Project description:Comparative gene expression profiling of thymocytes at the DP, CD4 SP and CD8 SP stage derived from FoxN1-Gpr177 mice (FoxN1-Cre mediated deletion of (Exon3 of) Gpr177/Wtls) or C57Bl/6N mice as comparison. Objective was to test the influence of TEC-secreted Wnt ligands on the transcriptome of thymocytes at the respective developmental stages. Total RNA extracted from FACS-sorted primary mouse thymocytes. CD4/8 double positive (DP) thymocytes, CD4 single positive (CD4 SP) thymocytes and CD8 single positive (CD8 SP) thymocytes were FACS-sorted from conditional knock-out mice (FoxN1-Gpr177) and C57Bl/6N mice as comparison.
Project description:The generation of naM-CM-/ve T lymphocytes is critical for immune function yet the mechanisms governing their maturation remain incompletely understood. We have identified a mouse mutant, bloto, that harbors a hypomorphic mutation in the zinc finger protein Zfp335. Mutant blt/blt mice exhibit a naM-CM-/ve T cell deficiency due to an intrinsic developmental defect that begins to manifest in the thymus and continues into the periphery, affecting T cells that have recently undergone thymic egress. Zfp335 binds to promoter regions via a consensus motif, and its target genes are enriched in categories related to protein metabolism, mitochondrial function and transcriptional regulation. Restoring the expression of one target, Ankle2, partially rescues T cell maturation. Our findings identify Zfp335 as a transcription factor and essential regulator of late-stage intrathymic and post-thymic T cell maturation. WT and blt/blt mature CD4SP thymocytes were sorted from mixed hematopoietic chimeras for RNA extraction and gene expression analysis on Affymetrix arrays. 6 samples were analyzed in total, with 3 biological replicates per genotype.
Project description:T cell development proceeds in a series of developmental stages, which is precisely orchestrated by multiple signaling and molecular networks. Here we found a zinc finger protein Zfp335 intrinsically controls DN to DP transition, as T cell-specific deficiency in Zfp335 leads to a substantial accumulation of DN3 along with reduction of DP, CD4+ and CD8+ thymocytes. This developmental blockade at DN stage results from the impaired intracellular TCRβ expression as well as increased susceptibility to apoptosis in thymocytes. Transcriptomic and ChIP-seq analyses revealed a direct regulation of transcription factors Bcl6 and Rorc by Zfp335. Importantly, enhanced expression of TCRβ and Bcl6/RorγT restores the developmental defect during DN3 to DN4 transition and improves thymocytes survival, respectively. These findings identify a critical role of Zfp335 in controlling T cell development by maintaining intracellular TCR expression-mediated β-selection and independently activating cell survival signaling.
Project description:T cell development proceeds in a series of developmental stages, which is precisely orchestrated by multiple signaling and molecular networks. Here we found a zinc finger protein Zfp335 intrinsically controls DN to DP transition, as T cell-specific deficiency in Zfp335 leads to a substantial accumulation of DN3 along with reduction of DP, CD4+ and CD8+ thymocytes. This developmental blockade at DN stage results from the impaired intracellular TCRβ expression as well as increased susceptibility to apoptosis in thymocytes. Transcriptomic and ChIP-seq analyses revealed a direct regulation of transcription factors Bcl6 and Rorc by Zfp335. Importantly, enhanced expression of TCRβ and Bcl6/RorγT restores the developmental defect during DN3 to DN4 transition and improves thymocytes survival, respectively. These findings identify a critical role of Zfp335 in controlling T cell development by maintaining intracellular TCR expression-mediated β-selection and independently activating cell survival signaling.
Project description:While histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27Me3) is associated with gene silencing, whether H3K27Me3 demethylation affects transcription and cell differentiation in vivo has remained elusive. To investigate this, we conditionally inactivated the two H3K27Me3 demethylases, Jmjd3 and Utx, in non-dividing intrathymic CD4+ T cell precursors. We show that both enzymes redundantly promote H3K27Me3 removal at, and expression of, a specific subset of genes involved in terminal thymocyte differentiation, especially S1pr1, encoding a sphingosine-phosphate receptor required for thymocyte egress. Floxed alleles of the genes encoding Utx and Jmjd3 (Kdm6a and Kdm6b, respectively) were deleted in double positive (DP) thymocytes carrying a CD4 Cre transgene. Genome-wide H3K27Me3 ChipSeq was performed on (i) pre-selection (CD69lo) DP thymocytes from wild-type mice carrying an endogenous polyclonal TCR repertoire, (ii) mature (TCRhi CD24lo) CD4 SP thymocytes from wild type (Wt), Jmjd3KO, UtxKO and dKO mice carrying an endogenous polyclonal TCR repertoire and (iii) mature (Va2hi CD24lo) CD4 SP thymocytes from wild type and dKO mice carrying the OTII TCR transgene.
Project description:The transcription factor Zfp335 is esstential for the survival of post-B-selection DN4 thymocytes. We utilized TCRa repertoire sequencing to assess alterations to survival duration for Zfp335-deficient DP thymocytes.
Project description:The transcription factor Zfp335 is esstential for the survival of post-B-selection DN4 thymocytes. We utilized RNA-seq to profile the alterations to the transcriptional profiles of Zfp335-deficient DP thymocytes
Project description:The generation of naM-CM-/ve T lymphocytes is critical for immune function yet the mechanisms governing their maturation remain incompletely understood. We have identified a mouse mutant, bloto, that harbors a hypomorphic mutation in the zinc finger protein Zfp335. Mutant blt/blt mice exhibit a naM-CM-/ve T cell deficiency due to an intrinsic developmental defect that begins to manifest in the thymus and continues into the periphery, affecting T cells that have recently undergone thymic egress. Zfp335 binds to promoter regions via a consensus motif, and its target genes are enriched in categories related to protein metabolism, mitochondrial function and transcriptional regulation. Restoring the expression of one target, Ankle2, partially rescues T cell maturation. Our findings identify Zfp335 as a transcription factor and essential regulator of late-stage intrathymic and post-thymic T cell maturation. 4 Zfp335 ChIP-seq samples and 2 input samples with WT vs. blt/blt thymocytes.