An Ifnγ/CXCL2 Regulatory Pathway Determines Lesion Localization During EAE Joshua S
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Stoolman et al. Journal of Neuroinflammation (2018) 15:208 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-018-1237-y RESEARCH Open Access An IFNγ/CXCL2 regulatory pathway determines lesion localization during EAE Joshua S. Stoolman1,2,6, Patrick C. Duncker1,2, Amanda K. Huber1, David A. Giles1,2, Jesse M. Washnock-Schmid1, Athena M. Soulika4 and Benjamin M. Segal1,2,3,5* Abstract Background: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-reactive T-helper (Th)1 cells induce conventional experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (cEAE), characterized by ascending paralysis and monocyte- predominant spinal cord infiltrates, in C57BL/6 wildtype (WT) hosts. The same T cells induce an atypical form of EAE (aEAE), characterized by ataxia and neutrophil-predominant brainstem infiltrates, in syngeneic IFNγ receptor (IFNγR)- deficient hosts. Production of ELR+ CXC chemokines within the CNS is required for the development of aEAE, but not cEAE. The cellular source(s) and localization of ELR+ CXC chemokines in the CNS and the IFNγ-dependent pathways that regulate their production remain to be elucidated. Methods: The spatial distribution of inflammatory lesions and CNS expression of the ELR+ CXC chemokines, CXCL1 and CXCL2, were determined via immunohistochemistry and/or in situ hybridization. Levels of CXCL1 and CXCL2, and their cognate receptor CXCR2, were measured in/on leukocyte subsets by flow cytometric and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis. Bone marrow neutrophils and macrophages were cultured with inflammatory stimuli in vitro prior to measurement of CXCL2 and CXCR2 by qPCR or flow cytometry. Results: CNS-infiltrating neutrophils and monocytes, and resident microglia, are a prominent source of CXCL2 in the brainstem of IFNγRKO adoptive transfer recipients during aEAE. In WT transfer recipients, IFNγ directly suppresses CXCL2 transcription in microglia and myeloid cells, and CXCR2 transcription in CNS-infiltrating neutrophils. Consequently, infiltration of the brainstem parenchyma from the adjacent meninges is blocked during cEAE. CXCL2 directly stimulates its own expression in cultured neutrophils, which is enhanced by IL-1 and suppressed by IFNγ. Conclusions: We provide evidence for an IFNγ-regulated CXCR2/CXCL2 autocrine/paracrine feedback loop in innate immune cells that determines the location of CNS infiltrates during Th1-mediated EAE. When IFNγ signaling is impaired, myeloid cell production of CXCL2 increases, which promotes brainstem inflammation and results in clinical ataxia. IFNγ, produced within the CNS of WT recipients, suppresses myeloid cell CXCR2 and CXCL2 production, thereby skewing the location of neuroinflammatory infiltrates to the spinal cord and the clinical phenotype to an ascending paralysis. These data reveal a novel mechanism by which IFNγ and CXCL2 interact to direct regional recruitment of leukocytes in the CNS, resulting in distinct clinical presentations. Keywords: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, Multiple sclerosis, Chemokines, Cytokines, Neutrophils, Monocytes, Interferon-gamma * Correspondence: [email protected] 1Holtom-Garrett Program in Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA 2Graduate Program in Immunology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2018 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Stoolman et al. Journal of Neuroinflammation (2018) 15:208 Page 2 of 11 Background production, and the mechanism by which IFNγ regulates In multiple sclerosis (MS), a multifocal inflammatory de- neutrophil infiltration of the brainstem. myelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), the distribution of lesions can vary widely between pa- Methods tients, resulting in distinct clinical phenotypes. In some Mice patients, lesion burden is dispersed fairly evenly across Eight- to 14-week-old CD45.1 congenic and WT C57BL/ CNS compartments, while in others it is skewed either to- 6 mice were obtained from Charles River/NCI Fredrick. wards the spinal cord or supratentorial white matter [1, 2]. IFNγRKO and RosamT/mG mice were originally obtained The histopathology of MS lesions, including the presence from Jackson Laboratory and bred in the University of of specific immune subsets and factors, is also diverse. Michigan vivarium. LysM-Cre:IFNγRflox/flox mice were Similarly, lesion distribution and composition is heteroge- obtained from Athena Soulika, University of neous in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis California-Davis [15]. All mice were housed in microiso- (EAE), which is widely used as an animal model of MS. lator cages under specific pathogen-free conditions. All Although little is known about the factors that deter- animal protocols were approved by the University of mine the composition or location of lesions in MS, sev- Michigan Committee on Use and Care of Animals. eral studies have demonstrated a pivotal role of IFNγ in EAE. Adoptive transfer of Th1-polarized, myelin oligo- dendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-reactive T cells derived Antibodies and reagents from C57BL/6 wildtype (WT) mice into syngeneic wild- For flow cytometry, the following antibodies were ob- α type (WT) hosts results in a high incidence of “conven- tained from eBioscience: PECy7- -CD11b (M1/70), α α tional” EAE (cEAE), which manifests as an ascending eFluor450- -CD45 (30-F11), and PerCpCy5.5- -Ly6C α paralysis secondary to monocyte-rich inflammatory infil- (HK1.4). Allophycocyanin cy7- -Ly6G (IA8) was from tration of the thoracolumbar spinal cord. Conversely, BD Biosciences. For immunofluorescent histology, pri- α transfer of the same population of Th1 cells into IFNγ re- mary antibodies included rabbit -glial fibrillary acidic α ceptor knockout (IFNγRKO) hosts, or transfer of IFNγKO protein (GFAP) (Gibco), rat -mouse CD45 (IBL-5/15, α CD4+ T cells into WT hosts, results in a high incidence of Millipore), goat -mouse CXCL2 (R&D Systems), goat α α atypical EAE (aEAE), characterized by gait imbalance and -mouse CXCL1 (R&D Systems), rat -mouse Ly6G α ε brainstem or cerebellar inflammation [3–5]. IFNγ induces (IA8, BD Biosciences), and hamster -mouse CD3 (BD expression of chemokines, such as CCL2 and CXCL10 [6], Biosciences). All secondary antibodies were from Life α and endothelial adhesion molecules, such as VCAM-1 and Technologies, including AlexaFluor594 donkey- -goat α α P-selectin [7, 8], in the CNS. Collective induction of these IgG, AlexaFluor488 goat- -rat IgG, goat -hamster, and α molecules promotes neuroinflammation by facilitating the AlexaFluor647 goat- -rabbit IgG. For in vitro cultures, passage of T cells and monocytes into the CNS parenchy- G-CSF was obtained from Amgen; recombinant mouse γ β mal white matter. In fact, cEAE is dependent on spinal (rm) IFN , rmIL-12, rmCXCL2, rmIL-1 , and rmCXCL1 cord expression of CCR2 and α4β1 integrin, the receptors were from R&D Systems. for CCL2 and VCAM-1, respectively [5, 9, 10]. In contrast, aEAE lesion development correlates with production of Induction and scoring of EAE ELR+ CXC chemokines in the brainstem and is neutrophil Donor mice were immunized subcutaneously with 100 μg dependent [5]. The destructive effects of neutrophil infil- MOG35–55 (MEVGWYRSP-FSRVVHLYRNGK, Biosyn- tration in CNS white matter have been demonstrated in thesis) in CFA (Difco) across four sites over the flanks. In- several different animal models [11, 12]. Hence, the rela- guinal, axial, and brachial lymph nodes were harvested tive importance of particular cytokine and chemokine 14 days post-immunization, pooled, homogenized, and pathways varies across different models of EAE, which can passed through a 70-μm strainer (BD Falcon). Cells were translate into differential responsiveness to individual cultured with MOG35–55 (50 μg/mL) in the presence of disease-modifying therapies [3–5, 13, 14]. rmIL-12 (6 ng/mL) and rmIFNγ (2 ng/mL). At 96 h, CD4 For the future development of personalized ap- T cells were isolated by column separation with CD4 proaches to MS therapy, it will be important to acquire (L3T4) magnetic microbeads, according to the manu- a detailed understanding of the spectrum of molecular facturer’s instructions (Miltenyi). CD4 T cells (> 80% and cellular pathways that underlie similar, as well as di- pure) were transferred i.p. into naïve hosts (5×106 vergent, clinical courses of autoimmune demyelinating cells/ mouse). Adoptive transfer recipients were moni- disorders. In the current study, we investigate the cellu- tored on a daily basis by an examiner who was blinded lar source and spatial localization of the ELR+ CXC che- to the experimental groups. Mice were scored for sever- mokines, CXCL1 and CXCL2, in C57BL/6 IFNγRKO ity of conventional and atypical signs of EAE using mice with aEAE, the factors that trigger CXCL2 established scales [4, 5]. Stoolman et al. Journal of Neuroinflammation (2018) 15:208 Page 3 of 11 Construction of bone