scholarly journals Interleukin-7 is a critical growth factor in early human T-cell development

Blood ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 88 (11) ◽  
pp. 4239-4245 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Plum ◽  
M De Smedt ◽  
G Leclercq ◽  
B Verhasselt ◽  
B Vandekerckhove

Highly purified human CD34+ fetal liver stem cells differentiate to mature T cells when seeded in vitro into isolated fetal thymic lobes of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice followed by fetal thymus organ culture (FTOC). Here, this chimeric human-mouse FTOC was used to address the role of interleukin-7 (IL-7) and of the alpha chain of the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R alpha) in early human T-cell development. We report that addition of either the monoclonal antibody (MoAb) M25, which neutralizes both human and mouse IL-7, or the MoAb M21, which recognizes and blocks exclusively the human high-affinity alpha-chain of the IL-7R, results in a profound reduction in human thymic cellularity. Analysis of lymphoid subpopulations indicates that a highly reduced number of cells undergo maturation from CD34+ precursor cells toward CD4+CD3-CD1+ progenitor cells and subsequently toward CD4+CD8+ thymocytes. Our results reveal a critical role for IL-7 during early human thymocyte development, and may explain the absence or highly reduced levels of T cells in patients with X-linked SCID. The molecular defect in these patients has been shown to be a mutation in the gamma chain of the IL-2R. Although this gamma chain is not only present in the IL-2R, but also forms an essential part of other cytokine receptors, including IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-13, and IL-15, the T- cell defect in these patients can be explained by the fact that IL-7 is not able to transduce its signal by the molecular defect of the common gamma (gamma c) chain and that IL-7 is indispensable for T-cell development.

Blood ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 88 (11) ◽  
pp. 4239-4245 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Plum ◽  
M De Smedt ◽  
G Leclercq ◽  
B Verhasselt ◽  
B Vandekerckhove

Abstract Highly purified human CD34+ fetal liver stem cells differentiate to mature T cells when seeded in vitro into isolated fetal thymic lobes of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice followed by fetal thymus organ culture (FTOC). Here, this chimeric human-mouse FTOC was used to address the role of interleukin-7 (IL-7) and of the alpha chain of the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R alpha) in early human T-cell development. We report that addition of either the monoclonal antibody (MoAb) M25, which neutralizes both human and mouse IL-7, or the MoAb M21, which recognizes and blocks exclusively the human high-affinity alpha-chain of the IL-7R, results in a profound reduction in human thymic cellularity. Analysis of lymphoid subpopulations indicates that a highly reduced number of cells undergo maturation from CD34+ precursor cells toward CD4+CD3-CD1+ progenitor cells and subsequently toward CD4+CD8+ thymocytes. Our results reveal a critical role for IL-7 during early human thymocyte development, and may explain the absence or highly reduced levels of T cells in patients with X-linked SCID. The molecular defect in these patients has been shown to be a mutation in the gamma chain of the IL-2R. Although this gamma chain is not only present in the IL-2R, but also forms an essential part of other cytokine receptors, including IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-13, and IL-15, the T- cell defect in these patients can be explained by the fact that IL-7 is not able to transduce its signal by the molecular defect of the common gamma (gamma c) chain and that IL-7 is indispensable for T-cell development.


2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 590-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Qing Li ◽  
Tad Guszczynski ◽  
Julie A. Hixon ◽  
Scott K. Durum

ABSTRACT Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is critical for T-cell development and peripheral T-cell homeostasis. The survival of pro-T cells and mature T cells requires IL-7. The survival function of IL-7 is accomplished partly through induction of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and inhibition of proapoptotic proteins Bax and Bad. We show here that the proapoptotic protein Bim, a BH3-only protein belonging to the Bcl-2 family, also plays a role in peripheral T-cell survival. Deletion of Bim partially protected an IL-7-dependent T-cell line and peripheral T cells, especially cells with an effector memory phenotype, from IL-7 deprivation. However, T-cell development in the thymus was not restored in IL-7−/− Rag2−/− mice reconstituted with Bim−/− bone marrow. IL-7 withdrawal altered neither the intracellular location of Bim, which was constitutively mitochondrial, nor its association with Bcl-2; however, a reduction in its association with the prosurvival protein Mcl-1 was observed. IL-7 withdrawal did not increase Bim mRNA or protein expression but did induce changes in the isoelectric point of BimEL and its reactivity with an antiphosphoserine antibody. Our findings suggest that the maintenance of peripheral T cells by IL-7 occurs partly through inhibition of Bim activity at the posttranslational level.


2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross La Motte-Mohs ◽  
Geneve Awong ◽  
Juan Carlos Zuniga-Pflucker

Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 2405-2405
Author(s):  
Bing Xu ◽  
Peng Li

Abstract The transcription factor Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) may induce tumorigenesis or suppress tumor growth in a tissue-dependent manner. We found that overexpression of KLF4 induced not only human acute T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cell lines but also primary samples from T-ALL patients to undergo apoptosis through the BCL2/BCLXL pathway in vitro. T cell-associated genes including BCL11B, GATA3, and TCF7 were negatively regulated by KLF4 overexpression. Especially, KLF4 induced SUMOylation and degradation of BCL11B. However, the KLF4-induced apoptosis in T-ALL was rescued by the in vivo microenvironment. Furthermore, the invasion capacity of T-ALL to hosts was compromised when KLF4 was overexpressed. In normal human T cells, the overexpression of KLF4 severely impaired T cell development at early stages, but the blockage of T cell development was resumed by restoration of GATA3 or ICN1. In summary, our data demonstrate that KLF4 acts as a tumor suppressor in malignant T cells and that downregulation of KLF4 may be a prerequisite for early human T cell development and homeostasis. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekta S Patel ◽  
Starlyn Okada ◽  
Kevin Hachey ◽  
Li-jun Yang ◽  
Scott K Durum ◽  
...  

1999 ◽  
Vol 190 (8) ◽  
pp. 1059-1068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinz Jacobs ◽  
Paul Krimpenfort ◽  
Mariëlle Haks ◽  
John Allen ◽  
Bianca Blom ◽  
...  

The majority of lymphomas induced in Rag-deficient mice by Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV) infection express the CD4 and/or CD8 markers, indicating that proviral insertions cause activation of genes affecting the development from CD4−8− pro-T cells into CD4+8+ pre-T cells. Similar to MoMuLV wild-type tumors, 50% of CD4+8+ Rag-deficient tumors carry a provirus near the Pim1 protooncogene. To study the function of PIM proteins in T cell development in a more controlled setting, a Pim1 transgene was crossed into mice deficient in either cytokine or T cell receptor (TCR) signal transduction pathways. Pim1 reconstitutes thymic cellularity in interleukin (IL)-7– and common γ chain–deficient mice. In Pim1-transgenic Rag-deficient mice but notably not in CD3γ-deficient mice, we observed slow expansion of the CD4+8+ thymic compartment to almost normal size. Based on these results, we propose that PIM1 functions as an efficient effector of the IL-7 pathway, thereby enabling Rag-deficient pro-T cells to bypass the pre-TCR–controlled checkpoint in T cell development.


Haematologica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias De Decker ◽  
Marieke Lavaert ◽  
Juliette Roels ◽  
Laurentijn Tilleman ◽  
Bart Vandekerckhove ◽  
...  

In both mouse and human, Notch1 activation is the main initial driver to induce T-cell development in hematopoietic progenitor cells. The initiation of this developmental process coincides with Notch1-dependent repression of differentiation towards other hematopoietic lineages. Although well described in mice, the role of the individual Notch1 target genes during these hematopoietic developmental choices is still unclear in human, particularly for HES4 since no orthologous gene is present in the mouse. Here, we investigated the functional capacity of the Notch1 target genes HES1 and HES4 to modulate human Notch1-dependent hematopoietic lineage decisions and their requirement during early T-cell development. We show that both genes are upregulated in a Notch-dependent manner during early T-cell development and that HES1 acts as a repressor of differentiation by maintaining a quiescent stem cell signature in CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells. While HES4 can also inhibit natural killer and myeloid cell development like HES1, it acts differently on the T- versus B-cell lineage choice. Surprisingly, HES4 is not capable of repressing B-cell development, the most sensitive hematopoietic lineage with respect to Notch-mediated repression. In contrast to HES1, HES4 promotes initiation of early T-cell development, but ectopic expression of HES4, or HES1 and HES4 combined, is not sufficient to induce T-lineage differentiation. Importantly, knockdown of HES1 or HES4 significantly reduces human T-cell development. Overall, we show that the Notch1 target genes HES1 and HES4 have non-redundant roles during early human T-cell development which may relate to differences in mediating Notch-dependent human hematopoietic lineage decisions.


1999 ◽  
Vol 190 (7) ◽  
pp. 973-982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joonsoo Kang ◽  
Mark Coles ◽  
David H. Raulet

Mice lacking the interleukin 7 receptor (IL-7R) generate α/β T cells at a detectable but greatly reduced rate, but γ/δ T cells are completely absent. The special role of IL-7R signaling in γ/δ T cell development has remained unclear. IL-7Rα−/− mice exhibit a paucity of γ gene rearrangements. This striking observation can be explained by a defect in T cell receptor (TCR)-γ gene rearrangement, a defect in TCR-γ gene transcription leading to death of γ/δ lineage cells, and/or a requirement for IL-7R in commitment of cells to the γ/δ lineage. To determine the role of IL-7R signaling in γ/δ T cell development, we examined transcription of a prerearranged TCR-γ transgene in IL-7Rα−/− mice, as well as the effects of IL-7 on transcription of endogenous, rearranged TCR-γ genes in α/β lineage cells. The results demonstrate that IL-7R–mediated signals are necessary for the normal expression of rearranged TCR-γ genes. Equally significant, the results show that the poor expression of TCR-γ genes in IL-7Rα−/− mice is responsible for the selective deficit in γ/δ cells in these mice, since a high copy TCR-γ transgene exhibited sufficient residual expression in IL-7Rα−/− mice to drive γ/δ cell development. The results indicate that the absence of γ/δ T cells in IL-7Rα−/− mice is due to insufficient TCR-γ gene expression.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 113 (13) ◽  
pp. 2988-2998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inge Van de Walle ◽  
Greet De Smet ◽  
Magda De Smedt ◽  
Bart Vandekerckhove ◽  
Georges Leclercq ◽  
...  

Abstract Although well characterized in the mouse, the role of Notch signaling in the human T-cell receptor αβ (TCR-αβ) versus TCR-γδ lineage decision is still unclear. Although it is clear in the mouse that TCR-γδ development is less Notch dependent compared with TCR-αβ differentiation, retroviral overexpression studies in human have suggested an opposing role for Notch during human T-cell development. Using the OP9-coculture system, we demonstrate that changes in Notch activation are differentially required during human T-cell development. High Notch activation promotes the generation of T-lineage precursors and γδ T cells but inhibits differentiation toward the αβ lineage. Reducing the amount of Notch activation rescues αβ-lineage differentiation, also at the single-cell level. Gene expression analysis suggests that this is mediated by differential sensitivities of Notch target genes in response to changes in Notch activation. High Notch activity increases DTX1, NRARP, and RUNX3 expression, genes that are down-regulated during αβ-lineage differentiation. Furthermore, increased interleukin-7 levels cannot compensate for the Notch dependent TCR-γδ development. Our results reveal stage-dependent molecular changes in Notch signaling that are critical for normal human T-cell development and reveal fundamental molecular differences between mouse and human.


2007 ◽  
Vol 204 (8) ◽  
pp. 1945-1957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Egawa ◽  
Robert E. Tillman ◽  
Yoshinori Naoe ◽  
Ichiro Taniuchi ◽  
Dan R. Littman

Members of the Runx family of transcriptional regulators are required for the appropriate expression of CD4 and CD8 at discrete stages of T cell development. The roles of these factors in other aspects of T cell development are unknown. We used a strategy to conditionally inactivate the genes encoding Runx1 or Runx3 at different stages of thymocyte development, demonstrating that Runx1 regulates the transitions of developing thymocytes from the CD4−CD8− double-negative stage to the CD4+CD8+ double-positive (DP) stage and from the DP stage to the mature single-positive stage. Runx1 and Runx3 deficiencies caused marked reductions in mature thymocytes and T cells of the CD4+ helper and CD8+ cytotoxic T cell lineages, respectively. Runx1-deficient CD4+ T cells had markedly reduced expression of the interleukin 7 receptor and exhibited shorter survival. In addition, inactivation of both Runx1 and Runx3 at the DP stages resulted in a severe block in development of CD8+ mature thymocytes. These results indicate that Runx proteins have important roles at multiple stages of T cell development and in the homeostasis of mature T cells.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document