Promiscuous gene expression (PGE) by thymic epithelial cells (TEC) is essential for generating a diverse T cell antigen receptor repertoire tolerant to self-antigens, and thus for avoiding autoimmunity. Nevertheless, the extent and nature of this unusual expression program within TEC populations and single cells are unknown. Using deep transcriptome sequencing of carefully identified mouse TEC subpopulations, we discovered a program of PGE that is common between medullary (m) and cortical TEC, further elaborated in mTEC, and completed in mature mTEC expressing the autoimmune regulator gene (Aire). TEC populations are capable of expressing up to 19,293 protein-coding genes, the highest number of genes known to be expressed in any cell type. Remarkably, in mouse mTEC, Aire expression alone positively regulates 3980 tissue-restricted genes. Notably, the tissue specificities of these genes include known targets of autoimmunity in human AIRE deficiency. Led by the observation that genes induced by Aire expression are generally characterized by a repressive chromatin state in somatic tissues, we found these genes to be strongly associated with H3K27me3 marks in mTEC. Our findings are consistent with AIRE targeting and inducing the promiscuous expression of genes previously epigenetically silenced by Polycomb group proteins. Comparison of the transcriptomes of 174 single mTEC indicates that genes induced by Aire expression are transcribed stochastically at low cell frequency. Furthermore, when present, Aire expression-dependent transcript levels were 16-fold higher, on average, in individual TEC than in the mTEC population.
Thymic epithelial cell differentiation, growth and function depend on the expression of the transcription factor Foxn1, however its target genes have never been physically identified. Using novel static and inducible genetic model systems and chromatin studies, we provide now a genome wide map of direct Foxn1 target genes for postnatal thymic epithelia and define the Foxn1 binding motif. We detail the function of Foxn1 in these cells and demonstrate that in addition to the transcriptional control of genes involved in the attraction and lineage commitment of T cell precursors, Foxn1 regulates the expression of genes involved in antigen processing and thymocyte selection. Thus, critical events in thymic lympho-stromal cross-talk and T cell selection are indispensably choreographed by Foxn1.
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