Mechanisms of anti-viral Cytotoxic CD4 T cell differentiation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cory J. Knudson ◽  
Maria Férez ◽  
Pedro Alves-Peixoto ◽  
Dan A. Erkes ◽  
Carolina R. Melo-Silva ◽  
...  

Cytotoxic CD4 T lymphocytes (CD4-CTL) are important in anti-viral immunity. For example, we have previously shown that in mice, CD4-CTL are important to control ectromelia virus (ECTV) infection. How viral infections induce CD4-CTL responses remains incompletely understood. Here we demonstrate that not only ECTV but also vaccinia virus and Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis virus induce CD4-CTL, but that the response to ECTV is stronger. Using ECTV, we also demonstrate that in contrast to CD8-CTL, CD4-CTL differentiation requires constant virus replication and ceases once the virus is controlled. We also show that Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II molecules on CD11c + cells are required for CD4-CTL differentiation and for mousepox resistance. Transcriptional analysis indicated that anti-viral CD4-CTL and non-cytolytic T Helper 1 (Th1) CD4 T cells have similar transcriptional profiles, suggesting that CD4-CTL are terminally differentiated classical Th1 cells. Interestingly, CD4-CTL and classical Th1 cells expressed similar mRNA levels of the transcription factors ThPOK and GATA-3, necessary for CD4 T cell linage commitment; and Runx3, required for CD8 T cell development and effector function. However, at the protein level, CD4-CTL had higher levels of the three transcription factors suggesting that further post-transcriptional regulation is required for CD4-CTL differentiation. Finally, using CRISPR-Cas9 deletion of Runx3 in CD4 T cells, we demonstrate that the development of CD4-CTL but not of classical Th1 CD4 T cells requires Runx3 following ECTV infection. These results further our understanding of the mechanisms of CD4-CTL differentiation during viral infection and the role of post-transcriptionally regulated Runx3 in this process. IMPORTANCE While it is well established that cytotoxic CD4 T cells (CD4-CTL) directly contribute to viral clearance, it remains unclear how CD4-CTL are induced. We now show that CD4-CTL require sustained antigen presentation and are induced by CD11c-expressing antigen presenting cells. Moreover, we show that CD4-CTL are derived from the terminal differentiation of classical T helper 1 (Th1) subset of CD4 cells. Compared to Th1 cells, CD4-CTL upregulate protein levels of the transcription factors ThPOK, Runx3 and GATA-3 post-transcriptionally. Deletion of Runx3 in differentiated CD4 T cells prevents CD4-CTL but not of classical Th1 cells. These results advance our knowledge of how CD4-CTL are induced during viral infection.

2016 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junghwa Lee ◽  
Masao Hashimoto ◽  
Se Jin Im ◽  
Koichi Araki ◽  
Hyun-Tak Jin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) is one of the most widely used viral vectors and is known to generate potent T cell responses. While many previous studies have characterized Ad5-induced CD8 T cell responses, there is a relative lack of detailed studies that have analyzed CD4 T cells elicited by Ad5 vaccination. Here, we immunized mice with Ad5 vectors encoding lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) glycoprotein (GP) and examined GP-specific CD4 T cell responses elicited by Ad5 vectors and compared them to those induced by an acute LCMV infection. In contrast to LCMV infection, where balanced CD4 T helper 1 (Th1) and T follicular helper (Tfh) responses were induced, Ad5 immunization resulted in a significantly reduced frequency of Th1 cells. CD4 T cells elicited by Ad5 vectors expressed decreased levels of Th1 markers, such as Tim3, SLAM, T-bet, and Ly6C, had smaller amounts of cytotoxic molecules like granzyme B, and produced less interferon gamma than CD4 T cells induced by LCMV infection. This defective CD4 Th1 response appeared to be intrinsic for Ad5 vectors and not a reflection of comparing a nonreplicating vector to a live viral infection, since immunization with a DNA vector expressing LCMV-GP generated efficient CD4 Th1 responses. Analysis at early time points (day 3 or 4) after immunization with Ad5 vectors revealed a defect in the expression of CD25 (interleukin-2 [IL-2] receptor alpha chain) on Ad5-elicited CD4 T cells, and administration of exogenous IL-2 following Ad5 immunization partially restored CD4 Th1 responses. These results suggest that impairment of Th1 commitment after Ad5 immunization could be due to reduced IL-2-mediated signaling. IMPORTANCE During viral infection, generating balanced responses of Th1 and Tfh cells is important to induce effective cell-mediated responses and provide optimal help for antibody responses. In this study, to investigate vaccine-induced CD4 T cell responses, we characterized CD4 T cells after immunization with Ad5 vectors expressing LCMV-GP in mice. Ad5 vectors led to altered effector differentiation of LCMV GP-specific CD4 T cells compared to that during LCMV infection. CD4 T cells following Ad5 immunization exhibited impaired Th1 lineage commitment, generating significantly decreased Th1 responses than those induced by LCMV infection. Our results suggest that suboptimal IL-2 signaling possibly plays a role in reduced Th1 development following Ad5 immunization.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishi Vishal Luckheeram ◽  
Rui Zhou ◽  
Asha Devi Verma ◽  
Bing Xia

CD4+T cells are crucial in achieving a regulated effective immune response to pathogens. Naive CD4+T cells are activated after interaction with antigen-MHC complex and differentiate into specific subtypes depending mainly on the cytokine milieu of the microenvironment. Besides the classical T-helper 1 and T-helper 2, other subsets have been identified, including T-helper 17, regulatory T cell, follicular helper T cell, and T-helper 9, each with a characteristic cytokine profile. For a particular phenotype to be differentiated, a set of cytokine signaling pathways coupled with activation of lineage-specific transcription factors and epigenetic modifications at appropriate genes are required. The effector functions of these cells are mediated by the cytokines secreted by the differentiated cells. This paper will focus on the cytokine-signaling and the network of transcription factors responsible for the differentiation of naive CD4+T cells.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (32) ◽  
pp. 19408-19414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Crawford ◽  
Sushmita Sinha ◽  
Pranav S. Renavikar ◽  
Nicholas Borcherding ◽  
Nitin J. Karandikar

Untoward effector CD4+ T cell responses are kept in check by immune regulatory mechanisms mediated by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. CD4+ T helper 17 (Th17) cells, characterized by IL-17 production, play important roles in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases (such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, among others) and in the host response to infection and cancer. Here, we demonstrate that human CD4+ T cells cells exposed to a Th17-differentiating milieu are significantly more resistant to immune suppression by CD8+ T cells compared to control Th0 cells. This resistance is mediated, in part, through the action of IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-17AF heterodimer through their receptors (IL-17RA and IL-17RC) on CD4+ T cells themselves, but not through their action on CD8+ T cells or APC. We further show that IL-17 can directly act on non-Th17 effector CD4+ T cells to induce suppressive resistance, and this resistance can be reversed by blockade of IL-1β, IL-6, or STAT3. These studies reveal a role for IL-17 cytokines in mediating CD4-intrinsic immune resistance. The pathways induced in this process may serve as a critical target for future investigation and immunotherapeutic intervention.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (51) ◽  
pp. eabb5590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather M. Ren ◽  
Elizabeth M. Kolawole ◽  
Mingqiang Ren ◽  
Ge Jin ◽  
Colleen S. Netherby-Winslow ◽  
...  

Development of tissue-resident memory (TRM) CD8 T cells depends on CD4 T cells. In polyomavirus central nervous system infection, brain CXCR5hi PD-1hi CD4 T cells produce interleukin-21 (IL-21), and CD8 T cells lacking IL-21 receptors (IL21R−/−) fail to become bTRM. IL-21+ CD4 T cells exhibit elevated T cell receptor (TCR) affinity and higher TCR density. IL21R−/− brain CD8 T cells do not express CD103, depend on vascular CD8 T cells for maintenance, are antigen recall defective, and lack TRM core signature genes. CD4 T cell–deficient and IL21R−/− brain CD8 T cells show similar deficiencies in expression of genes for oxidative metabolism, and intrathecal delivery of IL-21 to CD4 T cell–depleted mice restores expression of electron transport genes in CD8 T cells to wild-type levels. Thus, high-affinity CXCR5hi PD-1hi CD4 T cells in the brain produce IL-21, which drives CD8 bTRM differentiation in response to a persistent viral infection.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 3887-3887
Author(s):  
Arnob Banerjee ◽  
Felix Schambach ◽  
Scott Hammond ◽  
Steven Reiner

Abstract Micro-RNAs comprise a class of small noncoding RNAs which have been found to be important regulators of cellular differentiation in multiple species. Previous analysis of micro-RNA expression in the murine hematopoietic system has suggested a role in cell differentiation and the maintenance of cell identity. Naïve progenitor CD4+ T cells respond to a combination of appropriate antigen and other specific signals by undergoing proliferation and further differentiation into one of at least two subsets. T helper 1 (TH1) cells produce high levels of the cytokine IFN-γ and T helper 2 (TH2) cells produce high levels of IL-4, optimizing them for control of intracellular and extracellular pathogens, respectively. It is currently not known whether micro-RNA molecules influence CD4+ T cell differentiation. We have used oligonucleotide arrays to analyze micro-RNA expression profiles of freshly isolated murine CD4+ T cells compared to cells differentiating into TH1 and TH2 subsets. Expression profiles were found to differ significantly between naïve and stimulated CD4+ cells, with fewer differences between TH1 and TH2 subsets. Promising candidate micro-RNAs are being further evaluated by northern blot and genetic studies. Micro-RNA-155 is upregulated on stimulation of CD4+ T cells in multiple oligonucleotide array assays. Micro-RNA-155 is encoded by the BIC oncogene and has been implicated in lymphomagenesis as well as in other malignancies. We have verified the induction of micro-RNA-155 in stimulated helper T cells by northern blot and are studying the effects of this micro-RNA on CD4+ T cell differentiation. Our observations support a role for micro-RNAs in helper T cell differentiation during the immune response.


Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 1417-1417
Author(s):  
Patrick Adair ◽  
Yong Chan Kim ◽  
Kathleen P. Pratt ◽  
David W Scott

Abstract Engineered T cells are a vital component in the armamentarium of cellular therapies. In this presentation, we examine how human CD4+ T cells, genetically engineered to express a T-cell receptor (TCR) specific for a C2 domain epitope of the coagulation protein cofactor FVIII, can be skewed or polarized to different T-helper subsets. Two TCRs were cloned from Th2 and Th17/Th1 phenotyped CD4+ T cells isolated via a tetramer guided epitope mapping (TGEM) technique from a hemophilia A subject after clinical diagnosis of an inhibitor (neutralizing antibody) to FVIII given as replacement therapy. The two TCRs were cloned using a 5’ RACE with semi-nested PCR and transduced via a retroviral vector into healthy non-hemophilia A human donor CD4+ T cells. Based on proliferation and HLA class II tetramer staining data, engineered CD4+ T cells expressing the different cloned TCRs exhibited different avidities for the same C2 peptide (containing the epitope) over a dose titration curve, despite similar levels of TCR expression on the CD4 T-cell surface. IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 cytokine production levels following stimulation with C2 peptide and DR1 antigen presenting cells, as measured by cytokine bead analysis, were significantly greater for the higher avidity TCR, which was cloned from a “Th2” phenotyped CD4+ T-cell clone. Interestingly, neither the engineered CD4+ T cells expressing the Th2 TCR nor the cells expressing the Th17/Th1 TCR produced cytokines characteristic of their respective original parental clones. Rather, they reflected the cytokine profiles of the donor populations used for transduction. These preliminary data led us to investigate how the different avidities of the two cloned TCRs can modulate the T-helper subset skewing/differentiation potential of engineered CD4+T cells. We hypothesized that the TCR is merely a switch that can activate or direct engineered CD4+ T cells to an antigen-specific response that would be skewed to the T-helper phenotypes of the cells prior to TCR transduction. We further hypothesized that this response could be modulated after TCR transduction according to the apparent tetramer avidity of the engineered cells. We successfully skewed the engineered human T-helper cells to Th1, Th2 and Th17 lineages, based on T-helper signature cytokine expression and the transcription factors T-bet, Gata3 and RORγt. Moreover, we observed that TCR transduction into naïve human CD4+ T cells did not itself affect the T-helper subset skewing of the cells. Preliminary experiments showed a trend toward Th2 skewing for the high avidity Th2 CD4+ T cells having an engineered TCR when they were cultured under either Th1 or Th2 polarizing conditions and stimulated with the C2 peptide, compared to the phenotypes obtained following stimulation of polyclonal CD4 T cells with anti-CD3. These studies will improve our designing of engineered TCRs for CD4+T-cell therapy, especially when concerns of T-helper effector function and plasticity are important to clinical outcomes. Supported by NIH RO1-HL061883 (DWS), funding from Bayer and CSL Behring (KPP) and intramural support from NIAID (EMS). We thank Dr. Arthur Thompson (Puget Sound Blood Center) for enrolling patients and we thank all blood donors. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 701-712
Author(s):  
Nathália V. Batista ◽  
Yu-Han Chang ◽  
Kuan-Lun Chu ◽  
Kuan Chung Wang ◽  
Mélanie Girard ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (17) ◽  
pp. 9584
Author(s):  
Yi-Hsing Chen ◽  
Sue Lightman ◽  
Virginia L. Calder

Non-infectious uveitis (NIU) is a potentially sight-threatening disease. Effector CD4+ T cells, especially interferon-γ-(IFNγ) producing Th1 cells and interleukin-17-(IL-17) producing Th17 cells, are the major immunopathogenic cells, as demonstrated by adoptive transfer of disease in a model of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). CD4+FoxP3+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) were known to suppress function of effector CD4+ T cells and contribute to resolution of disease. It has been recently reported that some CD4+ T-cell subsets demonstrate shared phenotypes with another CD4+ T-cell subset, offering the potential for dual function. For example, Th17/Th1 (co-expressing IFNγ and IL-17) cells and Th17/Treg (co-expressing IL-17 and FoxP3) cells have been identified in NIU and EAU. In this review, we have investigated the evidence as to whether these ‘plastic CD4+ T cells’ are functionally active in uveitis. We conclude that Th17/Th1 cells are generated locally, are resistant to the immunosuppressive effects of steroids, and contribute to early development of EAU. Th17/Treg cells produce IL-17, not IL-10, and act similar to Th17 cells. These cells were considered pathogenic in uveitis. Future studies are needed to better clarify their function, and in the future, these cell subsets may in need to be taken into consideration for designing treatment strategies for disease.


2017 ◽  
Vol 214 (7) ◽  
pp. 1861-1876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Difeng Fang ◽  
Jinfang Zhu

CD4 T cells, including T regulatory cells (Treg cells) and effector T helper cells (Th cells), and recently identified innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) play important roles in host defense and inflammation. Both CD4 T cells and ILCs can be classified into distinct lineages based on their functions and the expression of lineage-specific genes, including those encoding effector cytokines, cell surface markers, and key transcription factors. It was first recognized that each lineage expresses a specific master transcription factor and the expression of these factors is mutually exclusive because of cross-regulation among these factors. However, recent studies indicate that the master regulators are often coexpressed. Furthermore, the expression of master regulators can be dynamic and quantitative. In this review, we will first discuss similarities and differences between the development and functions of CD4 T cell and ILC subsets and then summarize recent literature on quantitative, dynamic, and cell type–specific balance between the master transcription factors in determining heterogeneity and plasticity of these subsets.


1999 ◽  
Vol 189 (5) ◽  
pp. 871-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Manici ◽  
Tiziana Sturniolo ◽  
Maria Adele Imro ◽  
Juergen Hammer ◽  
Francesco Sinigaglia ◽  
...  

In this study we used TEPITOPE, a new epitope prediction software, to identify sequence segments on the MAGE-3 protein with promiscuous binding to histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR molecules. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the identified sequences were synthesized and used to propagate CD4+ T cells from the blood of a healthy donor. CD4+ T cells strongly recognized MAGE-3281–295 and, to a lesser extent, MAGE-3141–155 and MAGE-3146–160. Moreover, CD4+ T cells proliferated in the presence of recombinant MAGE-3 after processing and presentation by autologous antigen presenting cells, demonstrating that the MAGE-3 epitopes recognized are naturally processed. CD4+ T cells, mostly of the T helper 1 type, showed specific lytic activity against HLA-DR11/MAGE-3–positive melanoma cells. Cold target inhibition experiments demonstrated indeed that the CD4+ T cells recognized MAGE-3281–295 in association with HLA-DR11 on melanoma cells. This is the first evidence that a tumor-specific shared antigen forms CD4+ T cell epitopes. Furthermore, we validated the use of algorithms for the prediction of promiscuous CD4+ T cell epitopes, thus opening the possibility of wide application to other tumor-associated antigens. These results have direct implications for cancer immunotherapy in the design of peptide-based vaccines with tumor-specific CD4+ T cell epitopes.


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