Project description:Using wild type mice and mice deficient for STING, we compared genome-wide expression of RNA in response to STING activation with DMXAA
Project description:Using wild type mice and mice deficient forSTING , we compared genome-wide expressionof RNA in response to STING activation with DMXAA
Project description:Chronic stimulation of innate immune pathways by microbial agents or damaged tissue is known to promote inflammation-driven tumorigenesis by unclarified mechanisms1-3. Here we demonstrate that mutagenic 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), etoposide or cisplatin induces nuclear DNA leakage into the cytosol to intrinsically activate STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) dependent cytokine production. Inflammatory cytokine levels were subsequently augmented in a STING-dependent extrinsic manner by infiltrating phagocytes purging dying cells. Consequently, STING-/- mice, or wild type mice adoptively transferred with STING-/- bone marrow, were almost completely resistant to DMBA-induced skin carcinogenesis compared to their wild type counterparts. Our data emphasizes, for the first time, a role for STING in the induction of cancer, sheds significant insight into the causes of inflammation-driven carcinogenesis, and may provide therapeutic strategies to help prevent malignant disease Total RNA obtained from wild type murine embryonic fibroblasts (WT MEFs), STING deficient MEFs (SKO), Trex1 deficient MEFs (TKO), and both STING and Trex1 deficient MEFs (STKO) treated with DMBA and examined cytokine production by these cells.
Project description:Chronic stimulation of innate immune pathways by microbial agents or damaged tissue is known to promote inflammation-driven tumorigenesis by unclarified mechanisms1-3. Here we demonstrate that mutagenic 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), etoposide or cisplatin induces nuclear DNA leakage into the cytosol to intrinsically activate STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) dependent cytokine production. Inflammatory cytokine levels were subsequently augmented in a STING-dependent extrinsic manner by infiltrating phagocytes purging dying cells. Consequently, STING-/- mice, or wild type mice adoptively transferred with STING-/- bone marrow, were almost completely resistant to DMBA-induced skin carcinogenesis compared to their wild type counterparts. Our data emphasizes, for the first time, a role for STING in the induction of cancer, sheds significant insight into the causes of inflammation-driven carcinogenesis, and may provide therapeutic strategies to help prevent malignant disease Total RNA obtained from DMBA or acetone treated wild type (WT) or STING deficient (SKO) mouse skin or skin tumor was examined for gene expression.
Project description:STING gain-of-function (GOF) mutations lead to T cell lymphopenia, in the context of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) for STING GOF V154M mice. This T cell lymphopenia, which is of central origin, has been described as type I IFN independent and associated with dysfunctions of the rare mature T cells found in the periphery. To better describe the biological mechanisms of these dysfunctions, we performed a transcriptomic analysis by RNA-seq on sorted splenic CD4+ and CD8+ mature T cells from STING GOF mice. We highlighted an unexpected T cell exhaustion phenotype that could partly explain their dysfunctions. Acquired very early in life, but only once the peripheral environment is reached, the phenotype appeared to depend neither on type I IFNs, nor on the intrinsic activation of STING in T or stromal cells. Mechanistically, the few mature T cells reaching the periphery seem to be rapidly impacted by the lymphopenic environment through increased antigenic and IL-7 stimulations that could lead to their exhaustion. By using STING GOF long term-hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSC) transplantations with supportive wild-type bone marrow (BM) cells, we prevented the T cell exhaustion of STING GOF T cells in the resulting non lymphopenic context. With the support of lymphopenic RAG1 hypomorphic mice developing the phenotype, our data uncover a lymphopenia-mediated T cell exhaustion mechanism in STING GOF mice, for which a synergistic effect of the mutation is also envisaged.
Project description:The cGAS-STING pathway forms a major component of the innate immune system. cGAS-STING signalling is induced by detection of either foreign (i.e. pathogenic) or mislocalised host double stranded (ds)DNA present within the cytosol. STING acts as the major signalling hub, where it controls activation of transcription factors IRF3 and NF-B for expression of type I interferons and inflammatory cytokines, respectively. Under resting conditions STING resides on the ER membrane. However, following activation STING traffics to the Golgi to initiate downstream signalling, and subsequently to endolysosomal regions for degradation and termination of signalling. However, while STING is known to be degraded by lysosomes, the mechanisms controlling its delivery remain poorly defined. Here we utilised a mass spectrometry approach to assess phosphorylation changes in primary macrophages following STING activation. This identified a large number of phosphorylation events in proteins involved in intracellular transport, including vesicular trafficking. We utilised high-temporal microscopy to track STING vesicular transport in live macrophages. We observed that while macrophages exhibit rapid degradation of STING (i.e., 4-6 h), basal STING protein levels return slowly (i.e., >24 h). Despite STING protein recovery, ultimately macrophages remain unresponsive to re-challenge with STING ligands. Using a combination of imaging and biochemical approaches we subsequently identify that the endosomal complexes required for transport (ESCRT) pathway detects ubiquitinated STING on endosomes, which facilitates the degradation of STING. Disrupting ESCRT recognition of STING via knockdown of the ESCRT-0 component HRS or inhibiting ESCRT function via overexpression of a dominant negative form of VPS4a enhances STING signalling and cytokine production. Therefore, we have characterised the mechanisms that controls effective termination of STING signalling. Dysregulation of STING localisation or its degradation has been implicated in several diseases including autoimmune, autoinflammatory and neuroinflammatory diseases, hence a clearer understanding of STING degradation is imperative for a better understanding of STING-dependent disease pathologies.
Project description:STING-mediated activation of TAK1 at the ER, which in turn induces STING phosphorylation and initiates STEEP-mediated STING trafficking. These findings shed light on an early signaling event in the regulation of STING exit from ER.
Project description:Given the leading cause of disability worldwide, low back pain (LBP) is recognized as a pivotal socio-economic challenge to the aging population, which is importantly attributed to intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), a highly prevalent affliction of aging. Elastic nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue is essential for maintenance of IVD structural and functional integrity. Native NP cells exhibit crucial functions for regulating extracellular matrix homeostasis, constructing an accommodating biomechanical environment and maintaining the gelatinous property of NP tissue. The accumulation of senescent NP cells with inflammatory hypersecretory phenotype due to aging and other damaged factors is a distinctive hallmark of IVDD initiation and progression. In this study, we revealed a mechanism of IVDD progression in which aberrant genomic DNA damage promotes NP cell inflammatory senescence via activation of cGAS-STING axis. cGAS-STING axis activation drove inflammatory phenotype acquisition and inflammatory hypersensitivity to damaged signals of senescent NP cells via p65-mediated transcriptional modulation. And STING pharmacological inhibitor notably suppressed p65-mediated inflammatory response formation and senescence-associated screctory phenotype (SASP) acquisition of senescent cells.