scholarly journals Th17 cell master transcription factor RORC2 regulates HIV-1 gene expression and viral outgrowth

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (48) ◽  
pp. e2105927118
Author(s):  
Tomas Raul Wiche Salinas ◽  
Yuwei Zhang ◽  
Daniele Sarnello ◽  
Alexander Zhyvoloup ◽  
Laurence Raymond Marchand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Th17 Cell ◽  
Th17 Cells ◽  
Nuclear Hormone Receptor ◽  
Long Terminal Repeats ◽  
T Helper 17 ◽  
Hiv Replication ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Hiv 1

Among CD4+ T cells, T helper 17 (Th17) cells are particularly susceptible to HIV-1 infection and are depleted from mucosal sites, which causes damage to the gut barrier, resulting in a microbial translocation-induced systemic inflammation, a hallmark of disease progression. Furthermore, a proportion of latently infected Th17 cells persist long term in the gastrointestinal lymphatic tract where a low-level HIV-1 transcription is observed. This residual viremia contributes to chronic immune activation. Thus, Th17 cells are key players in HIV pathogenesis and viral persistence. It is, however, unclear why these cells are highly susceptible to HIV-1 infection. Th17 cell differentiation depends on the expression of the master transcriptional regulator RORC2, a retinoic acid-related nuclear hormone receptor that regulates specific transcriptional programs by binding to promoter/enhancer DNA. Here, we report that RORC2 is a key host cofactor for HIV replication in Th17 cells. We found that specific inhibitors that bind to the RORC2 ligand-binding domain reduced HIV replication in CD4+ T cells. The depletion of RORC2 inhibited HIV-1 infection, whereas its overexpression enhanced it. RORC2 was also found to promote HIV-1 gene expression by binding to the nuclear receptor responsive element in the HIV-1 long terminal repeats (LTR). In treated HIV-1 patients, RORC2+ CD4 T cells contained more proviral DNA than RORC2− cells. Pharmacological inhibition of RORC2 potently reduced HIV-1 outgrowth in CD4+ T cells from antiretroviral-treated patients. Altogether, these results provide an explanation as to why Th17 cells are highly susceptible to HIV-1 infection and suggest that RORC2 may be a cell-specific target for HIV-1 therapy.

scholarly journals Th17 cell master transcription factor RORC2 regulates HIV-1 gene expression and viral outgrowth

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Raul Wiche Salinas ◽  
Yuwei Zhang ◽  
Daniele Sarnello ◽  
Alexander Zhyvoloup ◽  
Laurence Raymond-Marchand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Cd4 T Cells ◽  
Th17 Cell ◽  
Th17 Cells ◽  
Nuclear Hormone Receptor ◽  
T Helper 17 ◽  
Hiv Replication ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Hiv 1

Among CD4+ T-cells, T helper 17 (Th17) cells are particularly susceptible to HIV-1 infection and are depleted from mucosal sites, which causes damage to the gut barrier resulting in microbial translocation-induced systemic inflammation, a hallmark of disease progression. Furthermore, a proportion of latently infected Th17 cells persist long-term in the gastro-intestinal lymphatic tract, where low-level HIV-1 transcription is observed. This residual viremia contributes to chronic immune activation. Thus, Th17 cells are key players in HIV pathogenesis and viral persistence, however it is unclear why these cells are highly susceptible to HIV-1 infection. Th17 cell differentiation depends on expression of the master transcriptional regulator RORC2, a retinoic acid-related nuclear hormone receptor that regulates specific transcriptional programs by binding to promoter/enhancer DNA. Here, we report that RORC2 is a key host-cofactor for HIV replication in Th17 cells. We found that specific inhibitors that bind to the RORC2 ligand-binding domain reduced HIV replication in CD4+ T-cells. Depletion of RORC2 inhibited HIV-1 infection, whereas RORC2 overexpression enhanced it. RORC2 was found to promote HIV-1 gene expression. Chromatin immune precipitation revealed that RORC2 binds to the nuclear receptor responsive element (NRRE) in the HIV-1 LTR. In treated HIV-1 patients, RORC2+ CD4 T cells contained more proviral DNA than RORC2- cells. Pharmacological inhibition of RORC2 potently reduced HIV-1 outgrowth in CD4+ T-cells from antiretroviral-treated patients. Altogether, these results provide a new explanation as to why Th17 cells are highly susceptible to HIV-1 infection and point to RORC2 as a cell-specific target for HIV-1 therapy.

scholarly journals SAMHD1 Impairs HIV-1 Gene Expression and Negatively Modulates Reactivation of Viral Latency in CD4+ T Cells

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna M. Antonucci ◽  
Sun Hee Kim ◽  
Corine St. Gelais ◽  
Serena Bonifati ◽  
Tai-Wei Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Leukemia Virus ◽  
Viral Latency ◽  
Viral Reservoir ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Ltr Promoter ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Sterile alpha motif and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) restricts human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication in nondividing cells by degrading intracellular deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs). SAMHD1 is highly expressed in resting CD4+ T cells, which are important for the HIV-1 reservoir and viral latency; however, whether SAMHD1 affects HIV-1 latency is unknown. Recombinant SAMHD1 binds HIV-1 DNA or RNA fragments in vitro, but the function of this binding remains unclear. Here we investigate the effect of SAMHD1 on HIV-1 gene expression and reactivation of viral latency. We found that endogenous SAMHD1 impaired HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) activity in monocytic THP-1 cells and HIV-1 reactivation in latently infected primary CD4+ T cells. Overexpression of wild-type (WT) SAMHD1 suppressed HIV-1 LTR-driven gene expression at a transcriptional level. Tat coexpression abrogated SAMHD1-mediated suppression of HIV-1 LTR-driven luciferase expression. SAMHD1 overexpression also suppressed the LTR activity of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), but not that of murine leukemia virus (MLV), suggesting specific suppression of retroviral LTR-driven gene expression. WT SAMHD1 bound to proviral DNA and impaired reactivation of HIV-1 gene expression in latently infected J-Lat cells. In contrast, a nonphosphorylated mutant (T592A) and a dNTP triphosphohydrolase (dNTPase) inactive mutant (H206D R207N [HD/RN]) of SAMHD1 failed to efficiently suppress HIV-1 LTR-driven gene expression and reactivation of latent virus. Purified recombinant WT SAMHD1, but not the T592A and HD/RN mutants, bound to fragments of the HIV-1 LTR in vitro. These findings suggest that SAMHD1-mediated suppression of HIV-1 LTR-driven gene expression potentially regulates viral latency in CD4+ T cells. IMPORTANCE A critical barrier to developing a cure for HIV-1 infection is the long-lived viral reservoir that exists in resting CD4+ T cells, the main targets of HIV-1. The viral reservoir is maintained through a variety of mechanisms, including regulation of the HIV-1 LTR promoter. The host protein SAMHD1 restricts HIV-1 replication in nondividing cells, but its role in HIV-1 latency remains unknown. Here we report a new function of SAMHD1 in regulating HIV-1 latency. We found that SAMHD1 suppressed HIV-1 LTR promoter-driven gene expression and reactivation of viral latency in cell lines and primary CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, SAMHD1 bound to the HIV-1 LTR in vitro and in a latently infected CD4+ T-cell line, suggesting that the binding may negatively modulate reactivation of HIV-1 latency. Our findings indicate a novel role for SAMHD1 in regulating HIV-1 latency, which enhances our understanding of the mechanisms regulating proviral gene expression in CD4+ T cells.

scholarly journals Extensive proteomic and transcriptomic changes quench the TCR/CD3 activation signal of latently HIV-1 infected T cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e1008748
Author(s):  
Eric Carlin ◽  
Braxton Greer ◽  
Kelsey Lowman ◽  
Alexandra Duverger ◽  
Frederic Wagner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Latent Hiv ◽  
T Cell Lines ◽  
Hiv 1

The biomolecular mechanisms controlling latent HIV-1 infection, despite their importance for the development of a cure for HIV-1 infection, are only partially understood. For example, ex vivo studies have recently shown that T cell activation only triggered HIV-1 reactivation in a fraction of the latently infected CD4+ T cell reservoir, but the molecular biology of this phenomenon is unclear. We demonstrate that HIV-1 infection of primary T cells and T cell lines indeed generates a substantial amount of T cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 activation-inert latently infected T cells. RNA-level analysis identified extensive transcriptomic differences between uninfected, TCR/CD3 activation-responsive and -inert T cells, but did not reveal a gene expression signature that could functionally explain TCR/CD3 signaling inertness. Network analysis suggested a largely stochastic nature of these gene expression changes (transcriptomic noise), raising the possibility that widespread gene dysregulation could provide a reactivation threshold by impairing overall signal transduction efficacy. Indeed, compounds that are known to induce genetic noise, such as HDAC inhibitors impeded the ability of TCR/CD3 activation to trigger HIV-1 reactivation. Unlike for transcriptomic data, pathway enrichment analysis based on phospho-proteomic data directly identified an altered TCR signaling motif. Network analysis of this data set identified drug targets that would promote TCR/CD3-mediated HIV-1 reactivation in the fraction of otherwise TCR/CD3-reactivation inert latently HIV-1 infected T cells, regardless of whether the latency models were based on T cell lines or primary T cells. The data emphasize that latent HIV-1 infection is largely the result of extensive, stable biomolecular changes to the signaling network of the host T cells harboring latent HIV-1 infection events. In extension, the data imply that therapeutic restoration of host cell responsiveness prior to the use of any activating stimulus will likely have to be an element of future HIV-1 cure therapies.

scholarly journals Gliotoxin, identified from a screen of fungal metabolites, disrupts 7SK snRNP, releases P-TEFb and reverses HIV-1 latency

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mateusz Stoszko ◽  
Abdullah M.S. Al-Hatmi ◽  
Anton Skriba ◽  
Michael Roling ◽  
Enrico Ne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Cd4 T Cells ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Reversal Agents ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Therapeutic Compounds ◽  
Hiv 1

AbstractA leading pharmacological strategy towards HIV cure requires “shock” or activation of HIV gene expression in latently infected cells with Latency Reversal Agents (LRAs) followed by their subsequent clearance. In a screen for novel LRAs we used fungal secondary metabolites (extrolites) as a source of bio-active molecules. Using orthogonal mass spectrometry (MS) coupled to latency reversal bioassays, we identified gliotoxin (GTX) as a novel LRA. GTX significantly induced HIV-1 gene expression in latent ex vivo infected primary cells and in CD4+ T cells from all aviremic HIV-1+ participants. RNA sequencing identified 7SK RNA, the scaffold of the P-TEFb inhibitory 7SK snRNP complex to be significantly reduced upon GTX treatment of independent donor CD4+T cells. GTX disrupted 7SK snRNP, releasing active P-TEFb, which then phosphorylated RNA Pol II CTD, inducing HIV transcription. Our data highlight the power of combining a medium throughput bioassay, mycology and orthogonal mass spectrometry to identify novel potentially therapeutic compounds.

scholarly journals Tumor exosome promotes Th17 cell differentiation by transmitting the lncRNA CRNDE-h in colorectal cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junfeng Sun ◽  
Haowei Jia ◽  
Xingqi Bao ◽  
Yue Wu ◽  
Tianyu Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
Th17 Cell ◽  
Th17 Cells ◽  
Noncoding Rna ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
T Helper 17 ◽  
Th17 Cell Differentiation

AbstractThe T helper 17 (Th17) cells in tumor microenvironment play an important role in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. This study investigated the mechanism of Th17 cell differentiation in CRC with a focus on the role of tumor exosome-transmitted long noncoding RNA (lncRNA). Exosomes were isolated from the CRC cells and serum of CRC patients. The role and mechanism of the lncRNA CRNDE-h transmitted by CRC exosomes in Th17 cell differentiation were assessed by using various molecular biological methods. The serum exosomal CRNDE-h level was positively correlated with the proportion of Th17 cells in the tumor-infiltrating T cells in CRC patients. CRC exosomes contained abundant CRNDE-h and transmitted them to CD4+ T cells to increase the Th17 cell proportion, RORγt expression, and IL-17 promoter activity. The underlying mechanism is that, CRNDE-h bound to the PPXY motif of RORγt and impeded the ubiquitination and degradation of RORγt by inhibiting its binding with the E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch. The in vivo experiments confirmed that the targeted silence of CRNDE-h in CD4+ T cells attenuated the CRC tumor growth in mice. The present findings demonstrated that the tumor exosome transmitted CRNDE-h promoted Th17 cell differentiation by inhibiting the Itch-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of RORγt in CRC, expanding our understanding of Th17 cell differentiation in CRC.

scholarly journals Effects of Anti-TNFαTreatment on Mucosal Expression of IL-17A, IL-21, and IL-22 and Cytokine-Producing T Cell Subsets in Crohn’s Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Anders Dige ◽  
Maria K. Magnusson ◽  
Claus Uhrenholt ◽  
Tue Kruse Rasmussen ◽  
Tue Kragstrup ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Crohn’S Disease ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Crohn's Disease ◽  
Th17 Cells ◽  
T Cell Subsets ◽  
T Helper 17 ◽  
Early Effect ◽  
Before And After

T helper 17 (Th17) cells produce interleukin (IL) 17-A. In addition, Th17 cells produce IL-21 and IL-22. Th17 cells have a disease-promoting role in Crohn’s disease (CD). We investigated the effects of anti-TNFαtreatment on mucosal gene expression (qPCR) of IL-17A, IL-21, and IL-22 as well as on the frequency of lamina propria (LP) T cell subsets producing these cytokines (flow cytometry) in 12 active CD patients before and after 4 weeks of anti-TNFαtreatment with adalimumab. At baseline, in inflamed mucosa we found increased gene expression of IL-17A and IL-22 but not IL-21 when compared to noninflamed mucosa. There were increased frequencies of IL-21-producing LP T cells but no differences in the frequencies of IL-17A- or IL-22-producing LP T cells when comparing inflamed versus noninflamed mucosa at baseline. There were no changes in the mucosal gene expression of IL-17A, IL-21, and IL-22 or the frequencies of IL-17A-, IL-21- and IL-22-producing LP T cell subsets between baseline and following 4 weeks of adalimumab initiation. Our results do not support the hypothesis that anti-TNFαtreatment has an early effect on the mucosal levels of IL-17A, IL-21, and IL-22 or LP T cell production of these cytokines in CD.

scholarly journals T cell derived HB-EGF prevents Th17 cell differentiation in an autocrine way

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicity Macdonald ◽  
Jorg van Loosdregt ◽  
Dietmar M W Zaiss
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
T Cell Activation ◽  
Cd4 T Cells ◽  
Th17 Cell ◽  
Th17 Cells ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
T Helper 17

ABSTRACTCD4 T cells critically contribute to host immunity against infections, but can also contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases. The underlying mechanisms that govern differentiation of naïve CD4 T cells into different effector populations remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the expression of the Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)-like growth factor HB-EGF by CD4 T cells sustained their expression of Interleukin (IL)-2 and reduced their capacity to differentiate into T Helper 17 (Th17) cells. Concordantly, mice with a T cell specific deficiency of HB-EGF showed an enhanced differentiation of naïve CD4 T cells into Th17 cells and a more rapid onset of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Furthermore, transfer of naïve HB-EGF-deficient CD4 T cells into Rag1-/- mice led to the rapid induction of multi-organ inflammation in recipient mice. Together, our data reveal a novel mechanism by which an HB-EGF-mediated constrain on Th17 differentiation prevents the development of autoimmune diseases.SUMMARYCD4 T cell activation induces the expression of the EGFR and its high-affinity ligand HB-EGF. HB-EGF sustains IL-2 expression in an autocrine manner, preventing the differentiation of Th17 cells and the subsequent induction of Th17 cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.

scholarly journals Gliotoxin, identified from a screen of fungal metabolites, disrupts 7SK snRNP, releases P-TEFb, and reverses HIV-1 latency

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (33) ◽  
pp. eaba6617
Author(s):  
Mateusz Stoszko ◽  
Abdullah M. S. Al-Hatmi ◽  
Anton Skriba ◽  
Michael Roling ◽  
Enrico Ne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Elongation Factor ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Reversal Agents ◽  
Small Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Hiv 1

A leading pharmacological strategy toward HIV cure requires “shock” or activation of HIV gene expression in latently infected cells with latency reversal agents (LRAs) followed by their subsequent clearance. In a screen for novel LRAs, we used fungal secondary metabolites as a source of bioactive molecules. Using orthogonal mass spectrometry (MS) coupled to latency reversal bioassays, we identified gliotoxin (GTX) as a novel LRA. GTX significantly induced HIV-1 gene expression in latent ex vivo infected primary cells and in CD4+ T cells from all aviremic HIV-1+ participants. RNA sequencing identified 7SK RNA, the scaffold of the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) inhibitory 7SK small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) complex, to be significantly reduced upon GTX treatment of CD4+ T cells. GTX directly disrupted 7SK snRNP by targeting La-related protein 7 (LARP7), releasing active P-TEFb, which phosphorylated RNA polymerase II (Pol II) C-terminal domain (CTD), inducing HIV transcription.

scholarly journals SAMHD1 Impairs HIV-1 Gene Expression and Reactivation of Viral Latency in CD4+ T-cells

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna M. Antonucci ◽  
Sun Hee Kim ◽  
Corine St. Gelais ◽  
Serena Bonifati ◽  
Olga Buzovetsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Leukemia Virus ◽  
Viral Latency ◽  
Viral Reservoir ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Dividing Cells ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACTSterile alpha motif and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) restricts human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication in non-dividing cells by degrading intracellular deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs). SAMHD1 is highly expressed in resting CD4+ T-cells that are important for the HIV-1 reservoir and viral latency; however, whether SAMHD1 affects HIV-1 latency is unknown. Recombinant SAMHD1 binds HIV-1 DNA or RNA fragments in vitro, but the function of this binding remains unclear. Here we investigate the effect of SAMHD1 on HIV-1 gene expression and reactivation of viral latency. We found that endogenous SAMHD1 impaired HIV-1 LTR activity in monocytic THP-1 cells and HIV-1 reactivation in latently infected primary CD4+ T-cells. Overexpression of wild-type (WT) SAMHD1 suppressed HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR)-driven gene expression at the level of transcription. SAMHD1 overexpression also suppressed LTR activity from human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), but not from murine leukemia virus (MLV), suggesting specific suppression of retroviral LTR-driven gene expression. WT SAMHD1 bound to proviral DNA and impaired reactivation of HIV-1 gene expression in latently infected J-Lat cells. In contrast, a nonphosphorylated mutant (T592A) and a dNTP triphosphohydrolase (dNTPase) inactive mutant (H206D/R207N, or HD/RN) of SAMHD1 failed to efficiently suppress HIV-1 LTR-driven gene expression and reactivation of latent virus. Purified recombinant WT SAMHD1, but not T592A and HD/RN mutants, bound to fragments of the HIV-1 LTR in vitro. These findings suggest that SAMHD1-mediated suppression of HIV-1 LTR-driven gene expression contributes to regulation of viral latency in CD4+ T-cells.IMPORTANCEA critical barrier to developing a cure for HIV-1 infection is the long-lived viral reservoir that exists in resting CD4+ T-cells, the main targets of HIV-1. The viral reservoir is maintained through a variety of mechanisms, including regulation of the HIV-1 LTR promoter. The host protein SAMHD1 restricts HIV-1 replication in non-dividing cells, but its role in HIV-1 latency remains unknown. Here we report a new function of SAMHD1 in regulating HIV-1 latency. We found that SAMHD1 suppressed HIV-1 LTR promoter-driven gene expression and reactivation of viral latency in cell lines and primary CD4+ T-cells. Furthermore, SAMHD1 bound to the HIV-1 LTR in vitro and in a latently infected CD4+ T-cell line, suggesting that the binding may negatively modulate reactivation of HIV-1 latency. Our findings indicate a novel role for SAMHD1 in regulating HIV-1 latency, which enhances our understanding of the mechanisms regulating proviral gene expression in CD4+ T-cells.

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