Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a complex autoimmune disease where genes and environmental factors impact pathogenesis. Analysis of the >150 loci identified by GWAS reveals the compelling theme that ...candidate genes cluster into pathways. A pathway connecting environment to T1D genetics is the anti-viral/Type 1 interferon (IFN1) pathway that is regulated by at least 7 T1D linked loci, including Tyrosine Kinase 2 (TYK2) which regulates IFN1 receptor signaling. We test the hypothesis that the T1D protective variant of TYK2 restrains signaling though the IFN1 receptor functions in β-cells reduce interactions with and killing by autoreactive, cytolytic CD8+ T lymphocytes (CTL) . These studies employed β-cells edited in the endogenous TYK2 locus with CRISPR/Cas9 to express the T1D protective TYK2110A or common allotype, TYK2110P. These cells were treated with Poly I:C (50ng/mL) , to see IFN1 response to an imitated viral infection. Outcomes were IFN1 production, gene expression, antigen presentation, and responses to CTL. When allotypic β-cells were treated with Poly I:C, both produced equivalent levels of IFN1. While β-cells with TYK2110P showed increased mechanisms of antigen presentation, this pathway was attenuated in TYK2110A β-cells (p<0.05) . These results were replicated by treating TYK2110P and TYK2110A IFN1 (100U/mL) , where we observed increased antigen presentation in TYK2110P β-cells but not TYK2110A β-cells (p<0.05) . Interestingly, prior to treatment cell surface human leukocyte antigen class I levels were reduced in TYK2110A β-cells (p<0.01) . Studies to test the interactions of autoreactive CTL with β-cells supported our hypothesis. TYK2110P β-cells were efficiently lysed by CTL and lysis was increased by pre-treatment of β-cells with IFN1 or PolyI:C. In stark contrast, TYK2110A β-cells exhibited low levels of CTL-lysis and pre-treatment with IFN1 or PolyI:C did not modify lysis.
In conclusion, TYK2110A protects β-cells from autoimmune-mediated death.
Disclosure
A.Rodriguez tamayo: None. M.Huber: None. E.J.Butfiloski: None. C.E.Mathews: None.
Funding
National Institutes of Health PAI42288National Institutes of Health RR01DK127497
Type 1 diabetes results from an autoimmune attack directed at pancreatic beta cells predominantly mediated by T cells. Transplantation of stem cell derived beta-like cells (sBC) have been shown to ...rescue diabetes in preclinical animal models. However, how sBC will respond to an inflammatory environment with diabetogenic T cells in a strict human setting has not been determined. This is due to the lack of model systems that closely recapitulates human T1D. Here, we present a reliable
assay to measure autologous CD8 T cell stimulation against sBC in a human setting. Our data shows that upon pro-inflammatory cytokine exposure, sBC upregulate Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) class I molecules which allows for their recognition by diabetogenic CD8 T cells. To protect sBC from this immune recognition, we utilized genome engineering to delete surface expression of HLA class I molecules and to integrate an inducible overexpression system for the immune checkpoint inhibitor Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1). Genetically engineered sBC that lack HLA surface expression or overexpress PD-L1 showed reduced stimulation of diabetogenic CD8 T cells when compared to unmodified cells. Here, we present evidence that manipulation of HLA class I and PD-L1 receptors on sBC can provide protection from diabetes-specific immune recognition in a human setting.
The ability to alter antigen specificity by T-cell receptor (TCR) or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) gene transfer has facilitated personalized cellular immune therapies in cancer. Inversely, this ...approach can be harnessed in autoimmune settings to attenuate inflammation by redirecting the specificity of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Herein, we demonstrate efficient protocols for lentiviral gene transfer of TCRs that recognize type 1 diabetes-related autoantigens with the goal of tissue-targeted induction of antigen-specific tolerance to halt β-cell destruction. We generated human Tregs expressing a high-affinity GAD
-reactive TCR (clone R164), as well as the lower affinity clone 4.13 specific for the same peptide. We demonstrated that
Treg avatars potently suppress antigen-specific and bystander responder T-cell (Tresp) proliferation
in a process that requires Treg activation (
< 0.001 versus unactivated Tregs). When Tresp were also glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-reactive, the high-affinity R164 Tregs exhibited increased suppression (
< 0.01) with lower Tresp-division index (
< 0.01) than the lower affinity 4.13 Tregs. These data demonstrate the feasibility of rapid expansion of antigen-specific Tregs for applications in attenuating β-cell autoimmunity and emphasize further opportunities for engineering cellular specificities, affinities, and phenotypes to tailor Treg activity in adoptive cell therapies for the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
Cytotoxic CD8 T lymphocytes play a central role in the tissue destruction of many autoimmune disorders. In type 1 diabetes (T1D), insulin and its precursor preproinsulin are major self-antigens ...targeted by T cells. We comprehensively examined preproinsulin specificity of CD8 T cells obtained from pancreatic islets of organ donors with and without T1D and identified epitopes throughout the entire preproinsulin protein and defective ribosomal products derived from preproinsulin messenger RNA. The frequency of preproinsulin-reactive T cells was significantly higher in T1D donors than nondiabetic donors and also differed by individual T1D donor, ranging from 3 to over 40%, with higher frequencies in T1D organ donors with HLA-A*02:01. Only T cells reactive to preproinsulin-related peptides isolated from T1D donors demonstrated potent autoreactivity. Reactivity to similar regions of preproinsulin was also observed in peripheral blood of a separate cohort of new-onset T1D patients. These findings have important implications for designing antigen-specific immunotherapies and identifying individuals that may benefit from such interventions.
We report full-length draft de novo genome assemblies for 16 widely used inbred mouse strains and find extensive strain-specific haplotype variation. We identify and characterize 2,567 regions on the ...current mouse reference genome exhibiting the greatest sequence diversity. These regions are enriched for genes involved in pathogen defence and immunity and exhibit enrichment of transposable elements and signatures of recent retrotransposition events. Combinations of alleles and genes unique to an individual strain are commonly observed at these loci, reflecting distinct strain phenotypes. We used these genomes to improve the mouse reference genome, resulting in the completion of 10 new gene structures. Also, 62 new coding loci were added to the reference genome annotation. These genomes identified a large, previously unannotated, gene (Efcab3-like) encoding 5,874 amino acids. Mutant Efcab3-like mice display anomalies in multiple brain regions, suggesting a possible role for this gene in the regulation of brain development.
Mitochondrial adaptation during non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) include remodeling of ketogenic flux and sustained tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity, which are concurrent to onset of ...oxidative stress. Over 70% of obese humans have NAFLD and ketogenic diets are common weight loss strategies. However, the effectiveness of ketogenic diets toward alleviating NAFLD remains unclear. We hypothesized that chronic ketogenesis will worsen metabolic dysfunction and oxidative stress during NAFLD. Mice (C57BL/6) were kept (for 16‐wks) on either a low‐fat, high‐fat, or high‐fat diet supplemented with 1.5X branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) by replacing carbohydrate calories (ketogenic). The ketogenic diet induced hepatic lipid oxidation and ketogenesis, and produced multifaceted changes in flux through the individual steps of the TCA cycle. Higher rates of hepatic oxidative fluxes fueled by the ketogenic diet paralleled lower rates of de novo lipogenesis. Interestingly, this metabolic remodeling did not improve insulin resistance, but induced fibrogenic genes and inflammation in the liver. Under a chronic “ketogenic environment,” the hepatocyte diverted more acetyl‐CoA away from lipogenesis toward ketogenesis and TCA cycle, a milieu which can hasten oxidative stress and inflammation. In summary, chronic exposure to ketogenic environment during obesity and NAFLD has the potential to aggravate hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction.
Comprehensive phosphoproteomic analysis of small populations of cells remains a daunting task due primarily to the insufficient MS signal intensity from low concentrations of enriched ...phosphopeptides. Isobaric labeling has a unique multiplexing feature where the “total” peptide signal from all channels (or samples) triggers MS/MS fragmentation for peptide identification, while the reporter ions provide quantitative information. In light of this feature, we tested the concept of using a “boosting” sample (e.g., a biological sample mimicking the study samples but available in a much larger quantity) in multiplexed analysis to enable sensitive and comprehensive quantitative phosphoproteomic measurements with <100 000 cells. This simple boosting to amplify signal with isobaric labeling (BASIL) strategy increased the overall number of quantifiable phosphorylation sites more than 4-fold. Good reproducibility in quantification was demonstrated with a median CV of 15.3% and Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.95 from biological replicates. A proof-of-concept experiment demonstrated the ability of BASIL to distinguish acute myeloid leukemia cells based on the phosphoproteome data. Moreover, in a pilot application, this strategy enabled quantitative analysis of over 20 000 phosphorylation sites from human pancreatic islets treated with interleukin-1β and interferon-γ. Together, this signal boosting strategy provides an attractive solution for comprehensive and quantitative phosphoproteome profiling of relatively small populations of cells where traditional phosphoproteomic workflows lack sufficient sensitivity.
Dysregulation of glucagon secretion in type 1 diabetes (T1D) involves hypersecretion during postprandial states, but insufficient secretion during hypoglycemia. The sympathetic nervous system ...regulates glucagon secretion. To investigate islet sympathetic innervation in T1D, sympathetic tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) axons were analyzed in control non-diabetic organ donors, non-diabetic islet autoantibody-positive individuals (AAb), and age-matched persons with T1D. Islet TH axon numbers and density were significantly decreased in AAb compared to T1D with no significant differences observed in exocrine TH axon volume or lengths between groups. TH axons were in close approximation to islet α-cells in T1D individuals with long-standing diabetes. Islet RNA-sequencing and qRT-PCR analyses identified significant alterations in noradrenalin degradation, α-adrenergic signaling, cardiac β-adrenergic signaling, catecholamine biosynthesis, and additional neuropathology pathways. The close approximation of TH axons at islet α-cells supports a model for sympathetic efferent neurons directly regulating glucagon secretion. Sympathetic islet innervation and intrinsic adrenergic signaling pathways could be novel targets for improving glucagon secretion in T1D.
Reactive oxygen species are used by the immune system to eliminate infections; however, they may also serve as signaling intermediates to coordinate the efforts of the innate and adaptive immune ...systems. In this study, we show that by eliminating macrophage and T cell superoxide production through the NADPH oxidase (NOX), T cell polarization was altered. After stimulation with immobilized anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 or priming recall, T cells from NOX-deficient mice exhibited a skewed Th17 phenotype, whereas NOX-intact cells produced cytokines indicative of a Th1 response. These findings were corroborated in vivo by studying two different autoimmune diseases mediated by Th17 or Th1 pathogenic T cell responses. NOX-deficient NOD mice were Th17 prone with a concomitant susceptibility to experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and significant protection against type 1 diabetes. These data validate the role of superoxide in shaping Th responses and as a signaling intermediate to modulate Th17 and Th1 T cell responses.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common metabolic disorder in obese individuals. Adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) exchanges ADP/ATP through the mitochondrial inner membrane, and ...Ant2 is the predominant isoform expressed in the liver. Here we demonstrate that targeted disruption of Ant2 in mouse liver enhances uncoupled respiration without damaging mitochondrial integrity and liver functions. Interestingly, liver specific Ant2 knockout mice are leaner and resistant to hepatic steatosis, obesity and insulin resistance under a lipogenic diet. Protection against fatty liver is partially recapitulated by the systemic administration of low-dose carboxyatractyloside, a specific inhibitor of ANT. Targeted manipulation of hepatic mitochondrial metabolism, particularly through inhibition of ANT, may represent an alternative approach in NAFLD and obesity treatment.
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