Project description:In type 1 diabetes (T1D), the appearance of multiple islet autoantibodies indicates the onset of islet autoimmunity, often many years before clinical symptoms arise. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms in T cells that can promote aberrant activation thereby triggering autoimmune progression remain poorly understood. Here, we show that during early stages of islet autoimmunity a miRNA142-3p/Tet2 signaling axis in murine and human CD4+T cells interferes with the efficient induction of regulatory T (Treg) cells accompanied by impairments in Treg stability. Specifically, we demonstrate that miR142-3p is induced in islet autoimmunity, while its inhibition enhances Treg induction and stability accompanied by a reduction of islet autoimmunity in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. Mechanistically, using HITS-CLIP analyses we identify the methylcytosine dioxygenase Tet2 as a direct target of miR142-3p in CD4+T cells, thereby linking high miR142-3p levels to epigenetic remodeling and impairments in Treg induction and stability. These findings offer a new mechanistic model where during islet-autoimmunity miR142-3p/Tet2-mediated Treg instability can contribute to autoimmune activation and progression.
Project description:In type 1 diabetes (T1D), the appearance of multiple islet autoantibodies indicates the onset of islet autoimmunity, often many years before clinical symptoms arise. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms in T cells that can promote aberrant activation thereby triggering autoimmune progression remain poorly understood. Here, we show that during early stages of islet autoimmunity a miRNA142-3p/Tet2 signaling axis in murine and human CD4+T cells interferes with the efficient induction of regulatory T (Treg) cells accompanied by impairments in Treg stability. Specifically, we demonstrate that miR142-3p is induced in islet autoimmunity, while its inhibition enhances Treg induction and stability accompanied by a reduction of islet autoimmunity in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. Mechanistically, using HITS-CLIP analyses we identify the methylcytosine dioxygenase Tet2 as a direct target of miR142-3p in CD4+T cells, thereby linking high miR142-3p levels to epigenetic remodeling and impairments in Treg induction and stability. These findings offer a new mechanistic model where during islet-autoimmunity miR142-3p/Tet2-mediated Treg instability can contribute to autoimmune activation and progression.
Project description:In type 1 diabetes, the appearance of islet autoantibodies indicates the onset of islet autoimmunity, often many years before clinical symptoms arise. While T cells play a major role in the destruction of pancreatic beta cells, molecular underpinnings promoting aberrant T cell activation remain poorly understood. Here, we show that during islet autoimmunity an miR142-3p/Tet2/Foxp3 axis interferes with the efficient induction of regulatory T (Treg) cells, resulting in impaired Treg stability in mouse and human. Specifically, we demonstrate that miR142-3p is induced in islet autoimmunity and that its inhibition enhances Treg induction and stability, leading to reduced islet autoimmunity in non-obese diabetic mice. Using various cellular and molecular approaches we identify Tet2 as a direct target of miR142-3p, thereby linking high miR142-3p levels to epigenetic remodeling in Tregs. These findings offer a mechanistic model where during islet autoimmunity miR142-3p/Tet2-mediated Treg instability contributes to autoimmune activation and progression.
Project description:Ten-eleven translocation-2 (TET2) is a member of the methylcytosine dioxygenase family of enzymes implicated in cancer and in aging due to its role as a global epigenetic modifier. TET2 has a large N-terminal domain followed by a catalytic C-terminal. Previous reports have demonstrated that the catalytic domain remains active independent of the N-terminal domain. As such, the function of the N-terminus of this large protein remains poorly characterized. Here, we identify that several isoforms of the 14-3-3 family of proteins bind TET2. 14-3-3s bind TET2 when phosphorylated at serine 99 (S99). AMPK-mediated phosphorylation at S99 promotes TET2 stability and increases global DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. 14-3-3s’ interaction with TET2 serves to protect S99 phosphorylation. Disruption of this interaction leads to both reduced TET2 phosphorylation and decreased protein stability. Furthermore, we identify that the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) can interact with TET2 and dephosphorylates S99. Collectively, our study provides novel insights into the role of the N-terminal domain in TET2 regulation. Moreover, they demonstrate the dynamic nature of TET2 protein regulation that could have therapeutic implications for disease states resulting from reduced TET2 levels and/or activity.
Project description:Regulatory CD4 T cells (Treg) confer non-overlapping functions in intestinal immune tolerance, tissue maintenance, repair, and regeneration. Cytokines and T cell receptor (TCR) signals, in combination with environmental cues, direct Treg proliferation and differentiation. However, how intestinal antigens shape intestinal Treg populations, their specialization and stability remain unknown. Here we show that only Treg bearing specific TCRs expand in the colon, resulting in highly oligoclonal Treg populations. Treg TCR repertoires are private, but crucially, when the same repertoire of polyclonal Treg was transferred into different recipients, the same clones expanded in each recipient, suggesting that cognate TCR-antigen interactions drive colonic Treg accumulation. Expanded Treg clones were correlated with Treg stability and individual transcriptional states that were maintained in different recipients irrespective of the presence or absence of intestinal inflammation. Our data suggest a role for antigen recognition in the selection and functional specialization of intestinal Treg. We speculate that the therapeutic use of Treg must take into account TCR context-mediated properties to optimise Treg stability and function in vivo.
Project description:To investigate the role of TET2 in HUVECs under hypoxia, HUVECs were exposed to an atmosphere of 1% oxygen, 5% CO2 and 94% N2 for 48 h, in which TET2 had been knocked down by siRNA. We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of HUVECs transfected with control siRNA or TET2 siRNA.