Analysis of in vivo antigen-specific (LCMV-specific, SMARTA TCR transgenic) follicular helper CD4 T cells (CXCR5high),versus non-follicular helper CD4 T cells (CXCR5low), eight days after viral infection. A paper including data analysis of these experiments has been accepted for publication (Robert J. Johnston et al. Bcl6 and Blimp-1 are reciprocal and antagonistic regulators of follicular helper CD4 T cell differentiation).
Bcl6 and Blimp-1 are reciprocal and antagonistic regulators of T follicular helper cell differentiation.
Specimen part
View SamplesMRL/Faslpr mice is a lupus prone strain that exhibits lupus disease features at 12-16 weeks of age, including high-titer circulating anti-DNA antibodies, splenomegaly, lymphadnopathy, skin lesions, and IgG deposits in the kidney. At 16-24 weeks of age, CD4+ B220- CD44+ T cells were sorted into three populations based on the expression of two cell surface molecules, CD62L and PSGL1. CD62Lhi PSGL1hi, CD62Llo PSGL1hi, and CD62Llo PSGL1lo CD4+ T cells were isolated directly ex vivo. There was no treatment given to the animals. Naive (CD62Lhi CD44lo) CD4+ B220- T cells were isolated from young 6-8 week old female mice for comparison.
In vivo regulation of Bcl6 and T follicular helper cell development.
Specimen part
View SamplesBlimp-1 expression in T cells extinguishes the T follicular helper cell fate and drives terminal differentiation, but also limits autoimmunity. Although various factors have been described to control Blimp-1 expression in T cells, little is known about what regulates Blimp-1 expression in Th2 cells and the molecular basis of its actions. Herein, we report that STAT3 unexpectedly played a critical role in regulating Blimp-1 in Th2 cells. Furthermore, we found that the cytokine IL-10 acted directly on Th2 cells and was necessary and sufficient to induce optimal Blimp-1 expression through STAT3. Together, Blimp-1 and STAT3 amplified IL-10 production in Th2 cells, creating a strong autoregulatory loop that enhanced Blimp-1 expression. Increased Blimp-1 in T cells antagonized STAT5-regulated cell cycle and anti-apoptotic genes to limit cell expansion. These data elucidate the signals required for Blimp-1 expression in Th2 cells and reveal an unexpected mechanism of action of IL-10 in T cells, providing insights into the molecular underpinning by which Blimp-1 constrains T cell expansion to limit autoimmunity. Overall design: RNAseq of activated undifferentiated CD4 T cells with or without exogenous expression of Blimp-1.
IL-10 induces a STAT3-dependent autoregulatory loop in T<sub>H</sub>2 cells that promotes Blimp-1 restriction of cell expansion via antagonism of STAT5 target genes.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesRegulatory T cells (T regs) maintain host self-tolerance but are a major barrier to effective cancer immunotherapy. T regs subvert beneficial anti-tumor immunity by modulating inhibitory receptor (IR) expression on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs); however, the underlying mediators and mechanisms remain elusive. Here we show that interleukin-10 (IL10) and interleukin-35 (IL35; Ebi3/IL12a heterodimer) are divergently expressed by T reg subpopulations in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and cooperatively promote intratumoral T cell exhaustion. T reg -restricted deletion of Il10 and/or Ebi3 resulted in delayed tumor growth, loss of multi-IR expression, and reduced intratumoral CD8 + T cell exhaustion signature. While Il10 or Ebi3 loss was associated with reduced expression of B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1 (BLIMP1; Prdm1), IL10 and IL35 differentially impacted effector versus memory T cell fates, respectively, highlighting their differential, partially overlapping but non-redundant regulation of anti-tumor immunity. Our results reveal previously unappreciated cooperative roles for IL10 and IL35, produced by limits effective anti-tumor immunity Overall design: TIL CD8 cells from Treg specific IL10, IL35 and double knockouts, sorted into populations based on exhaustion markers. TIL Tregs sorted based on IL10 and IL35 expression.
Adaptive plasticity of IL-10<sup>+</sup> and IL-35<sup>+</sup> T<sub>reg</sub> cells cooperatively promotes tumor T cell exhaustion.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesAbstract: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) maintain host self-tolerance but are a major barrier to effective cancer immunotherapy. Tregs subvert beneficial anti-tumor immunity by modulating inhibitory receptor (IR) expression on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs); however, the underlying mediators and mechanisms remain elusive. Here we show that interleukin-10 (IL10) and interleukin-35 (IL35; a heterodimer of Ebi3 and IL12?) are reciprocally expressed by Treg-subpopulations in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and cooperatively promote intratumoral T cell exhaustion. Treg-restricted deletion of either Il10/Ebi3 or dual deletion resulted in delayed tumor growth and significant reduction of transcriptomic exhaustion signature associated with reduced expression of B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1 (BLIMP1; Prdm1). While the two cytokines share the BLIMP1 axis to drive multi-IR expression; they differentially impact effector vs. memory fate, highlighting their overlapping and non-redundant regulation of anti-tumor immunity. Our results reveal previously unappreciated adaptive plasticity in inhibitory cytokine expression pattern by Tregs in TME for maximal immunosuppression. Data purpose: to understand the segregated cytokine expression pattern and the preferential generation of single cytokine positive Treg subpopulations, we performed single cell RNASeq (scRNAseq) contrasting Tregs isolated from naïve, unchallenged LNs or day 14 B16 tumor from Foxp3Cre-YFP WT mice Overall design: LNs or day 14 B16 tumor from Foxp3Cre-YFP WT mice
Adaptive plasticity of IL-10<sup>+</sup> and IL-35<sup>+</sup> T<sub>reg</sub> cells cooperatively promotes tumor T cell exhaustion.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesBackground
mRNA levels in control rat liver display strain-specific, hereditary, and AHR-dependent components.
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View SamplesTransciptomic analysis of germline tumor cells to understand the role of autophagy and neuronal differentiation in lifespan extension. Overall design: Methods: Worms were grown on control L444 seeded plates or gld-1 RNAi seeded plates and subjected to RNA isolation and sequencing using standard Illumina protocols. Conclusions: Fasting of animals expressing tumors increases their lifespan two-fold through autophagy and modular changes in transcription as well as metabolism.
Autophagy and modular restructuring of metabolism control germline tumor differentiation and proliferation in C. elegans.
Subject
View Samples2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is an environmental contaminant that produces myriad toxicities in most mammals. In rodents alone, there is a huge divergence in the toxicological response across species, as well as among different strains within a species. But there are also significant differences between males and females animals of a single strain. These differences are inconsistent across model systems: the severity of toxicity is greater in female rats than males, while male mice and guinea pigs are more sensitive than females. Because the specific events that underlie this difference remain unclear, we characterized the hepatic transcriptional response of adult male and female C57BL/6 mice to 500g/kg TCDD at multiple time-points. The transcriptional profile diverged significantly between the sexes. Female mice demonstrated a large number of altered transcripts as early as 6h following treatment, suggesting a large primary response. Conversely, male animals showed the greatest TCDD-mediated response 144h following exposure, potentially implicating significant secondary responses. Nr1i3 was statistically significantly induced at all time-points in the sensitive male animals. This mRNA encodes the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), a transcription factor involved in the regulation of xenobiotic metabolism, lipid metabolism, cell cycle and apoptosis. Surprisingly though, changes at the protein level (aside from the positive control, CYP1A1) were modest, with only FMO3 showing clear induction, and no genes with sex-differences. Thus, while male and female mice show transcriptional differences in their response to TCDD, their association with TCDD-induced toxicities remains unclear.
Sex-related differences in murine hepatic transcriptional and proteomic responses to TCDD.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesMajor toxicities of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) result from dysregulation of gene expression mediated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Dioxin-like chemicals alter expression of numerous genes in liver but the specific genes whose dysregulation leads to toxicities such as wasting, hepatotoxicity and lethality have not been identified. We searched for genes that are most likely to be key to dioxin toxicity by using gene expression arrays to contrast hepatic gene expression after TCDD treatment in dioxin-sensitive rats (that carry wildtype AHR) with gene expression in H/W(Kuopio) rats which are highly resistant to dioxin toxicity due to a major deletion in the AHR's transactivation domain (TAD). The total number of TCDD-responsive genes was smaller in rats with the AHRH/W genotype than in rats with wildtype AHR. However, genes in the classic AH gene battery such as CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP1B1 remained fully responsive to TCDD in AHRH/W rats; thus the TAD deletion selectively interferes with expression of a subset of hepatic genes rather than abolishing global AHR-mediated responses. Genes in the following functional categories differ in response to TCDD between dioxin-sensitive rats and dioxin-resistant rats: fatty acid oxidation, metabolism (xenobiotic, alcohol, amino acid, and fatty acid), phosphate transport, regulation of steroid biosynthesis, nitrogen compound catabolism, and generation of precursor metabolites and energy. Many of these differentially-responsive genes are integral parts of pathways such as: protein degradation and synthesis, fatty acid metabolism and synthesis, cytokinesis, cell growth, and apoptosis which may be part of mechanisms which lead to TCDD-induced wasting, hepatotoxicity, tumors, and death. These differentially-responsive genes are worthy candidates for further mechanistic studies to test their role in mediating or protecting from major dioxin toxicities.
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR)-regulated transcriptomic changes in rats sensitive or resistant to major dioxin toxicities.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesBackground
Transcriptomic responses to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in liver: comparison of rat and mouse.
No sample metadata fields
View Samples