Stage-specific control of early B cell development by the transcription factor Ikaros.

The transcription factor Ikaros is an essential regulator of lymphopoiesis. Here we studied its B cell-specific function by conditional inactivation of the gene encoding Ikaros (Ikzf1) in pro-B cells. B cell development was arrested at an aberrant 'pro-B cell' stage characterized by increased cell adhesion and loss of signaling via the pre-B cell signaling complex (pre-BCR). Ikaros activated genes encoding signal transducers of the pre-BCR and repressed genes involved in the downregulation of pre-BCR signaling and upregulation of the integrin signaling pathway. Unexpectedly, derepression of expression of the transcription factor Aiolos did not compensate for the loss of Ikaros in pro-B cells. Ikaros induced or suppressed active chromatin at regulatory elements of activated or repressed target genes. Notably, binding of Ikaros and expression of its target genes were dynamically regulated at distinct stages of early B lymphopoiesis.

The transcription factor PU.1 controls dendritic cell development and Flt3 cytokine receptor expression in a dose-dependent manner.

The transcription factor PU.1 plays multiple context and concentration dependent roles in lymphoid and myeloid cell development. Here we showed that PU.1 (encoded by Sfpi1) was essential for dendritic cell (DC) development in vivo and that conditional ablation of PU.1 in defined precursors, including the common DC progenitor, blocked Flt3 ligand-induced DC generation in vitro. PU.1 was also required for the parallel granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor-induced DC pathway from early hematopoietic progenitors. Molecular studies demonstrated that PU.1 directly regulated Flt3 in a concentration-dependent manner, as Sfpi1(+/-) cells displayed reduced expression of Flt3 and impaired DC formation. These studies identify PU.1 as a critical regulator of both conventional and plasmacytoid DC development and provide one mechanism how altered PU.1 concentration can have profound functional consequences for hematopoietic cell development.

Imputation of plasma lipid species to facilitate integration of lipidomic datasets.

Recent advancements in plasma lipidomic profiling methodology have significantly increased specificity and accuracy of lipid measurements. This evolution, driven by improved chromatographic and mass spectrometric resolution of newer platforms, has made it challenging to align datasets created at different times, or on different platforms. Here we present a framework for harmonising such plasma lipidomic datasets with different levels of granularity in their lipid measurements. Our method utilises elastic-net prediction models, constructed from high-resolution lipidomics reference datasets, to predict unmeasured lipid species in lower-resolution studies. The approach involves (1) constructing composite lipid measures in the reference dataset that map to less resolved lipids in the target dataset, (2) addressing discrepancies between aligned lipid species, (3) generating prediction models, (4) assessing their transferability into the targe dataset, and (5) evaluating their prediction accuracy. To demonstrate our approach, we used the AusDiab population-based cohort (747 lipid species) as the reference to impute unmeasured lipid species into the LIPID study (342 lipid species). Furthermore, we compared measured and imputed lipids in terms of parameter estimation and predictive performance, and validated imputations in an independent study. Our method for harmonising plasma lipidomic datasets will facilitate model validation and data integration efforts.

A lipidomic based metabolic age score captures cardiometabolic risk independent of chronological age.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic ageing biomarkers may capture the age-related shifts in metabolism, offering a precise representation of an individual's overall metabolic health. METHODS: Utilising comprehensive lipidomic datasets from two large independent population cohorts in Australia (n = 14,833, including 6630 males, 8203 females), we employed different machine learning models, to predict age, and calculated metabolic age scores (mAge). Furthermore, we defined the difference between mAge and age, termed mAgeΔ, which allow us to identify individuals sharing similar age but differing in their metabolic health status. FINDINGS: Upon stratification of the population into quintiles by mAgeΔ, we observed that participants in the top quintile group (Q5) were more likely to have cardiovascular disease (OR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.62-2.83), had a 2.01-fold increased risk of 12-year incident cardiovascular events (HR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.45-2.57), and a 1.56-fold increased risk of 17-year all-cause mortality (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.34-1.79), relative to the individuals in the bottom quintile group (Q1). Survival analysis further revealed that men in the Q5 group faced the challenge of reaching a median survival rate due to cardiovascular events more than six years earlier and reaching a median survival rate due to all-cause mortality more than four years earlier than men in the Q1 group. INTERPRETATION: Our findings demonstrate that the mAge score captures age-related metabolic changes, predicts health outcomes, and has the potential to identify individuals at increased risk of metabolic diseases. FUNDING: The specific funding of this article is provided in the acknowledgements section.

PU.1 regulates the commitment of adult hematopoietic progenitors and restricts granulopoiesis.

Although the transcription factor PU.1 is essential for fetal lymphomyelopoiesis, we unexpectedly found that elimination of the gene in adult mice allowed disturbed hematopoiesis, dominated by granulocyte production. Impaired production of lymphocytes was evident in PU.1-deficient bone marrow (BM), but myelocytes and clonogenic granulocytic progenitors that are responsive to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor or interleukin-3 increased dramatically. No identifiable common lymphoid or myeloid progenitor populations were discernable by flow cytometry; however, clonogenic assays suggested an overall increased frequency of blast colony-forming cells and BM chimeras revealed existence of long-term self-renewing PU.1-deficient cells that required PU.1 for lymphoid, but not granulocyte, generation. PU.1 deletion in granulocyte-macrophage progenitors, but not in common myeloid progenitors, resulted in excess granulocyte production; this suggested specific roles of PU.1 at different stages of myeloid development. These findings emphasize the distinct nature of adult hematopoiesis and reveal that PU.1 regulates the specification of the multipotent lymphoid and myeloid compartments and restrains, rather than promotes, granulopoiesis.

Interconversion between Tumorigenic and Differentiated States in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Tumors are composed of phenotypically heterogeneous cancer cells that often resemble various differentiation states of their lineage of origin. Within this hierarchy, it is thought that an immature subpopulation of tumor-propagating cancer stem cells (CSCs) differentiates into non-tumorigenic progeny, providing a rationale for therapeutic strategies that specifically eradicate CSCs or induce their differentiation. The clinical success of these approaches depends on CSC differentiation being unidirectional rather than reversible, yet this question remains unresolved even in prototypically hierarchical malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here, we show in murine and human models of AML that, upon perturbation of endogenous expression of the lineage-determining transcription factor PU.1 or withdrawal of established differentiation therapies, some mature leukemia cells can de-differentiate and reacquire clonogenic and leukemogenic properties. Our results reveal plasticity of CSC maturation in AML, highlighting the need to therapeutically eradicate cancer cells across a range of differentiation states.

The Pu.1 target gene Zbtb11 regulates neutrophil development through its integrase-like HHCC zinc finger.

In response to infection and injury, the neutrophil population rapidly expands and then quickly re-establishes the basal state when inflammation resolves. The exact pathways governing neutrophil/macrophage lineage outputs from a common granulocyte-macrophage progenitor are still not completely understood. From a forward genetic screen in zebrafish, we identify the transcriptional repressor, ZBTB11, as critical for basal and emergency granulopoiesis. ZBTB11 sits in a pathway directly downstream of master myeloid regulators including PU.1, and TP53 is one direct ZBTB11 transcriptional target. TP53 repression is dependent on ZBTB11 cys116, which is a functionally critical, metal ion-coordinating residue within a novel viral integrase-like zinc finger domain. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a function for this domain in a cellular protein. We demonstrate that the PU.1-ZBTB11-TP53 pathway is conserved from fish to mammals. Finally, Zbtb11 mutant rescue experiments point to a ZBTB11-regulated TP53 requirement in development of other organs.

Detection of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans after Systemic Administration of Amoxicillin Plus Metronidazole as an Adjunct to Non-surgical Periodontal Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the variations in the detection of Porphyromonas gingivalis and/or Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans before and after systemic administration of amoxicillin plus metronidazole in association with non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). BACKGROUND: The adjunctive use of antibiotics has been advocated to improve the clinical outcomes of NSPT. However, no systematic review has investigated the microbiological benefit of this combination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic search was conducted up to December 2015. Randomized clinical trials comparing the number of patients testing positive for P. gingivalis and/or A. actinomycetemcomitans before and after NSPT with (test group) or without (control group) amoxicillin plus metronidazole were included. The difference between groups in the variation of positive patients was calculated using the inverse variance method with a random effects model. RESULTS: The frequency of patients positive for A. actinomycetemcomitans was decreased by 30% (p = 0.002) and by 25% (p = 0.01) in the test group compared to the control group at 3- and 6-month follow-up, respectively. Similar findings were observed when considering the frequency of patients positive for Porphyromonas gingivalis, with a reduction by 28% (p < 0.0001), 32% (p < 0.0001), and 34% (p = 0.03) in the test group compared to the control group at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up, respectively. CONCLUSION: The systemic administration of amoxicillin plus metronidazole as an adjunct to NSPT significantly decreased the number of patients positive for P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans compared with periodontal therapy alone or with a placebo.

Hemopoietic precursors and development of dendritic cell populations.

The antigen presenting dendritic cells (DCs) are bone marrow (BM) derived cells. Despite their common functions of antigen-processing and T-lymphocyte activation, DCs are diverse in surface markers, migratory patterns and cytokine output. These differences can determine the fate of the T cells they activate. Several subsets of mature DCs have been described in both mouse and human, but tracing the origin of these specialised DC subsets has not been a trivial task. The original concept that all DCs were of myeloid origin was questioned by several recent studies, which demonstrated that in addition to the DCs derived from conventional myeloid precursors, some DCs could also be efficiently generated from lymphoid-restricted precursors. Moreover, it has been shown that both myeloid-restricted and lymphoid-restricted precursors were able to generate DC subsets with similar surface phenotype. These observations demonstrate the existence of both myeloid- and lymphoid-derived DC lineages and suggest an early developmental flexibility of DC precursors. The downstream points where the DC sub-lineages branch off from the conventional myeloid and lymphoid precursors, and the cytokines and environmental factors required for inducing their specialised functions are yet to be determined.

Development of dendritic cell system.

The dendritic cell system contains conventional dendritic cells (DCs) and plasmacytoid pre-dendritic cells (pDCs). Both DCs and pDCs are bone marrow derived cells. Although the common functions of DCs are antigen-processing and T-lymphocyte activation, they differ in surface markers, migratory patterns, and cytokine output. These differences can determine the fate of the T cells they activate. Several subsets of mature DCs have been described in both mouse and human and the developmental processes of these specialized DC subsets have been studied extensively. The original concept that all DCs were of myeloid origin was questioned by several recent studies, which demonstrated that in addition to the DCs derived from myeloid precursors, some DCs could also be efficiently generated from lymphoid-restricted precursors. Moreover, it has been shown recently that both conventional DCs and pDCs can be generated by the Flt3 expressing hemopoietic progenitors regardless of their myeloid- or lymphoid-origin. These findings suggest an early developmental flexibility of precursors for DCs and pDCs. This review summarizes some recent observations on the development of DC system in both human and mouse.

Identification of Pax5 target genes in early B cell differentiation.

The transcription factor Pax5 is essential for B cell commitment in the mouse, where it represses lineage-inappropriate gene expression while simultaneously activating the B cell gene expression program. In this study we have performed a global gene expression screen of wild-type and Pax5-deficient pro-B cells in an attempt to identify the crucial Pax5 targets in early B lymphopoiesis. These studies have identified 109 Pax5 targets comprising 61% activated and 39% repressed genes. Interestingly, Pax5 directly regulates the genes encoding a number of transcription factors that are required at the pre-B cell stage of differentiation, including Irf8, Spib, and Ikzf3 (Aiolos), suggesting that a key function of Pax5 is to activate secondary transcription factors that further reinforce the B cell program. Pax5 is also required for the expression of many genes known to be involved in adhesion and signaling, indicating that Pax5 modulates the homing and or migration properties of B cell progenitors. Finally, Pax5 also represses a cohort of genes that are involved in multiple biological processes, many of which are not typically associated with B cells. These include the repression of the adhesion molecule Embigin, which is expressed in bone marrow progenitors, T cells, and myeloid cells but is specifically repressed by Pax5 in B cells.

Is PU.1 a dosage-sensitive regulator of haemopoietic lineage commitment and leukaemogenesis?

The transcription factor PU.1 is an essential regulator of haemopoiesis and a suppressor of myeloid leukaemia. PU.1 displays a complex expression pattern characterized by high expression in myeloid cells and low amounts in lymphoid cells. Based on this transcriptional profile, and the analysis of cell lines and mice expressing altered levels of PU.1, a model has been proposed where the concentration of PU.1 determines cell fate, whereas the graded reduction, but not absence, of PU.1 facilitates leukaemogenesis. The recent reports of mouse strains that enable the accurate determination of PU.1 expression and the conditional inactivation of PU.1 in adult haemopoiesis have led us to re-examine our understanding of the complex functions of PU.1. Here, we will discuss the data that, we believe, argue against the dosage-sensitive model of PU.1-mediated lineage commitment and leukaemogenesis.

Tumor growth need not be driven by rare cancer stem cells.

The cancer stem cell hypothesis postulates that tumor growth is driven by a rare subpopulation of tumor cells. Much of the supporting evidence for this intriguing idea is derived from xenotransplantation experiments in which human leukemia cells are grown in immunocompromised mice. We show that, when lymphomas and leukemias of mouse origin are transplanted into histocompatible mice, a very high frequency (at least 1 in 10) of the tumor cells can seed tumor growth. We suggest that the low frequency of tumor-sustaining cells observed in xenotransplantation studies may reflect the limited ability of human tumor cells to adapt to growth in a foreign (mouse) milieu.

Inactivation of PU.1 in adult mice leads to the development of myeloid leukemia.

Genetically primed adult C57BL mice were deleted of exon 5 of the gene encoding the transcription factor PU.1 by IFN activation of Cre recombinase. After a 13-week delay, conditionally deleted (PU.1(-/-)) mice began dying of myeloid leukemia, and 95% of the mice surviving from early postinduction death developed transplantable myeloid leukemia whose cells were deleted of PU.1 and uniformly Gr-1 positive. The leukemic cells formed autonomous colonies in semisolid culture with varying clonal efficiency, but colony formation was enhanced by IL-3 and sometimes by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Nine of 13 tumors analyzed had developed a capacity for autocrine IL-3 or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor production, and there was evidence of rearrangement of the IL-3 gene. Acquisition of autocrine growth-factor production and autonomous growth appeared to be major events in the transformation of conditionally deleted PU.1(-/-) cells to fully developed myeloid leukemic populations.

The development of functional B lymphocytes in conditional PU.1 knock-out mice.

An abundance of research has entrenched the view that the Ets domain containing transcription factor PU.1 is fundamental to the development and function of B lymphocytes. In this study, we have made use of a conditional PU.1 allele to test this notion. Complete deletion of PU.1 resulted in the loss of B cells and all other lineage-positive cells in the fetal liver and death between E18.5 and birth; however, specific deletion of PU.1 in the B lineage had no effect on B-cell development. Furthermore, deletion of PU.1 in B cells did not compromise their ability to establish and maintain an immune response. An increased level of apoptosis was observed in vitro upon B-cell receptor (BCR) cross-linking; however, this was partially rescued by interleukin-4 (IL-4). These findings suggest that PU.1 is not essential for the development of functional B lymphocytes beyond the pre-B stage.

Cutting edge: generation of splenic CD8+ and CD8- dendritic cell equivalents in Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand bone marrow cultures.

We demonstrate that functional and phenotypic equivalents of mouse splenic CD8(+) and CD8(-) conventional dendritic cell (cDC) subsets can be generated in vitro when bone marrow is cultured with fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (flt3) ligand. In addition to CD45RA(high) plasmacytoid DC, two distinct CD24(high) and CD11b(high) cDC subsets were present, and these subsets showed equivalent properties to splenic CD8(+) and CD8(-) cDC, respectively, in the following: 1) surface expression of CD11b, CD24, and signal regulatory protein-alpha; 2) developmental dependence on, and mRNA expression of, IFN regulatory factor-8; 3) mRNA expression of TLRs and chemokine receptors; 4) production of IL-12 p40/70, IFN-alpha, MIP-1alpha, and RANTES in response to TLR ligands; 5) expression of cystatin C; and 6) cross-presentation of exogenous Ag to CD8 T cells. Furthermore, despite lacking surface CD8 expression, the CD24(high) subset contained CD8 mRNA and up-regulated surface expression when transferred into mice. This culture system allows access to bona fide counterparts of the splenic DC subsets.

Development of the dendritic cell system during mouse ontogeny.

Based on the view that the efficacy of the immune system is associated with the maturation state of the immune cells, including dendritic cells (DC), we investigated the development and functional potential of conventional DC and plasmacytoid pre-DC (p-preDC) in spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes during mouse development. Both CD11c+ DC and CD45RA+ p-preDC were detected in small numbers in the thymus as early as embryonic day 17. The ratio of DC to thymocytes reached adult levels by 1 wk, although the normal CD8alpha+ phenotype was not acquired until later. Significant, but low, numbers of DC and p-preDC were present in the spleen of day 1 newborn mice. The full complement of DC and p-preDC was not acquired until 5 wk of age. The composition of DC populations in the spleen of young mice differed significantly from that found in adult mice, with a much higher percentage (50-60% compared with 20-25%) of the CD4-CD8alpha+ DC population and a much lower percentage (10-20% compared with 50-60%) of the CD4+CD8alpha- DC population. Although the p-preDC of young mice showed a capacity to produce IFN-alpha comparable with that of adult mice, the conventional DC of young mice were less efficient than those of their adult counterparts in IL-12p70 and IFN-gamma production and in Ag presentation. These results suggest that the neonatal DC system is not fully developed, and innate immunity is the dominant form of response. The complete DC system required for adaptive immunity in the mouse is not fully developed until 5 wk of age.