A20 and ABIN-1 cooperate in balancing CBM complex-triggered NF-κB signaling in activated T cells.

T cell activation initiates protective adaptive immunity, but counterbalancing mechanisms are critical to prevent overshooting responses and to maintain immune homeostasis. The CARD11-BCL10-MALT1 (CBM) complex bridges T cell receptor engagement to NF-κB signaling and MALT1 protease activation. Here, we show that ABIN-1 is modulating the suppressive function of A20 in T cells. Using quantitative mass spectrometry, we identified ABIN-1 as an interactor of the CBM signalosome in activated T cells. A20 and ABIN-1 counteract inducible activation of human primary CD4 and Jurkat T cells. While A20 overexpression is able to silence CBM complex-triggered NF-κB and MALT1 protease activation independent of ABIN-1, the negative regulatory function of ABIN-1 depends on A20. The suppressive function of A20 in T cells relies on ubiquitin binding through the C-terminal zinc finger (ZnF)4/7 motifs, but does not involve the deubiquitinating activity of the OTU domain. Our mechanistic studies reveal that the A20/ABIN-1 module is recruited to the CBM complex via A20 ZnF4/7 and that proteasomal degradation of A20 and ABIN-1 releases the CBM complex from the negative impact of both regulators. Ubiquitin binding to A20 ZnF4/7 promotes destructive K48-polyubiquitination to itself and to ABIN-1. Further, after prolonged T cell stimulation, ABIN-1 antagonizes MALT1-catalyzed cleavage of re-synthesized A20 and thereby diminishes sustained CBM complex signaling. Taken together, interdependent post-translational mechanisms are tightly controlling expression and activity of the A20/ABIN-1 silencing module and the cooperative action of both negative regulators is critical to balance CBM complex signaling and T cell activation.

A zebrafish functional genomics model to investigate the role of human A20 variants in vivo.

Germline loss-of-function variation in TNFAIP3, encoding A20, has been implicated in a wide variety of autoinflammatory and autoimmune conditions, with acquired somatic missense mutations linked to cancer progression. Furthermore, human sequence data reveals that the A20 locus contains ~ 400 non-synonymous coding variants, which are largely uncharacterised. The growing number of A20 coding variants with unknown function, but potential clinical impact, poses a challenge to traditional mouse-based approaches. Here we report the development of a novel functional genomics approach that utilizes a new A20-deficient zebrafish (Danio rerio) model to investigate the impact of TNFAIP3 genetic variants in vivo. A20-deficient zebrafish are hyper-responsive to microbial immune activation and exhibit spontaneous early lethality. Ectopic addition of human A20 rescued A20-null zebrafish from lethality, while missense mutations at two conserved A20 residues, S381A and C243Y, reversed this protective effect. Ser381 represents a phosphorylation site important for enhancing A20 activity that is abrogated by its mutation to alanine, or by a causal C243Y mutation that triggers human autoimmune disease. These data reveal an evolutionarily conserved role for TNFAIP3 in limiting inflammation in the vertebrate linage and show how this function is controlled by phosphorylation. They also demonstrate how a zebrafish functional genomics pipeline can be utilized to investigate the in vivo significance of medically relevant human TNFAIP3 gene variants.

The ubiquitin-editing enzyme A20 regulates synapse remodeling and efficacy.

Ubiquitination and its reverse process, deubiquitination, play essential roles in neural development, function, and plasticity. A20, a ubiquitin editing enzyme that can remove K63-polyubiquitin chains from substrates and attach K48-polyubiquitin chains to them, is a critical component in the NF-κB signaling pathway in the immune system. This dual ubiquitin enzyme is also present in mammalian brains, but its potential role in neurons and synapses is unknown. We show that A20 in pyramidal neurons potently regulates dendritic arborization, spine morphogenesis, and synaptic transmission through an NF-κB-dependent mechanism. In cultured hippocampal neurons, overexpression of A20 reduced dendritic complexity and spine size and density, whereas A20 knockdown increased spine size and density, as well as clustering of the postsynaptic scaffold PSD-95 and glutamate receptor subunit GluA1. A20 effects in vitro were recapitulated in vivo where increasing or decreasing A20 expression in mouse brains reduced and enhanced spine density, respectively. Functionally, A20 knockdown significantly increased the amplitude, but not frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents, suggesting a role in postsynaptic efficacy. A20 negatively regulated NF-κB activation in neurons and A20 mutants deficient in either the deubiquitinase or the ubiquitin ligase activity failed to suppress NF-κB activation or reduce spine morphogenesis. Finally, selective inhibition of NF-κB abolished A20 knockdown-elicited spine formation, suggesting that A20 exerts its modulation on synapses through NF-κB signaling. Together, our study reveals a previously unknown role for A20, the only known ubiquitin editing enzyme with both deubiquitinase and ubiquitin ligase activity, in dendritic arborization, spine remodeling, and synaptic plasticity.

A20 as an immune tolerance factor can determine islet transplant outcomes.

Islet transplantation can restore lost glycemic control in type 1 diabetes subjects but is restricted in its clinical application by a limiting supply of islets and the need for heavy immune suppression to prevent rejection. TNFAIP3, encoding the ubiquitin editing enzyme A20, regulates the activation of immune cells by raising NF-κB signaling thresholds. Here, we show that increasing A20 expression in allogeneic islet grafts resulted in permanent survival for ~45% of recipients, and > 80% survival when combined with subtherapeutic rapamycin. Allograft survival was dependent upon Tregs and was antigen specific, and grafts showed reduced expression of inflammatory factors. Transplantation of islets with A20 containing a loss-of-function variant (I325N) resulted in increased RIPK1 ubiquitination and NF-κB signaling, graft hyperinflammation, and acute allograft rejection. Overexpression of A20 in human islets potently reduced expression of inflammatory mediators, with no impact on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Therapeutic administration of A20 raises inflammatory signaling thresholds to favor immune tolerance and promotes islet allogeneic survival. Clinically, this would allow for reduced immunosuppression and support the use of alternate islet sources.

Regulation of NF-κB- and STAT1-mediated plasmacytoid dendritic cell functions by A20.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen presenting cells involved in the induction of T cell-mediated adaptive immunity. Plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) originate from lymphoid precursors and produce type I interferons (IFNs) in response to pathogens. A20 is considered as a negative regulator of toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways, in which Toxoplasma gondii- derived profilin (TgPRF) is a TLR11/12 ligand recognised by DCs to stimulate their maturation/activation. Little is known about contributions of A20 to changes in biological properties of pDCs. The present study, therefore, explored whether pDC functions are influenced by A20. To this end, bone marrow cells were isolated and cultured with Flt3L to attain CD8DCs, CD11bDCs and pDCs and followed by challenge with TgPRP in the presence or absence of A20 siRNA. Expression of maturation markers were analysed by flow cytometry, and secretion of inflammatory cytokines by ELISA, cell migration by a transwell migration assay and expression of signalling molecules by western blotting. As a result, treatment with A20 siRNA enhanced activations of IκB-α and STAT-1, leading to increases in expressions of maturation markers and cytokine productions as well as migration of TgPRP-treated pDCs, while mature CD11bDCs produced at higher levels of TNF-α and IL-6 only. In addition, functions of CD8DCs remained unaltered following A20 silencing. The effects of A20 on pDC maturation and activation were completely abolished by IKK inhibitor and partially blunted by fludarabine. In conclusion, the inhibitory effects of A20 on pDC functions are expected to affect the immune response in T. gondii infection.

A20 as a novel target for the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of chrysin via inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway.

Neuroinflammation is now recognized to be a feature of many neurological disorders. More accumulated evidences suggested chrysin which was contained in honey, propolis, vegetables, fruits and plants can exert biological activities including anti-neuroinflammatory effects. However, the precise molecular mechanisms of anti-neuroinflammatory effects remain unclear. In the present study, we explored a novel molecular mechanism involved in the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of chrysin. Firstly, we investigated the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of chrysin in LPS-induced BV2, primary microglial cells and mice. Next, we found chrysin can inhibit NF-κB pathway and TRAF6 expression, but upregulate the expression of zinc-finger protein A20. Further studies have revealed upregulation of A20 can regulate the inhibitory effects of chrysin on NF-κB pathways via regulation of TRAF6 polyubiquitination. This present study demonstrates that chrysin exerts an anti-neuroinflammatory effect via a novel mechanism, the upregulation of A20 expression, also validates A20 is a novel effective pharmacological target for developing agents in the treatment of neuroinflammation-related diseases.

The pleiotropic effects of TNFα in breast cancer subtypes is regulated by TNFAIP3/A20.

TNFα is a pleiotropic cytokine which fuels tumor cell growth, invasion, and metastasis in some malignancies, while in others it induces cytotoxic cell death. However, the molecular mechanism by which TNFα exerts its diverse effects on breast cancer subtypes remains elusive. Using in vitro assays and mouse xenografts, we show here that TNFα contributes to the aggressive properties of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines via upregulation of TNFAIP3(A20). In a striking contrast, TNFα induces a potent cytotoxic cell death in luminal (ER+) breast cancer cell lines which fail to upregulate A20 expression. Overexpression of A20 not only protects luminal breast cancer cell lines from TNFα-induced cell death via inducing HSP70-mediated anti-apoptotic pathway but also promotes a robust EMT/CSC phenotype by activating the pStat3-mediated inflammatory signaling. Furthermore, A20 overexpression in luminal breast cancer cells induces aggressive metastatic properties in mouse xenografts via generating a permissive inflammatory microenvironment constituted by granulocytic-MDSCs. Collectively, our results reveal a mechanism by which A20 mediates pleiotropic effects of TNFα playing role in aggressive behaviors of TNBC subtype while its deficiency results in TNFα-induced apoptotic cell death in luminal breast cancer subtype.

A20 (tnfaip3) is a negative feedback regulator of RIG-I-Mediated IFN induction in teleost.

Interferon production is tightly regulated in order to prevent excessive immune responses. The RIG-I signaling pathway, which is one of the major pathways inducing the production of interferon, is therefore finely regulated through the participation of different molecules such as A20 (TNFAIP3). A20 is a negative key regulatory factor of the immune response. Although A20 has been identified and actively studied in mammals, nothing is known about its putative function in lower vertebrates. In this study, we sought to define the involvement of fish A20 orthologs in the regulation of RIG-I signaling. We showed that A20 completely blocked the activation of IFN and ISG promoters mediated by RIG-I. Furthermore, A20 expression in fish cells was sufficient to reverse the antiviral state induced by the expression of a constitutively active form of RIG-I, thus allowing the efficient replication of a fish rhabdovirus, the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). We brought evidence that A20 interrupted RIG-I signaling at the level of TBK1 kinase, a critical point of convergence for many different pathways that activates important transcription factors involved in the expression of many cytokines. Finally, we showed that A20 expression was directly induced by the RIG-I pathway demonstrating that fish A20 acts as a negative feedback regulator of this key pathway for the establishment of an antiviral state.

A20 inhibits the release of inflammatory cytokines by suppressing the activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway in osteoarthritic fibroblast-like synoviocytes.

A growing number of studies suggest that synovitis plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). As a negative mediator of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, the zinc finger protein A20 has significant anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, the differential expression of A20 was investigated at the mRNA and protein levels in human normal OA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) and normal FLSs pretreated with TNF-α. We then measured the activation of the NF-κB pathway and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the above three groups by western blotting, a human cytokine array and ELISA. We found that TNF-α activated the NF-κB pathway, increased the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8, and A20 expression in human normal FLSs. However, the role of A20 in FLSs was unclear. To clarify this, we investigated the effect of A20 overexpression in human normal FLSs. The results indicate that A20 inhibits the NF-κB signaling pathway activation and OA-associated pro-inflammatory cytokines release. The results of this study indicate that A20 has anti-inflammatory effects in FLSs, which makes it a potential target for OA synovitis treatment.

Identification of Immune-Responsive Gene 1 (IRG1) as a Target of A20.

A20 is a negative regulator of NF-κB signaling; it controls inflammatory responses and ensures tissue homeostasis. A20 is thought to restrict NF-κB activation both by its ubiquitin-editing activity as well as by its nonenzymatic activities. Besides its role in NF-κB signaling, A20 also acts as a protective factor inhibiting apoptosis and necroptosis. Because of the ability of A20 to both ubiquitinate and deubiquitinate substrates, and its involvement in many cellular processes, we hypothesized that deletion of A20 might generally impact on protein levels, thereby disrupting cellular signaling. We performed a differential proteomics study on bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from control and myeloid-specific A20 knockout mice, both in untreated conditions and after LPS or TNF treatment, and demonstrated A20-dependent changes in protein expression. Several inflammatory proteins were found up-regulated in the absence of A20, even without an inflammatory stimulus, but, depending on the treatment and the treatment time, more proteins were found regulated. Together these protein changes may affect normal signaling events, which may disturb tissue homeostasis and induce (autoimmune) inflammation, in agreement with A20s proposed identity as a susceptibility gene for inflammatory disease. We further verify that immune-responsive gene 1 (IRG1) is up-regulated in the absence of A20 and that its levels are transcriptionally regulated.

An Update on Autoinflammatory Diseases: Relopathies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway is tightly regulated through multiple posttranslational mechanisms including ubiquitination. Mutations in these regulatory pathways can cause disease and are the focus of this review. RECENT FINDINGS: The linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC) is a trimer made up of HOIL-1L, SHARPIN, and the catalytic subunit HOIP. Loss of function mutations in HOIL-1L and HOIP result in largely overlapping phenotypes, characterized by multi-organ autoinflammation, immunodeficiency, and amylopectinosis. Interestingly, patient fibroblasts exhibited diminished IL-1ß- and TNF-induced NF-κB activation, yet monocytes were hyper-responsive to IL-1ß, hinting at cell type or target specific roles of LUBAC-mediated ubiquitination. Ubiquitin-driven signaling is counterbalanced by deubiquitinase enzymes (DUBs), such as OTULIN and A20. Hypomorphic mutations in OTULIN result in elevated NF-κB signaling causing an autoinflammatory syndrome. Similarly, patients with high-penetrance heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding A20 (haploinsufficiency of A20 (HA20)) display excessive ubiquitination and increased activity of NF-κB and of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. HA20 patients present with Behçet-like characteristics or an autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS)-like phenotype, indicating diverse protein functions. This review summarizes recent discoveries in the field of NF-kB-related autoinflammatory diseases (relopathies) within the past 3 years and points to several questions that still remain unanswered.

Downregulation of A20 increases the cytotoxicity of IFN-γ in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly fatal disease mandating development of novel, effective therapeutic strategy. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is a pleiotropic cytokine with immunomodulatory, antiviral, and antitumor effects. Although IFN-γ is a promising antitumor agent, its application is limited by resistance in tumor cells. A20 is a zinc-finger protein that was initially identified as a gene product induced by tumor necrosis factor α in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In this study, we found that silencing of A20 combined with IFN-γ significantly represses cell viability, and induces apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in HCC cells. By investigating mechanisms implicated in A20 and IFN-γ-mediated signaling pathways, we revealed that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway and antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 proteins were repressed. Moreover, we also found that phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT3 was significantly enhanced after the downregulation of A20 in combination with treatment of IFN-γ. Inhibitor of STAT1 but not STAT3 could block the antitumor effect of IFN-γ. Therefore, targeting A20 enhances the cytotoxicity of IFN-γ against HCC cells and may present a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC.

Hypomorphic A20 expression confers susceptibility to psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease that affects approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3) gene polymorphisms have been strongly associated with psoriasis susceptibility. In this study, we investigate how TNFAIP3, also known as A20, may regulate psoriasis susceptibility. We found that haplo-insufficient A20+/- mice develop severe toll-like receptor (TLR)-induced skin inflammation compared to wild type mice owing to amplified production of interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-23. Examination of TNFAIP3 mRNA expression in skin biopsies from patients with psoriasis revealed reduced expression in both involved and uninvolved skin. Our results demonstrate the clinical importance of reduced dermal expression of A20 in psoriasis and suggest that A20 restriction of the IL-23/17 axis protects against psoriasis.

[Autoimmune diseases and ubiquitin system].

  Cytokines play important roles in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Anti-TNFα antibody therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and psoriasis has made enough progress to change its treatment goal. This review focuses on the recent advances that have been made in understanding TNFR signaling through ubiquitin system. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified numerous susceptibility loci associated with autoimmune diseases. Ubiquitin related genes TNFAIP3 and TNIP1 have been linked to multiple autoimmune diseases. Here, we review the importance of TNFAIP3 and TNIP1-mediated regulation of ubiquitin-dependent signaling. To monitor the dynamics of ubiquitin chain formation in vivo, we have developed a polyubiquitin-mediated fluorescence complementation (PolyUb-FC) assay. The PolyUb-FC assay has the advantage that monoubiquitination is non-fluorescent and chain-specific poly-ubiquitination can be directly visualized in living cells without using antibodies. The PolyUb-FC will be a useful tool for analyzing the dynamics of polyubiquitin chain generation.

Monocyte/Macrophage and TNFα-induced adipose related protein (TIARP) in rheumatoid arthritis.

In the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), TNFα and IL-6 are proved to be crucial cytokines. Monocyte and macrophage are thought to produce these cytokines, as well as the source of cells becoming osteoclast in RA. In this review, I will discuss the role of monocyte/macrophage and the recent topic of negative regulator of arthritis such as TNFα-induced adipose related protein in RA.