Suppression of Cytokine Production in T Helper Type 2 Cells by Nitric Oxide in Comparison with T Helper Type 1 Cells

We examined the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on cytokine production in T helper (Th) cell subsets, using murine splenic CD4⁺ T cells and two types of Th clones. Interferon-gamma-treated murine peritoneal exudate cells (IFN-PEC) suppressed DNA synthesis to 60% of the control level in CD4⁺ T cells stimulated with the anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody. The production of IL-2 and IL-4 in the CD4⁺ T cells decreased to 63.2% and 9.2%, respectively, of the control value by co-culture with IFN-PEC. The addition of N^G-monomethyl-L -arginine (L-NMMA) partially recovered the suppression of DNA synthesis. In the presence of indomethacin, the suppression of DNA synthesis was partially inhibited and the reduction in the cytokine production caused by IFN-PEC was partially recovered. The simultaneous addition of N^G-monomethyl-L -arginine (L-NMMA) and indomethacin completely inhibited not only the suppression of DNA synthesis but also the reduction in the cytokine production caused by IFN-PEC. Moreover, DNA synthesis in the Th2 clone was suppressed to a greater extent than that in the Th1 clone by co-culture with IFN-PEC. This suppression in the Th1 clone was inhibited by the addition of L-NMMA, whereas the DNA synthesis in the Th2 clone was not recovered by L-NMMA. In addition, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) suppressed IL-4 production in the Th2 clone but had no effect on IL-2 production in the Th1 clone. In the experiment of the co-culture with IFN-PEC, the inhibitory-effect of NO on T cell activation was not clarified by the influence of prostaglandins. However, in conclusion, cytokine production in Th2 cells may be more susceptible to NO than that in Th1 cells.     

Life of T Follicular Helper Cells

Antibodies are powerful defense tools against pathogens but may cause autoimmune diseases when erroneously directed toward self-antigens. Thus, antibody producing cells are carefully selected, refined, and expanded in a highly regulated microenvironment (germinal center) in the peripheral lymphoid organs. A subset of T cells termed T follicular helper cells (Tfh) play a central role in instructing B cells to form a repertoire of antibody producing cells that provide life-long supply of high affinity, pathogen-specific antibodies. Therefore, understanding how Tfh cells arise and how they facilitate B cell selection and differentiation during germinal center reaction is critical to improve vaccines and better treat autoimmune diseases. In this review, I will summarise recent findings on molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying Tfh generation and function with an emphasis on T cell costimulation.     

Comparative Proteomic Profiling of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal cancers and is associated with limited diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Currently, gemcitabine is the only effective drug and represents the preferred first-line treatment for chemotherapy. However, a high level of intrinsic or acquired resistance of pancreatic cancer to gemcitabine can contribute to the failure of gemcitabine treatment. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms for gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer, we performed label-free quantification of protein expression in intrinsic gemcitabine-resistant and - sensitive human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines using our improved proteomic strategy, combined with filter-aided sample preparation, single-shot liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, enhanced spectral counting, and a statistical method based on a power law global error model. We identified 1931 proteins and quantified 787 differentially expressed proteins in the BxPC3, PANC-1, and HPDE cell lines. Bioinformatics analysis identified 15 epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and 13 EMT-related proteins that were closely associated with drug resistance were differentially expressed. Interestingly, 8 of these proteins were involved in glutathione and cysteine/methionine metabolism. These results suggest that proteins related to the EMT and glutathione metabolism play important roles in the development of intrinsic gemcitabine resistance by pancreatic cancer cell lines.     

Changes in Follicular Helper T Cells in Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Patients

Background: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a primary autoimmune disease with a decreased platelet count caused by platelet destruction mediated mainly by platelet antibodies. T follicular helper (TFH) cells have demonstrated important roles in autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study is to explore the might role of TFH cells in the patients of ITP.Methods: Twenty-three ITP patients and 12 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this study. The frequency of circulating TFH cells in both the patients and HC was analyzed by flow cytometry. Serum interleukin (IL)-21 and IL-6 levels were measured using ELISA, and platelet antibodies were tested using a solid phase technique. Additionally, IL-21, IL-6, Bcl-6 and c-Maf mRNA expressions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were detected using real-time PCR.Results: The percentages of circulating CXCR5⁺ CD4⁺TFH cells with ICOS^high or PD-1^high expression were significantly higher in the ITP patients than in the HC. Moreover, the frequencies of circulating CXCR5⁺ CD4⁺TFH cells with inducible costimulator (ICOS)^high or programmed death-1 (PD-1)^high expression were notably higher in ITP with platelet-antibody-positive ( ITP (+) ) patients than in ITP with platelet-antibody-negative ( ITP (-) ) patients and HC, as were the serum IL-21 and IL-6 levels (significant). Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the CXCR5⁺CD4⁺TFH cells with ICOS^high or PD-1^high expression and the serum IL-21 levels of ITP (+) patients. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of IL-21, IL-6, Bcl-6 and c-Maf were significantly increased in ITP patients, especially in ITP (+) patients.Conclusions: This study demonstrated TFH cells and effector molecules might play an important role in the pathogenesis of ITP, which are possible therapeutic targets in ITP patients.     

Genome-wide CRISPR Screens in T Helper Cells Reveal Pervasive Crosstalk between Activation and Differentiation

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定向诱导小鼠ES细胞向心肌细胞的分化

为了提高体外诱导ES细胞向心肌细胞分化的效率 ,对以往的诱导方法加以改进 ,采用直接悬浮培养和 0 8%DMSO诱导 ,建立了简便、高效的定向诱导ES细胞向心肌细胞分化的体系 .诱导第 9d起可见自发性、有节律跳动的类胚体出现 ,第 14d达到高峰 ,约有 70 %的拟胚体产生跳动 .用RT PCR的方法在跳动的拟胚体中检测到心肌细胞特异性标志物的表达 ,采用免疫荧光染色的方法在蛋白水平检测到心肌特异的α辅肌动蛋白 (α actinin)的表达 ,并可见清晰肌小节 ,表明在改进的体外诱导条件下ES细胞可分化为成熟的心肌细胞 .     

调节性T细胞的分化及其影响因素

调节性T细胞是近年发现的一种具有免疫抑制活性的CD4+T细胞亚群,它们可以在胸腺中被选择分化,也可以在外周淋巴组织内由转化生长因子-β等细胞因子诱导分化。本文就调节性T细胞分化过程的关键信号通路及影响因素进行综述。调控调节性T细胞的分化过程能够影响其在体内的数目,可通过对其数量的干预,为自身免疫性疾病、免疫监视、排斥反应及变态反应等相关疾病提供可能的治疗靶点。     

循环滤泡辅助性T细胞亚型与重症肌无力患者临床特点之间的相关性分析

目的:分析循环滤泡辅助性T(c Tfh)细胞亚型与重症肌无力(MG)患者临床特点之间的关系。方法:横断面研究30例MG患者外周血c Tfh细胞各个亚型百分比和临床特点之间的关系。c Tfh细胞亚型的百分比是通过流式细胞术获取的。MG患者的临床特点包括性别、年龄、病程、胸腺情况、美国重症肌无力协会(MGFA)分型和重症肌无力量化(QMG)评分。结果:CD4~+CXCR5~+ICOS~+、CD4~+CXCR5~+PD-1~+和CD4~+CXCR5~+CXCR3-CCR6~+(Th17样)c Tfh细胞亚型百分比与QMG评分之间存在正相关关系;全身型重症肌无力(GMG)患者在CD4~+CXCR5~+ICOS~+、CD4~+CXCR5~+PD-1~+和Th17样c Tfh细胞亚型百分比要高于眼肌型重症肌无力(OMG)患者,OMG患者在CD4~+CXCR5~+CXCR3-CCR6-(Th2样)c Tfh亚型细胞百分比要高于GMG患者。c Tfh细胞各个亚型百分比与MG患者的性别、年龄、病程、胸腺情况均无显著相关性。结论:CD4~+CXCR5~+ICOS~+、CD4~+CXCR5~+PD-1~+和Th17样c Tfh细胞亚型百分比与MG病情严重性间存在正相关关系,提示c Tfh细胞与MG之间的密切关系。     

miRNA Signature of Mouse Helper T Cell Hyper-Proliferation

Helper T cells from a mutant mouse model, LAT Y136F, hyper-proliferate and cause a severe lymphoproliferative disease that kills the mice by six months of age. LAT Y136F mice carry a tyrosine to phenylalanine mutation in the Linker for Activation of T cells (LAT) gene. This mutation leads to a number of changes in T cells that result in altered cytokine production including increased IL-4 production, increased proliferation, and decreased apoptosis. Hyper-proliferation of the mutant T cells contributes to lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and multi-organ T cell infiltration. miRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that regulate expression of cohorts of genes. This study investigates which miRNAs are expressed in LAT Y136F T cells and compares these to miRNAs expressed in wild type T cells that are undergoing proliferation in two other settings. The first setting is homeostatic proliferation, which was modeled by adoptive transfer of wild type T cells into T cell-deficient mice. The second setting is proliferation in response to infection, which was modeled by infection of wild type mice with the nematode H. polygyrus. By comparing miRNA expression in these three proliferative states (LAT Y136F hyper-proliferation, homeostatic proliferation and proliferation in response to H. polygyrus infection) to expression in wild type naïve CD4⁺ T cells, we found miRNAs that were highly regulated in all three proliferative states (miR-21 and miR-146a) and some that were more specific to individual settings of proliferation such as those more specific for LAT Y136F lymphoproliferative disease (miR-669f, miR-155 and miR-466a/b). Future experiments that modulate levels of the miRNAs identified in this study may reveal the roles of these miRNAs in T cell proliferation and/or lymphoproliferative disease.     

Proteomic profiling of Cronobacter turicensis 3032, a food‐borne opportunistic pathogen

Members of the genus Cronobacter are opportunistic pathogens for neonates and are often associated with contaminated milk powder formulas. At present little is known about the virulence mechanisms or the natural reservoir of these organisms. The proteome of Cronobacter turicensis 3032, which has recently caused two deaths, was mapped aiming at a better understanding of physiology and putative pathogenic traits of this clinical isolate. Our analyses of extracellular, surface‐associated and whole‐cell proteins by two complementary proteomics approaches, 1D‐SDS‐PAGE combined with LC‐ESI‐MS/MS and 2D‐LC‐MALDI‐TOF/TOF MS, lead to the identification of 832 proteins corresponding to a remarkable 19% of the theoretically expressed protein complement of C. turicensis. The majority of the identified proteins are involved in central metabolic pathways, translation, protein folding and stability. Several putative virulence factors, whose expressions were confirmed by phenotypic assays, could be identified: a macrophage infectivity potentiator involved in C. turicensis persistence in host cells, a superoxide dismutase protecting the pathogen against reactive oxygen species and an enterobactin‐receptor protein for the uptake of siderophore‐bound iron. Most interestingly, a chitinase and a metalloprotease that might act against insects and fungi but no casein hydrolysing enzymes were found, suggesting that there is an environmental natural habitat of C. turicensis 3032.     

Mycobacterium tuberculosis TlyA Protein Negatively Regulates T Helper (Th) 1 and Th17 Differentiation and Promotes Tuberculosis Pathogenesis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, is an ancient pathogen and a major cause of death worldwide. Although various virulence factors of M. tuberculosis have been identified, its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. TlyA is a virulence factor in several bacterial infections and is evolutionarily conserved in many Gram-positive bacteria, but its function in M. tuberculosis pathogenesis has not been elucidated. Here, we report that TlyA significantly contributes to the pathogenesis of M. tuberculosis. We show that a TlyA mutant M. tuberculosis strain induces increased IL-12 and reduced IL-1β and IL-10 cytokine responses, which sharply contrasts with the immune responses induced by wild type M. tuberculosis. Furthermore, compared with wild type M. tuberculosis, TlyA-deficient M. tuberculosis bacteria are more susceptible to autophagy in macrophages. Consequently, animals infected with the TlyA mutant M. tuberculosis organisms exhibited increased host-protective immune responses, reduced bacillary load, and increased survival compared with animals infected with wild type M. tuberculosis. Thus, M. tuberculosis employs TlyA as a host evasion factor, thereby contributing to its virulence.     

Early Growth Response Genes 2 and 3 Regulate the Expression of Bcl6 and Differentiation of T Follicular Helper Cells

T follicular helper (Tfh) cells support differentiation of B cells to plasma cells and high affinity antibody production in germinal centers (GCs), and Tfh differentiation requires the function of B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6). We have now discovered that early growth response gene 2 (EGR2) and EGR3 directly regulate the expression of Bcl6 in Tfh cells, which is required for their function in regulation of GC formation. In the absence of EGR2 and -3, the expression of BCL6 in Tfh cells is defective, leading to impaired differentiation of Tfh cells, resulting in a failure to form GCs following virus infection and defects in production of antiviral antibodies. Enforced expression of BCL6 in EGR2/3-deficient CD4 T cells partially restored Tfh differentiation and GC formation in response to virus infection. Our findings demonstrate a novel function of EGR2/3 that is important for Tfh cell development and Tfh cell-mediated B cell immune responses.     

Proteomic analysis of the microenvironment of developing oocytes

We utilized a setup based on extensive pre-fractionation of proteolytic peptides and nanoflow reversed-phase LC-MS/MS to identify the (sub)proteome of human follicular fluid (FF). In this in-depth screen, 246 specific proteins were identified, the majority of which are involved in coagulation- and immune-response pathways. Our aim is to define a set of FF protein markers, which could predict oocyte quality.     

Differential Arabinan Capping of Lipoarabinomannan Modulates Innate Immune Responses and Impacts T Helper Cell Differentiation

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogens by interacting with pathogen-associated molecular patterns, such as the phosphatidylinositol-based lipoglycans, lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM). Such structures are present in several pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, being important for the initiation of immune responses. It is well established that the interaction of LM and LAM with TLR2 is a process dependent on the structure of the ligands. However, the implications of structural variations on TLR2 ligands for the development of T helper (Th) cell responses or in the context of in vivo responses are less studied. Herein, we used Corynebacterium glutamicum as a source of lipoglycan intermediates for host interaction studies. In this study, we have deleted a putative glycosyltransferase, NCgl2096, from C. glutamicum and found that it encodes for a novel α(1→2)arabinofuranosyltransferase, AftE. Biochemical analysis of the lipoglycans obtained in the presence (wild type) or absence of NCgl2096 showed that AftE is involved in the biosynthesis of singular arabinans of LAM. In its absence, the resulting molecule is a hypermannosylated (hLM) form of LAM. Both LAM and hLM were recognized by dendritic cells, mainly via TLR2, and triggered the production of several cytokines. hLM was a stronger stimulus for in vitro cytokine production and, as a result, a more potent inducer of Th17 responses. In vivo data confirmed hLM as a stronger inducer of cytokine responses and suggested the involvement of pattern recognition receptors other than TLR2 as sensors for lipoglycans.     

Proteomic analysis of rice leaf, stem and root tissues during growth course

Rice proteins were isolated from leaf, stem and root tissues, harvesting at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 10 weeks after budding. Each tissue of each age was separately pulverized in liquid nitrogen, and the resulted tissue powders were suspended in 10% TCA-acetone and followed by acetone suspension to precipitate at low temperature, which resulted in the tissue-specific and age-specific protein mixture. The protein mixtures were separated by 2-DE using polyacrylamide gels (26 x 20 cm). The protein spots were identified by N-terminal sequence analysis and by MALDI and LC-MS/MS analyses after in-gel tryptic digestion. From a total of 4532 spots, 676 unique proteins were identified, of which 80 proteins (12%) were observed in all three tissues: leaf, stem and root. In addition, 45 (7%) were common in leaf and stem, 57 (8%) in stem and root, and 10 (2%) proteins in root and leaf. Also 141 unique proteins (21%) were observed only for leaf, 96 (14%) for stem, and 247 (36%) for root tissue. Proteins playing a role for photosynthesis and energy production were most abundant in leaf and stem, and those for cell defense were rich in roots.