Repeated mRNA vaccination sequentially boosts SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells in persons with previous COVID-19.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) hybrid immunity is more protective than vaccination or previous infection alone. To investigate the kinetics of spike-reactive T (TS) cells from SARS-CoV-2 infection through messenger RNA vaccination in persons with hybrid immunity, we identified the T cell receptor (TCR) sequences of thousands of index TS cells and tracked their frequency in bulk TCRß repertoires sampled longitudinally from the peripheral blood of persons who had recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vaccinations led to large expansions in memory TS cell clonotypes, most of which were CD8+ T cells, while also eliciting diverse TS cell clonotypes not observed before vaccination. TCR sequence similarity clustering identified public CD8+ and CD4+ TCR motifs associated with spike (S) specificity. Synthesis of longitudinal bulk ex vivo single-chain TCRß repertoires and paired-chain TCRÉ‘ß sequences from droplet sequencing of TS cells provides a roadmap for the rapid assessment of T cell responses to vaccines and emerging pathogens.

Design of a stabilized RBD enables potently neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 single-component nanoparticle vaccines.

Waning immunity and emerging variants necessitate continued vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Improvements in vaccine safety, tolerability, and ease of manufacturing would benefit these efforts. Here, we develop a potent and easily manufactured nanoparticle vaccine displaying the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). Computational design to stabilize the RBD, eliminate glycosylation, and focus the immune response to neutralizing epitopes results in an RBD immunogen that resolves issues hindering the efficient nanoparticle display of the native RBD. This non-glycosylated RBD can be genetically fused to diverse single-component nanoparticle platforms, maximizing manufacturing ease and flexibility. All engineered RBD nanoparticles elicit potently neutralizing antibodies in mice that far exceed monomeric RBDs. A 60-copy particle (noNAG-RBD-E2p) also elicits potently neutralizing antibodies in non-human primates. The neutralizing antibody titers elicited by noNAG-RBD-E2p are comparable to a benchmark stabilized spike antigen and reach levels against Omicron BA.5 that suggest that it would provide protection against emerging variants.

Distinct Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Receptors Dictate Stem Cell Fitness versus Lineage Output in Dnmt3a-Mutant Clonal Hematopoiesis.

Clonal hematopoiesis resulting from the enhanced fitness of mutant hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) associates with both favorable and unfavorable health outcomes related to the types of mature mutant blood cells produced, but how this lineage output is regulated is unclear. Using a mouse model of a clonal hematopoiesis-associated mutation, DNMT3AR882/+ (Dnmt3aR878H/+), we found that aging-induced TNFα signaling promoted the selective advantage of mutant HSCs and stimulated the production of mutant B lymphoid cells. The genetic loss of the TNFα receptor TNFR1 ablated the selective advantage of mutant HSCs without altering their lineage output, whereas the loss of TNFR2 resulted in the overproduction of mutant myeloid cells without altering HSC fitness. These results nominate TNFR1 as a target to reduce clonal hematopoiesis and the risk of associated diseases and support a model in which clone size and mature blood lineage production can be independently controlled to modulate favorable and unfavorable clonal hematopoiesis outcomes. SIGNIFICANCE: Through the identification and dissection of TNFα signaling as a key driver of murine Dnmt3a-mutant hematopoiesis, we report the discovery that clone size and production of specific mature blood cell types can be independently regulated. See related commentary by Niño and Pietras, p. 2724. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2711.

Cell origin-dependent cooperativity of mutant Dnmt3a and Npm1 in clonal hematopoiesis and myeloid malignancy.

In adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the acquisition of driver somatic mutations may be preceded by a benign state termed clonal hematopoiesis (CH). To develop therapeutic strategies to prevent leukemia development from CH, it is important to understand the mechanisms by which CH-driving and AML-driving mutations cooperate. Here, we use mice with inducible mutant alleles common in human CH (DNMT3AR882; mouse Dnmt3aR878H) and AML (NPM1c; mouse Npm1cA). We find that Dnmt3aR878H/+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), but not multipotent progenitor cell (MPP) subsets, have reduced cytokine expression and proinflammatory transcriptional signatures and a functional competitive advantage over their wild-type counterparts. Dnmt3aR878H/+ HSCs are the most potent cell type transformed by Npm1cA, generating myeloid malignancies in which few additional cooperating somatic mutation events were detected. At a molecular level, Npm1cA, in cooperation with Dnmt3aR878H, acutely increased the accessibility of a distinct set of promoters in HSCs compared with MPP cells. These promoters were enriched for cell cycling, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, stem cell signatures, and targets of transcription factors, including NFAT and the chromatin binding factor HMGB1, which have been implicated in human AML. These results demonstrate cooperativity between preexisting Dnmt3aR878H and Npm1cA at the chromatin level, where specific loci altered in accessibility by Npm1cA are dependent on cell context as well as Dnmt3a mutation status. These findings have implications for biological understanding and therapeutic intervention in the transformation from CH to AML.

CD8+ T cell clonotypes from prior SARS-CoV-2 infection predominate during the cellular immune response to mRNA vaccination.

Almost three years into the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, hybrid immunity is highly prevalent worldwide and more protective than vaccination or prior infection alone. Given emerging resistance of variant strains to neutralizing antibodies (nAb), it is likely that T cells contribute to this protection. To understand how sequential SARS-CoV-2 infection and mRNA-vectored SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) vaccines affect T cell clonotype-level expansion kinetics, we identified and cross-referenced TCR sequences from thousands of S-reactive single cells against deeply sequenced peripheral blood TCR repertoires longitudinally collected from persons during COVID-19 convalescence through booster vaccination. Successive vaccinations recalled memory T cells and elicited antigen-specific T cell clonotypes not detected after infection. Vaccine-related recruitment of novel clonotypes and the expansion of S-specific clones were most strongly observed for CD8+ T cells. Severe COVID-19 illness was associated with a more diverse CD4+ T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 both prior to and after mRNA vaccination, suggesting imprinting of CD4+ T cells by severe infection. TCR sequence similarity search algorithms revealed myriad public TCR clusters correlating with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. Selected TCRs from distinct clusters functionally recognized S in the predicted HLA context, with fine viral peptide requirements differing between TCRs. Most subjects tested had S-specific T cells in the nasal mucosa after a 3rd mRNA vaccine dose. The blood and nasal T cell responses to vaccination revealed by clonal tracking were more heterogeneous than nAb boosts. Analysis of bulk and single cell TCR sequences reveals T cell kinetics and diversity at the clonotype level, without requiring prior knowledge of T cell epitopes or HLA restriction, providing a roadmap for rapid assessment of T cell responses to emerging pathogens.

Decline in IGF1 in the bone marrow microenvironment initiates hematopoietic stem cell aging.

Decline in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function with age underlies limited health span of our blood and immune systems. In order to preserve health into older age, it is necessary to understand the nature and timing of initiating events that cause HSC aging. By performing a cross-sectional study in mice, we discover that hallmarks of aging in HSCs and hematopoiesis begin to accumulate by middle age and that the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment at middle age induces and is indispensable for hematopoietic aging. Using unbiased approaches, we find that decreased levels of the longevity-associated molecule IGF1 in the local middle-aged BM microenvironment are a factor causing HSC aging. Direct stimulation of middle-aged HSCs with IGF1 rescues molecular and functional hallmarks of aging, including restored mitochondrial activity. Thus, although decline in IGF1 supports longevity, our work indicates that this also compromises HSC function and limits hematopoietic health span.

Aging-associated decrease in the histone acetyltransferase KAT6B is linked to altered hematopoietic stem cell differentiation.

Aged hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) undergo biased lineage priming and differentiation toward production of myeloid cells. A comprehensive understanding of gene regulatory mechanisms causing HSC aging is needed to devise new strategies to sustainably improve immune function in aged individuals. Here, a focused short hairpin RNA screen of epigenetic factors reveals that the histone acetyltransferase Kat6b regulates myeloid cell production from hematopoietic progenitor cells. Within the stem and progenitor cell compartment, Kat6b is highly expressed in long-term (LT)-HSCs and is significantly decreased with aging at the transcript and protein levels. Knockdown of Kat6b in young LT-HSCs causes skewed production of myeloid cells at the expense of erythroid cells both in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptome analysis identifies enrichment of aging and macrophage-associated gene signatures alongside reduced expression of self-renewal and multilineage priming signatures. Together, our work identifies KAT6B as a novel epigenetic regulator of hematopoietic differentiation and a target to improve aged immune function.

Heritable genetic background alters survival and phenotype of Mll-AF9-induced leukemias.

The MLL-AF9 fusion protein occurring as a result of t(9;11) translocation gives rise to pediatric and adult acute leukemias of distinct lineages, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and mixed-phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL). The mechanisms underlying how this same fusion protein results in diverse leukemia phenotypes among different individuals are not well understood. Given emerging evidence from genome-wide association studies that genetic risk factors contribute to MLL-rearranged leukemogenesis, here we tested the impact of genetic background on survival and phenotype of a well-characterized Mll-AF9 knockin mouse model. We crossed this model with five distinct inbred strains (129, A/J, C57BL/6, NOD, CAST) and tested their F1 hybrid progeny for dominant genetic effects on Mll-AF9 phenotypes. We discovered that genetic background altered peripheral blood composition, with Mll-AF9 CAST F1 having a significantly increased B-lymphocyte frequency, while the remainder of the strains exhibited myeloid-biased hematopoiesis, similar to the parental line. Genetic background also had an impact on overall survival, with Mll-AF9 A/J F1 and Mll-AF9 129 F1 having significantly shorter survival and Mll-AF9 CAST F1 having longer survival, compared with the parental line. Furthermore, we observed a range of hematologic malignancies, with Mll-AF9 A/J F1, Mll-AF9 129 F1, and Mll-AF9 B6 F1 developing exclusively myeloid cell malignancies (myeloproliferative disorder [MPD] and AML), whereas a subset of Mll-AF9 NOD F1 developed MPAL and Mll-AF9 CAST F1 developed ALL. This study provides a novel in vivo experimental model in which to evaluate the underlying mechanisms by which MLL-AF9 results in diverse leukemia phenotypes and provides definitive experimental evidence that genetic risk factors contribute to survival and phenotype of MLL-rearranged leukemogenesis.

A New Species of Pentaloculum (Cestoda: "Tetraphyllidea") from the Taiwan Saddled Carpetshark, Cirrhoscyllium formosanum (Orectolobiformes: Parascylliidae).

Collection of cestodes from the Taiwan saddled carpetshark, Cirrhoscyllium formosanum, for the first time led to the discovery of Pentaloculum hoi n. sp. This species provided important insights into the identity of the heretofore monotypic Pentaloculum-known previously only from the blind electric ray, Typhlonarke aysoni, in New Zealand. The new species differs from Pentaloculum macrocephalum in testis number, vitelline follicle and cirrus sac configuration, and in that it is hyperapolytic rather than euapolytic. Maximum-likelihood analysis of sequence data generated for the D1-D3 region of the 28S rDNA gene not only confirmed this generic placement but also confirmed the close affinities between both species of Pentaloculum and specimens previously referred to in the literature as new genus 7 n. sp. 1. Examination of limited material of the latter, including that of a second specimen from which partial 28S rDNA sequence data were generated here, led to the realization that new genus 7 n. sp. 1 represents an undescribed species of Pentaloculum, referred to here as Pentaloculum n. sp. 2. All 3 species share bothridia divided into 1 anterior and 2 consecutive pairs of loculi. Given that Pentaloculum n. sp. 2 parasitizes a member of the second and only other genus of parascylliid sharks (i.e., Parascyllium), we predict that the 4 other species of Parascyllium and the 2 other species of Cirrhoscyllium are likely to host other species of Pentaloculum. The factors that might account for the eclectic host associations of Pentaloculum, which include a torpediniform ray and 2 species of orectilobiform sharks, are currently unclear. The compilation of diet data for these elasmobranchs and determination of the final intermediate hosts for these cestodes would be interesting avenues of further investigation given that cestodes are trophically transmitted between their intermediate and definitive hosts. The phylogenetic affinities of Pentaloculum among elasmobranch cestodes remain unresolved.

Sequentially inducible mouse models reveal that Npm1 mutation causes malignant transformation of Dnmt3a-mutant clonal hematopoiesis.

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is a common aging-associated condition with increased risk of hematologic malignancy. Knowledge of the mechanisms driving evolution from CH to overt malignancy has been hampered by a lack of in vivo models that orthogonally activate mutant alleles. Here, we develop independently regulatable mutations in DNA methyltransferase 3A (Dnmt3a) and nucleophosmin 1 (Npm1), observed in human CH and AML, respectively. We find Dnmt3a mutation expands hematopoietic stem and multipotent progenitor cells (HSC/MPPs), modeling CH. Induction of mutant Npm1 after development of Dnmt3a-mutant CH causes progression to myeloproliferative disorder (MPD), and more aggressive MPD is observed with longer latency between mutations. MPDs uniformly progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) following transplant, accompanied by a decrease in HSC/MPPs and an increase in myeloid-restricted progenitors, the latter of which propagate AML in tertiary recipient mice. At a molecular level, progression of CH to MPD is accompanied by selection for mutations activating Ras/Raf/MAPK signaling. Progression to AML is characterized by additional oncogenic signaling mutations (Ptpn11, Pik3r1, Flt3) and/or mutations in epigenetic regulators (Hdac1, Idh1, Arid1a). Together, our study demonstrates that Npm1 mutation drives evolution of Dnmt3a-mutant CH to AML and rate of disease progression is accelerated with longer latency of CH.