[PDF][PDF] Hepatocytes delete regulatory T cells by enclysis, a CD4+ T cell engulfment process

SP Davies, GM Reynolds, AL Wilkinson, X Li, R Rose… - Cell reports, 2019 - cell.com
SP Davies, GM Reynolds, AL Wilkinson, X Li, R Rose, M Leekha, YS Liu, R Gandhi…
Cell reports, 2019cell.com
CD4+ T cells play critical roles in directing immunity, both as T helper and as regulatory T
(Treg) cells. Here, we demonstrate that hepatocytes can modulate T cell populations through
engulfment of live CD4+ lymphocytes. We term this phenomenon enclysis to reflect the
specific enclosure of CD4+ T cells in hepatocytes. Enclysis is selective for CD4+ but not
CD8+ cells, independent of antigen-specific activation, and occurs in human hepatocytes in
vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) facilitates T cell early …
Summary
CD4+ T cells play critical roles in directing immunity, both as T helper and as regulatory T (Treg) cells. Here, we demonstrate that hepatocytes can modulate T cell populations through engulfment of live CD4+ lymphocytes. We term this phenomenon enclysis to reflect the specific enclosure of CD4+ T cells in hepatocytes. Enclysis is selective for CD4+ but not CD8+ cells, independent of antigen-specific activation, and occurs in human hepatocytes in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) facilitates T cell early adhesion and internalization, whereas hepatocytes form membrane lamellipodia or blebs to mediate engulfment. T cell internalization is unaffected by wortmannin and Rho kinase inhibition. Hepatocytes engulf Treg cells more efficiently than non-Treg cells, but Treg cell-containing vesicles preferentially acidify overnight. Thus, enclysis is a biological process with potential effects on immunomodulation and opens a new field for research to fully understand CD4+ T cell dynamics in liver inflammation.
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