Self-programmed dynamics of T cell receptor condensation.

A common event upon receptor-ligand engagement is the formation of receptor clusters on the cell surface, in which signaling molecules are specifically recruited or excluded to form signaling hubs to regulate cellular events. These clusters are often transient and can be disassembled to terminate signaling. Despite the general relevance of dynamic receptor clustering in cell signaling, the regulatory mechanism underlying the dynamics is still poorly understood. As a major antigen receptor in the immune system, T cell receptors (TCR) form spatiotemporally dynamic clusters to mediate robust yet temporal signaling to induce adaptive immune responses. Here we identify a phase separation mechanism controlling dynamic TCR clustering and signaling. The TCR signaling component CD3ε chain can condensate with Lck kinase through phase separation to form TCR signalosomes for active antigen signaling. Lck-mediated CD3ε phosphorylation, however, switched its binding preference to Csk, a functional suppressor of Lck, to cause the dissolvement of TCR signalosomes. Modulating TCR/Lck condensation by targeting CD3ε interactions with Lck or Csk directly affects T cell activation and function, highlighting the importance of the phase separation mechanism. The self-programmed condensation and dissolvement is thus a built-in mechanism of TCR signaling and might be relevant to other receptors.

An ankylosing spondylitis risk variant alters osteoclast differentiation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether the variants in non MHC proteasome gene are associated with AS and explain the role of the variant in the disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Case-control analysis to identify AS predisposition genes; dual-luciferase reporter assay, immunoblot analysis and osteoclastogenesis assays to detect the function of the positive variant. Affected individuals were diagnosed according to the modified New York Criteria by at least two experienced rheumatologists, and rechecked by another rheumatologist. RESULTS: The study included 1037 AS patients and 1014 no rheumatic and arthritis disease controls. The main age of AS onset is between 16 and 35 years old. HLA-B27-positive subjects comprised 90.0% of patients. A nonsynonymous SNP rs12717 in proteasome gene PSMB1 significantly associated with AS. Individuals with CC genotype had a higher onset risk compared with those with GG/GC genotypes (OR = 1.89, P = 0.0047). We also discovered that PSMB1 regulates the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK)/RANK ligand (RANKL) signalling pathway and the disease-associated variant PSMB1-Pro11 significantly inhibits RANKL-induced NF-κB pathway in osteoclast differentiation via the degradation of IKK-ß compared with PSMB1-Ala11. RANKL induced osteoclast differentiation was significantly lower in primary monocyte osteoclast precursor from individuals with genotype PSMB131C/31C compared with individuals with genotype PSMB131G/31G. CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal a novel understanding of the bone formation and reabsorbing imbalance in AS. The new bone formation phenotype can be attributed to the inhibition of osteoclast differentiation by a more functional PSMB1 gene.

Analysis of the Immune Response by Standardized Whole-Blood Stimulation with Metabolism Modulation.

The immune system defends the body from infection and plays a vital role in a wide range of health conditions. Metabolism affects a series of physiological processes, including those linked to the function of human immune system. Cellular metabolism modulates immune cell activation and cytokine production. Understanding the relationship between metabolism and immune response has important implications for the development of immune-based therapeutics. However, the deployment of large-scale functional assays to investigate the metabolic regulation of immune response has been limited by the lack of standardized procedures. Here, we present a protocol for the analysis of immune response using standardized whole-blood stimulation with metabolism modulation. Diverse immune stimuli including pattern recognition receptor (PRR) ligands and microbial stimuli were incubated with fresh human whole blood. The metabolic inhibitors were used to modulate metabolic status in the immune cells. The variable immune responses after metabolic interventions were evaluated. We described in detail the main steps involved in the whole-blood stimulation and cytokines quantification, namely, collection and treatment of whole blood, preparation of samples and controls, cytokines detection, and stimulation with metabolic interventions. The metabolic inhibitors for anabolic pathways and catabolic pathways exert selective effects on the production of cytokines from immune cells. In addition to a robust and accurate assessment of immune response in cohort studies, the standardized whole-blood stimulation with metabolic regulation might provide new insights for modulating immunity. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43657-023-00114-0.

Phonological Development in 3-6-Year-Old Mandarin-Speaking Children with Autism, Developmental Delays, and Typical Development.

Research on the phonological development of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not yet reached consistent conclusions, and systematic studies from different language groups are needed. This study aimed to systematically investigate the characteristics of phonological development in 3-6 year-old Mandarin-speaking children with ASD. We analyzed 10 min speech samples from 21 children with ASD, 18 development level-matched children with developmental disorders (DD), and 15 chronological age-matched typically developing (TD) children during semi-structured parent-child free play based on Mandarin phonological features. The children with ASD had a significantly smaller inventory than those with TD on the initial and final inventories. The children with ASD had only a significantly smaller initial inventory than those with DD in Phases 2 and 4. Compared with TD children, children with ASD used a higher proportion of V1 and V1V2C and a smaller proportion of V1V2V3, CV1C, and CV1V2C. No significant differences existed between ASD and DD children in the proportion of any syllable structure, but V1V2V3, CV1, and CV1V2C numbers were significantly fewer than in DD children. Children with ASD were significantly greater than children with TD in the diversity of V1V2, CV1, and overall syllables. ASD children had significantly fewer different types of syllables in both V1V2C and CV1 than did DD children and significantly greater diversity in CV1 and overall syllables than did DD children. These preliminary data suggest that the gap between TD and ASD children's language abilities increased with age, and this gap was reflected in initial, final, and syllable complexity and diversity. Children with DD and ASD showed similar language abilities, and children with DD showed detailed differences from those with ASD regarding initial, syllable complexity and diversity.

Deep Immunophenotyping of Human Whole Blood by Standardized Multi-parametric Flow Cytometry Analyses.

Immunophenotyping is proving crucial to understanding the role of the immune system in health and disease. High-throughput flow cytometry has been used extensively to reveal changes in immune cell composition and function at the single-cell level. Here, we describe six optimized 11-color flow cytometry panels for deep immunophenotyping of human whole blood. A total of 51 surface antibodies, which are readily available and validated, were selected to identify the key immune cell populations and evaluate their functional state in a single assay. The gating strategies for effective flow cytometry data analysis are included in the protocol. To ensure data reproducibility, we provide detailed procedures in three parts, including (1) instrument characterization and detector gain optimization, (2) antibody titration and sample staining, and (3) data acquisition and quality checks. This standardized approach has been applied to a variety of donors for a better understanding of the complexity of the human immune system. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43657-022-00092-9.