Selective IL-27 production by intestinal regulatory T cells permits gut-specific regulation of TH17 cell immunity.

Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) are instrumental in establishing immunological tolerance. However, the precise effector mechanisms by which Treg cells control a specific type of immune response in a given tissue remains unresolved. By simultaneously studying Treg cells from different tissue origins under systemic autoimmunity, in the present study we show that interleukin (IL)-27 is specifically produced by intestinal Treg cells to regulate helper T17 cell (TH17 cell) immunity. Selectively increased intestinal TH17 cell responses in mice with Treg cell-specific IL-27 ablation led to exacerbated intestinal inflammation and colitis-associated cancer, but also helped protect against enteric bacterial infection. Furthermore, single-cell transcriptomic analysis has identified a CD83+CD62Llo Treg cell subset that is distinct from previously characterized intestinal Treg cell populations as the main IL-27 producers. Collectively, our study uncovers a new Treg cell suppression mechanism crucial for controlling a specific type of immune response in a particular tissue and provides further mechanistic insights into tissue-specific Treg cell-mediated immune regulation.

Regulatory T cells: mechanisms of differentiation and function.

The immune system has evolved to mount an effective defense against pathogens and to minimize deleterious immune-mediated inflammation caused by commensal microorganisms, immune responses against self and environmental antigens, and metabolic inflammatory disorders. Regulatory T (Treg) cell-mediated suppression serves as a vital mechanism of negative regulation of immune-mediated inflammation and features prominently in autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders, allergy, acute and chronic infections, cancer, and metabolic inflammation. The discovery that Foxp3 is the transcription factor that specifies the Treg cell lineage facilitated recent progress in understanding the biology of regulatory T cells. In this review, we discuss cellular and molecular mechanisms in the differentiation and function of these cells.

In Vivo Target Gene Activation via CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Trans-epigenetic Modulation.

Current genome-editing systems generally rely on inducing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). This may limit their utility in clinical therapies, as unwanted mutations caused by DSBs can have deleterious effects. CRISPR/Cas9 system has recently been repurposed to enable target gene activation, allowing regulation of endogenous gene expression without creating DSBs. However, in vivo implementation of this gain-of-function system has proven difficult. Here, we report a robust system for in vivo activation of endogenous target genes through trans-epigenetic remodeling. The system relies on recruitment of Cas9 and transcriptional activation complexes to target loci by modified single guide RNAs. As proof-of-concept, we used this technology to treat mouse models of diabetes, muscular dystrophy, and acute kidney disease. Results demonstrate that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated target gene activation can be achieved in vivo, leading to measurable phenotypes and amelioration of disease symptoms. This establishes new avenues for developing targeted epigenetic therapies against human diseases. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Id2 reinforces TH1 differentiation and inhibits E2A to repress TFH differentiation.

The differentiation of helper T cells into effector subsets is critical to host protection. Transcription factors of the E-protein and Id families are important arbiters of T cell development, but their role in the differentiation of the TH1 and TFH subsets of helper T cells is not well understood. Here, TH1 cells showed more robust Id2 expression than that of TFH cells, and depletion of Id2 via RNA-mediated interference increased the frequency of TFH cells. Furthermore, TH1 differentiation was blocked by Id2 deficiency, which led to E-protein-dependent accumulation of effector cells with mixed characteristics during viral infection and severely impaired the generation of TH1 cells following infection with Toxoplasma gondii. The TFH cell-defining transcriptional repressor Bcl6 bound the Id2 locus, which provides a mechanism for the bimodal Id2 expression and reciprocal development of TH1 cells and TFH cells.

PD-L1:CD80 Cis-Heterodimer Triggers the Co-stimulatory Receptor CD28 While Repressing the Inhibitory PD-1 and CTLA-4 Pathways.

Combined immunotherapy targeting the immune checkpoint receptors cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), or CTLA-4 and the PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) exhibits superior anti-tumor responses compared with single-agent therapy. Here, we examined the molecular basis for this synergy. Using reconstitution assays with fluorescence readouts, we found that PD-L1 and the CTLA-4 ligand CD80 heterodimerize in cis but not trans. Quantitative biochemistry and cell biology assays revealed that PD-L1:CD80 cis-heterodimerization inhibited both PD-L1:PD-1 and CD80:CTLA-4 interactions through distinct mechanisms but preserved the ability of CD80 to activate the T cell co-stimulatory receptor CD28. Furthermore, PD-L1 expression on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) prevented CTLA-4-mediated trans-endocytosis of CD80. Atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1), but not anti-PD-1, reduced cell surface expression of CD80 on APCs, and this effect was negated by co-blockade of CTLA-4 with ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4). Thus, PD-L1 exerts an immunostimulatory effect by repressing the CTLA-4 axis; this has implications to the synergy of anti-PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 combination therapy.

Id2 and Id3 maintain the regulatory T cell pool to suppress inflammatory disease.

Regulatory T (Treg) cells suppress the development of inflammatory disease, but our knowledge of transcriptional regulators that control this function remains incomplete. Here we show that expression of Id2 and Id3 in Treg cells was required to suppress development of fatal inflammatory disease. We found that T cell antigen receptor (TCR)-driven signaling initially decreased the abundance of Id3, which led to the activation of a follicular regulatory T (TFR) cell-specific transcription signature. However, sustained lower abundance of Id2 and Id3 interfered with proper development of TFR cells. Depletion of Id2 and Id3 expression in Treg cells resulted in compromised maintenance and localization of the Treg cell population. Thus, Id2 and Id3 enforce TFR cell checkpoints and control the maintenance and homing of Treg cells.

Antiapoptotic Mcl-1 is critical for the survival and niche-filling capacity of Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells.

Foxp3⁺ regulatory T (Treg) cells are a crucial immunosuppressive population of CD4⁺ T cells, yet the homeostatic processes and survival programs that maintain the Treg cell pool are poorly understood. Here we report that peripheral Treg cells markedly alter their proliferative and apoptotic rates to rapidly restore numerical deficit through an interleukin 2-dependent and costimulation-dependent process. By contrast, excess Treg cells are removed by attrition, dependent on the Bim-initiated Bak- and Bax-dependent intrinsic apoptotic pathway. The antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 were dispensable for survival of Treg cells, whereas Mcl-1 was critical for survival of Treg cells, and the loss of this antiapoptotic protein caused fatal autoimmunity. Together, these data define the active processes by which Treg cells maintain homeostasis via critical survival pathways.

Function of miR-146a in controlling Treg cell-mediated regulation of Th1 responses.

Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells maintain immune homeostasis by limiting different types of inflammatory responses. Here, we report that miR-146a, one of the miRNAs prevalently expressed in Treg cells, is critical for their suppressor function. The deficiency of miR-146a in Treg cells resulted in a breakdown of immunological tolerance manifested in fatal IFNγ-dependent immune-mediated lesions in a variety of organs. This was likely due to augmented expression and activation of signal transducer and activator transcription 1 (Stat1), a direct target of miR-146a. Likewise, heightened Stat1 activation in Treg cells subjected to a selective ablation of SOCS1, a key negative regulator of Stat1 phosphorylation downstream of the IFNγ receptor, was associated with analogous Th1-mediated pathology. Our results suggest that specific aspects of Treg suppressor function are controlled by a single miRNA and that an optimal range of Stat1 activation is important for Treg-mediated control of Th1 responses and associated autoimmunity.

Cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic roles of miRNAs in regulating T cell immunity.

T cells are crucial to generate an effective response against numerous invading microbial pathogens and play a pivotal role in tumor surveillance and elimination. However, unwanted T cell activation can also lead to deleterious immune-mediated inflammation and tissue damage. To ensure that an optimal T cell response can be established, each step, beginning from T cell development in the thymus to their activation and function in the periphery, is tightly regulated by many transcription factors and epigenetic regulators including microRNAs (miRNAs). Here, we first summarize recent progress in identifying major immune regulatory miRNAs in controlling the differentiation and function of distinct T cell subsets. Moreover, as emerging evidence has demonstrated that miRNAs can impact T cell immunity through targeting both immune- and non-immune cell populations that T cells closely interact with, the T cell-extrinsic role of miRNAs in regulating different aspects of T cell biology is also addressed. Finally, we discuss the complex nature of miRNA-mediated control of T cell immunity and highlight important questions that remain to be further investigated.

A Single miRNA-mRNA Interaction Affects the Immune Response in a Context- and Cell-Type-Specific Manner.

MicroRNA (miRNA)-dependent regulation of gene expression confers robustness to cellular phenotypes and controls responses to extracellular stimuli. Although a single miRNA can regulate expression of hundreds of target genes, it is unclear whether any of its distinct biological functions can be due to the regulation of a single target. To explore in vivo the function of a single miRNA-mRNA interaction, we mutated the 3' UTR of a major miR-155 target (SOCS1) to specifically disrupt its regulation by miR-155. We found that under physiologic conditions and during autoimmune inflammation or viral infection, some immunological functions of miR-155 were fully or largely attributable to the regulation of SOCS1, whereas others could be accounted only partially or not at all by this interaction. Our data suggest that the role of a single miRNA-mRNA interaction is dependent on cell type and biological context.

TOX and TOX2 transcription factors cooperate with NR4A transcription factors to impose CD8+ T cell exhaustion.

T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CAR T cells) have shown impressive therapeutic efficacy against leukemias and lymphomas. However, they have not been as effective against solid tumors because they become hyporesponsive ("exhausted" or "dysfunctional") within the tumor microenvironment, with decreased cytokine production and increased expression of several inhibitory surface receptors. Here we define a transcriptional network that mediates CD8+ T cell exhaustion. We show that the high-mobility group (HMG)-box transcription factors TOX and TOX2, as well as members of the NR4A family of nuclear receptors, are targets of the calcium/calcineurin-regulated transcription factor NFAT, even in the absence of its partner AP-1 (FOS-JUN). Using a previously established CAR T cell model, we show that TOX and TOX2 are highly induced in CD8+ CAR+ PD-1high TIM3high ("exhausted") tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (CAR TILs), and CAR TILs deficient in both TOX and TOX2 (Tox DKO) are more effective than wild-type (WT), TOX-deficient, or TOX2-deficient CAR TILs in suppressing tumor growth and prolonging survival of tumor-bearing mice. Like NR4A-deficient CAR TILs, Tox DKO CAR TILs show increased cytokine expression, decreased expression of inhibitory receptors, and increased accessibility of regions enriched for motifs that bind activation-associated nuclear factor κB (NFκB) and basic region-leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors. These data indicate that Tox and Nr4a transcription factors are critical for the transcriptional program of CD8+ T cell exhaustion downstream of NFAT. We provide evidence for positive regulation of NR4A by TOX and of TOX by NR4A, and suggest that disruption of TOX and NR4A expression or activity could be promising strategies for cancer immunotherapy.

Molecular organization of mammalian meiotic chromosome axis revealed by expansion STORM microscopy.

During prophase I of meiosis, chromosomes become organized as loop arrays around the proteinaceous chromosome axis. As homologous chromosomes physically pair and recombine, the chromosome axis is integrated into the tripartite synaptonemal complex (SC) as this structure's lateral elements (LEs). While the components of the mammalian chromosome axis/LE-including meiosis-specific cohesin complexes, the axial element proteins SYCP3 and SYCP2, and the HORMA domain proteins HORMAD1 and HORMAD2-are known, the molecular organization of these components within the axis is poorly understood. Here, using expansion microscopy coupled with 2-color stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) imaging (ExSTORM), we address these issues in mouse spermatocytes at a resolution of 10 to 20 nm. Our data show that SYCP3 and the SYCP2 C terminus, which are known to form filaments in vitro, form a compact core around which cohesin complexes, HORMADs, and the N terminus of SYCP2 are arrayed. Overall, our study provides a detailed structural view of the meiotic chromosome axis, a key organizational and regulatory component of meiotic chromosomes.

An Efficient Combination Immunotherapy for Primary Liver Cancer by Harmonized Activation of Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Mice.

Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors for liver cancer, while active in many clinical trials worldwide, may have uncertain outcomes due to the unique immunotolerant microenvironment of the liver. In previous experiments, we unexpectedly identified a robust liver tumor-preventive effect of a synthetic double-stranded RNA, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyIC), in mice. Herein we further demonstrate that polyIC given at the precancer stage effectively prevented liver tumorigenesis by activating natural killer cells, macrophages, and some T-cell subsets; no inhibitory effect was observed on tumor progression if injected after tumor initiation. Nevertheless, polyIC administration potently induced programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in liver sinusoid endothelial cells, which prompted us to test a combined treatment of polyIC and PD-L1 antibody (Ab). Although injecting PD-L1 Ab alone did not show any therapeutic effect, injection of polyIC sensitized the hepatic response to PD-L1 blockade. Combination of polyIC and PD-L1 Ab resulted in sustained accumulation of active cluster of differentiation 8 cytotoxic T cells and robust liver tumor suppression and conferred a survival advantage in mice. These preclinical data in animal models suggest that, despite the low efficacy of PD-L1/PD-1 blockade alone, careful design of mechanism-based combinatorial immunotherapeutic protocols may shift the paradigm in liver cancer treatment by coordinating maximal activation of multiple innate and adaptive immune functions. Conclusion: We provide proof of principle for the development of an efficient prevention strategy of liver tumorigenesis and a powerful combination immunotherapy for primary liver cancer.

Integrin Activation Controls Regulatory T Cell-Mediated Peripheral Tolerance.

Maintenance of the regulatory T (Treg) cell pool is essential for peripheral tolerance and prevention of autoimmunity. Integrins, heterodimeric transmembrane proteins consisting of α and ß subunits that mediate cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix interactions, play an important role in facilitating Treg cell contact-mediated suppression. In this article, we show that integrin activation plays an essential, previously unappreciated role in maintaining murine Treg cell function. Treg cell-specific loss of talin, a ß integrin-binding protein, or expression of talin(L325R), a mutant that selectively abrogates integrin activation, resulted in lethal systemic autoimmunity. This dysfunction could be attributed, in part, to a global dysregulation of the Treg cell transcriptome. Activation of integrin α4ß1 led to increased suppressive capacity of the Treg cell pool, suggesting that modulating integrin activation on Treg cells may be a useful therapeutic strategy for autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Taken together, these results reveal a critical role for integrin-mediated signals in controlling peripheral tolerance by virtue of maintaining Treg cell function.

A Novel miR-24-TCF1 Axis in Modulating Effector T Cell Responses.

miR-23∼27∼24 was recently implicated in restricting Th2 immunity, as well as the differentiation and function of other effector T cell lineages. Interestingly, miR-24, unlike other family members, actually promotes Th1 and Th17 responses. In this article, we show that miR-24 drives the production of IFN-γ and IL-17 in T cells at least in part through targeting TCF1, a transcription factor known for its role in limiting Th1 and Th17 immunity. Surprisingly, whereas TCF1 was previously shown to promote Th2 responses through inducing GATA3, enforced TCF1 expression in miR-24-overexpressing T cells led to further downregulation of IL-4 and GATA3 expression, suggesting miR-24-mediated inhibition of Th2 immunity cannot be attributed to TCF1 repression by miR-24. Together, our data demonstrate a novel miR-24-TCF1 pathway in controlling effector cytokine production by T cells and further suggest miR-24 could function as a key upstream molecule regulating TCF1-mediated immune responses.

MicroRNA in Immune Regulation.

The immune system protects us from enormously diverse microbial pathogens but needs to be tightly regulated to avoid deleterious immune-mediated inflammation and tissue damage. A wide range of molecular determinants and cellular components work in concert to control the magnitude and duration of a given immune response. In the past decade, microRNAs (miRNAs), a major class of small non-coding RNA species, have been extensively studied as key molecular players in immune regulation. In this chapter, we will discuss how miRNAs function as negative regulators to restrict innate and adaptive immune responses. Moreover, we will review the current reports regarding miRNAs in human immunological diseases. Finally, we will also address the emerging roles of other non-coding RNAs, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in particular, in the regulation of the immune system.

Foxp3-dependent microRNA155 confers competitive fitness to regulatory T cells by targeting SOCS1 protein.

Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells limit pathogenic immune responses to self-antigens and foreign antigens. An essential role for microRNA (miRNA) in the maintenance and function of Treg cells, revealed by the Treg cell-specific Dicer ablation, raised a question as to a specific miRNA contribution. We found that Foxp3 controlled the elevated miR155 expression required for maintaining Treg cell proliferative activity and numbers under nonlymphopenic conditions. Moreover, miR155 deficiency in Treg cells resulted in increased suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) expression accompanied by impaired activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) transcription factor in response to limiting amounts of interleukin-2. Our studies suggest that Foxp3-dependent regulation of miR155 maintains competitive fitness of Treg cell subsets by targeting SOCS1, and they provide experimental support for a proposed role for miRNAs in ensuring the robustness of cellular phenotypes.

IFNγ signaling endows DCs with the capacity to control type I inflammation during parasitic infection through promoting T-bet+ regulatory T cells.

IFNγ signaling drives dendritic cells (DCs) to promote type I T cell (Th1) immunity. Here, we show that activation of DCs by IFNγ is equally crucial for the differentiation of a population of T-bet+ regulatory T (Treg) cells specialized to inhibit Th1 immune responses. Conditional deletion of IFNγ receptor in DCs but not in Treg cells resulted in a severe defect in this specific Treg cell subset, leading to exacerbated immune pathology during parasitic infections. Mechanistically, IFNγ-unresponsive DCs failed to produce sufficient amount of IL-27, a cytokine required for optimal T-bet induction in Treg cells. Thus, IFNγ signalling endows DCs with the ability to efficiently control a specific type of T cell immunity through promoting a corresponding Treg cell population.

Molecular orchestration of differentiation and function of regulatory T cells.

During the last decade, a unique mechanism of negative regulation of immune responses and inflammation by a dedicated population of so-called regulatory T cells (Treg) has become a focus of intensive investigation. Through the discovery of transcription factor Foxp3 as a central molecular determinant of differentiation and function of Treg cells, the complex biology of these cells, including maintenance of immunological tolerance to "self" and regulation of immune responses to pathogens, commensals, and tumors, has become amenable to mechanistic studies. In this review, we discuss the molecular aspects of Treg cell lineage commitment, maintenance, and function.