoreceptor specification, relevant for efforts to generate cells for transplantation in retinal degenerative diseases.

Bach2 Deficiency Promotes Intestinal Epithelial Regeneration by Accelerating DNA Repair in Intestinal Stem Cells.

Epithelial regeneration is critical for barrier maintenance and organ function after intestinal injury, although the repair mechanisms are unclear. Here, we found that Bach2 deficiency promotes intestinal epithelial cell proliferation during homeostasis. Moreover, genetic inactivation of Bach2 in mouse intestinal epithelium facilitated crypt regeneration after irradiation, resulting in a reduction in mortality. RNA-sequencing analysis of isolated crypts revealed that Bach2 deficiency altered the expression of numerous genes, including those regulating double-strand break repair. Mechanistic characterizations indicated that Bach2 deletion facilitated DNA repair in intestinal crypt cells, as evidenced by faster resolution of γ-H2AX and 53BP1 foci in Bach2-/- crypt cells, compared with Bach2+/+ control. Together, our studies highlight that Bach2 deficiency promotes intestinal regeneration by accelerating DNA repair in intestinal stem cells after radiation damage.

Bach1 plays an important role in angiogenesis through regulation of oxidative stress.

Bach1 is a known transcriptional repressor of the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene. The purpose of this study was to determine whether angiogenesis is accelerated by genetic ablation of Bach1 in a mouse ischemic hindlimb model. Hindlimb ischemia was surgically induced in wild-type (WT) mice, Bach1-deficient (Bach1-/-) mice, apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice, and Bach1/ApoE double-knockout (Bach1-/-/ApoE-/-) mice. Blood flow recovery after hindlimb ischemia showed significant improvement in Bach1-/- mice compared with that in WT mice. Bach1-/-/ApoE-/- mice showed significantly improved blood flow recovery compared with that in ApoE-/- mice to the level of that in WT mice. Migration of endothelial cells in ApoE-/- mice was significantly decreased compared with that in WT mice. Migration of endothelial cells significantly increased in Bach1-/-/ApoE-/- mice compared with that in ApoE-/- mice to the level of that in WT mice. The expression levels of HO-1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ co-activator-1α, angiopoietin 1, and fibroblast growth factor 2 in endothelial cells isolated from Bach1-/-/ApoE-/- mice were significantly higher than those in ApoE-/- mice. Oxidative stress assessed by anti-acrolein antibody staining in ischemic tissues and urinary 8-isoPGF2α excretion were significantly increased in ApoE-/- mice compared with those in WT and Bach1-/- mice. Oxidative stress was reduced in Bach1-/-/ApoE-/- mice compared with that in ApoE-/- mice. These findings suggest that genetic ablation of Bach1 plays an important role in ischemia-induced angiogenesis under the condition of increased oxidative stress. Bach1 could be a potential therapeutic target to reduce oxidative stress and potentially improve angiogenesis for patients with peripheral arterial disease.

CD103+ cDC1 and endogenous CD8+ T cells are necessary for improved CD40L-overexpressing CAR T cell antitumor function.

While effective in specific settings, adoptive chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for cancer requires further improvement and optimization. Our previous results show that CD40L-overexpressing CAR T cells mobilize endogenous immune effectors, resulting in improved antitumor immunity. However, the cell populations required for this protective effect remain to be identified. Here we show, by analyzing Batf3-/- mice lacking the CD103+ conventional dendritic cell type 1 (cDC1) subpopulation important for antigen cross-presentation, that CD40L-overexpressing CAR T cells elicit an impaired antitumor response in the absence of cDC1s. We further find that CD40L-overexpressing CAR T cells stimulate tumor-resident CD11b-CD103- double-negative (DN) cDCs to proliferate and differentiate into cDC1s in wild-type mice. Finally, re-challenge experiments show that endogenous CD8+ T cells are required for protective antitumor memory in this setting. Our findings thus demonstrate the stimulatory effect of CD40L-overexpressing CAR T cells on innate and adaptive immune cells, and provide a rationale for using CD40L-overexpressing CAR T cells to improve immunotherapy responses.

Bach1 promotes muscle regeneration through repressing Smad-mediated inhibition of myoblast differentiation.

It has been reported that Bach1-deficient mice show reduced tissue injuries in diverse disease models due to increased expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)that possesses an antioxidant function. In contrast, we found that Bach1 deficiency in mice exacerbated skeletal muscle injury induced by cardiotoxin. Inhibition of Bach1 expression in C2C12 myoblast cells using RNA interference resulted in reduced proliferation, myotube formation, and myogenin expression compared with control cells. While the expression of HO-1 was increased by Bach1 silencing in C2C12 cells, the reduced myotube formation was not rescued by HO-1 inhibition. Up-regulations of Smad2, Smad3 and FoxO1, known inhibitors of muscle cell differentiation, were observed in Bach1-deficient mice and Bach1-silenced C2C12 cells. Therefore, Bach1 may promote regeneration of muscle by increasing proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts.

BACH2 drives quiescence and maintenance of resting Treg cells to promote homeostasis and cancer immunosuppression.

Regulatory T (Treg) cell populations are composed of functionally quiescent resting Treg (rTreg) cells which differentiate into activated Treg (aTreg) cells upon antigen stimulation. How rTreg cells remain quiescent despite chronic exposure to cognate self- and foreign antigens is unclear. The transcription factor BACH2 is critical for early Treg lineage specification, but its function following lineage commitment is unresolved. Here, we show that BACH2 is repurposed following Treg lineage commitment and promotes the quiescence and long-term maintenance of rTreg cells. Bach2 is highly expressed in rTreg cells but is down-regulated in aTreg cells and during inflammation. In rTreg cells, BACH2 binds to enhancers of genes involved in aTreg differentiation and represses their TCR-driven induction by competing with AP-1 factors for DNA binding. This function promotes rTreg cell quiescence and long-term maintenance and is required for immune homeostasis and durable immunosuppression in cancer. Thus, BACH2 supports a "division of labor" between quiescent rTreg cells and their activated progeny in Treg maintenance and function, respectively.

Investigating cone photoreceptor development using patient-derived NRL null retinal organoids.

Photoreceptor loss is a leading cause of blindness, but mechanisms underlying photoreceptor degeneration are not well understood. Treatment strategies would benefit from improved understanding of gene-expression patterns directing photoreceptor development, as many genes are implicated in both development and degeneration. Neural retina leucine zipper (NRL) is critical for rod photoreceptor genesis and degeneration, with NRL mutations known to cause enhanced S-cone syndrome and retinitis pigmentosa. While murine Nrl loss has been characterized, studies of human NRL can identify important insights for human retinal development and disease. We utilized iPSC organoid models of retinal development to molecularly define developmental alterations in a human model of NRL loss. Consistent with the function of NRL in rod fate specification, human retinal organoids lacking NRL develop S-opsin dominant photoreceptor populations. We report generation of two distinct S-opsin expressing populations in NRL null retinal organoids and identify MEF2C as a candidate regulator of cone development.

Attenuation of TCR-induced transcription by Bach2 controls regulatory T cell differentiation and homeostasis.

Differentiation and homeostasis of Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells are strictly controlled by T-cell receptor (TCR) signals; however, molecular mechanisms that govern these processes are incompletely understood. Here we show that Bach2 is an important regulator of Treg cell differentiation and homeostasis downstream of TCR signaling. Bach2 prevents premature differentiation of fully suppressive effector Treg (eTreg) cells, limits IL-10 production and is required for the development of peripherally induced Treg (pTreg) cells in the gastrointestinal tract. Bach2 attenuates TCR signaling-induced IRF4-dependent Treg cell differentiation. Deletion of IRF4 promotes inducible Treg cell differentiation and rescues pTreg cell differentiation in the absence of Bach2. In turn, loss of Bach2 normalizes eTreg cell differentiation of IRF4-deficient Treg cells. Mechanistically, Bach2 counteracts the DNA-binding activity of IRF4 and limits chromatin accessibility, thereby attenuating IRF4-dependent transcription. Thus, Bach2 balances TCR signaling induced transcriptional activity of IRF4 to maintain homeostasis of thymically-derived and peripherally-derived Treg cells.

Precursors for Nonlymphoid-Tissue Treg Cells Reside in Secondary Lymphoid Organs and Are Programmed by the Transcription Factor BATF.

Specialized regulatory T (Treg) cells accumulate and perform homeostatic and regenerative functions in nonlymphoid tissues. Whether common precursors for nonlymphoid-tissue Treg cells exist and how they differentiate remain elusive. Using transcription factor nuclear factor, interleukin 3 regulated (Nfil3) reporter mice and single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), we identified two precursor stages of interleukin 33 (IL-33) receptor ST2-expressing nonlymphoid tissue Treg cells, which resided in the spleen and lymph nodes. Global chromatin profiling of nonlymphoid tissue Treg cells and the two precursor stages revealed a stepwise acquisition of chromatin accessibility and reprogramming toward the nonlymphoid-tissue Treg cell phenotype. Mechanistically, we identified and validated the transcription factor Batf as the driver of the molecular tissue program in the precursors. Understanding this tissue development program will help to harness regenerative properties of tissue Treg cells for therapy.

Liver-resident NK cells suppress autoimmune cholangitis and limit the proliferation of CD4+ T cells.

Liver-resident NK cells are distinct from conventional NK cells and play an important role in the maintenance of liver homeostasis. How liver-resident NK cells participate in autoimmune cholangitis remains unclear. Here, we extensively investigated the impact of NK cells in the pathogenesis of autoimmune cholangitis utilizing the well-established dnTGFßRII cholangitis model, NK cell-deficient (Nfil3-/-) mice, adoptive transfer and in vivo antibody-mediated NK cell depletion. Our data demonstrated that disease progression was associated with a significantly reduced frequency of hepatic NK cells. Depletion of NK cells resulted in exacerbated autoimmune cholangitis in dnTGFßRII mice. We further confirmed that the DX5-CD11chi liver-resident NK cell subset colocalized with CD4+ T cells and inhibited CD4+ T cell proliferation. Gene expression microarray analysis demonstrated that liver-resident NK cells had a distinct gene expression pattern consisting of the increased expression of genes involved in negative regulatory functions in the context of the inflammatory microenvironment.

Protection of Batf3-deficient mice from experimental cerebral malaria correlates with impaired cytotoxic T-cell responses and immune regulation.

Excessive inflammatory immune responses during infections with Plasmodium parasites are responsible for severe complications such as cerebral malaria (CM) that can be studied experimentally in mice. Dendritic cells (DCs) activate cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells and initiate immune responses against the parasites. Batf3-/- mice lack a DC subset, which efficiently induces strong CD8 T-cell responses by cross-presentation of exogenous antigens. Here we show that Batf3-/- mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) were protected from experimental CM (ECM), characterized by a stable blood-brain barrier (BBB) and significantly less infiltrated peripheral immune cells in the brain. Importantly, the absence of ECM in Batf3-/- mice correlated with attenuated responses of cytotoxic T-cells, as their parasite-specific lytic activity as well as the production of interferon gamma and granzyme B were significantly decreased. Remarkably, spleens of ECM-protected Batf3-/- mice had elevated levels of regulatory immune cells and interleukin 10. Thus, protection from ECM in PbA-infected Batf3-/- mice was associated with the absence of strong CD8+ T-cell activity and induction of immunoregulatory mediators and cells.

Increased expression of heme oxygenase-1 suppresses airway branching morphogenesis in fetal mouse lungs exposed to inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine inflammation affects fetal lung development. BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1) is a transcriptional repressor of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) genes. We investigated the role of Bach1 in the development of fetal mouse lungs exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using a whole fetal lung tissue culture system. METHODS: We isolated and cultured embryonic day 12.5 fetal mouse lungs from pregnant Bach1 knockout (-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice. Airway branching morphogenesis was assessed by microscopically counting peripheral lung buds after incubation with/without LPS. Expression levels of genes related to inflammation and oxidative stress were evaluated using quantitative PCR. Zinc protoporphyrin, HO-1-specific inhibitor, was used. RESULTS: Branching morphogenesis was observed in Bach1-/- and WT fetal mice lungs without LPS exposure; after exposure to LPS, the number of peripheral lung buds was suppressed in Bach1-/- group only. Basal messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of HO-1 was significantly higher in Bach1-/- group than in WT group; IL-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA expression was significantly increased after LPS exposure in both groups. Zinc protoporphyrin mitigated the LPS-induced suppression of branching morphogenesis in Bach1-/- mice. CONCLUSION: The ablation of Bach1 suppresses airway branching morphogenesis after LPS exposure by increased basal expression levels of HO-1.

Bach2 deficiency leads autoreactive B cells to produce IgG autoantibodies and induce lupus through a T cell-dependent extrafollicular pathway.

Class-switched IgG autoantibodies but not unswitched IgM autoantibodies play a crucial role in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Bach2 is known to be essential for class switch recombination of Ig genes, but recent genomic and clinical studies have suggested an association of Bach2 deficiency with SLE. This study was undertaken to examine the mechanism by which Bach2 regulates the development of SLE. Despite defects in Ig class switch recombination and germinal center formation when actively immunized, Bach2-/- mice spontaneously accumulated IgG autoantibody-secreting cells without germinal center reactions in a regulatory T cell-independent manner, and this phenomenon was accompanied by manifestations akin to SLE. Transcriptome analyses revealed that Bach2 regulated the expression of genes related to germinal center formation and SLE pathogenesis in B cells. B cell-specific deletion of Bach2 was sufficient to impair the development of germinal center B cells but insufficient to promote the production of IgG autoantibodies. Bach2 deficiency caused CD4+ T cells to overexpress Icos and differentiate into extrafollicular helper T cells in a cell-autonomous manner. These findings suggest that Bach2-deficient autoreactive B cells preferentially react at extrafollicular sites to give rise to IgG class-switched pathogenic plasma cells and that this effect requires the help of Bach2-Icoshi helper T cells. Thus, the cell-autonomous roles of Bach2 in B cells and in their cognate CD4+ T cells are required to maintain self-tolerance against SLE.

Targeting REGNASE-1 programs long-lived effector T cells for cancer therapy.

Adoptive cell therapy represents a new paradigm in cancer immunotherapy, but it can be limited by the poor persistence and function of transferred T cells1. Here we use an in vivo pooled CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis screening approach to demonstrate that, by targeting REGNASE-1, CD8+ T cells are reprogrammed to long-lived effector cells with extensive accumulation, better persistence and robust effector function in tumours. REGNASE-1-deficient CD8+ T cells show markedly improved therapeutic efficacy against mouse models of melanoma and leukaemia. By using a secondary genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 screening, we identify BATF as the key target of REGNASE-1 and as a rheostat that shapes antitumour responses. Loss of BATF suppresses the increased accumulation and mitochondrial fitness of REGNASE-1-deficient CD8+ T cells. By contrast, the targeting of additional signalling factors-including PTPN2 and SOCS1-improves the therapeutic efficacy of REGNASE-1-deficient CD8+ T cells. Our findings suggest that T cell persistence and effector function can be coordinated in tumour immunity and point to avenues for improving the efficacy of adoptive cell therapy for cancer.