Project description:Th9 cells are differentiated from naïve CD4+ T cells by T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation in the presence of the cytokines transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-b) and IL-4, but the molecular mechanisms by which signaling via these two cytokines control Il9 gene expression remain incompletely understood. We show here opposing functions of albumin site D-binding protein (DBP) and E2F8, an atypical member of the E2F family member of transcription factors , in controlling Th9 cell differentiation. Specifically, TGF-b and IL-4 signaling induced phosphorylation of the Serine 213 site in the linker region of the Smad3 protein (pSmad3L-Ser213) via the activation of phosphorylated MAPK p38 (p-p38). pSmad3L-Ser213, but not the phosphorylation of the C-terminal of SMAD3 (pSmad3C), was necessary and sufficient for Il9 gene transcription. We identified DBP and E2F8 as a potential activator and repressor, respectively, for Il9 gene transcription by analyzing the global chromatin accessibility and transcriptomes and discovered that pSmad3L-Ser213 was required for the increase in DBP expression but decreased E2F8 expressions during Th9 cell differentiation. We found that while DBP and E2F8 directly bound to the promoters of Il9 gene, DBP enhanced, but E2F8 suppressed, Il9 gene transcription in CD4+ T cells in response to TGF-b and IL-4 signaling, as revealed by functional gene loss- and gain-of-function studies. Notably, the Dbp-deficient and E2f8-deficient Th9 cells promoted and suppressed tumor growth, respectively, in experimental tumor models of melanoma and fibrosarcoma in mice. Importantly, DBP and E2F8 also exhibited opposing roles in regulating human TH9 differentiation in vitro. Thus, we have revealed a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism of Smad3 linker region-mediated opposing functions of DBP and E2F8 in Th9 differentiation.
Project description:T helper 9 (TH9) cells are important for the development of inflammatory and allergic diseases. The TH9 transcriptional network converge signals from cytokines and antigen presentation but is incompletely understood. Here, we identified TL1A, a member of the TNF superfamily, as strong inducer of mouse and human TH9 differentiation. Mechanistically, TL1A induced the expression of the transcription factors BATF and BATF3 and facilitated their binding to the Il9 promoter leading to enhanced secretion of IL-9. BATF- and BATF3-deficiencies impaired IL-9 secretion under TH9 and TH9-TL1A polarizing conditions. In vivo, using a T cell transfer model we demonstrated that TL1A promoted IL-9-dependent, TH9 cell-induced intestinal and lung inflammation. Neutralizing IL-9 antibodies attenuated TL1A-driven mucosal inflammation. Batf3-/- TH9-TL1A cells induced reduced inflammation and cytokine expression in vivo compared to WT cells. Our results demonstrate that TL1A promotes TH9 cell differentiation and function and define a role of BATF3 in TH9-induced mucosal inflammation.
Project description:Microarray analyses were performed to compare gene expression in cultured mouse Th9, Th2 and Treg cells and resting versus activated Th9 cells. Three replicates were analyzed for each culture condition; Th9 unstim, Th2 unstim, Treg unstim, Th9 stim
Project description:Th cell differentiation is transcriptionally regulated, relying on the induction of “lineage-defining” transcription factors. We report that formation of super-enhancers is critical in robust induction of Th9 cells and that assembly of the Il9 super-enhancers requires OX40-triggered chromatin H3K27 acetylation. Mechanistically, we found that OX40 costimulation induces RelB expression, which recruits the histone acetyltransferase p300 to the Il9 locus to catalyze H3K27 acetylation. This allows binding of the super-enhancer factor Brd4 to initiate assembly of the super-enhancer complex, which in turn drives robust Th9 induction. Thus, Th9 cells are induced in massive numbers upon OX40 costimulation and disruption of super-enhancers abolished Th9 induction in vitro and inhibited Th9-mediated allergic airway inflammation in vivo. Our data identify super-enhancers as a key mechanism of Th9 induction and uncover a new mechanism of Th cell differentiation.
Project description:T helper 9 cells (Th9) are interleukin 9 (IL-9)–producing cells that have diverse functions ranging from anti-tumor immune responses to driving allergic inflammation. Th9 cells differentiate from naïve CD4+ T cells in the presence of IL-4 and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β). In this reports, we have found that suppression of fatty acid biosynthesis increased IL-9 production in murine and human Th9 cells. This dataset include a set of data showing the effects of suppression of fatty acid synthesis on gene expression, chromatin remodelling and histone modifications in Th9 cells as analyzed by RNA-seq, ATAC-seq and ChIP-seq, respectively.
Project description:Microarray analyses were performed to compare gene expression in cultured mouse Th9, Th2 and Treg cells and resting versus activated Th9 cells.
Project description:The TNF family member TL1A (TNFSF15) co-stimulates several T helper subsets and promotes T cell-dependent models of inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and allergic lung disease. TL1A polymorphisms confer susceptibility to IBD and have been associated with disease severity. In this study, we identified TL1A as a strong inducer of TH9 cell differentiation in vitro. Mechanistically, TL1A induced NF-B signaling and down-stream STAT6 activation and facilitated cooperative binding of BATF, BATF3, and IRF4 to the Il9 promoter. In vivo, utilizing an adoptive T cell transfer model we demonstrated that TL1A promoted IL-9-dependent, TH9 cell-induced intestinal and lung inflammation and blocking anti-IL-9 antibodies attenuated TL1A-driven mucosal inflammation. Our results demonstrate that TL1A promotes TH9 cell differentiation and function and define a role for IL-9 in TL1A-induced mucosal inflammation.
Project description:Interleukin 9 (IL-9) is a γc-family cytokine that is highly produced by T-helper 9 (Th9) cells and regulates a range of immune responses, including allergic inflammation. Here we show that IL-2–JAK3–STAT5 signaling is required for Th9 differentiation, with critical STAT5 binding sites in the Il9 (the gene encoding IL-9) promoter. IL-2 also inhibited B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) expression, and over- expression of BCL6 impaired Th9 differentiation. In contrast to IL-2, IL-21 induced BCL6 and diminished IL-9 expression in wild-type but not Bcl6−/− cells, whereas Th9 differentiation was increased in Il21−/− or Il21r−/− T cells. Interestingly, BCL6 bound in proximity to many STAT5 and STAT6 binding sites, including at the Il9 promoter. Moreover, there was increased BCL6 and decreased STAT binding at this site in cells treated with blocking antibodies to IL-2 and the IL-2 receptor, suggesting a possible BCL6–STAT5 binding competition that influences IL-9 production. BCL6 binding was also increased when cells were Th9-differentiated in the presence of IL-21. Thus, our data reveal not only direct IL-2 effects via STAT5 at the Il9 gene, but also opposing actions of IL-2 and IL-21 on BCL6 expression, with increased BCL6 expression inhibiting IL-9 production. These data suggest a model in which increasing BCL6 expression decreases efficient Th9 differentiation, indicating possible distinctive approaches for controlling this process. Genome-wide transcription factors mapping and binding of STAT5B and STAT6 in mouse polarized Th9 cells treated with or without blocking antibodies to IL-2 (anti-IL-2). RNA-Seq is conducted in WT and Il2-/- mice.
Project description:We found that IL-7 pretreatment enhanced Th9 differentiation. To clarify the underlying mechanisms, we examine the gene expression profiles of CD4+ T cell and Th9 cells with or without IL-7 pretreatment. In Th9 cells, we found that Th9 related genes were greatly increased in IL-7 Th9 group, which demonstrated an enhanced Th9 differentiation. In CD4+ T cells, we found that IL-7 treatment resulted in a global gene expression change especially on chromatin remodeling related genes, which facilitated the entry of transcriptional factor to the Il9 promoter region and promoted Il9 transcription.
Project description:We report that the Th9 differenciation program is boosted in presence of Il-1beta Examination of the expression profile of Th9 CD4+ T cells after 1 hour and 3 days of differentiation and after in vivo injection