RESUMEN
The magnitude and quality of the germinal center (GC) response decline with age, resulting in poor vaccine-induced immunity in older individuals. A functional GC requires the co-ordination of multiple cell types across time and space, in particular across its two functionally distinct compartments: the light and dark zones. In aged mice, there is CXCR4-mediated mislocalization of T follicular helper (TFH) cells to the dark zone and a compressed network of follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) in the light zone. Here we show that TFH cell localization is critical for the quality of the antibody response and for the expansion of the FDC network upon immunization. The smaller GC and compressed FDC network in aged mice were corrected by provision of TFH cells that colocalize with FDCs using CXCR5. This demonstrates that the age-dependent defects in the GC response are reversible and shows that TFH cells support stromal cell responses to vaccines.
Asunto(s)
Linfocitos T Colaboradores-Inductores , Vacunas , Animales , Ratones , Linfocitos B , Células T Auxiliares Foliculares , Centro Germinal , EnvejecimientoRESUMEN
The body's surfaces form the interface with the external environment, protecting the host. These epithelial barriers are also colonized by a controlled diversity of microorganisms, disturbances of which can give rise to disease. Specialized intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), which reside at these sites, are important as a first line of defense as well as in epithelial barrier organization and wound repair. We show here that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a crucial regulator in maintaining IEL numbers in both the skin and the intestine. In the intestine, AhR deficiency or the lack of AhR ligands compromises the maintenance of IELs and the control of the microbial load and composition, resulting in heightened immune activation and increased vulnerability to epithelial damage. AhR activity can be regulated by dietary components, such as those present in cruciferous vegetables, providing a mechanistic link between dietary compounds, the intestinal immune system, and the microbiota.
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Dieta , Epitelio/inmunología , Intestinos/inmunología , Activación de Linfocitos , Linfocitos/metabolismo , Receptores de Hidrocarburo de Aril/metabolismo , Animales , Epitelio/metabolismo , Mucosa Intestinal/metabolismo , Intestinos/microbiología , Linfocitos/inmunología , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , VerdurasRESUMEN
Affinity maturation, the progressive increase in serum Ab affinity after vaccination, is an essential process that contributes to an effective humoral response against vaccines and infections. Germinal centers are key for affinity maturation, because they are where B cells undergo somatic hypermutation of their Ig genes in the dark zone before going through positive selection in the light zone via interactions with T follicular helper cells and follicular dendritic cells. In aged mice, affinity maturation has been shown to be impaired after immunization, but whether B cell-intrinsic factors contribute to this defect remains unclear. In this study, we show that B cells from aged BCR transgenic mice are able to become germinal center B cells, which are capable of receiving positive selection signals to a similar extent as B cells from young adult mice. Consistent with this, aging also does not impact the ability of B cells to undergo somatic hypermutation and acquire affinity-enhancing mutations. By contrast, transfer of B cells from young adult BCR mice into aged recipients resulted in the impaired acquisition of affinity-enhancing mutations, demonstrating that the aged microenvironment causes altered affinity maturation.
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Linfocitos B , Centro Germinal , Ratones , Animales , Inmunización , Vacunación , Ratones TransgénicosRESUMEN
The discovery of Th17 cell plasticity, in which CD4(+) IL-17-producing Th17 cells give rise to IL-17/IFN-γ double-producing cells and Th1-like IFNγ(+) ex-Th17 lymphocytes, has raised questions regarding which of these cell types contribute to immunopathology during inflammatory diseases. In this study, we show using Helicobacter hepaticus-induced intestinal inflammation that IL-17A(Cre)- or Rag1(Cre)-mediated deletion of Tbx21 has no effect on the generation of IL-17/IFN-γ double-producing cells, but leads to a marked absence of Th1-like IFNγ(+) ex-Th17 cells. Despite the lack of Th1-like ex-Th17 cells, the degree of H. hepaticus-triggered intestinal inflammation in mice in which Tbx21 was excised in IL-17-producing or Rag1-expressing cells is indistinguishable from that observed in control mice. In stark contrast, using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, we show that IL-17A(Cre)-mediated deletion of Tbx21 prevents the conversion of Th17 cells to IL-17A/IFN-γ double-producing cells as well as Th1-like IFN-γ(+) ex-Th17 cells. However, IL-17A(Cre)-mediated deletion of Tbx21 has only limited effects on disease course in this model and is not compensated by Ag-specific Th1 cells. IL-17A(Cre)-mediated deletion of Rorc reveals that RORγt is essential for the maintenance of the Th17 cell lineage, but not immunopathology during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. These results show that neither the single Th17 subset, nor its progeny, is solely responsible for immunopathology or autoimmunity.
Asunto(s)
Enteritis/inmunología , Miembro 3 del Grupo F de la Subfamilia 1 de Receptores Nucleares/metabolismo , Proteínas de Dominio T Box/metabolismo , Células Th17/inmunología , Animales , Linfocitos T CD4-Positivos/inmunología , Diferenciación Celular , Encefalomielitis Autoinmune Experimental/inmunología , Encefalomielitis Autoinmune Experimental/fisiopatología , Helicobacter hepaticus/inmunología , Interferón gamma/biosíntesis , Interleucina-17/inmunología , Intestinos/inmunología , Intestinos/microbiología , Intestinos/patología , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Noqueados , Miembro 3 del Grupo F de la Subfamilia 1 de Receptores Nucleares/deficiencia , Miembro 3 del Grupo F de la Subfamilia 1 de Receptores Nucleares/genética , Proteínas de Dominio T Box/deficiencia , Proteínas de Dominio T Box/genética , Células Th17/patologíaRESUMEN
Obesity is associated with an increased risk of severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and mortality. COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of serious COVID-19 outcomes; however, their effectiveness in people with obesity is incompletely understood. We studied the relationship among body mass index (BMI), hospitalization and mortality due to COVID-19 among 3.6 million people in Scotland using the Early Pandemic Evaluation and Enhanced Surveillance of COVID-19 (EAVE II) surveillance platform. We found that vaccinated individuals with severe obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2) were 76% more likely to experience hospitalization or death from COVID-19 (adjusted rate ratio of 1.76 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.60-1.94). We also conducted a prospective longitudinal study of a cohort of 28 individuals with severe obesity compared to 41 control individuals with normal BMI (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2). We found that 55% of individuals with severe obesity had unquantifiable titers of neutralizing antibody against authentic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus compared to 12% of individuals with normal BMI (P = 0.0003) 6 months after their second vaccine dose. Furthermore, we observed that, for individuals with severe obesity, at any given anti-spike and anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibody level, neutralizing capacity was lower than that of individuals with a normal BMI. Neutralizing capacity was restored by a third dose of vaccine but again declined more rapidly in people with severe obesity. We demonstrate that waning of COVID-19 vaccine-induced humoral immunity is accelerated in individuals with severe obesity. As obesity is associated with increased hospitalization and mortality from breakthrough infections, our findings have implications for vaccine prioritization policies.
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COVID-19 , Obesidad Mórbida , Humanos , Vacunas contra la COVID-19 , Estudios Longitudinales , Estudios Prospectivos , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/prevención & control , SARS-CoV-2 , Obesidad/epidemiología , Anticuerpos Neutralizantes , Anticuerpos Antivirales , VacunaciónRESUMEN
Vaccines typically protect against (re)infections by generating pathogen-neutralising antibodies. However, as we age, antibody-secreting cell formation and vaccine-induced antibody titres are reduced. Antibody-secreting plasma cells differentiate from B cells either early post-vaccination through the extrafollicular response or from the germinal centre (GC) reaction, which generates long-lived antibody-secreting cells. As the formation of both the extrafollicular antibody response and the GC requires the interaction of multiple cell types, the impaired antibody response in ageing could be caused by B cell intrinsic or extrinsic factors, or a combination of the two. Here, we show that B cells from older people do not have intrinsic defects in their proliferation and differentiation into antibody-secreting cells in vitro compared to those from the younger donors. However, adoptive transfer of B cells from aged mice to young recipient mice showed that differentiation into extrafollicular plasma cells was favoured at the expense of B cells entering the GC during the early stages of GC formation. In contrast, by the peak of the GC response, GC B cells derived from the donor cells of aged mice had expanded to the same extent as those from the younger donors. This indicates that age-related intrinsic B cell changes delay the GC response but are not responsible for the impaired antibody-secreting response or smaller peak GC response in ageing. Collectively, this study shows that B cells from aged individuals are not intrinsically defective in responding to stimulation and becoming antibody-secreting cells, implicating B cell-extrinsic factors as the primary cause of age-associated impairment in the humoral immunity.
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Linfocitos B , Centro Germinal , Animales , Formación de Anticuerpos , Células Productoras de Anticuerpos , Humanos , Ratones , Células PlasmáticasRESUMEN
The failure to generate enduring humoral immunity after vaccination is a hallmark of advancing age. This can be attributed to a reduction in the germinal center (GC) response, which generates long-lived antibody-secreting cells that protect against (re)infection. Despite intensive investigation, the primary cellular defect underlying impaired GCs in aging has not been identified. Here, we used heterochronic parabiosis to demonstrate that GC formation was dictated by the age of the lymph node (LN) microenvironment rather than the age of the immune cells. Lymphoid stromal cells are a key determinant of the LN microenvironment and are also an essential component underpinning GC structure and function. Using mouse models, we demonstrated that mucosal adressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1)-expressing lymphoid stromal cells were among the first cells to respond to NP-KLH + Alum immunization, proliferating and up-regulating cell surface proteins such as podoplanin and cell adhesion molecules. This response was essentially abrogated in aged mice. By targeting TLR4 using adjuvants, we improved the MAdCAM-1+ stromal cell response to immunization. This correlated with improved GC responses in both younger adult and aged mice, suggesting a link between stromal cell responses to immunization and GC initiation. Using bone marrow chimeras, we also found that MAdCAM-1+ stromal cells could respond directly to TLR4 ligands. Thus, the age-associated defect in GC and stromal cell responses to immunization can be targeted to improve vaccines in older people.
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Envejecimiento , Centro Germinal , Receptor Toll-Like 4 , Anciano , Envejecimiento/inmunología , Animales , Moléculas de Adhesión Celular , Humanos , Ratones , Células del Estroma , VacunaciónRESUMEN
Emergence from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has been facilitated by the rollout of effective vaccines. Successful vaccines generate high-affinity plasma blasts and long-lived protective memory B cells. Here, we show a requirement for T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and the germinal center reaction for optimal serum antibody and memory B cell formation after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination. We found that Tfh cells play an important role in expanding antigen-specific B cells while identifying Tfh-cell-dependent and -independent memory B cell subsets. Upon secondary vaccination, germinal center B cells generated during primary immunizations can be recalled as germinal center B cells again. Likewise, primary immunization GC-Tfh cells can be recalled as either Tfh or Th1 cells, highlighting the pluripotent nature of Tfh cell memory. This study demonstrates that ChAdOx1 nCoV-19-induced germinal centers are a critical source of humoral immunity.
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COVID-19 , Inmunidad Humoral , Humanos , ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 , Células B de Memoria , Células T Auxiliares Foliculares , Linfocitos T Colaboradores-Inductores , COVID-19/prevención & control , SARS-CoV-2 , Centro Germinal , Vacunación , Inmunización SecundariaRESUMEN
Location of immune cells that form the germinal center reaction within secondary lymphoid tissues can be characterized using confocal microscopy. Here, we present an optimized immunofluorescence staining protocol to image germinal center structures in fixed/frozen spleen sections from ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 immunized mice. This protocol can be adapted to identify other cell types within secondary lymphoid tissues. For complete information on the generation and use of this protocol to examine immune responses to the COVID vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, please refer to Silva-Cayetano et al. (2020).
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COVID-19/prevención & control , ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/administración & dosificación , Técnica del Anticuerpo Fluorescente/normas , Centro Germinal/efectos de los fármacos , Inmunización Secundaria/métodos , SARS-CoV-2/inmunología , Bazo/efectos de los fármacos , Animales , COVID-19/diagnóstico por imagen , COVID-19/inmunología , COVID-19/virología , Técnica del Anticuerpo Fluorescente/métodos , Centro Germinal/inmunología , Centro Germinal/patología , Centro Germinal/virología , Inmunogenicidad Vacunal , Masculino , Ratones , Bazo/inmunología , Bazo/patología , Bazo/virologíaRESUMEN
Ageing profoundly changes our immune system and is thought to be a driving factor in the morbidity and mortality associated with infectious disease in older people. We have previously shown that the impaired immunity to vaccination that occurs in aged individuals is partly attributed to the effect of age on T follicular helper (Tfh) cell formation. In this study, we examined how age intrinsically affects Tfh cell formation in both mice and humans. We show increased formation of Tfh precursors (pre-Tfh) but no associated increase in germinal centre (GC)-Tfh cells in aged mice, suggesting age-driven promotion of only early Tfh cell differentiation. Mechanistically, we show that ageing alters TCR signalling which drives expression of the Notch-associated transcription factor, RBPJ. Genetic or chemical modulation of RBPJ or Notch rescues this age-associated early Tfh cell differentiation, and increased intrinsic Notch activity recapitulates this phenomenon in younger mice. Our data offer mechanistic insight into the age-induced changes in T-cell activation that affects the differentiation and ultimately the function of effector T cells.
Asunto(s)
Diferenciación Celular/inmunología , Proteína de Unión a la Señal Recombinante J de las Inmunoglobulinas/metabolismo , Receptores CXCR5/metabolismo , Células T Auxiliares Foliculares/inmunología , Envejecimiento , Animales , Femenino , Humanos , RatonesRESUMEN
Antibody production following vaccination can provide protective immunity to subsequent infection by pathogens such as influenza viruses. However, circumstances where antibody formation is impaired after vaccination, such as in older people, require us to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underpin successful vaccination in order to improve vaccine design for at-risk groups. Here, by studying the breadth of anti-haemagglutinin (HA) IgG, serum cytokines, and B and T cell responses by flow cytometry before and after influenza vaccination, we show that formation of circulating T follicular helper (cTfh) cells was associated with high-titre antibody responses. Using Major Histocompatability Complex (MHC) class II tetramers, we demonstrate that HA-specific cTfh cells can derive from pre-existing memory CD4+ T cells and have a diverse T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. In older people, the differentiation of HA-specific cells into cTfh cells was impaired. This age-dependent defect in cTfh cell formation was not due to a contraction of the TCR repertoire, but rather was linked with an increased inflammatory gene signature in cTfh cells. Together, this suggests that strategies that temporarily dampen inflammation at the time of vaccination may be a viable strategy to boost optimal antibody generation upon immunisation of older people.
Asunto(s)
Formación de Anticuerpos , Hemaglutininas/metabolismo , Inflamación/inmunología , Vacunas contra la Influenza/inmunología , Células T Auxiliares Foliculares/inmunología , Vacunación , HumanosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The spread of SARS-CoV-2 has caused a worldwide pandemic that has affected almost every aspect of human life. The development of an effective COVID-19 vaccine could limit the morbidity and mortality caused by infection and may enable the relaxation of social-distancing measures. Age is one of the most significant risk factors for poor health outcomes after SARS-CoV-2 infection; therefore, it is desirable that any new vaccine candidates elicit a robust immune response in older adults. METHODS: Here, we use in-depth immunophenotyping to characterize the innate and adaptive immune response induced upon intramuscular administration of the adenoviral vectored ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD-1222) COVID-19 vaccine candidate in mice. FINDINGS: A single vaccination generates spike-specific Th1 cells, Th1-like Foxp3+ regulatory T cells, polyfunctional spike-specific CD8+ T cells. and granzyme-B-producing CD8 effectors. Spike-specific IgG and IgM are generated from both the early extrafollicular antibody response and the T follicular helper cell-supported germinal center reaction, which is associated with the production of virus-neutralizing antibodies. A single dose of this vaccine generated a similar type of immune response in aged mice but of a reduced magnitude than in younger mice. We report that a second dose enhances the immune response to this vaccine in aged mice. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 induces both cellular and humoral immunity in adult and aged mice and suggests a prime-boost strategy is a rational approach to enhance immunogenicity in older persons. FUNDING: This study was supported by BBSRC, Lister institute of Preventative Medicine, EPSRC VaxHub, and Innovate UK.
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Vacunas contra la COVID-19 , COVID-19 , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Animales , Linfocitos T CD8-positivos , COVID-19/prevención & control , ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 , Humanos , Ratones , SARS-CoV-2RESUMEN
The germinal center (GC) response is critical for generating high-affinity humoral immunity and immunological memory, which forms the basis of successful immunization. Control of the GC response is thought to require follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells, a subset of suppressive Foxp3+ regulatory T cells located within GCs. Relatively little is known about the exact role of Tfr cells within the GC and how they exert their suppressive function. A unique feature of Tfr cells is their reported CXCR5-dependent localization to the GC. Here, we show that the lack of CXCR5 on Foxp3+ regulatory T cells results in a reduced frequency, but not an absence, of GC-localized Tfr cells. This reduction in Tfr cells is not sufficient to alter the magnitude or output of the GC response. This demonstrates that additional, CXCR5-independent mechanisms facilitate Treg cell homing to the GC.
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Centro Germinal/inmunología , Receptores CXCR5/metabolismo , Linfocitos T Reguladores/inmunología , Animales , Factores de Transcripción Forkhead/metabolismo , Eliminación de Gen , Recuento de Linfocitos , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Infecciones por Orthomyxoviridae/inmunologíaRESUMEN
Children from low- and middle-income countries, where there is a high incidence of infectious disease, have the greatest need for the protection afforded by vaccination, but vaccines often show reduced efficacy in these populations. An improved understanding of how age, infection, nutrition, and genetics influence immune ontogeny and function is key to informing vaccine design for this at-risk population. We sought to identify factors that shape immune development in children under 5 years of age from Tanzania and Mozambique by detailed immunophenotyping of longitudinal blood samples collected during the RTS,S malaria vaccine phase 3 trial. In these cohorts, the composition of the immune system is dynamically transformed during the first years of life, and this was further influenced by geographical location, with some immune cell types showing an altered rate of development in Tanzanian children compared to Dutch children enrolled in the Generation R population-based cohort study. High-titer antibody responses to the RTS,S/AS01E vaccine were associated with an activated immune profile at the time of vaccination, including an increased frequency of antibody-secreting plasmablasts and follicular helper T cells. Anemic children had lower frequencies of recent thymic emigrant T cells, isotype-switched memory B cells, and plasmablasts; modulating iron bioavailability in vitro could recapitulate the B cell defects observed in anemic children. Our findings demonstrate that the composition of the immune system in children varies according to age, geographical location, and anemia status.
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Anemia , Vacunas contra la Malaria , Malaria Falciparum , Anemia/epidemiología , Anticuerpos Antiprotozoarios , Niño , Preescolar , Estudios de Cohortes , Humanos , Lactante , Plasmodium falciparumRESUMEN
Germinal centres (GCs) are T follicular helper cell (Tfh)-dependent structures that form in response to vaccination, producing long-lived antibody secreting plasma cells and memory B cells that protect against subsequent infection. With advancing age the GC and Tfh cell response declines, resulting in impaired humoral immunity. We sought to discover what underpins the poor Tfh cell response in ageing and whether it is possible to correct it. Here, we demonstrate that older people and aged mice have impaired Tfh cell differentiation upon vaccination. This deficit is preceded by poor activation of conventional dendritic cells type 2 (cDC2) due to reduced type 1 interferon signalling. Importantly, the Tfh and cDC2 cell response can be boosted in aged mice by treatment with a TLR7 agonist. This demonstrates that age-associated defects in the cDC2 and Tfh cell response are not irreversible and can be enhanced to improve vaccine responses in older individuals.
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Centro Germinal/fisiología , Vacunas contra la Influenza/inmunología , Gripe Humana/prevención & control , Células T Auxiliares Foliculares/fisiología , Linfocitos T Colaboradores-Inductores/fisiología , Adolescente , Traslado Adoptivo , Adulto , Anciano , Envejecimiento , Animales , Linfocitos B , Células de la Médula Ósea , Antígenos CD11/genética , Antígenos CD11/metabolismo , Quimera , Femenino , Humanos , Inmunidad Humoral , Memoria Inmunológica , Vacunas contra la Influenza/administración & dosificación , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Noqueados , Persona de Mediana Edad , Infecciones por Orthomyxoviridae/prevención & control , Infecciones por Orthomyxoviridae/veterinaria , Receptor de Interferón alfa y beta/genética , Receptor de Interferón alfa y beta/metabolismo , Vacunación , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Lactococci are noninvasive bacteria frequently used as protein delivery vectors and, more recently, as in vitro and in vivo DNA delivery vehicles. We previously showed that a functional eukaryotic enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expression plasmid vector was delivered in epithelial cells by Lactococcus lactis producing Listeria monocytogenes internalin A (L. lactis InlA(+)), but this strategy is limited in vivo to transgenic mice and guinea pigs. In this study, we compare the internalization ability of L. lactis InlA(+) and L. lactis producing either the fibronectin-binding protein A of Staphylococcus aureus (L. lactis FnBPA(+)) or its fibronectin binding domains C and D (L. lactis CD(+)). L. lactis FnBPA(+) and L. lactis InlA(+) showed comparable internalization rates in Caco-2 cells, while the internalization rate observed with L. lactis CD(+) was lower. As visualized by conventional and confocal fluorescence microscopy, large clusters of L. lactis FnBPA(+), L. lactis CD(+), and L. lactis InlA(+) were present in the cytoplasm of Caco-2 cells after internalization. Moreover, the internalization rates of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and of an NCFM mutant strain with the gene coding for the fibronectin-binding protein (fbpA) inactivated were also evaluated in Caco-2 cells. Similar low internalization rates were observed for both wild-type L. acidophilus NCFM and the fbpA mutant, suggesting that commensal fibronectin binding proteins have a role in adhesion but not in invasion. L. lactis FnBPA(+), L. lactis CD(+), and L. lactis InlA(+) were then used to deliver a eukaryotic eGFP expression plasmid in Caco-2 cells: flow cytometry analysis showed that the highest percentage of green fluorescent Caco-2 cells was observed after coculture with either L. lactis FnBPA(+) or L. lactis InlA(+). Analysis of the in vivo efficiency of these invasive recombinant strains is currently in progress to validate their potential as DNA vaccine delivery vehicles.
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Adhesinas Bacterianas/biosíntesis , Proteínas Bacterianas/biosíntesis , ADN/metabolismo , Células Epiteliales/microbiología , Técnicas de Transferencia de Gen , Lactococcus lactis/genética , Transformación Genética , Adhesinas Bacterianas/genética , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Células CACO-2 , ADN/genética , Citometría de Flujo , Genes Reporteros , Proteínas Fluorescentes Verdes/metabolismo , Humanos , Lactococcus lactis/metabolismo , Listeria monocytogenes/genética , Staphylococcus aureus/genéticaRESUMEN
Ageing is a complex multifactorial process associated with a plethora of disorders, which contribute significantly to morbidity worldwide. One of the organs significantly affected by age is the gut. Age-dependent changes of the gut-associated microbiome have been linked to increased frailty and systemic inflammation. This change in microbial composition with age occurs in parallel with a decline in function of the gut immune system; however, it is not clear whether there is a causal link between the two. Here we report that the defective germinal centre reaction in Peyer's patches of aged mice can be rescued by faecal transfers from younger adults into aged mice and by immunisations with cholera toxin, without affecting germinal centre reactions in peripheral lymph nodes. This demonstrates that the poor germinal centre reaction in aged animals is not irreversible, and that it is possible to improve this response in older individuals by providing appropriate stimuli.
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Envejecimiento/inmunología , Disbiosis/inmunología , Trasplante de Microbiota Fecal , Microbioma Gastrointestinal/inmunología , Centro Germinal/inmunología , Ganglios Linfáticos Agregados/inmunología , Animales , Toxina del Cólera/inmunología , Femenino , Inmunización , Inmunoglobulina A/inmunología , Ratones , Nitrofenoles/inmunología , Fenilacetatos/inmunologíaRESUMEN
Ectopic lymphoid structures form in a wide range of inflammatory conditions, including infection, autoimmune disease, and cancer. In the context of infection, this response can be beneficial for the host: influenza A virus infection-induced pulmonary ectopic germinal centers give rise to more broadly cross-reactive antibody responses, thereby generating cross-strain protection. However, despite the ubiquity of ectopic lymphoid structures and their role in both health and disease, little is known about the mechanisms by which inflammation is able to convert a peripheral tissue into one that resembles a secondary lymphoid organ. Here, we show that type I IFN produced after viral infection can induce CXCL13 expression in a phenotypically distinct population of lung fibroblasts, driving CXCR5-dependent recruitment of B cells and initiating ectopic germinal center formation. This identifies type I IFN as a novel inducer of CXCL13, which, in combination with other stimuli, can promote lung remodeling, converting a nonlymphoid tissue into one permissive to functional tertiary lymphoid structure formation.
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Quimiocina CXCL13/metabolismo , Centro Germinal/patología , Interferón Tipo I/metabolismo , Infecciones por Orthomyxoviridae/patología , Animales , Linfocitos B/metabolismo , Linfocitos B/patología , Quimiocina CXCL13/genética , Femenino , Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Fibroblastos/patología , Fibroblastos/virología , Centro Germinal/efectos de los fármacos , Centro Germinal/metabolismo , Interferón beta/farmacología , Pulmón/metabolismo , Pulmón/patología , Pulmón/virología , Masculino , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Transgénicos , Infecciones por Orthomyxoviridae/metabolismo , Receptores CXCR5/genética , Receptores CXCR5/metabolismo , Linfocitos T Reguladores/metabolismo , Linfocitos T Reguladores/patologíaRESUMEN
The GTPases of the immunity-associated proteins (GIMAP) GTPases are a family of proteins expressed strongly in the adaptive immune system. We have previously reported that in human cells one member of this family, GIMAP6, interacts with the ATG8 family member GABARAPL2, and is recruited to autophagosomes upon starvation, suggesting a role for GIMAP6 in the autophagic process. To study this possibility and the function of GIMAP6 in the immune system, we have established a mouse line in which the Gimap6 gene can be inactivated by Cre-mediated recombination. In mice bred to carry the CD2Cre transgene such that the Gimap6 gene was deleted within the T and B cell lineages there was a 50-70% reduction in peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Analysis of splenocyte-derived proteins from these mice indicated increased levels of MAP1LC3B, particularly the lipidated LC3-II form, and S405-phosphorylation of SQSTM1. Electron microscopic measurements of Gimap6-/- CD4+ T cells indicated an increased mitochondrial/cytoplasmic volume ratio and increased numbers of autophagosomes. These results are consistent with autophagic disruption in the cells. However, Gimap6-/- T cells were largely normal in character, could be effectively activated in vitro and supported T cell-dependent antibody production. Treatment in vitro of CD4+ splenocytes from GIMAP6fl/flERT2Cre mice with 4-hydroxytamoxifen resulted in the disappearance of GIMAP6 within five days. In parallel, increased phosphorylation of SQSTM1 and TBK1 was observed. These results indicate a requirement for GIMAP6 in the maintenance of a normal peripheral adaptive immune system and a significant role for the protein in normal autophagic processes. Moreover, as GIMAP6 is expressed in a cell-selective manner, this indicates the potential existence of a cell-restricted mode of autophagic regulation.
Asunto(s)
Inmunidad Adaptativa/genética , Autofagosomas/inmunología , Autofagia/inmunología , Linfocitos T CD4-Positivos/inmunología , GTP Fosfohidrolasas/fisiología , Animales , Línea Celular , GTP Fosfohidrolasas/genética , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Activación de Linfocitos/genética , Activación de Linfocitos/inmunología , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Noqueados , Proteínas Asociadas a Microtúbulos/metabolismo , Mitocondrias/fisiología , Fosforilación/genética , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/metabolismo , Proteína Sequestosoma-1/metabolismo , Tamoxifeno/análogos & derivados , Tamoxifeno/farmacologíaRESUMEN
Epithelial-resident T lymphocytes, such as intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) located at the intestinal barrier, can offer swift protection against invading pathogens. Lymphocyte activation is strictly regulated because of its potential harmful nature and metabolic cost, and most lymphocytes are maintained in a quiescent state. However, IELs are kept in a heightened state of activation resembling effector T cells but without cytokine production or clonal proliferation. We show that this controlled activation state correlates with alterations in the IEL mitochondrial membrane, especially the cardiolipin composition. Upon inflammation, the cardiolipin composition is altered to support IEL proliferation and effector function. Furthermore, we show that cardiolipin makeup can particularly restrict swift IEL proliferation and effector functions, reducing microbial containment capability. These findings uncover an alternative mechanism to control cellular activity, special to epithelial-resident T cells, and a novel role for mitochondria, maintaining cells in a metabolically poised state while enabling rapid progression to full functionality.