Project description:Microarray experiments were performed to elucidate the transcriptome changes due to EZH2 deficiency in follicular T helper (TFH) cells. These data suggest TFH-lineage associated genes are down-regulated in EZH2-null TFH cells, indicating that EZH2 primes TFH differentiation by regulating canonical genes of TFH cells.
Project description:Microarray experiments were performed to elucidate the transcriptome changes due to Rictor deficiency in follicular T helper (TFH) cells. These data suggest TFH-lineage associated genes are down-regulated in Rictor-null TFH cells, indicating that Rictor primes TFH differentiation by regulating canonical genes of TFH cells.
Project description:ATAC-Seq experiments were performed to elucidate the chromatin state changes among naïve CD4+ T cells, WT follicular helper T (TFH) cells and WT type 1 helper T (TH1) cells Day2 (D2), Day5 (D5), Day8 (D8) post-LCMV-Armstrong infection, as well as EZH2-null (KO) TFH and TH1 at Day8 post-LCMV-infection. The analysis suggested stringent lineage-specific mode of chromatin accessibility in each group, indicating chromatin remodeling is tightly associated with TFH versus TH1 lineage differentiation in response to acute viral infection. Furthermore, the comparison between wild-type and EZH2-null TFH cells showed that less-opening state of certain chromatin accessible region in TFH-differentiation associated genes in the formers, suggesting EZH2 led to permissive chromatin accessibility primarily at specific regions of TFH-associated genes. H3K27me3-ChIP-seq was performed in WT TFH and TH1 cells to confirm the deposition of the histone marks at those loci.
Project description:Follicular helper T (Tfh) are a subset of CD4+ T helper cells that provide help to germinal center B cells and mediate the development of long-lived humoral immunity. Tfh cells dysregulation is associated with several major autoimmune diseases. Although recent studies showed Tfh cells differentiation is controlled by the transcription factor Bcl6, cytokines and cell-cell signals, limited information is available on the proteome and post-translational modifications (PTM) of proteins in human Tfh cells. In this study, using TMT labeling technique, antibody-based affinity enrichment and high-resolution LC-MS/MS analysis, we investigated quantitative proteome and acetylome in human naive CD4+ T cells and in vitro induced Tfh (iTfh) cells. In total, we identified 802 up-regulated proteins and 598 down-regulated proteins at the threshold of 1.5 folds in iTfh cells compared to naive CD4+ T cells. With the aid of intensive bioinformatics, biological process, cellular compartment, molecular function, KEGG pathway and protein-protein interaction of these differentially expressed proteins were revealed. Moreover, our acetylome data showed that 22 lysine acetylated proteins are up-regulated and 26 lysine acetylated proteins are down-regulated in iTfh cells compared to the naive CD4+ T cells, among which 11 differentially acetylated lysine residues in core histone were identified, indicating proteins acetylation and epigenetic mechanism are involved in regulating Tfh cells differentiation. These data provide a significant resource for studies of Tfh differentiation and normal and perturbed Tfh cell function.
Project description:CD4 T cell help is critical for both the generation and maintenance of germinal centers, and T follicular helper (TFH) cells are the CD4 T cell subset required for this process. SAP (SH2D1A) expression in CD4 T cells is essential for germinal center development. However, SAP-deficient mice have only a moderate defect in TFH differentiation as defined by common TFH surface markers. CXCR5+ TFH cells are found within the germinal center as well as along the boundary regions of T/B cell zones. Here we show that germinal center associated T cells (GC TFH) can be identified by their co-expression of CXCR5 and the GL7 epitope, allowing for phenotypic and functional analysis of TFH and GC TFH populations. Here we show GC TFH are a functionally discrete subset of further polarized TFH cells, with enhanced B cell help capacity and a specialized ability to produce IL-4 in a TH2-independent manner. Strikingly, SAP-deficient mice have an absence of the GC TFH subset and SAP- TFH are defective in IL-4 and IL-21 production. We further demonstrate that SLAM (Slamf1, CD150), a surface receptor that utilizes SAP signaling, is specifically required for IL-4 production by GC TFH. GC TFH cells require IL-4 and IL-21 production for optimal help to B cells. These data illustrate complexities of SAP-dependent SLAM family receptor signaling, revealing a prominent role for SLAM receptor ligation in IL-4 production by germinal center CD4 T cells but not in TFH and GC TFH differentiation. Analysis of in vivo polyclonal GC Tfh vs Tfh vs Non-Tfh eight days after LCMV viral infection. Analysis of in vivo follicular helper CD4 T cells (CXCR5high GL7low), versus germinal center follicular helper CD4 T cells (CXCR5hi GL7hi), versus non-follicular helper CD4 T cells (CXCR5low) eight days after viral infection.
Project description:Follicular helper T cell (Tfh) provide essential help for humoral immune response. However, how Tfh differentiation is epigenetically regulated remains incompletely understood. Here we found that H3K36me2 methyltransferase Nsd2 is required for Tfh differentiation. Lack of Nsd2 leads to reduced Tfh generation and germinal center response. Mice with Nsd2 deficiency in T cells have reduced capability of chronic virus control. To understand the molecular mechanism by which Nsd2 regulates Tfh differentiation, RNA-seq analysis of Nsd2 wildtype and knockout Tfh cells were performed.
Project description:The goal of this study is to determine the impact of Tcf1 and Lef1 deficiency on T follicular helper (Tfh) cells elicited by protein immunization. We demonstrate that although phenotypic Tcf1/Lef1-deficient Tfh cells were able to develop in response to vaccination, they are functionally impaired. Mechanisc studies reveal the direct regulatory effect by Tcf1 and Lef1 on transcriptome and chromatin accessibility in vaccine-elicited Tfh cells.