Inflammation-dependent differentiation of two distinct regulatory T cell populations in the visceral adipose tissue shapes systemic metabolism [RNA-seq II]
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ABSTRACT: Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is an endocrine organ critical for energy storage and metabolic homeostasis. Its function, at least in part, is controlled by immune cells, including Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells, which restrain VAT inflammation and glucose intolerance. Here we uncover that the VAT harbours two distinct Treg cell populations, prototypical ST2+ Treg cells, that are enriched in males and depend on the cytokine IL-33 and the transcription factor PPAR and a previously uncharacterized population of VAT Treg cells that express the chemokine receptor CXCR3+, are enriched in females and depend on the transcription factor T-bet. We further show that the transcription factor GATA3 promoted differentiation of ST2+ VAT Treg cells and together with PPAR and IL-33 repressed the differentiation of CXCR3+ Treg cells. CXCR3+ VAT Treg cells developed from naïve Treg cells in a cytokine IFN- dependent manner. Finally, we demonstrate that ST2+ Treg cells promoted glucose tolerance, while CXCR3+ Treg cells limited VAT inflammation in a sex specific manner. This study for the first time establishes how inflammation determines the developmental trajectories of two functionally and molecularly distinct Treg cell types in the VAT.
Project description:Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is an endocrine organ critical for energy storage and metabolic homeostasis. Its function, at least in part, is controlled by immune cells, including Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells, which restrain VAT inflammation and glucose intolerance. Here we uncover that the VAT harbours two distinct Treg cell populations, prototypical ST2+ Treg cells, that are enriched in males and depend on the cytokine IL-33 and the transcription factor PPAR and a previously uncharacterized population of VAT Treg cells that express the chemokine receptor CXCR3+, are enriched in females and depend on the transcription factor T-bet. We further show that the transcription factor GATA3 promoted differentiation of ST2+ VAT Treg cells and together with PPAR and IL-33 repressed the differentiation of CXCR3+ Treg cells. CXCR3+ VAT Treg cells developed from naïve Treg cells in a cytokine IFN- dependent manner. Finally, we demonstrate that ST2+ Treg cells promoted glucose tolerance, while CXCR3+ Treg cells limited VAT inflammation in a sex specific manner. This study for the first time establishes how inflammation determines the developmental trajectories of two functionally and molecularly distinct Treg cell types in the VAT.
Project description:Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is an endocrine organ critical for energy storage and metabolic homeostasis. Its function, at least in part, is controlled by immune cells, including Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells, which restrain VAT inflammation and glucose intolerance. Here we uncover that the VAT harbours two distinct Treg cell populations, prototypical ST2+ Treg cells, that are enriched in males and depend on the cytokine IL-33 and the transcription factor PPAR and a previously uncharacterized population of VAT Treg cells that express the chemokine receptor CXCR3+, are enriched in females and depend on the transcription factor T-bet. We further show that the transcription factor GATA3 promoted differentiation of ST2+ VAT Treg cells and together with PPAR and IL-33 repressed the differentiation of CXCR3+ Treg cells. CXCR3+ VAT Treg cells developed from naïve Treg cells in a cytokine IFN- dependent manner. Finally, we demonstrate that ST2+ Treg cells promoted glucose tolerance, while CXCR3+ Treg cells limited VAT inflammation in a sex specific manner. This study for the first time establishes how inflammation determines the developmental trajectories of two functionally and molecularly distinct Treg cell types in the VAT.
Project description:Tregs are highly enriched in the eVAT of male mice. We show that ST2+ VAT Tregs preferentially upregulate and depend on Srebf2-mediated cholesterol metabolism compared their spleen Treg or ST2- VAT Treg counterparts. However, it is unclear whether this increased reliance on cholesterol metabolism is a consequence elevated IL-33 signaling in ST2+ Tregs. Therefore, the goal of experiment is to determine whether IL-33 signaling influences Srebf2-dependent cholesterol gene expression in ST2+ eVAT Tregs in vivo.
Project description:During influenza infection, Treg cells in the lung acquire at least 3 discernable phenotypes which can be characterized by the expression of the IL-33 receptor ST2, the Th1 associated chemokine receptor CXCR3 or neither receptor. It is known in the Treg field that Treg cell acquire different phenotypes to more specifically target related immune responses. For example, Th1 like CXCR3 expressing Treg cells are thought to traffic to and specifically suppress adaptive type 1 immune responses. We have found that during influenza infection, ST2+ Treg cells specifically target innate immune responses characterized by IL-1 mediated neutrophil and eosinophil recruitment and the activation of IL17 producing gamma delta T cells. In order to determine how ST2+ Treg cell perform their specific immunomodulatory function, we have performed RNAseq transcriptomic analysis to compare gene expression in ST2+ Tregs isolated from day 7 influenza infected lungs with CXCR3+ Treg cells and Treg cells expressing neither marker also from day 7 of influenza infected lungs as well as compared to total Treg cells from the spleen of uninfected mice.
Project description:The effects of IL-33 on ST2+ Treg cells were not studied thouroughly. We FACS-sorted in vitro expanded ST2+ Treg cells from C57BL/6 Foxp3-IRES-mRFP (B6 FIR) mice. We next used RNA-seq techonology to define how recombinant IL-33 (rIL-33) may impact mouse Treg by to assessing the transcriptome of IL-33-stimulated ST2+ Treg cells compared to that of untreated ST2+ Treg cells. Our data revealed that ST2+ Treg stimulated with rIL-33 for 6 hours exhibited increased expression of Il10 and Il13 compared to unstimulated ST2+ Treg cells.
Project description:Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are key brakes on the VAT inflammation that regulates local and systemic metabolic tenor. The cytokine, IL-33, expands and sustains the unique Treg population residing within VAT. Making use of single-cell RNA sequencing, we identified the major IL-33 producers in VAT to be particular mSC subtypes, related to but distinct from adipocyte progenitor cells. We further characterize these subsets by individually isolating them and performing bulk-RNA sequencing. We explored modulation of the VAT-mSC (VmSC) landscape with physiologic variables such as age and sex, as well as pathogenic states like obesity. We uncovered a VAT Treg:stromal-cell negative regulatory loop that keeps the potent effect of IL-33 under rein.
Project description:Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are key brakes on the VAT inflammation that regulates local and systemic metabolic tenor. The cytokine, IL-33, expands and sustains the unique Treg population residing within VAT. Making use of single-cell RNA sequencing, we identified the major IL-33 producers in VAT to be particular mSC subtypes, related to but distinct from adipocyte progenitor cells. We further characterize these subsets by individually isolating them and performing bulk-RNA sequencing. We explored modulation of the VAT-mSC (VmSC) landscape with physiologic variables such as age and sex, as well as pathogenic states like obesity. We uncovered a VAT Treg:stromal-cell negative regulatory loop that keeps the potent effect of IL-33 under rein.
Project description:Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a metabolically active endocrine organ that plays a critical role regulating organismal metabolism. Regulatory T (Treg) cells restrain VAT inflammation, and preserve insulin sensitivity and organismal metabolism. Here we report pronounced sexual dimorphism in VAT Treg cells, which were enriched specifically in males and differed strikingly from their female counterparts in phenotype, transcriptional landscape and chromatin accessibility. These differences were imprinted by the adipose tissue in a manner dependent on sex hormones. Male VAT was characterized by heightened inflammation, which resulted in CCR2-dependent recruitment of Treg cells. Sex hormones also regulated the differentiation of unique IL-33-producing stromal cell populations specific to the male VAT, which paralleled the local expansion of Treg cells and the induction of a transcriptional program controlled by transcription factor Blimp1. Overall our findings reveal a novel multi-layered feedback circuit depending on Treg cells and regulated by sex hormones to limit VAT inflammation.
Project description:Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a metabolically active endocrine organ that plays a critical role regulating organismal metabolism. Regulatory T (Treg) cells restrain VAT inflammation, and preserve insulin sensitivity and organismal metabolism. Here we report pronounced sexual dimorphism in VAT Treg cells, which were enriched specifically in males and differed strikingly from their female counterparts in phenotype, transcriptional landscape and chromatin accessibility. These differences were imprinted by the adipose tissue in a manner dependent on sex hormones. Male VAT was characterized by heightened inflammation, which resulted in CCR2-dependent recruitment of Treg cells. Sex hormones also regulated the differentiation of unique IL-33-producing stromal cell populations specific to the male VAT, which paralleled the local expansion of Treg cells and the induction of a transcriptional program controlled by transcription factor Blimp1. Overall our findings reveal a novel multi-layered feedback circuit depending on Treg cells and regulated by sex hormones to limit VAT inflammation.
Project description:The role of IL-33 and its receptor ST2 in kidney injury is not well understood. This study demonstrates the importance of ST2 expression on the T-regulatory cells (Tregs) for the resolution of renal injury by suppressing inflammation and fibrosis. Treg-specific deletion of ST2, detrimentally impacted late outcomes of renal injury worsening the impairment of kidney function, inflammation, and fibrosis.