Project description:To identify the direct targets of Zeb1 we performed ChIP-seq of wild type cDC1 cell line in unstimulated condition. cDC1 cell line was used for Chromatin Immunoprecipitation, it was then fixed and crosslinked and then fragmented and the fragmented DNA-protein was immunoprecipated using Zeb1 antibody. The chromatin sample was then used to prepare library using NEB kit following the manufacturer's protocol
Project description:To have a mechanistic insight how the Zeb1 KD CD8+cDC1 perturbs the immune response globally. to identify the genes that are regulated by Zeb1 RNA was isolated and check for quality, then we used NEB RNA library preparation kit to prepare the library and send for sequencing on Illumina Hi-seq 2500 platform
Project description:RNA-seq of the immune-suppressed cDC1 was done to look into the mechanism underlying TLR9. It was then compared with the inflammatory cDC1 DCs.
Project description:There are changes in adaptive immunity in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and increases in activated CD8 T cells in brain correlate with tau pathology. However, which cells mediate T cell priming in tau-mediated neurodegeneration remains unclear. In different conditions such as cancer, viral infections, and autoimmune diseases outside the CNS, conventional type-1 dendritic cells (cDC1) perform antigen cross-presentation to prime CD8 T cells. We demonstrate that tauopathy mice deficient in cDC1 are markedly protected against tau-mediated neurodegeneration and display a selective decrease in brain CD8 T cell infiltration and glial reactivity. The remaining CD8 T cells showed an antigen inexperienced status with less clonal expansion, indicating suboptimal T cell priming. We confirm that brain derived antigens are presented in the secondary lymphoid tissues to prime CD8 T cells. Our study identifies cDC1 as critical for CD8 T cell priming outside of the CNS. This priming is required for a large increase in activated CD8 T cells in the brain which promotes tau-mediated neurodegeneration.
Project description:CD8+ T cells are central to targeting and eliminating cancer cells. Their function is critically supported by type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s), which both prime antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in tumour-draining lymph nodes (tdLNs) and sustain primed CD8+ T cells within tumours. Despite their importance, the spatiotemporal organisation of cDC1s within tumours and their diverse functional roles remain poorly understood. Here, we use scRNAseq and unbiased spatial analysis to construct a detailed map of cDC1 states and distribution within immunogenic mouse tumours during CD8+ T cell-mediated rejection. We reveal two distinct cDC1 activation states characterised by differential expression of genes linked to anti-tumour immunity, including Cxcl9 and Il12b. Strikingly, Il12b-expressing cDC1s are CCR7+ and enriched at tumour borders, where they closely associate with stem-like TCF1+ CD8+ T cells. In contrast, CCR7– Cxcl9-expressing cDC1s are preferentially found within the tumour parenchyma alongside effector CD8+ T cells. Analysis of a published dataset of human tumours similarly reveals a spatial association between CCR7+ cDC1 and stem-like TCF1+ CD8+ T cells. These findings uncover a highly spatially coordinated interaction between cDC1s and CD8+ T cells within tumours, shedding light on the intricate cellular dynamics that underpin effective anti-tumour immunity.
Project description:The expression of the XCR1 chemokine receptor univocally identifies all type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1) throughout the body. The gene encoding its ligand, XCL1, is expressed constitutively by innate lymphoid cells such as natural killer (NK) cells. The evolutionary conservation of XCR1, XCL1 in vertebrates suggests that they play a critical, yet uncharacterized, role in immune responses. Here we showed using mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection, that the XCL1/XCR1 axis promoted the intra-splenic repositioning of cDC1 towards IFN--producing NK cells forming superclusters around infected cells. There, cDC1 and NK cells engaged into physical interactions enhancing their respective production of IL-12 and IFN-. This feed-forward mechanism also led to NK cell production of GM-CSF, which upregulated CCR7 on cDC1, instructing them to migrate into the T cell area for the priming of CD8+ T cells. In conclusion, we identified a novel mechanism through which NK cells boost the relay between innate and adaptive immunities by regulating the spatiotemporal functions of cDC1.
Project description:Type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) are essential for priming anti-tumor CD8⁺ T cells, yet the intrinsic pathways limiting their function remain unclear. Here we identify E-proteins (E2A/HEB) as a master checkpoint that actively suppresses cDC1 immunogenicity by directly transactivating PTEN, thereby restraining PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling, FLT3L-driven proliferation, and NF-κB-mediated IL-12 production. Genetic ablation of E-proteins in DCs unleashes a hyperfunctional program—expanded cDC1 populations, enhanced antigen presentation, and superior CD8⁺ T cell priming—while deletion of the E-protein antagonist Id2 impairs cDC1 function, establishing a bidirectional rheostat. This axis is clinically relevant, as dynamic E-protein activity in human tumor DCs correlates with patient survival and response to immune checkpoint blockade. Finally, vaccination with E-protein-deficient DCs elicits potent antigen-specific T cell expansion and achieves robust therapeutic efficacy across multiple preclinical tumor models, defining a targetable checkpoint and establishing E-protein inactivation as a platform for next-generation cancer immunotherapies.