RESUMO
Chemokine-dependent localization of specific B cell subsets within the immune microarchitecture is essential to ensure successful cognate interactions. Although cognate interactions between T cells and memory B cells (B(mem)) are essential for the secondary humoral immune responses, the chemokine response patterns of B(mem) cells are largely unknown. In contrast to naive B cells, this study shows that Ag-specific B(mem) cells have heightened expression of CCR6 and a selective chemotactic response to the CCR6 ligand, CCL20. Although CCR6 appears be nonessential for the initial clonal expansion and maintenance of B(mem), CCR6 is essential for the ability of B(mem) to respond to a recall response to their cognate Ag. This dependency was deemed intrinsic by studies in CCR6-deficient mice and in bone marrow chimeric mice where CCR6 deficiency was limited to the B cell lineage. Finally, the mis-positioning of CCR6-deficient B(mem) was revealed by immunohistological analysis with an altered distribution of CCR6-deficient B(mem) from the marginal and perifollicular to the follicular/germinal center area.
Assuntos
Antígenos/imunologia , Linfócitos B/imunologia , Quimiotaxia/imunologia , Memória Imunológica/fisiologia , Receptores CCR6/imunologia , Aloenxertos , Animais , Linfócitos B/citologia , Transplante de Medula Óssea , Quimiocina CCL20/genética , Quimiocina CCL20/imunologia , Quimiotaxia/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/imunologia , Centro Germinativo/citologia , Centro Germinativo/imunologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Receptores CCR6/genética , Quimeras de Transplante/imunologiaRESUMO
V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) is a potent negative regulator of T-cell function that is expressed on hematopoietic cells. VISTA levels are heightened within the tumor microenvironment, in which its blockade can enhance antitumor immune responses in mice. In humans, blockade of the related programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) pathway has shown great potential in clinical immunotherapy trials. Here, we report the structure of human VISTA and examine its function in lymphocyte negative regulation in cancer. VISTA is expressed predominantly within the hematopoietic compartment with highest expression within the myeloid lineage. VISTA-Ig suppressed proliferation of T cells but not B cells and blunted the production of T-cell cytokines and activation markers. Our results establish VISTA as a negative checkpoint regulator that suppresses T-cell activation, induces Foxp3 expression, and is highly expressed within the tumor microenvironment. By analogy to PD-1 and PD-L1 blockade, VISTA blockade may offer an immunotherapeutic strategy for human cancer.