Research Article
Abstract
Gain-of-function mutations in with no lysine (K) 1 (WNK1) and WNK4 genes are responsible for familial hyperkalemic hypertension (FHHt), a rare, inherited disorder characterized by arterial hypertension and hyperkalemia with metabolic acidosis. More recently, FHHt-causing mutations in the Kelch-like 3–Cullin 3 (KLHL3-CUL3) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex have shed light on the importance of WNK’s cellular degradation on renal ion transport. Using full exome sequencing for a 4-generation family and then targeted sequencing in other suspected cases, we have identified new missense variants in the WNK1 gene clustering in the short conserved acidic motif known to interact with the KLHL3-CUL3 ubiquitin complex. Affected subjects had an early onset of a hyperkalemic hyperchloremic phenotype, but normal blood pressure values”Functional experiments in Xenopus laevis oocytes and HEK293T cells demonstrated that these mutations strongly decrease the ubiquitination of the kidney-specific isoform KS-WNK1 by the KLHL3-CUL3 complex rather than the long ubiquitous catalytically active L-WNK1 isoform. A corresponding CRISPR/Cas9 engineered mouse model recapitulated both the clinical and biological phenotypes. Renal investigations showed increased activation of the Ste20 proline alanine–rich kinase–Na+-Cl– cotransporter (SPAK-NCC) phosphorylation cascade, associated with impaired ROMK apical expression in the distal part of the renal tubule. Together, these new WNK1 genetic variants highlight the importance of the KS-WNK1 isoform abundance on potassium homeostasis.
Authors
Hélène Louis-Dit-Picard, Ilektra Kouranti, Chloé Rafael, Irmine Loisel-Ferreira, Maria Chavez-Canales, Waed Abdel-Khalek, Eduardo R. Argaiz, Stéphanie Baron, Sarah Vacle, Tiffany Migeon, Richard Coleman, Marcio Do Cruzeiro, Marguerite Hureaux, Nirubiah Thurairajasingam, Stéphane Decramer, Xavier Girerd, Kevin O’Shaugnessy, Paolo Mulatero, Gwenaëlle Roussey, Ivan Tack, Robert Unwin, Rosa Vargas-Poussou, Olivier Staub, Richard Grimm, Paul A. Welling, Gerardo Gamba, Eric Clauser, Juliette Hadchouel, Xavier Jeunemaitre
Abstract
FOXP3+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical for immune homeostasis and respond to local tissue cues, which control their stability and function. We explored here whether developmental endothelial locus-1 (DEL-1), which, like Tregs, increases during resolution of inflammation, promotes Treg responses. DEL-1 enhanced Treg numbers and function at barrier sites (oral and lung mucosa). The underlying mechanism was dissected using mice lacking DEL-1 or expressing a point mutant thereof, or mice with T cell–specific deletion of the transcription factor RUNX1, identified by RNA sequencing analysis of the DEL-1–induced Treg transcriptome. Specifically, through interaction with αvβ3 integrin, DEL-1 promoted induction of RUNX1-dependent FOXP3 expression and conferred stability of FOXP3 expression upon Treg restimulation in the absence of exogenous TGF-β1. Consistently, DEL-1 enhanced the demethylation of the Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR) in the mouse Foxp3 gene and the suppressive function of sorted induced Tregs. Similarly, DEL-1 increased RUNX1 and FOXP3 expression in human conventional T cells, promoting their conversion into induced Tregs with increased TSDR demethylation, enhanced stability, and suppressive activity. We thus uncovered a DEL-1/αvβ3/RUNX1 axis that promotes Treg responses at barrier sites and offers therapeutic options for modulating inflammatory/autoimmune disorders.
Authors
Xiaofei Li, Alessandra Colamatteo, Lydia Kalafati, Tetsuhiro Kajikawa, Hui Wang, Jong-Hyung Lim, Khalil Bdeir, Kyoung-Jin Chung, Xiang Yu, Clorinda Fusco, Antonio Porcellini, Salvatore De Simone, Giuseppe Matarese, Triantafyllos Chavakis, Veronica De Rosa, George Hajishengallis
Abstract
The transcription factor MEF2D is important in the regulation of differentiation and adaptive responses in many cell types. We found that among T cells, MEF2D gained new functions in Foxp3+ T regulatory (Treg) cells due to its interactions with the transcription factor Foxp3 and its release from canonical partners, like histone/protein deacetylases. Though not necessary for the generation and maintenance of Tregs, MEF2D was required for the expression of IL-10, CTLA4, and Icos, and for the acquisition of an effector Treg phenotype. At these loci, MEF2D acted both synergistically and additively to Foxp3, and downstream of Blimp1. Mice with the conditional deletion in Tregs of the gene encoding MEF2D were unable to maintain long-term allograft survival despite costimulation blockade, had enhanced antitumor immunity in syngeneic models, but displayed only minor evidence of autoimmunity when maintained under normal conditions. The role played by MEF2D in sustaining effector Foxp3+ Treg functions without abrogating their basal actions suggests its suitability for drug discovery efforts in cancer therapy.
Authors
Eros Di Giorgio, Liqing Wang, Yan Xiong, Tatiana Akimova, Lanette M. Christensen, Rongxiang Han, Arabinda Samanta, Matteo Trevisanut, Tricia R. Bhatti, Ulf H. Beier, Wayne W. Hancock
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the development of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in infected individuals, who can either exhibit mild symptoms or progress toward a life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Exacerbated inflammation and dysregulated immune responses involving T and myeloid cells occur in COVID-19 patients with severe clinical progression. However, the differential contribution of specific subsets of dendritic cells and monocytes to ARDS is still poorly understood. In addition, the role of CD8+ T cells present in the lung of COVID-19 patients and relevant for viral control has not been characterized. Here, we have studied the frequencies and activation profiles of dendritic cells and monocytes present in the blood and lung of COVID-19 patients with different clinical severity in comparison with healthy individuals. Furthermore, these subpopulations and their association with antiviral effector CD8+ T cell subsets were also characterized in lung infiltrates from critical COVID-19 patients. Our results indicate that inflammatory transitional and nonclassical monocytes and CD1c+ conventional dendritic cells preferentially migrate from blood to lungs in patients with severe COVID-19. Thus, this study increases the knowledge of specific myeloid subsets involved in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 disease and could be useful for the design of therapeutic strategies for fighting SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Authors
Ildefonso Sánchez-Cerrillo, Pedro Landete, Beatriz Aldave, Santiago Sánchez-Alonso, Ana Sánchez-Azofra, Ana Marcos-Jiménez, Elena Ávalos, Ana Alcaraz-Serna, Ignacio de los Santos, Tamara Mateu-Albero, Laura Esparcia, Celia López-Sanz, Pedro Martínez-Fleta, Ligia Gabrie, Luciana del Campo Guerola, Hortensia de la Fuente, María J. Calzada, Isidoro González-Álvaro, Arantzazu Alfranca, Francisco Sánchez-Madrid, Cecilia Muñoz-Calleja, Joan B. Soriano, Julio Ancochea, Enrique Martín-Gayo, the REINMUN-COVID and EDEPIMIC groups
Abstract
The mechanism by which inflammasome activation is modulated remains unclear. In this study, we identified an AIM2-interacting protein, the E3 ubiquitin ligase HUWE1, which was also found to interact with NLRP3 and NLRC4 through the HIN domain of AIM2 and the NACHT domains of NLRP3 and NLRC4. The BH3 domain of HUWE1 was important for its interaction with NLRP3, AIM2, and NLRC4. Caspase-1 maturation, IL-1β release, and pyroptosis were reduced in Huwe1-deficient bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMDMs) compared with WT BMDMs in response to stimuli to induce NLRP3, NLRC4, and AIM2 inflammasome activation. Furthermore, the activation of NLRP3, NLRC4, and AIM2 inflammasomes in both mouse and human cells was remarkably reduced by treatment with the HUWE1 inhibitor BI8622. HUWE1 mediated the K27-linked polyubiquitination of AIM2, NLRP3, and NLRC4, which led to inflammasome assembly, ASC speck formation, and sustained caspase-1 activation. Huwe1-deficient mice had an increased bacterial burden and decreased caspase-1 activation and IL-1β production upon Salmonella, Francisella, or Acinetobacter baumannii infection. Our study provides insights into the mechanisms of inflammasome activation as well as a potential therapeutic target against bacterial infection.
Authors
Yu Guo, Longjun Li, Tao Xu, Xiaomin Guo, Chaoming Wang, Yihui Li, Yanan Yang, Dong Yang, Bin Sun, Xudong Zhao, Genze Shao, Xiaopeng Qi
Abstract
Convalescent plasma is a leading treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but there is a paucity of data identifying its therapeutic efficacy. Among 126 potential convalescent plasma donors, the humoral immune response was evaluated using a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS–CoV-2) virus neutralization assay with Vero-E6-TMPRSS2 cells; a commercial IgG and IgA ELISA to detect the spike (S) protein S1 domain (EUROIMMUN); IgA, IgG, and IgM indirect ELISAs to detect the full-length S protein or S receptor–binding domain (S-RBD); and an IgG avidity assay. We used multiple linear regression and predictive models to assess the correlations between antibody responses and demographic and clinical characteristics. IgG titers were greater than either IgM or IgA titers for S1, full-length S, and S-RBD in the overall population. Of the 126 plasma samples, 101 (80%) had detectable neutralizing antibody (nAb) titers. Using nAb titers as the reference, the IgG ELISAs confirmed 95%–98% of the nAb-positive samples, but 20%–32% of the nAb-negative samples were still IgG ELISA positive. Male sex, older age, and hospitalization for COVID-19 were associated with increased antibody responses across the serological assays. There was substantial heterogeneity in the antibody response among potential convalescent plasma donors, but sex, age, and hospitalization emerged as factors that can be used to identify individuals with a high likelihood of having strong antiviral antibody responses.
Authors
Sabra L. Klein, Andrew Pekosz, Han-Sol Park, Rebecca L. Ursin, Janna R. Shapiro, Sarah E. Benner, Kirsten Littlefield, Swetha Kumar, Harnish Mukesh Naik, Michael J. Betenbaugh, Ruchee Shrestha, Annie A. Wu, Robert M. Hughes, Imani Burgess, Patricio Caturegli, Oliver Laeyendecker, Thomas C. Quinn, David Sullivan, Shmuel Shoham, Andrew D. Redd, Evan M. Bloch, Arturo Casadevall, Aaron A.R. Tobian
Abstract
No treatment for frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the second most common type of early-onset dementia, is available, but therapeutics are being investigated to target the 2 main proteins associated with FTD pathological subtypes: TDP-43 (FTLD-TDP) and tau (FTLD-tau). Testing potential therapies in clinical trials is hampered by our inability to distinguish between patients with FTLD-TDP and FTLD-tau. Therefore, we evaluated truncated stathmin-2 (STMN2) as a proxy of TDP-43 pathology, given the reports that TDP-43 dysfunction causes truncated STMN2 accumulation. Truncated STMN2 accumulated in human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived neurons depleted of TDP-43, but not in those with pathogenic TARDBP mutations in the absence of TDP-43 aggregation or loss of nuclear protein. In RNA-Seq analyses of human brain samples from the NYGC ALS cohort, truncated STMN2 RNA was confined to tissues and disease subtypes marked by TDP-43 inclusions. Last, we validated that truncated STMN2 RNA was elevated in the frontal cortex of a cohort of patients with FTLD-TDP but not in controls or patients with progressive supranuclear palsy, a type of FTLD-tau. Further, in patients with FTLD-TDP, we observed significant associations of truncated STMN2 RNA with phosphorylated TDP-43 levels and an earlier age of disease onset. Overall, our data uncovered truncated STMN2 as a marker for TDP-43 dysfunction in FTD.
Authors
Mercedes Prudencio, Jack Humphrey, Sarah Pickles, Anna-Leigh Brown, Sarah E. Hill, Jennifer M. Kachergus, J. Shi, Michael G. Heckman, Matthew R. Spiegel, Casey Cook, Yuping Song, Mei Yue, Lillian M. Daughrity, Yari Carlomagno, Karen Jansen-West, Cristhoper Fernandez de Castro, Michael DeTure, Shunsuke Koga, Ying-Chih Wang, Prasanth Sivakumar, Cristian Bodo, Ana Candalija, Kevin Talbot, Bhuvaneish T. Selvaraj, Karen Burr, Siddharthan Chandran, Jia Newcombe, Tammaryn Lashley, Isabel Hubbard, Demetra Catalano, Duyang Kim, Nadia Propp, Samantha Fennessey, NYGC ALS Consortium, Delphine Fagegaltier, Hemali Phatnani, Maria Secrier, Elizabeth M.C. Fisher, Björn Oskarsson, Marka van Blitterswijk, Rosa Rademakers, Neil R. Graff-Radford, Bradley F. Boeve, David S. Knopman, Ronald C. Petersen, Keith A. Josephs, E. Aubrey Thompson, Towfique Raj, Michael Ward, Dennis W. Dickson, Tania F. Gendron, Pietro Fratta, Leonard Petrucelli
Abstract
The α6β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is enriched in dorsal root ganglia neurons and is an attractive non-opioid therapeutic target for pain. However, difficulty expressing human α6β4 receptors in recombinant systems has precluded drug discovery. Here, genome-wide screening identified accessory proteins that enable reconstitution of human α6β4 nAChRs. BARP, an auxiliary subunit of voltage-dependent calcium channels, promoted α6β4 surface expression while IRE1α, an unfolded protein response sensor, enhanced α6β4 receptor assembly. Effects on α6β4 involve BARP’s N-terminal region and IRE1α’s splicing of XBP1 mRNA. Furthermore, clinical efficacy of nicotinic agents in relieving neuropathic pain best correlated with their activity on α6β4. Finally, BARP-knockout, but not NACHO-knockout mice lacked nicotine-induced antiallodynia, highlighting the functional importance of α6β4 in pain. These results identify roles for IRE1α and BARP in neurotransmitter receptor assembly and unlock drug discovery for the previously elusive α6β4 receptor.
Authors
Daniel Knowland, Shenyan Gu, William A. Eckert III, G. Brent Dawe, Jose A. Matta, James Limberis, Alan D. Wickenden, Anindya Bhattacharya, David S. Bredt
Abstract
T cell exclusion causes resistance to cancer immunotherapies via immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Myeloid cells contribute to resistance by expressing signal regulatory protein-α (SIRPα), an inhibitory membrane receptor that interacts with ubiquitous receptor CD47 to control macrophage phagocytosis in the tumor microenvironment. Although CD47/SIRPα-targeting drugs have been assessed in preclinical models, the therapeutic benefit of selectively blocking SIRPα, and not SIRPγ/CD47, in humans remains unknown. We report a potent synergy between selective SIRPα blockade and ICB in increasing memory T cell responses and reverting exclusion in syngeneic and orthotopic tumor models. Selective SIRPα blockade stimulated tumor nest T cell recruitment by restoring murine and human macrophage chemokine secretion and increased anti-tumor T cell responses by promoting tumor-antigen crosspresentation by dendritic cells. However, nonselective SIRPα/SIRPγ blockade targeting CD47 impaired human T cell activation, proliferation, and endothelial transmigration. Selective SIRPα inhibition opens an attractive avenue to overcoming ICB resistance in patients with elevated myeloid cell infiltration in solid tumors.
Authors
Vanessa Gauttier, Sabrina Pengam, Justine Durand, Kevin Biteau, Caroline Mary, Aurore Morello, Mélanie Néel, Georgia Porto, Géraldine Teppaz, Virginie Thepenier, Richard Danger, Nicolas Vince, Emmanuelle Wilhelm, Isabelle Girault, Riad Abes, Catherine Ruiz, Charlène Trilleaud, Kerry-Leigh Ralph, E. Sergio Trombetta, Alexandra Garcia, Virginie Vignard, Bernard Martinet, Alexandre Glémain, Sarah Bruneau, Fabienne Haspot, Safa Dehmani, Pierre Duplouye, Masayuki Miyasaka, Nathalie Labarrière, David Laplaud, Stéphanie Le Bas-Bernardet, Christophe Blanquart, Véronique Catros, Pierre-Antoine Gouraud, Isabelle Archambeaud, Hélène Aublé, Sylvie Metairie, Jean-François Mosnier, Dominique Costantini, Gilles Blancho, Sophie Conchon, Bernard Vanhove, Nicolas Poirier
Abstract
Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is mainly transmitted vertically through breast milk. The rate of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) through formula feeding, although significantly lower than through breastfeeding, is approximately 2.4%–3.6%, suggesting the possibility of alternative transmission routes. MTCT of HTLV-1 might occur through the uterus, birth canal, or placental tissues; the latter is known as transplacental transmission. Here, we found that HTLV-1 proviral DNA was present in the placental villous tissues of the fetuses of nearly half of pregnant carriers and in a small number of cord blood samples. An RNA ISH assay showed that HTLV-1–expressing cells were present in nearly all subjects with HTLV-1–positive placental villous tissues, and their frequency was significantly higher in subjects with HTLV-1–positive cord blood samples. Furthermore, placental villous trophoblasts expressed HTLV-1 receptors and showed increased susceptibility to HTLV-1 infection. In addition, HTLV-1–infected trophoblasts expressed high levels of viral antigens and promoted the de novo infection of target T cells in a humanized mouse model. In summary, during pregnancy of HTLV-1 carriers, HTLV-1 was highly expressed in placental villous tissues, and villous trophoblasts showed high HTLV-1 sensitivity, suggesting that MTCT of HTLV-1 occurs through the placenta.
Authors
Kenta Tezuka, Naoki Fuchi, Kazu Okuma, Takashi Tsukiyama, Shoko Miura, Yuri Hasegawa, Ai Nagata, Nahoko Komatsu, Hiroo Hasegawa, Daisuke Sasaki, Eita Sasaki, Takuo Mizukami, Madoka Kuramitsu, Sahoko Matsuoka, Katsunori Yanagihara, Kiyonori Miura, Isao Hamaguchi
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Copyright © 2020 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)