Plasticity and lineage commitment of individual Th1 cells are determined by stable T-bet expression quantities

Hegazy, A. N.; Peine, C.; Niesen, D.; Panse, I.; Vainshtein, Y.; Kommer, C.; Zhang, Q.; Brunner, T. M.; Peine, M.; Froehlich, A.; Ishaque, N.; Marek, R. M.; Zhu, J. J.; Hoefer, T.; Loehning, M.

doi:10.1101/2022.08.14.503916

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.08.14.503916

Plasticity and lineage commitment of individual Th1 cells are determined by stable T-bet expression quantities

Hegazy, A. N.·Peine, C.·Niesen, D.·Panse, I.·Vainshtein, Y.·Kommer, C.·Zhang, Q.·Brunner, T. M.·Peine, M.·Froehlich, A.·Ishaque, N.·Marek, R. M.·Zhu, J. J.·Hoefer, T.·Loehning, M.

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Abstract

T helper 1 (Th1) cell identity is defined by the expression of the lineage-defining transcription factor T-bet. Here, we examine the influence of T-bet expression heterogeneity on subset plasticity by leveraging cell sorting of distinct in vivo-differentiated Th1 cells based on their quantitative expression of T-bet and interferon-{gamma}. Heterogeneous T-bet expression states were regulated by virus-induced type-I interferons and were stably maintained even after secondary viral infection. Exposed to Th2-polarizing conditions, the sorted subpopulations exhibited graded levels of plasticity: T-bet quantities were inversely correlated with the ability to express the Th2 lineage-specifying transcription factor GATA-3 and Th2 cytokines. Reprogramed Th1 cells acquired graded, but stable mixed Th1+2 phenotypes with a hybrid epigenetic landscape. Continuous presence of T-bet in differentiated Th1 cells was essential to ensure Th1 cell stability. Thus, innate cytokine signals regulate Th1 cell plasticity via an individual cell-intrinsic rheostat to enable T cell subset adaptation to subsequent challenges. HIGHLIGHTSO_LIType-I interferons triggered by infection determine T-bet expression states in Th1 cells C_LIO_LIT-bet and IFN-{gamma} expression states indicate the plasticity of individual Th1 cells C_LIO_LIIndividual T-bet expression states and plasticity persist after secondary infection C_LIO_LIReprogramming yields stable Th1+2 phenotypes and a mixed epigenetic landscape C_LI

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Hegazy, A. N., Peine, C., Niesen, D., Panse, I., Vainshtein, Y., Kommer, C., Zhang, Q., Brunner, T. M., Peine, M., Froehlich, A., Ishaque, N., Marek, R. M., Zhu, J. J., Hoefer, T., Loehning, M.. 2022-08-15. Plasticity and lineage commitment of individual Th1 cells are determined by stable T-bet expression quantities. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.08.14.503916

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