Project description:IL-10 is a prototypical anti-inflammatory cytokine, which is fundamental to the maintenance of immune homeostasis, especially in the intestine. There is an assumption that cells producing IL-10 have an immunoregulatory function. However, here we report that IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells are phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous. By combining single cell transcriptome and functional analyses, we identified a subpopulation of IL-10-producing Foxp3Neg CD4+ T cells that displays regulatory activity unlike other IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells, which are unexpectedly pro-inflammatory. The combinatorial expression of co-inhibitory receptors is sufficient to discriminate IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells with regulatory function from others and to identify them across different tissues and disease models in mice and humans. These regulatory IL-10-producing Foxp3Neg CD4+ T cells have a unique transcriptional program, which goes beyond the regulation of IL-10 expression. Finally, we found that patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), demonstrate a deficiency in this specific regulatory T-cell subpopulation.
Project description:IL-10 is a prototypical anti-inflammatory cytokine, which is fundamental to the maintenance of immune homeostasis, especially in the intestine. There is an assumption that cells producing IL-10 have an immunoregulatory function. However, here we report that IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells are phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous. By combining single cell transcriptome and functional analyses, we identified a subpopulation of IL-10-producing Foxp3Neg CD4+ T cells that displays regulatory activity unlike other IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells, which are unexpectedly pro-inflammatory. The combinatorial expression of co-inhibitory receptors is sufficient to discriminate IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells with regulatory function from others and to identify them across different tissues and disease models in mice and humans. These regulatory IL-10-producing Foxp3Neg CD4+ T cells have a unique transcriptional program, which goes beyond the regulation of IL-10 expression. Finally, we found that patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), demonstrate a deficiency in this specific regulatory T-cell subpopulation.
Project description:IL-10 is a prototypical anti-inflammatory cytokine, which is fundamental to the maintenance of immune homeostasis, especially in the intestine. There is an assumption that cells producing IL-10 have an immunoregulatory function. However, here we report that IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells are phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous. By combining single cell transcriptome and functional analyses, we identified a subpopulation of IL-10-producing Foxp3Neg CD4+ T cells that displays regulatory activity unlike other IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells, which are unexpectedly pro-inflammatory. The combinatorial expression of co-inhibitory receptors is sufficient to discriminate IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells with regulatory function from others and to identify them across different tissues and disease models in mice and humans. These regulatory IL-10-producing Foxp3Neg CD4+ T cells have a unique transcriptional program, which goes beyond the regulation of IL-10 expression. Finally, we found that patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), demonstrate a deficiency in this specific regulatory T-cell subpopulation.
Project description:IL-10 is a prototypical anti-inflammatory cytokine, which is fundamental to the maintenance of immune homeostasis, especially in the intestine. There is an assumption that cells producing IL-10 have an immunoregulatory function. However, here we report that IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells are phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous. By combining single cell transcriptome and functional analyses, we identified a subpopulation of IL-10-producing Foxp3Neg CD4+ T cells that displays regulatory activity unlike other IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells, which are unexpectedly pro-inflammatory. The combinatorial expression of co-inhibitory receptors is sufficient to discriminate IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells with regulatory function from others and to identify them across different tissues and disease models in mice and humans. These regulatory IL-10-producing Foxp3Neg CD4+ T cells have a unique transcriptional program, which goes beyond the regulation of IL-10 expression. Finally, we found that patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), demonstrate a deficiency in this specific regulatory T-cell subpopulation.
Project description:During chronic viral infection, the inflammatory function of CD4 T cells becomes gradually attenuated. Concurrently, Th1 cells progressively acquire the capacity to secrete the cytokine IL-10, a potent suppressor of antiviral T cell responses. To determine the transcriptional changes that underlie this T cell adaption process, we applied a single-cell RNA-sequencing approach and assessed the heterogeneity of IL-10-expressing CD4 T cells during chronic infection. Unexpectedly, our analyses revealed an IL-10-producing population with a robust Tfh-signature. Using IL-10 and IL-21 double-reporter mice, we further demonstrate that IL-10+IL-21+co-producing Tfh cells arise predominantly during chronic but not acute LCMV infection. Importantly, depletion of IL-10+IL-21+co-producing CD4 T cells or deletion of Il10 specifically in Tfh cells resulted in impaired humoral immunity and viral control. Mechanistically, B cell-intrinsic IL-10 signaling was required for sustaining germinal center reactions. Lastly, we demonstrate that IL-27 and type I IFNs differentially regulate the formation of this protective IL-10-producing Tfh subset. Thus, our findings elucidate a critical role for Tfh-derived IL-10 in promoting humoral immunity during persistent viral infection.