Project description:To characterize a novel human ILC2 subset found in peripheral blood, RNAseq was performed. Other ILC subsets from blood and tonsil were also included.
Project description:Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have emerged as essential players in the skin-associated immune system in health and inflammatory skin diseases. Their low numbers and lack of specific markers hampered extensive characterization and consequently resulted in limited knowledge of their protein expression. Here, we combined flow cytometry and state-of-the-art proteomics to comprehensively describe the proteins constitutively expressed by ILC2 and ILC3 subsets derived from healthy human skin and peripheral blood. We quantified 6666 proteins from skin ILC and identified 608 differentially expressed proteins in the investigated subsets. In addition to the current analyses, highlighting new functions of ILC, the ILC proteomic libraries and the proteomes of the ILC2 and ILC3 subsets will serve as valuable resources for future analyses of ILC function and are available at http://skin.science.
Project description:Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are tissue-resident lymphocytes that lack antigen-specific receptors and exhibit innate effector functions such as cytokine production that play an important role in immediate responses to pathogens especially at mucosal sites. Mouse and human ILC subsets have been extensively characterized in various tissues and in blood. In this study, we present the first characterization of ILCs and ILC subsets in rat gut and secondary lymphoid organs. ScRNAseq and flow cytometric data shows that phenotype and function of rat ILC subsets are conserved similar to human and mouse ILCs. However, contrary to human and mouse, our study unexpectedly revealed that ILC2 and not ILC3 was by far the dominant ILC subset in the rat intestinal lamina propria. ILC2 predominance in the gut was independent of rat strain, sex or housing facility. In contrast, ILC3 were the main ILC subset in mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer patches, in which strain-dependent differences in ILC frequencies were also observed. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that in spite of highly conserved phenotype and function between mice, rat and humans, the distribution of ILC subsets in the intestinal mucosa is species-dependent, likely in response to both genetic and environmental factors.
Project description:ILC2 cells are a newly described cell type whose biology and contribution to disease are poorly understood. ILC2 cells are activated by allergens, viral infection, and/or epithelial damage via IL-33 and IL-25. ILC2 cells require IL-2, IL-7, IL-25 and IL-33 for their survival and expansion. In mice, ILC2s produce multiple mediators primarily associated with type 2 inflammation (IL-13, IL-5, IL-4, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, GM-CSF, amphiregulin). ILC2 cells may contribute to the pathology of asthma through multiple mediators that include IL-13-independent pathways. Our goal is to compare transcriptional profiles of IL-33- or IL-25-activated ILC2 cells from blood to characterize these cells and to identify marker(s) that can be utilized to detect them in human tissue. ILC2 cells (Lineage negative, CRTH2+, CD161+, CD127+) were purified from human blood of 5 different donors by flow cytometry. The ILC2 yield ranged from 20,000 to 165,000 cells per donor (0.001-0.008% WBC). Purified ILC2s were expanded in vitro in the presence of IL-2, IL-7, IL-33 and IL-25 (each at 50 ng/ml) for 7-10 days. Expanded cells maintained the ILC2 phenotype (Lineage negative, CRTH2+, CD161+, CD127+). The cells were rested for 2 days in the presence of 1 ng/ml IL-2 and IL-7 and then treated in the presence of 1 ng/ml IL-2 and IL-7 with either media control, IL-25 (50 ng/ml), IL-33 (50 ng/ml), and/or TSLP (50 ng/ml) in combination, for 6 or 24 hours. Whole RNA was isolated via the RNeasy kit (Qiagen). Stratagene Universal Human Reference RNA was used as the reference.
Project description:Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) are functionally poised, tissue-resident lymphocytes that respond rapidly to damage and infection at mucosal barrier sites. ILC2 reside within complex microenvironments where they are subject to cues from both the diet and invading pathogens – including helminths. Emerging evidence suggests ILC2 are acutely sensitive not only to canonical activating signals, but also perturbations in nutrient availability. In the context of helminth infection, we identify amino acid availability as a nutritional cue in regulating ILC2 responses. ILC2 were found to be uniquely pre-primed to import amino acids via the large neutral amino acid transporters Slc7a5 and Slc7a8. Cell-intrinsic deletion of these transporters individually impaired ILC2 expansion, while concurrent loss of both transporters markedly impaired the proliferative and cytokine producing capacity of ILC2. Moreover, amino acid determined the magnitude of ILC2 responses in part via tuning of mTOR. These findings implicate essential amino acids as a metabolic requisite for optimal ILC2 responses within mucosal barrier tissues.
Project description:Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) represent innate homologues of Th2 cells that participate in immune defense and tissue homeostasis through production of type 2 cytokines. While T lymphocytes metabolically adapt to microenvironmental changes, knowledge of human ILC2 metabolism is limited and its key regulators are unknown. Here we show that circulating “naïve” ILC2 have an unexpected metabolic profile with a higher level of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) than NK cells. Accordingly, ILC2 are severely reduced in patients with mitochondrial disease and impaired OXPHOS. Metabolomic and nutrient receptors analysis reveals ILC2 uptake amino acids to sustain OXPHOS at steady-state. Upon activation with interleukin 33 (IL-33), ILC2 become highly proliferative relying on glycolysis and mTOR to produce IL-13, while continuing to fuel OXPHOS with amino acids to maintain cellular fitness and proliferation. Our results suggest that proliferation and function are metabolically uncoupled in human ILC2, offering new strategies to target ILC2 in disease settings.
Project description:Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are distributed systemically and produce type 2 cytokines in response to a variety of stimuli, including the epithelial cytokines interleukin (IL)-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). Transcriptional profiling of ILC2s from different tissues, however, grouped ILC2s according to their tissue of origin, even in the setting of combined IL-25, IL-33R and TSLPR-deficiency. Single-cell profiling confirmed a tissue-organizing transcriptome and identified ILC2 subsets expressing distinct activating receptors, including the major subset of skin ILC2s, which were activated preferentially by IL-18. Tissue ILC2 subsets were normal in germ- free mice, suggesting that endogenous, tissue-derived, signals drive the maturation of ILC2 subsets by controlling expression of distinct patterns of activating receptors, thus anticipating tissue-specific patterns to perturbations occurring later in life.
Project description:The respiratory system is a complex network of many cell types, including subsets of macrophages and dendritic cels, that work together to maintain steady-state respiration. Due to limitations in acquiring cells from healthy human lung, these subsets remain poorly characterized transcriptionally and phenotypically. We set out to systemically identify these subsets in human airways, by developing a schema of isolating large numbers of cells by whole lung bronchoalveolar lavage. Six subsets of phagocytic antigen presenting cells were consistently observed, which varied in their ability to internalize bacterial particles. Subsets could be further separated by their inherent capacities to upregulate CD83, CD86, and CCR7. Whole genome transcriptional profiling revealed a clade of “true dendritic cells” distinct from a “macrophage/monocyte” clade. Each clade, and each member of both clades, could be discerned by specific genes of increased expression, which would serve as markers for future studies in healthy and diseased states.
Project description:The ETS1 transcription factor is required for the development and cytokine-induced expansion of ILC2 ILC2 cells isolated from ETS1-deleted or litter mate control mice were cultured on OP9-DL1 with IL-7 and IL-33. Subsequently, RNA from ICOS+ cells was extracted, labelled and hybridized to Affymetrix microarrays. The goal of this study is to investigate ETS1-dependent genes in developing ILC2 cells.