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Histone deacetylases 1 and 2 restrain CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte differentiation
Teresa Preglej, … , Nicole Boucheron, Wilfried Ellmeier
Teresa Preglej, … , Nicole Boucheron, Wilfried Ellmeier
Published February 27, 2020
Citation Information: JCI Insight. 2020;5(4):e133393. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.133393.
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Research Article Immunology

Histone deacetylases 1 and 2 restrain CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte differentiation

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Abstract

Some effector CD4+ T cell subsets display cytotoxic activity, thus breaking the functional dichotomy of CD4+ helper and CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes. However, molecular mechanisms regulating CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CD4+ CTL) differentiation are poorly understood. Here we show that levels of histone deacetylases 1 and 2 (HDAC1-HDAC2) are key determinants of CD4+ CTL differentiation. Deletions of both Hdac1 and 1 Hdac2 alleles (HDAC1cKO-HDAC2HET) in CD4+ T cells induced a T helper cytotoxic program that was controlled by IFN-γ–JAK1/2–STAT1 signaling. In vitro, activated HDAC1cKO-HDAC2HET CD4+ T cells acquired cytolytic activity and displayed enrichment of gene signatures characteristic of effector CD8+ T cells and human CD4+ CTLs. In vivo, murine cytomegalovirus–infected HDAC1cKO-HDAC2HET mice displayed a stronger induction of CD4+ CTL features compared with infected WT mice. Finally, murine and human CD4+ T cells treated with short-chain fatty acids, which are commensal-produced metabolites acting as HDAC inhibitors, upregulated CTL genes. Our data demonstrate that HDAC1-HDAC2 restrain CD4+ CTL differentiation. Thus, HDAC1-HDAC2 might be targets for the therapeutic induction of CD4+ CTLs.

Authors

Teresa Preglej, Patricia Hamminger, Maik Luu, Tanja Bulat, Liisa Andersen, Lisa Göschl, Valentina Stolz, Ramona Rica, Lisa Sandner, Darina Waltenberger, Roland Tschismarov, Thomas Faux, Thorina Boenke, Asta Laiho, Laura L. Elo, Shinya Sakaguchi, Günter Steiner, Thomas Decker, Barbara Bohle, Alexander Visekruna, Christoph Bock, Birgit Strobl, Christian Seiser, Nicole Boucheron, Wilfried Ellmeier

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Figure 3

HDAC1cKO-HDAC2HET CD4+ T cells display CTL activity.

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HDAC1cKO-HDAC2HET CD4+ T cells display CTL activity.
(A) Histograms show...
(A) Histograms show RUNX3 and ThPOK expression in naive WT and HDAC1cKO-HDAC2HET CD4+ and WT CD8+ T cells activated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 for 3 days in the presence of IL-2. Diagrams depict the summary of the MFI of RUNX3 and ThPOK expression levels of all independent experiments. WT MFI levels were set as 1, and relative MFI levels in HDAC1cKO-HDAC2HET CD4+ and WT CD8+ T cells are shown. Each symbol indicates 1 mouse. Horizontal bars indicate the mean. (B) Histograms depict CD107a expression on naive WT and HDAC1cKO-HDAC2HET CD4+ and WT CD8+ T cells activated as described in A. (C) Redirected cytotoxicity assay using WT and HDAC1cKO-HDAC2HET CD4+ and WT CD8+ T cells. Effector cells were prepared by activating naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 for 3 days in the presence of IL-2. On day 3 activated cells were cocultured with P815 target cells at the indicated ratios in the presence of soluble anti-CD3. Target cells were stained 4 hours later with 7-AAD/annexin V and quantified by flow cytometry. Percentage of annexin V+ target cells and the effector/target cell ratio are indicated. (D) Summary diagram indicates FPKM values of Crtam expression in activated WT and HDAC1cKO-HDAC2HET CD4+ T cells as determined by RNA-Seq. (E) Contour plots show CRTAM expression on WT and HDAC1cKO-HDAC2HET CD4+ T cells activated as described in A. (F) Summary of experiments described in E. Diagram depicts the percentages of activated CD4+ T cells expressing CRTAM. (A, D, and F) Each symbol indicates 1 biological sample. Horizontal bars indicate the mean. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, and ***P < 0.001 (unpaired 2-tailed Student’s t test). (A, B, and E) Numbers indicate the MFI (A) or the percentage of cells in the respective regions (E). (A and B) The dotted vertical lines indicate the peak of the WT histogram (for MFI). Data are representative of at least 3 (A–C) or 4 (D–F) mice that were analyzed in at least 5 (A), 2 (E and F), or 3 (B and C) independent experiments or 1 (D) experiment.

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