Background: Sepsis involves aberrant immune responses to infection, but the exact nature of this immune dysfunction remains poorly defined. Bacterial endotoxins like lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are potent inducers of inflammation, which has been associated with the pathophysiology of sepsis, but repeated exposure can also induce a suppressive effect known as endotoxin tolerance or cellular reprogramming. It has been proposed that endotoxin tolerance might be associated with the immunosuppressive state that was primarily observed during late-stage sepsis. However, this relationship remains poorly characterised. Here we clarify the underlying mechanisms and timing of immune dysfunction in sepsis. Methods: We defined a gene expression signature characteristic of endotoxin tolerance. Gene-set test approaches were used to correlate this signature with early sepsis, both newly and retrospectively analysing microarrays from 593 patients in 11 cohorts. Then we recruited a unique cohort of possible sepsis patients at first clinical presentation in an independent blinded controlled observational study to determine whether this signature was associated with the development of confirmed sepsis and organ dysfunction. Findings: All sepsis patients presented an expression profile strongly associated with the endotoxin tolerance signature (p < 0.01; AUC 96.1%). Importantly, this signature further differentiated between suspected sepsis patients who did, or did not, go on to develop confirmed sepsis, and predicted the development of organ dysfunction. Interpretation: Our data support an updated model of sepsis pathogenesis in which endotoxin tolerance-mediated immune dysfunction (cellular reprogramming) is present throughout the clinical course of disease and related to disease severity. Thus endotoxin tolerance might offer new insights guiding the development of new therapies and diagnostics for early sepsis. Overall design: For the RNA-Seq study reported here, 73 patients were recruited with deferred consent at the time of first examination in an emergency ward based on the opinion of physicians that there was a potential for the patient''s condition to develop into sepsis. These were retrospectively divided into groups based on clinical features and compared to 11 non-urgent surgical controls.
An Endotoxin Tolerance Signature Predicts Sepsis and Organ Dysfunction at Initial Clinical Presentation.
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View SamplesBackground: Dendritic cells (DCs) are critical for regulating CD4 and CD8 T cell immunity, controlling Th1, Th2, and Th17 bias, generating inducible Tregs, and inducing tolerance. Multiple DC subsets have been identified in the mouse that are thought to have evolved to control these different immune outcomes. However, how these subsets differentially respond to inflammatory and/or tolerogenic signals in order to accomplish their divergent functionality remains unclear. Results: We analysed the responses of murine, splenic CD8 and CD11b DC subsets to in-vivo stimulation with lipopolysaccharide using RNA-Seq and systems biology approaches and observed responses are highly subset-specific. We reanalysed multiple datasets from the literature and show that these subset responses are obscured when analysing signaling at the population level. We show that the subset-specificity is due to the unique regulation of distinct TLR4 pathway modulators that ‘fine-tune’ a common TLR4 cascade rather and not due to major differences in signaling pathways or transcription factors. Conclusions: We propose the Pathway Modulation Model wherein common signaling pathways are regulated by unique sets of modulators allowing for distinct immune responses in closely related DC subsets. We extend these observations using analagous datasets from the literature and show that our model provides a global mechanism for generating cell subset-specific signaling in multiple subpopulations in mouse and man. Overall design: Splenic CD8 and CD11b DC subsets from LPS stimulated (10 pooled animals) and Control (5 pooled animals) mice were analysed by RNA-Seq.
A systems biology approach to the analysis of subset-specific responses to lipopolysaccharide in dendritic cells.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject, Time
View SamplesGene expression profiling of two different E. coli ABU strains during biofilm growth in human urine.
Global gene expression profiling of asymptomatic bacteriuria Escherichia coli during biofilm growth in human urine.
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View SamplesSirtuin-1 (Sirt1), a class III histone/protein deacetylase is central to cellular metabolism, stress responses and aging, but its contributions to various host immune functions have been little investigated. To study the role of Sirt1 in T-cell functions, we undertook targeted deletions by mating mice with a floxed Sirt1 gene to mice expressing CD4-cre or Foxp3-cre recombinase, respectively. We found that Sirt1 deletion left conventional T-effector cell activation, proliferation and cytokine production largely unaltered. However, Sirt1 targeting promoted the expression and acetylation of Foxp3, a key transcription factor in T-regulatory (Treg) cells, and increased Treg suppressive functions in vitro and in vivo. Consistent with these data, mice with targeted deletions of Sirt1 in either CD4+ T-cells or Foxp3+ Treg cells exhibited prolonged survival of MHC-mismatched cardiac allografts. Allografts in Sirt1 targeted recipients showed long-term preservation of myocardial histology and infiltration by Foxp3+ Treg cells. Comparable results were seen in wild-type allograft recipients treated with Sirt1 inhibitors, such as EX-527 and splitomicin. Hence, Sirt1 may inhibit Treg functions and its targeting may have therapeutic value in autoimmunity and transplantation.
Sirtuin-1 targeting promotes Foxp3+ T-regulatory cell function and prolongs allograft survival.
Specimen part
View SamplesTargeting histone/protein deacetylase (HDAC)-6, -9, or Sirtuin-1 (Sirt1) augments the suppressive functions of Foxp3+ T regulatory (Treg) cells, but it is unclear if this involves different mechanisms, such that combined inhibition would be beneficial. We compared the suppressive functions of Tregs from wild-type C57BL/6 mice or mice with global (HDAC6-/-, HDAC9-/-, dual HDAC6/9-/-) or conditional deletion (CD4-Cre or Foxp3-Cre and floxed Sirt1; GSE26425) alone, or after treatment with isoform-selective HDAC inhibitors (HDACi). We found the heat shock response was crucial in mediating the effects of HDAC6, but not Sirt1 inhibition. Furthermore, while HDAC6, HDAC9 and Sirt1 all deacetylate Foxp3, each has diverse effects on Foxp3 transcription, and loss of HDAC9 is associated with stabilization of Stat5 acetylation and its transcriptional activity. Targeting different HDAC can increase Treg function by multiple and additive mechanisms, indicating the therapeutic potential for combinations of HDACi in the management of autoimmunity and alloresponses post-transplant.
Histone deacetylases 6 and 9 and sirtuin-1 control Foxp3+ regulatory T cell function through shared and isoform-specific mechanisms.
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View SamplesWe investigated the role of DNMT1 in immune homeostasis by generating mice lacking DNMT1 in Foxp3+ T-regulatory (Treg) cells. These mice showed decreased peripheral Foxp3+ Tregs, complete loss of Foxp3+ Treg suppressive functions in vitro and in vivo, and died from autoimmunity by 3-4 weeks unless they received perinatal transfer of wild-type Tregs that prolonged their survival. Methylation of CpG-sites in the TSDR region of Foxp3 was unaffected by DNMT1 deletion, but microarray revealed more >500 proinflammatory and other genes were upregulated in DNMT1-/- Tregs. CD4-Cre-mediated DNMT1 deletion showed inability of conventional T cells to convert to Foxp3+ Treg under appropriate polarizing conditions. Hence, DNMT1 is absolutely necessary for maintenance of the gene program required for normal Treg development and function.
Foxp3+ T-regulatory cells require DNA methyltransferase 1 expression to prevent development of lethal autoimmunity.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe proposed use of Foxp3+ T-regulatory (Treg) cells as potential cellular therapy in patients with autoimmune diseases, or post-hemopoietic stem cell or organ transplantation, requires a sound understanding of the transcriptional regulation of Foxp3 expression. Conserved CpG dinucleotides in the Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR) upstream of Foxp3 are demethylated only in stable, thymic-derived Foxp3+ Tregs. Since methyl-binding domain (Mbd) proteins recruit histone-modifying and chromatin-remodeling complexes to methylated sites, we tested whether targeting of Mbd2 might promote demethylation of Foxp3 and thereby promote Treg numbers or function. Surprisingly, while ChIP analysis showed Mbd2 binding to the Foxp3-associated TSDR site in Tregs, Mbd2 targeting by homologous recombination or siRNA decreased Treg numbers and impaired Treg suppressive function in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we found complete TSDR demethylation in WT Tregs but >75% methylation in Mbd2-/- Tregs, whereas re-introduction of Mbd2 into Mbd2-null Tregs restored TSDR demethylation, Foxp3 gene expression and Treg suppressive function. Lastly, Mbd2-/- Tregs had markedly binding of the DNA demethylase enzyme, Tet2, in the TSDR region. These data show that Mbd2 has a key role in promoting TSDR demethylation, Foxp3 expression and Treg suppressive function.
Mbd2 promotes foxp3 demethylation and T-regulatory-cell function.
Specimen part
View SamplesTreg dysfunction is associated with a variety of inflammatory diseases. Treg populations are defined by expression of the oligomeric transcription factor FOXP3 and inability to produce IL-2, a cytokine required for T cell maintenance and survival. FOXP3 activity is regulated post-translationally by histone/protein acetyltransferases and histone/protein deacetylases (HDACs). Here, we determined that HDAC3 mediates both the development and function of the two main Treg subsets, thymus-derived Tregs and induced Tregs (iTregs). We determined that HDAC3 and FOXP3 physically interact and that HDAC3 expression markedly reduces Il2 promoter activity. In murine models, conditional deletion of Hdac3 during thymic Treg development restored Treg production of IL-2 and blocked the suppressive function of Tregs. HDAC3-deficient mice died from autoimmunity by 4-6 weeks of age; however, injection of WT FOXP3+ Tregs prolonged survival. Adoptive transfer of Hdac3-deficient Tregs, unlike WT Tregs, did not control T cell proliferation in naive mice and did not prevent allograft rejection or colitis. HDAC3 also regulated the development of iTregs, as HDAC3-deficient conventional T cells were not converted into iTregs under polarizing conditions and produced large amounts of IL-2, IL-6, and IL-17. We conclude that HDAC3 is essential for the normal development and suppressive functions of thymic and peripheral FOXP3+ Tregs.
FOXP3+ regulatory T cell development and function require histone/protein deacetylase 3.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe human SYT-SSX fusion protein was expressed in a developmentally dependent fashion in murine myoblasts. Tumors harvested from mice in adolescence were compared to normal mouse skeletal muscle samples.
A conditional mouse model of synovial sarcoma: insights into a myogenic origin.
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View SamplesT-regulatory (Treg) cells are important to immune homeostasis, and Treg cell deficiency or dysfunction leads to autoimmune disease. An histone/protein acetyltransferase (HAT), p300, was recently found important for Treg function and stability, but further insights into the mechanisms by which p300 or other HATs affect Treg biology are needed. Here we show that CBP, a p300 paralog, is also important in controlling Treg function and stability. Thus, while mice with Treg-specific deletion of CBP or p300 developed minimal autoimmune disease, the combined deletion of CBP and p300 led to fatal autoimmunity by 3-4 weeks of age. The effects of CBP and p300 deletion on Treg development are dose-dependent, and involve multiple mechanisms. CBP and p300 cooperate with several key Treg transcription factors that act on the Foxp3 promoter to promote Foxp3 production. CBP and p300 also act on the Foxp3 CNS2 region to maintain Treg stability in inflammatory environments by regulating pCREB function and GATA3 expression, respectively. Lastly, CBP and p300 regulate the epigenetic status and function of Foxp3. Our findings provide insights into how HATs orchestrate multiple aspects of Treg development and function, and identify overlapping but also discrete activities for p300 and CBP in control of Treg cells.
Two histone/protein acetyltransferases, CBP and p300, are indispensable for Foxp3+ T-regulatory cell development and function.
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