Project description:CD103+CD11b+ dendritic cells (DCs) are unique to the intestine, but the factors governing their differentiation are unclear. Here we show that transforming growth factor receptor 1 (TGFβR1) has an indispensable, cell intrinsic role in the development of these cells. Deletion of Tgfbr1 results in markedly fewer intestinal CD103+CD11b+ DCs and a reciprocal increase in the CD103-CD11b+ dendritic cell subset. Transcriptional profiling identifies markers that define the CD103+CD11b+ DC lineage, including CD101, TREM1 and Siglec-F, and shows that the absence of CD103+CD11b+ DCs in CD11c-Cre.Tgfbr1 fl/fl mice reflects defective differentiation from CD103-CD11b+ intermediaries, rather than an isolated loss of CD103 expression. The defect in CD103+CD11b+ DCs is accompanied by reduced generation of antigen-specific, inducible FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in vitro and in vivo, and by reduced numbers of endogenous Th17 cells in the intestinal mucosa. Thus, TGFβR1-mediated signalling may explain the tissue-specific development of these unique DCs.Developmental cues for the different dendritic cell (DC) subsets in the intestine are yet to be defined. Here the authors show that TGFβR1 signalling is needed for development of CD103+CD11b+ intestinal DCs from CD103-CD11b+ cells and that they contribute to the generation of Th17 and regulatory T cells.
Project description:Retinal dehydrogenase (RALDH) enzymatic activities catalyze the conversion of vitamin A to its metabolite Retinoic acid (RA) in intestinal dendritic cells (DCs) and promote immunological tolerance. However, precise understanding of the exogenous factors that act as initial trigger of RALDH activity in these cells is still evolving. By using germ-free (GF) mice raised on an antigen free (AF) elemental diet, we find that certain components in diet are critically required to establish optimal RALDH expression and activity, most prominently in small intestinal CD103+CD11b+ DCs (siLP-DCs) right from the beginning of their lives. Surprisingly, systematic screens using modified diets devoid of individual dietary components indicate that proteins, starch and minerals are dispensable for this activity. On the other hand, in depth comparison between subtle differences in dietary composition among different dietary regimes reveal that adequate glucose concentration in diet is a critical determinant for establishing RALDH activity specifically in siLP-DCs. Consequently, pre-treatment of siLP-DCs, and not mesenteric lymph node derived MLNDCs with glucose, results in significant enhancement in the in vitro generation of induced Regulatory T (iTreg) cells. Our findings reveal previously underappreciated role of dietary glucose concentration in establishing regulatory properties in intestinal DCs, thereby extending a potential therapeutic module against intestinal inflammation.
Project description:Antibody responses induced at mucosal and nonmucosal sites demonstrate a significant level of autonomy. Here, we demonstrate a key role for mucosal interferon regulatory factor-4 (IRF4)-dependent CD103+CD11b+ (DP), classical dendritic cells (cDCs) in the induction of T-dependent immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) responses in the mesenteric lymph node (MLN) following systemic immunization with soluble flagellin (sFliC). In contrast, IRF8-dependent CD103+CD11b- (SP) are not required for these responses. The lack of this response correlated with a complete absence of sFliC-specific plasma cells in the MLN, small intestinal lamina propria, and surprisingly also the bone marrow (BM). Many sFliC-specific plasma cells accumulating in the BM of immunized wild-type mice expressed α4β7+, suggesting a mucosal origin. Collectively, these results suggest that mucosal DP cDC contribute to the generation of the sFliC-specific plasma cell pool in the BM and thus serve as a bridge linking the mucosal and systemic immune system.
Project description:A crosstalk between commensals, gut immune cells, and colonic epithelia is required for a proper function of intestinal mucosal barrier. Here we investigated the importance of two distinct intestinal dendritic cell (DC) subsets in controlling intestinal inflammation. We show that Clec9A-diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) mice after depletion of CD103(+)CD11b(-) DCs developed severe, low-dose dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis, whereas the lack of CD103(+)CD11b(+) DCs in Clec4a4-DTR mice did not exacerbate intestinal inflammation. The CD103(+)CD11b(-) DC subset has gained a functional specialization that able them to repress inflammation via several epithelial interferon-? (IFN-?)-induced proteins. Among others, we identified that epithelial IDO1 and interleukin-18-binding protein (IL-18bp) were strongly modulated by CD103(+)CD11b(-) DCs. Through its preferential property to express IL-12 and IL-15, this particular DC subset can induce lymphocytes in colonic lamina propria and in epithelia to secrete IFN-? that then can trigger a reversible early anti-inflammatory response in intestinal epithelial cells.
Project description:Mucus alterations are a feature of ulcerative colitis (UC) and can drive inflammation by compromising the mucosal barrier to luminal bacteria. The exact pathogenesis of UC remains unclear, but CD4+ T cells reacting to commensal antigens appear to contribute to pathology. Given the unique capacity of dendritic cells (DCs) to activate naive T cells, colon DCs may activate pathogenic T cells and contribute to disease. Using Muc2-/- mice, which lack a functional mucus barrier and develop spontaneous colitis, we show that colitic animals have reduced colon CD103+ CD11b- DCs and increased CD103- CD11b+ phagocytes. Moreover, changes in colonic DC subsets and distinct cytokine patterns distinguish mice with distally localized colitis from mice with colitis spread proximally. Specifically, mice with proximally spread, but not distally contained, colitis have increased IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, TNFα, and IFNγ combined with decreased IL-10 in the distal colon. These individuals also have increased numbers of CD103+ CD11b+ DCs in the distal colon. CD103+ CD11b+ DCs isolated from colitic but not noncolitic mice induced robust differentiation of Th17 cells but not Th1 cells ex vivo. In contrast, CD103- CD11b+ DCs from colitic Muc2-/- mice induced Th17 as well as Th1 differentiation. Thus, the local environment influences the capacity of intestinal DC subsets to induce T cell proliferation and differentiation, with CD103+ CD11b+ DCs inducing IL-17-producing T cells being a key feature of extensively spread colitis.
Project description:Induction of antigen-specific immune activation by the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) is a strategy used for cancer immunotherapy. In this study, we find that FimH, which is an Escherichia coli adhesion portion, induces toll-like receptor 4-dependent and myeloid differentiation protein 2-independent DC maturation in mice in vivo. A combined treatment regimen with FimH and antigen promotes antigen-specific immune activation, including proliferation of T cells, production of IFN-γ and TNF-α, and infiltration of effector T cells into tumors, which consequently inhibits tumor growth in mice in vivo against melanoma and carcinoma. In addition, combined therapeutic treatment of anti-PD-L1 antibodies and FimH treatment efficiently inhibits CT26 tumor growth in BALB/c mice. Finally, FimH promotes human peripheral blood DC activation and syngeneic T-cell proliferation and activation. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that FimH can be a useful adjuvant for cancer immunotherapy.
Project description:Locoregional monotherapy with heterodimeric interleukin (IL)-15 (hetIL-15) in a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) orthotopic mouse model resulted in tumor eradication in 40% of treated mice, reduction of metastasis, and induction of immunological memory against breast cancer cells. hetIL-15 re-shaped the tumor microenvironment by promoting the intratumoral accumulation of cytotoxic lymphocytes, conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s), and a dendritic cell (DC) population expressing both CD103 and CD11b markers. These CD103intCD11b+DCs share phenotypic and gene expression characteristics with both cDC1s and cDC2s, have transcriptomic profiles more similar to monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs), and correlate with tumor regression. Therefore, hetIL-15, a cytokine directly affecting lymphocytes and inducing cytotoxic cells, also has an indirect rapid and significant effect on the recruitment of myeloid cells, initiating a cascade for tumor elimination through innate and adoptive immune mechanisms. The intratumoral CD103intCD11b+DC population induced by hetIL-15 may be targeted for the development of additional cancer immunotherapy approaches.
Project description:FimH-mediated adhesion of Escherichia coli to bladder epithelium is a prerequisite for urinary tract infections. FimH is also essential for blood-borne bacterial dissemination, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of different FimH mutations on bacterial adhesion using a novel adhesion assay, which models the physiological flow conditions bacteria are exposed to. We introduced 12 different point mutations in the mannose binding pocket of FimH in an E. coli strain expressing type 1 fimbriae only (MSC95-FimH). We compared the bacterial adhesion of each mutant across several commonly used adhesion assays, including agglutination of yeast, adhesion to mono- and tri-mannosylated substrates, and static adhesion to bladder epithelial and endothelial cells. We performed a comparison of these assays to a novel method that we developed to study bacterial adhesion to mammalian cells under flow conditions. We showed that E. coli MSC95-FimH adheres more efficiently to microvascular endothelium than to bladder epithelium, and that only endothelium supports adhesion at physiological shear stress. The results confirmed that mannose binding pocket mutations abrogated adhesion. We demonstrated that FimH residues E50 and T53 are crucial for adhesion under flow conditions. The coating of endothelial cells on biochips and modelling of physiological flow conditions enabled us to identify FimH residues crucial for adhesion. These results provide novel insights into screening methods to determine the effect of FimH mutants and potentially FimH antagonists.
Project description:Escherichia coli causes about 90% of urinary tract infections (UTI), and more than 95% of all UTI-causing E. coli express type 1 fimbriae. The fimbrial tip-positioned adhesive protein FimH utilizes a shear force-enhanced, so-called catch-bond mechanism of interaction with its receptor, mannose, where the lectin domain of FimH shifts from a low- to a high-affinity conformation upon separation from the anchoring pilin domain. Here, we show that immunization with the lectin domain induces antibodies that exclusively or predominantly recognize only the high-affinity conformation. In the lectin domain, we identified four high-affinity-specific epitopes, all positioned away from the mannose-binding pocket, which are recognized by 20 separate clones of monoclonal antibody. None of the monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies against the lectin domain inhibited the adhesive function. On the contrary, the antibodies enhanced FimH-mediated binding to mannosylated ligands and increased by severalfold bacterial adhesion to urothelial cells. Furthermore, by natural conversion from the high- to the low-affinity state, FimH adhesin was able to shed the antibodies bound to it. When whole fimbriae were used, the antifimbrial immune serum that contained a significant amount of antibodies against the lectin domain of FimH was also able to enhance FimH-mediated binding. Thus, bacterial adhesins (or other surface antigens) with the ability to switch between alternative conformations have the potential to induce a conformation-specific immune response that has a function-enhancing rather than -inhibiting impact on the protein. These observations have implications for the development of adhesin-specific vaccines and may serve as a paradigm for antibody-mediated enhancement of pathogen binding.
Project description:Bacterial interactions with surfaces rely on the coordinated expression of a vast repertoire of surface-exposed adhesins. However, how bacteria dynamically modulate their adhesion potential to achieve successful surface colonization is not yet well understood. Here, we investigated changes in adhesion capacity of an initially poorly adherent Escherichia coli strain using experimental evolution and positive selection for mutations improving adhesion and biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. We showed that all identified evolved populations and clones acquired mutations located almost exclusively in the lectin domain of fimH, the gene coding for the α-d-mannose-specific tip adhesin of type 1 fimbriae, a key E. coli virulence factor. While most of these fimH mutants showed reduced mannose-binding ability, they all displayed enhanced binding to abiotic surfaces, indicating a trade-off between FimH-mediated specific and nonspecific adhesion properties. Several of the identified mutations were already reported in the FimH lectin domain of pathogenic and environmental E. coli, suggesting that, beyond pathoadaptation, FimH microevolution favoring nonspecific surface adhesion could constitute a selective advantage for natural E. coli isolates. Consistently, although E. coli deleted for the fim operon still evolves an increased adhesion capacity, mutants selected in the ∆fim background are outcompeted by fimH mutants revealing clonal interference for adhesion. Our study therefore provides insights into the plasticity of E. coli adhesion potential and shows that evolution of type 1 fimbriae is a major driver of the adaptation of natural E. coli to colonization.