Temporal cross‐talk between TCR and STAT signals for CD8 T cell effector differentiation

Self Cite

In adoptive therapy, CD8 T cells expressing active STAT5 (STAT5CA) transcription factors were found to be superior to unmanipulated counterparts in long-term persistence, capacity to infiltrate autochthonous mouse melanomas, thrive in their microenvironment, and induce their regression. However, the molecular mechanisms sustaining these properties were undefined. In this study, we report that STAT5CA induced sustained expression of genes controlling tissue homing, cytolytic granule composition, type 1 CD8 cytotoxic T cell–associated effector molecules granzyme B+, IFN-γ+, TNF-α+, and CCL3+, but not IL-2, and transcription factors T-bet and eomesodermin (Eomes). Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analyses identified the genes possessing regulatory regions to which STAT5 bound in long-term in vivo maintained STAT5CA-expressing CD8 T cells. This analysis identified 34% of the genes differentially expressed between STAT5CA-expressing and nonexpressing effector T cells as direct STAT5CA target genes, including those encoding T-bet, Eomes, and granzyme B. Additionally, genes encoding the IL-6R and TGFbRII subunits were stably repressed, resulting in dampened IL-17–producing CD8 T cell polarization in response to IL-6 and TGF-β1. The absence of T-bet did not affect STAT5CA-driven accumulation of the T cells in tissue or their granzyme B expression but restored IL-2 secretion and IL-6R and TGFbRII expression and signaling, as illustrated by IL-17 induction. Therefore, concerted STAT5/T-bet/Eomes regulation controls homing, long-term maintenance, recall responses, and resistance to polarization towards IL-17–producing CD8 T cells while maintaining expression of an efficient type 1 CD8 cytotoxic T cell program (granzyme B+, IFN-γ+).

“…1B). This pattern of gene expression is consistent with a role for STAT5 in the stabilization of a Tc1 gene expression program initiated by TCR stimulation (33,34).…”

Section: Stat5ca Expression In In Vivo-transferred Cd8 T Cells Inducesupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Active STAT5 Regulates T-bet and Eomesodermin Expression in CD8 T Cells and Imprints a T-bet–Dependent Tc1 Program with Repressed IL-6/TGF-β1 Signaling

Grange

Verdeil

Arnoux

et al. 2013

Self Cite

“…STAT5 and TCR signaling pathways are reported to synergize during T cell activation by Ag (72)(73)(74). We have shown that IL-21, which signals mainly via STAT3 (14,75), enhances the phosphorylation of STAT5 induced by IL-15 in naive CD8 T cells (14).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Exposure to IL-15 and IL-21 Enables Autoreactive CD8 T Cells To Respond to Weak Antigens and Cause Disease in a Mouse Model of Autoimmune Diabetes

Ramanathan

Dubois

Chen

et al. 2011

Autoreactive CD8+ T lymphocytes play a key role in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases. It is not yet well understood how autoreactive CD8+ T cells, which express TCRs with low reactivity toward self-Ags, gain the ability to respond to autoantigens to cause disease. Previously, we have shown that prior stimulation of CD8+ T cells with synergistic combinations of cytokines produced by the innate immune response, such as IL-21 and IL-15, induces Ag-independent proliferation. Such “cytokine-primed” CD8 T cells displayed increased responsiveness to limiting quantities of the cognate Ag. In this paper, we report that prior stimulation with IL-15 and IL-21 also enables CD8+ T cells to respond to weakly agonistic TCR ligands, resulting in proliferation, cytokine secretion, and cytolytic activity. Using a transgenic mouse model of autoimmune diabetes, we show that cytokine-primed autoreactive CD8+ T cells induce disease following stimulation by weak TCR ligands, but their diabetogenic potential is dependent on continuous availability of IL-15 in vivo. These findings suggest that inflammatory cytokines could facilitate the triggering of autoreactive CD8+ T cells by weak autoantigens, and this mechanism may have important implications for autoimmune diseases associated with microbial infections and chronic inflammation.

“…It has been shown in several studies that naive CD8 T cells require only a brief antigenic stimulation to develop full effector function and transit into memory. However, the validity of this concept has been questioned (29,30). More recently, two groups (21,31) have reported the phenotypic and functional difference between CD8 T cells responding to short-lived vs prolonged infection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brief Antigenic Stimulation Generates Effector CD8 T Cells with Low Cytotoxic Activity and High IL-2 Production

Usharauli

Kamala

2008

It is currently believed that a brief antigenic stimulation is sufficient to induce CD8 T cells to complete their differentiation program, become effector T cells, and subsequently generate memory. Because this concept was derived from studies in which only a single effector function was analyzed (either IFN-γ production or target cell lysis), we wondered whether monitoring for multiple effector functions might reveal novel characteristics of effector CD8 T cells elicited by brief or prolonged Ag exposure. Using an in vitro system to generate effector T cells and an in vivo adoptive transfer model to track donor CD8 T cells, we found that the differentiation programs acquired by CD8 T cells after brief or prolonged antigenic stimulation were different. Although the frequencies of IFN-γ and TNF-α producers were comparable for both effector CD8 T cell populations, there were major differences in cytotoxic potential and IL-2 production. Whereas prolonged (>24 h) Ag exposure stimulated effector CD8 T cells with high cytotoxic activity and low IL-2 production, brief (<24 h) stimulation generated effector CD8 T cells with low cytotoxic activity and high IL-2 production. The latter effector T cells rapidly converted into central memory-like CD8 T cells, exhibited long-term survival in adoptively transferred hosts, and gave robust recall responses upon Ag challenge. These data suggest that not all functions of effector CD8 T cells are equally inherited after brief or prolonged antigenic stimulation.