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Highly polarized Th17 cells induce EAE via a T-bet independent mechanism.

ABSTRACT: In the MOG35-55 induced EAE model, autoreactive Th17 cells that accumulate in the central nervous system acquire Th1 characteristics via a T-bet dependent mechanism. It remains to be determined whether Th17 plasticity and encephalitogenicity are causally related to each other. Here, we show that IL-23 polarized T-bet(-/-) Th17 cells are unimpaired in either activation or proliferation, and induce higher quantities of the chemokines RANTES and CXCL2 than WT Th17 cells. Unlike their WT counterparts, T-bet(-/-) Th17 cells retain an IL-17(hi) IFN-?(neg-lo) cytokine profile following adoptive transfer into syngeneic hosts. This population of highly polarized Th17 effectors is capable of mediating EAE, albeit with a milder clinical course. It has previously been reported that the signature Th1 and Th17 effector cytokines, IFN-? and IL-17, are dispensable for the development of autoimmune demyelinating disease. The current study demonstrates that the "master regulator" transcription factor, T-bet, is also not universally required for encephalitogenicity. Our results contribute to a growing body of data showing heterogeneity of myelin-reactive T cells and the independent mechanisms they employ to inflict damage to central nervous system tissues, complicating the search for therapeutic targets relevant across the spectrum of individuals with multiple sclerosis.

SUBMITTER: Grifka-Walk HM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3838449 | biostudies-other | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Highly polarized Th17 cells induce EAE via a T-bet independent mechanism.

Grifka-Walk Heather M HM Lalor Stephen J SJ Segal Benjamin M BM

European journal of immunology 20130823 11

In the MOG35-55 induced EAE model, autoreactive Th17 cells that accumulate in the central nervous system acquire Th1 characteristics via a T-bet dependent mechanism. It remains to be determined whether Th17 plasticity and encephalitogenicity are causally related to each other. Here, we show that IL-23 polarized T-bet(-/-) Th17 cells are unimpaired in either activation or proliferation, and induce higher quantities of the chemokines RANTES and CXCL2 than WT Th17 cells. Unlike their WT counterpart ...[more]

PMID: 23878008

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Project description:T helper 17 (TH17) cells are involved in several autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition to retinoic acid receptor-related orphan nuclear receptor gamma t (ROR-γt), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is essential for the differentiation and inflammatory function of TH17 cells. To investigate the roles of HIF-1α in the functional regulation of TH17 cells under the normal physiological condition without genetic modification, the nucleus-transducible form of transcription modulation domain (TMD) of HIF-1α (ntHIF-1α-TMD) was generated by conjugating HIF-1α-TMD to Hph-1 protein transduction domain (PTD). ntHIF-1α-TMD was effectively delivered into the nucleus of T cells without cellular cytotoxicity. ntHIF-1α-TMD significantly blocked the differentiation of naïve T cells into TH17 cells in a dose-dependent manner via IL-17A and ROR-γt expression inhibition. However, T-cell activation events such as induction of CD69, CD25, and IL-2 and the differentiation potential of naïve T cells into TH1, TH2, or Treg cells were not affected by ntHIF-1α-TMD. Interestingly, TH17 cells differentiated from naïve T cells in the presence of ntHIF-1α-TMD showed a substantial level of suppressive activity toward the activated T cells, and the increase of Foxp3 and IL-10 expression was detected in these TH17 cells. When mRNA expression pattern was compared between TH17 cells and ntHIF-1α-TMD-treated TH17 cells, the expression of the genes involved in the differentiation and functions of TH17 cells was downregulated, and that of the genes necessary for immune-suppressive functions of Treg cells was upregulated. When the mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) were treated with ntHIF-1α-TMD with anti-IL-17A mAb as a positive control, the therapeutic efficacy of ntHIF-1α-TMD in vivo was comparable with that of anti-IL-17A mAb, and ntHIF-1α-TMD-mediated therapeutic effect was contributed by the functional conversion of TH17 cells into immune-suppressive T cells. The results in this study demonstrate that ntHIF-1α-TMD can be a new therapeutic reagent for the treatment of various autoimmune diseases in which TH17 cells are dominant and pathogenic T cells.

Project description:BackgroundT helper (Th) 17 cells are a highly plastic subset of T cells, which in the context of neuroinflammation, are able to acquire pathogenic features originally attributed to Th1 cells (resulting in so called ex-Th17 cells). Thus, a strict separation between the two T cell subsets in the context of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is difficult. High variability in culture and EAE induction protocols contributed to previous conflicting results concerning the differential contribution of Th1 and Th17 cells in EAE. Here, we systematically evaluate the role of different T cell differentiation and transfer protocols for EAE disease development and investigate the functional dynamics of encephalitogenic T cells directly within the inflamed central nervous system (CNS) tissue.MethodsWe compiled the currently used EAE induction protocols reported in literature and investigated the influence of the different Th1 and Th17 differentiation protocols as well as EAE induction protocols on the EAE disease course. Moreover, we assessed the cytokine profile and functional dynamics of both encephalitogenic Th1 and Th17 cells in the inflamed CNS using flow cytometry and intravital two-photon laser scanning microscopy. Lastly, we used astrocyte culture and adoptive transfer EAE to evaluate the impact of Th1 and Th17 cells on astrocyte adhesion molecule expression in vitro and in vivo.ResultsWe show that EAE courses are highly dependent on in vitro differentiation and transfer protocols. Moreover, using genetically encoded reporter mice (B6.IL17A-EGFP.acRFP x 2d2/2d2.RFP), we show that the motility of interferon (IFN)γ-producing ex-Th17 cells more closely resembles Th1 cells than Th17 cells in transfer EAE. Mechanistically, IFNγ-producing Th1 cells selectively induce the expression of cellular adhesion molecules I-CAM1 while Th1 as well as ex-Th17 induce V-CAM1 on astrocytes.ConclusionsThe behavior of ex-Th17 cells in EAE lesions in vivo resembles Th1 rather than Th17 cells, underlining that their change in cytokine production is associated with functional phenotype alterations of these cells.

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Highly polarized Th17 cells induce EAE via a T-bet independent mechanism.

Publications

Highly polarized Th17 cells induce EAE via a T-bet independent mechanism.

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