Biology subjects

Park, C.-s.

Publications and source records attributed to Park, C.-s..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

H2-O deficiency promotes regulatory T cell differentiation and CD4 hyperactivity

Regulatory T cells (Treg) are crucial immune modulators, yet the exact mechanism of thymic Treg development remains controversial. Here, we present the first direct evidence for H2-O, an MHC class II peptide editing molecular chaperon, on selection of thymic Tregs. We provide evidence that lack of H2-O in the thymic medulla promotes thymic Treg development and leads to an increased peripheral Treg frequency. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of splenic CD4 T cells revealed not only of an enrichment of effector-like Tregs but also of activated CD4 T cells in the absence of H2-O. Our data support two concepts; a) lack of H2-O expression in the thymic medulla creates an environment permissive to Treg development and, b) that loss of H2-O drives increased basal auto-stimulation of CD4 T cells. These findings can help in better understanding of predispositions to autoimmunity and design of therapeutics for treatment of autoimmune diseases.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2022

Murine cytomegalovirus downregulates ERAAP and induces an unconventional T cell response to self

The endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase associated with antigen presentation (ERAAP) plays a crucial role in shaping the peptide-MHC I repertoire and maintaining immune surveillance. While murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) has multiple strategies for manipulating the antigen processing pathway to evade immune responses, the host has also developed ways to counter viral immune evasion. In this study, we found that MCMV modulates ERAAP and induces an IFN-{gamma} producing CD8+ T cell effector response that targets uninfected ERAAP deficient cells. We also observed that ERAAP downregulation during infection led to presentation of the self-peptide FL9 on non-classical Qa-1b, thereby eliciting Qa-1b restricted QFL T cells to proliferate in the liver and spleen of infected mice. QFL T cells upregulated effector markers upon MCMV infection and were sufficient to reduce viral load after transfer to immunodeficient mice. Our study highlights the consequences of ERAAP dysfunction during viral infection and provides potential targets for antiviral therapies.

immunology↗