scholarly journals A fetal wave of human type-3 γδ T cells with restricted TCR diversity persists into adulthood

Author(s):  
Likai Tan ◽  
Alina Suzann Fichtner ◽  
Anja Bubke ◽  
Ivan Odak ◽  
Christian Schultze-Florey ◽  
...  

AbstractAccumulating evidence suggests that the human embryonic thymus produces distinct waves of innate effector γδ T cells. However, it is unclear whether this process comprises a dedicated subset of IL-17-producing γδ T (γδT17) cells, like reported in mice. Here we present a novel protocol for high-throughput paired γδ TCR-sequencing, which in combination with single-cell RNA-sequencing revealed a high heterogeneity of effector γδ T cell clusters. While immature γδ T cell clusters displayed mixed and diverse TCR, effector cell types in neonatal and adult blood segregated according to γδTCR usage. In adult samples, mature Vδ1+ T cells segregated into exhausted PD-1hi and active PD-1low clusters. Among Vγ9Vδ2+ T cell subsets, we identified distinct PLZF-positive effector γδ T cell clusters with innate type-1 and type-3 T cell signatures that were already detectable in a public dataset of early embryonic thymus organogenesis. Together, this suggests that functionally distinct waves of human innate effector γδ T cells including CCR6+ γδT17 cells develop in the early fetal thymus and persist into adulthood.

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (58) ◽  
pp. eabf0125
Author(s):  
Likai Tan ◽  
Alina Suzann Fichtner ◽  
Elena Bruni ◽  
Ivan Odak ◽  
Inga Sandrock ◽  
...  

Accumulating evidence suggests that the mouse embryonic thymus produces distinct waves of innate effector γδ T cells. However, it is unclear whether this process occurs similarly in humans and whether it comprises a dedicated subset of innate-like type 3 effector γδ T cells. Here, we present a protocol for high-throughput sequencing of TRG and TRD pairs that comprise the clonal γδTCR. In combination with single-cell RNA sequencing, multiparameter flow cytometry, and TCR sequencing, we reveal a high heterogeneity of γδ T cells sorted from neonatal and adult blood that correlated with TCR usage. Immature γδ T cell clusters displayed mixed and diverse TCRs, but effector cell types segregated according to the expression of either highly expanded individual Vδ1+ TCRs or moderately expanded semi-invariant Vγ9Vδ2+ TCRs. The Vγ9Vδ2+ T cells shared expression of genes that mark innate-like T cells, including ZBTB16 (encoding PLZF), KLRB1, and KLRC1, but consisted of distinct clusters with unrelated Vγ9Vδ2+ TCR clones characterized either by TBX21, FCGR3A, and cytotoxicity-associated gene expression (type 1) or by CCR6, RORC, IL23R, and DPP4 expression (type 3). Effector γδ T cells with type 1 and type 3 innate T cell signatures were detected in a public dataset of early embryonic thymus organogenesis. Together, this study suggests that functionally distinct waves of human innate-like effector γδ T cells with semi-invariant Vγ9Vδ2+ TCR develop in the early fetal thymus and persist into adulthood.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e002051
Author(s):  
Ryan Michael Reyes ◽  
Yilun Deng ◽  
Deyi Zhang ◽  
Niannian Ji ◽  
Neelam Mukherjee ◽  
...  

BackgroundAnti-programmed death-ligand 1 (αPD-L1) immunotherapy is approved to treat bladder cancer (BC) but is effective in <30% of patients. Interleukin (IL)-2/αIL-2 complexes (IL-2c) that preferentially target IL-2 receptor β (CD122) augment CD8+ antitumor T cells known to improve αPD-L1 efficacy. We hypothesized that the tumor microenvironment, including local immune cells in primary versus metastatic BC, differentially affects immunotherapy responses and that IL-2c effects could differ from, and thus complement αPD-L1.MethodsWe studied mechanisms of IL-2c and αPD-L1 efficacy using PD-L1+ mouse BC cell lines MB49 and MBT-2 in orthotopic (bladder) and metastatic (lung) sites.ResultsIL-2c reduced orthotopic tumor burden and extended survival in MB49 and MBT-2 BC models, similar to αPD-L1. Using antibody-mediated cell depletions and genetically T cell-deficient mice, we unexpectedly found that CD8+ T cells were not necessary for IL-2c efficacy against tumors in bladder, whereas γδ T cells, not reported to contribute to αPD-L1 efficacy, were indispensable for IL-2c efficacy there. αPD-L1 responsiveness in bladder required conventional T cells as expected, but not γδ T cells, altogether defining distinct mechanisms for IL-2c and αPD-L1 efficacy. γδ T cells did not improve IL-2c treatment of subcutaneously challenged BC or orthotopic (peritoneal) ovarian cancer, consistent with tissue-specific and/or tumor-specific γδ T cell contributions to IL-2c efficacy. IL-2c significantly altered bladder intratumoral γδ T cell content, activation status, and specific γδ T cell subsets with antitumor or protumor effector functions. Neither IL-2c nor αPD-L1 alone treated lung metastatic MB49 or MBT-2 BC, but their combination improved survival in both models. Combination treatment efficacy in lungs required CD8+ T cells but not γδ T cells.ConclusionsMechanistic insights into differential IL-2c and αPD-L1 treatment and tissue-dependent effects could help develop rational combination treatment strategies to improve treatment efficacy in distinct cancers. These studies also provide insights into γδ T cell contributions to immunotherapy in bladder and engagement of adaptive immunity by IL-2c plus αPD-L1 to treat refractory lung metastases.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Teixeira ◽  
Alexandria Gillespie ◽  
Alehegne Yirsaw ◽  
Emily Britton ◽  
Janice Telfer ◽  
...  

Pathogenic Leptospira species cause leptospirosis, a neglected zoonotic disease recognized as a global public health problem. It is also the cause of the most common cattle infection that results in major economic losses due to reproductive problems. γδ T cells play a role in the protective immune response in livestock species against Leptospira while human γδ T cells also respond to Leptospira. Thus, activation of γδ T cells has emerged as a potential component for optimization of vaccine strategies. Bovine γδ T cells proliferate and produce IFN-γ in response to vaccination with inactivated leptospires and this response is mediated by a specific subpopulation of the WC1-bearing γδ T cells. WC1 molecules are members of the group B scavenger receptor cysteine rich (SRCR) superfamily and are composed of multiple SRCR domains, of which particular extracellular domains act as ligands for Leptospira. Since WC1 molecules function as both pattern recognition receptors and γδ TCR coreceptors, the WC1 system has been proposed as a novel target to engage γδ T cells. Here, we demonstrate the involvement of leptospiral protein antigens in the activation of WC1+ γδ T cells and identified two leptospiral outer membrane proteins able to interact directly with them. Interestingly, we show that the protein-specific γδ T cell response is composed of WC1.1+ and WC1.2+ subsets, although a greater number of WC1.1+ γδ T cells respond. Identification of protein antigens will enhance our understanding of the role γδ T cells play in the leptospiral immune response and in recombinant vaccine development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (31) ◽  
pp. 18649-18660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarina Ravens ◽  
Alina S. Fichtner ◽  
Maike Willers ◽  
Dennis Torkornoo ◽  
Sabine Pirr ◽  
...  

Starting at birth, the immune system of newborns and children encounters and is influenced by environmental challenges. It is still not completely understood how γδ T cells emerge and adapt during early life. Studying the composition of T cell receptors (TCRs) using next-generation sequencing (NGS) in neonates, infants, and children can provide valuable insights into the adaptation of T cell subsets. To investigate how neonatal γδ T cell repertoires are shaped by microbial exposure after birth, we monitored the γ-chain (TRG) and δ-chain (TRD) repertoires of peripheral blood T cells in newborns, infants, and young children from Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. We identified a set ofTRGandTRDsequences that were shared by all children from Europe and Africa. These were primarily public clones, characterized by simple rearrangements of Vγ9 and Vδ2 chains with low junctional diversity and usage of non-TRDJ1gene segments, reminiscent of early ontogenetic subsets of γδ T cells. Further profiling revealed that these innate, public Vγ9Vδ2+T cells underwent an immediate TCR-driven polyclonal proliferation within the first 4 wk of life. In contrast, γδ T cells using Vδ1+and Vδ3+TRDrearrangements did not significantly expand after birth. However, different environmental cues may lead to the observed increase of Vδ1+and Vδ3+TRDsequences in the majority of African children. In summary, we show how dynamic γδ TCR repertoires develop directly after birth and present important differences among γδ T cell subsets.


2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (43) ◽  
pp. E9056-E9065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorien Van hede ◽  
Barbara Polese ◽  
Chantal Humblet ◽  
Anneke Wilharm ◽  
Virginie Renoux ◽  
...  

It has been shown that γδ T cells protect against the formation of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in several models. However, the role of γδ T cells in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated uterine cervical SCC, the third-leading cause of death by cancer in women, is unknown. Here, we investigated the impact of γδ T cells in a transgenic mouse model of carcinogenesis induced by HPV16 oncoproteins. Surprisingly, γδ T cells promoted the development of HPV16 oncoprotein-induced lesions. HPV16 oncoproteins induced a decrease in epidermal Skint1 expression and the associated antitumor Vγ5+ γδ T cells, which were replaced by γδ T-cell subsets (mainly Vγ6+ γδlowCCR2+CCR6−) actively producing IL-17A. Consistent with a proangiogenic role, γδ T cells promoted the formation of blood vessels in the dermis underlying the HPV-induced lesions. In human cervical biopsies, IL-17A+ γδ T cells could only be observed at the cancer stage (SCC), where HPV oncoproteins are highly expressed, supporting the clinical relevance of our observations in mice. Overall, our results suggest that HPV16 oncoproteins induce a reorganization of the local epithelial-associated γδ T-cell subpopulations, thereby promoting angiogenesis and cancer development.


2006 ◽  
Vol 7 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 81-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wasin Charerntantanakul ◽  
James A. Roth

The present review concentrates on the biological aspects of porcine T lymphocytes. Their ontogeny, subpopulations, localization and trafficking, and responses to pathogens are reviewed. The development of porcine T cells begins in the liver during the first trimester of fetal life and continues in the thymus from the second trimester until after birth. Porcine T cells are divided into two lineages, based on their possession of the [@@@]\rmalpha [@@@]β or γδ T-cell receptor. Porcine [@@@]\rmalpha [@@@]β T cells recognize antigens in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted manner, whereas the γδ T cells recognize antigens in a MHC non-restricted fashion. The CD4+CD8−and CD4+CD8loT cell subsets of [@@@]\rmalpha [@@@]β T cells recognize antigens presented in MHC class II molecules, while the CD4−CD8+T cell subset recognizes antigens presented in MHC class I molecules. Porcine [@@@]\rmalpha [@@@]β T cells localize mainly in lymphoid tissues, whereas γδ T cells predominate in the blood and intestinal epithelium of pigs. Porcine CD8+[@@@]\rmalpha [@@@]β T cells are a prominent T-cell subset during antiviral responses, while porcine CD4+[@@@]\rmalpha [@@@]β T cell responses predominantly occur in bacterial and parasitic infections. Porcine γδ T cell responses have been reported in only a few infections. Porcine T cell responses are suppressed by some viruses and bacteria. The mechanisms of T cell suppression are not entirely known but reportedly include the killing of T cells, the inhibition of T cell activation and proliferation, the inhibition of antiviral cytokine production, and the induction of immunosuppressive cytokines.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Dienz ◽  
Victoria L. DeVault ◽  
Shawn C. Musial ◽  
Somen K. Mistri ◽  
Linda Mei ◽  
...  

AbstractDuring thymic development, γδ T cells commit to either an IFN-γ- or an IL-17-producing phenotype through mechanisms that remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether the SLAM/SAP signaling pathway played a role in the functional programming of thymic γδ T cells. Characterization of SLAM family receptor expression revealed that thymic γδ T cell subsets were each marked by distinct co-expression profiles of SLAMF1, SLAMF4, and SLAMF6. In the thymus, immature CD24hiVγ1 and Vγ4 γδ T cells were largely contained within a SLAMF1+SLAMF6+double positive (DP) population, while mature CD24lowsubsets were either SLAMF1+or SLAMF6+single positive (SP) cells. In the periphery, SLAMF1 and SLAMF6 expression on Vγ1, Vγ4, and Vγ6 T cells distinguished IL-17- and IFN-γ-producing subsets, respectively. Disruption of SLAM family receptor signaling through deletion of SAP resulted in impaired thymic γδ T cell maturation at the CD24hiSLAMF1+SLAMF6+DP stage that was associated with a decreased frequency of CD44+RORγt+γδ T cells. These defects were in turn associated with impaired γδ T cell IL-17 and IFN-γ production in both the thymus as well as in peripheral tissues. The role for SAP was subset-specific, as Vγ1, Vγ4, Vγ5, but not Vγ6 subsets were SAP-dependent. Together, these data suggest that the SLAM/SAP signaling pathway regulates a critical checkpoint in the functional programming of IL-17 and IFN-γ-producing γδ T cell subsets during thymic development.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1987
Author(s):  
Jessica Tuengel ◽  
Sanya Ranchal ◽  
Alexandra Maslova ◽  
Gurpreet Aulakh ◽  
Maria Papadopoulou ◽  
...  

Gamma-delta (γδ) T cells are unconventional T cells that help control cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in adults. γδ T cells develop early in gestation, and a fetal public γδ T cell receptor (TCR) clonotype is detected in congenital CMV infections. However, age-dependent γδ T cell responses to primary CMV infection are not well-understood. Flow cytometry and TCR sequencing was used to comprehensively characterize γδ T cell responses to CMV infection in a cohort of 32 infants followed prospectively from birth. Peripheral blood γδ T cell frequencies increased during infancy, and were higher among CMV-infected infants relative to uninfected. Clustering analyses revealed associations between CMV infection and activation marker expression on adaptive-like Vδ1 and Vδ3, but not innate-like Vγ9Vδ2 γδ T cell subsets. Frequencies of NKG2C+CD57+ γδ T cells were temporally associated with the quantity of CMV shed in saliva by infants with primary infection. The public γδ TCR clonotype was only detected in CMV-infected infants <120 days old and at lower frequencies than previously described in fetal infections. Our findings support the notion that CMV infection drives age-dependent expansions of specific γδ T cell populations, and provide insight for novel strategies to prevent CMV transmission and disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (577) ◽  
pp. eabb0192
Author(s):  
Emelie Foord ◽  
Lucas C. M. Arruda ◽  
Ahmed Gaballa ◽  
Charlotte Klynning ◽  
Michael Uhlin

The role of γδ T cells in antitumor immunity has been under investigation for the past two decades, but little is known about their contribution to clinical outcomes in patients. Here, we set out to define the clonotypic, phenotypic, and functional features of γδ T cells in peripheral blood, ascites, and metastatic tumor tissue from patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing of the γ chain revealed that tumor-infiltrating γδ T cells have a unique and skewed repertoire with high TCR diversity and low clonality. In contrast, ascites-derived γδ T cells presented a lower TCR diversity and higher clonality, suggesting a TCR-dependent clonal focusing at this site. Further investigation showed that tumor samples had abundant γδ T cells with a tissue-resident, activation-associated phenotype, less usage of Vγ9 and an impaired response to adaptive-associated stimuli, implying an innate-like activation pathway, rather than an adaptive TCR-engaging pathway, at these tumor sites. Furthermore, high γδ T cell cytokine responsiveness upon stimulation was associated with a favorable outcome for patients in terms of both overall survival and reduced residual tumor burden after primary surgery. Last, the functionality of γδ T cells and patient survival were negatively affected by the proportions of CD39-expressing T cells, highlighting the potential of CD39 as a target to improve γδ T cell responses and unleash their antitumor capabilities.


2008 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Jutila ◽  
Jeff Holderness ◽  
Jill C. Graff ◽  
Jodi F. Hedges

AbstractAnalysis of global gene expression in immune cells has provided unique insights into immune system function and response to infection. Recently, we applied microarray and serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) techniques to the study of γδ T-cell function in humans and cattle. The intent of this review is to summarize the knowledge gained since our original comprehensive studies of bovine γδ T-cell subsets. More recently, we have characterized the effects of mucosal infection or treatment with microbial products or mitogens on gene expression patterns in sorted γδ and αβ T-cells. These studies provided new insights into the function of bovine γδ T-cells and led to a model in which response to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) induces ‘priming’ of γδ T-cells, resulting in more robust responses to downstream cytokine and/or antigen signals. PAMP primed γδ T-cells are defined by up-regulation of a select number of cytokines, including MIP1α and MIP1β, and by antigens such as surface IL2 receptor α (IL-2Rα) and CD69, in the absence of a prototypic marker for an activated γδ T-cell, IFN-γ. Furthermore, PAMP primed γδ T-cells are more capable of proliferation in response to IL-2 or IL-15 in the absence of antigen. PAMPs such as endotoxin, peptidoglycan and β-glucan are effective γδ T-cell priming agents, but the most potent antigen-independent priming agonists defined to date are condensed oligomeric tannins produced by some plants.


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