Abstract
In this study we demonstrate a new form of immunoregulation: engagement on CD4+ T cells of the complement regulator CD46 promoted the effector potential of T helper type 1 cells (TH1 cells), but as interleukin 2 (IL-2) accumulated, it switched cells toward a regulatory phenotype, attenuating IL-2 production via the transcriptional regulator ICER/CREM and upregulating IL-10 after interaction of the CD46 tail with the serine-threonine kinase SPAK. Activated CD4+ T cells produced CD46 ligands, and blocking CD46 inhibited IL-10 production. Furthermore, CD4+ T cells in rheumatoid arthritis failed to switch, consequently producing excessive interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Finally, γδ T cells, which rarely produce IL-10, expressed an alternative CD46 isoform and were unable to switch. Nonetheless, coengagement of T cell antigen receptor (TCR) γδ and CD46 suppressed effector cytokine production, establishing that CD46 uses distinct mechanisms to regulate different T cell subsets during an immune response.
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Acknowledgements
We thank H. Jomaa (Justus-Liebig-Universität) for HMBPP; K. Murphy for advice and discussions; and C. Hawrylowicz for help with manuscript revision. Supported by the American Asthma Foundation (formerly Sandler Program for Asthma Research; J.P.A. and C.K.), the Wellcome Trust (A.H. and A.R.), Cancer Research UK (A.H. and P.V.), the US National Institutes of Health (AI037618 to J.P.A.), the Medical Research Council Centre for Transplantation, Guy's Hospital, King's College (G.L. and C.K.) and the Department of Health, National Institute for Health Research comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre award to Guy's & St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with King's College London and King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (G.L.F., A.H and C.K).
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J.C., G.L.F., P.V., A.R., A.F., I.J., T.S. and C.K. did the experiments, discussed data and corrected the manuscript; G.L. provided financial support for I.J. and T.S. and aided in data discussion; J.P.A. provided reagents, helped design experiments involving CD46-mediated signaling events, assisted in interpreting the data and revised the manuscript; A.C. designed experiments involving patients with rheumatoid arthritis and provided patient samples; A.H. designed experiments with γδ T cells and revised the manuscript; and C.K. designed the study and wrote the manuscript.
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Cardone, J., Le Friec, G., Vantourout, P. et al. Complement regulator CD46 temporally regulates cytokine production by conventional and unconventional T cells. Nat Immunol 11, 862–871 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ni.1917
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ni.1917
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