Ndfip-Mediated Degradation of Jak1 Tunes Cytokine Signalling to Limit
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ARTICLE Received 24 Jul 2015 | Accepted 29 Feb 2016 | Published 18 Apr 2016 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11226 OPEN Ndfip-mediated degradation of Jak1 tunes cytokine signalling to limit expansion of CD4 þ effector T cells Claire E. O’Leary1, Christopher R. Riling1, Lynn A. Spruce2, Hua Ding2, Suresh Kumar3, Guoping Deng2, Yuhong Liu4, Steven H. Seeholzer2 & Paula M. Oliver1,2 Nedd4 family E3 ubiquitin ligases have been shown to restrict T-cell function and impact T-cell differentiation. We show here that Ndfip1 and Ndfip2, activators of Nedd4 family ligases, together limit accumulation and function of effector CD4 þ Tcells. Using a three-part proteomics approach in primary T cells, we identify stabilization of Jak1 in Ndfip1/2-deficient T cells stimulated through the TCR. Jak1 degradation is aborted in activated T cells that lack Ndfips. In wild-type cells, Jak1 degradation lessens CD4 þ cell sensitivity to cytokines during TCR stimulation, while in Ndfip-deficient cells cytokine responsiveness persists, promoting increased expansion and survival of pathogenic effector T cells. Thus, Ndfip1/Ndfip2 regulate the cross talk between the T-cell receptor and cytokine signalling pathways to limit inappropriate T-cell responses. 1 Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. 2 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cell Pathology Division, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. 3 Progenra Inc, Malvern, Pennsylvania, 19355, USA. 4 Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to P.M.O. (email: [email protected]). NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | 7:11226 | DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11226 | www.nature.com/naturecommunications 1 ARTICLE NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11226 ntegration of signals from T-cell receptor (TCR), co-receptors Ndfip2 gene, putting subsequent exons out of frame and cytokine receptors directs proliferation, survival and (Supplementary Fig. 1a–c). We observed Mendelian frequencies Idifferentiation of T cells. Cross talk among these pathways is of Ndfip2 À / À mice (Supplementary Fig. 1d), in contrast to the essential to prevent aberrant T-cell responses. One example of sub-Mendelian frequency of Ndfip1 À / À mice (Supplementary such cross talk is TCR-induced downregulation of cytokine Fig. 1e), at weaning. receptor signalling to limit cytokine responses1–4. Ubiquitylation Using Ndfip2 þ / À mice, which express one copy of GFP of protein substrates by E3 ubiquitin ligases can regulate both under the Ndfip2 promoter, we analysed GFP as a reporter of TCR and cytokine receptor signalling. Several members of the Ndfip2 expression. In splenocytes, we observed the highest GFP Nedd4 family of E3 ligases have known roles in T cells, including expression in T cells (Supplementary Fig. 2a). In stimulated high limiting TH2 differentiation, regulating activation, and promoting Ndfip2 þ / À CD4 þ T cells, GFP cells increased in anergy5–9. However, as unbiased screens for identification abundance over the course of stimulation and corresponded of E3 ligase substrates, particularly in primary cells, are rare, with CD44 expression, high CD25 expression and cell division only a handful of protein targets for Nedd4 E3 ligases have (Supplementary Fig. 2b,c). been identified using targeted approaches. To date, published substrates of these E3 ligases include TCR signalling inter- mediates and TCR-activated transcription factors5–9. Ndfip2 À / À mice do not show signs of inflammation. As our In mice, loss of function of the Nedd4 family member Itch GFP reporter indicated high Ndfip2 expression in T cells, we results in CD4 þ T-cell hyperactivation and TH2 cytokine focused our analysis of Ndfip2 À / À mice on the T-cell com- production, leading to spontaneous inflammation5,10. Similar partment. Ndfip2 À / À mice had normal thymic populations and immunopathology is observed in humans with a loss of function normal CD4 þ and CD8 þ T cell percentages in lymph nodes mutation in Itch11. In vitro, catalytic activity of Itch and related and spleens (Fig. 1a; Supplementary Fig. 3a). Ndfip2 À / À mice ligases is potentiated by, or requires interaction with, Nedd4 had no increase in percent of CD44 þ T cells or cytokine pro- family interacting protein 1 (Ndfip1) and Ndfip2 (ref. 12). Loss of duction upon ex vivo analysis (Fig. 1b,c; Supplementary Fig. 3a). function mutations in mice support that Ndfip1 activates Itch Helper T-cell differentiation in vitro, measured by expression of 13–15 in vivo to limit T cell activation and TH2 differentiation . lineage defining transcription factors and cytokine production, In vitro binding and ubiquitylation assays suggest that Ndfip1 and was similar between Ndifp2 À / À and control cells (Supple- Ndfip2 are both sufficient to activate the catalytic function of mentary Fig. 3b,c). Nedd4-family E3 ligases12,16–19; however, an in vivo role for If Ndfip1 and Ndfip2 have overlapping molecular functions, Ndfip2 is unknown. expression of Ndfip1 might mask effects of Ndfip2 in immune Here we establish a role for Ndfip2 in regulating immune cells. Ndfip1 mRNA expression is increased on T-cell activation, responses. Although Ndfip2 À / À mice show no overt immuno- consistent with its role limiting aberrant activation and cytokine pathology, animals with T cells lacking both Ndfip1 and Ndfip2 production in stimulated naive CD4 þ T cells13,20. Comparing have a dramatically increased pool of activated CD4 þ T cells expression of Ndfip1 and Ndfip2 mRNA during CD4 þ T cell compared with mice with T cells lacking only Ndfip1. To stimulation revealed that Ndfip1 was more robustly induced on determine the mechanism whereby loss of Ndfip1/Ndfip2 drives initial stimulation than Ndfip2 (Fig. 1d). However, Ndfip1 and expansion of effector cells, we developed an unbiased and Ndfip2 both increased in expression following re-stimulation. reproducible proteomic workflow for use in primary T cells. Together with our GFP reporter data, these data support that Consistent with published data, this proteomic approach Ndfip2 expression is increased in newly activated CD4 þ T cells, confirmed that the E3 ligases Itch and Nedd4-2 (also called but more strongly induced during stimulation of previously Nedd4L) are active in an Ndfip-dependent manner in stimulated activated T cells. effector T cells8,12,13,19. We identified several candidate substrates for Ndfip-dependent degradation, and validated that Jak1 is aberrantly degraded in T cells lacking Ndfip1/Ndfip2. Jak1 is Ndfip2 deficiency exacerbates inflammation in Ndfip1 cKO mice. ubiquitylated on multiple lysine residues and degraded following To test whether Ndfip1 expression in Ndfip2 À / À mice masked TCR stimulation of WT cells; this degradation is aborted in effects of Ndfip2 deficiency, we generated mice doubly deficient in Ndfip-deficient cells. Consistent with increased stability of Jak1, Ndfip1 and Ndfip2. The number of double knockout (DKO) pups T cells lacking Ndfip1/Ndfip2 fail to undergo TCR-mediated was unexpectedly low at weaning, and foetal analysis indicated downregulation of cytokine responsiveness, a Jak1-dependent sub-Mendelian frequencies (Supplementary Table 1). We next process, as measured by STAT5 phosphorylation following generated mice doubly deficient for Ndfip1 and Ndfip2 in T cells exposure to IL-2. Increased Jak1 signalling led to increased by crossing Ndfip2 À / À mice to Ndfip1fl/ þ CD4 Cre þ mice. survival and proliferation of these cells in vitro, while in vivo this Ndfip1fl/flCD4 Cre þ mice (cKO) exhibit T-cell-mediated, drives an expanded population of pathogenic effector T cells. TH2-biased inflammation similar to that observed in Our data reveal that TCR-induced cytokine non-responsive- Ndfip1 À / À mice20. We hypothesized that loss of Ndfip2 in ness requires Ndfip-dependent degradation of Jak1. This is a Ndfip1 cKO mice would worsen the Ndfip1 cKO phenotype if previously unknown function for Ndfips in restricting cytokine Ndfip2 acts to prevent aberrant T-cell responses. signalling to limit expansion, and, consequently, pathogenicity, of We observed that Ndfip2 À / À Ndfip1fl/flCD4 Cre þ (referred CD4 þ effector T cells. to as cDKO) mice showed increased inflammation at barrier surfaces, increased spleen size and decreased body weight relative to age-matched cKO, Ndfip2 À / À and control mice (Fig. 2a–c). Results Splenic CD4 þ T cells from cDKO mice were more likely to Generation of Ndfip2 knockout/GFP knock-in mice. Given that express CD44 (Fig. 2d) and produce IL-4 (Fig. 2e,i). We observed deficiency in either Itch or Ndfip1 leads to hyperactive T cells and a significantly increased number of CD4 þ T cells in spleens from 5,13,15 TH2-mediated pathology , and knowing that Ndfip1 and cDKO mice (Fig. 2f) due largely to an increased number of Ndfip2 have similar functions in vitro12,16–19, we investigated CD44 þ CD4 þ T cells (Fig. 2g); the number of CD62L þ whether Ndfip2 might also play a role in T cells. We generated CD4 þ T cells in cDKO spleens was not statistically different Ndfip2 knockout mice by insertion of GFP into exon 2 of the from cKO and control mice (Fig. 2h). 2 NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | 7:11226 | DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11226 | www.nature.com/naturecommunications NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11226 ARTICLE a c WT Ndfip2–/– WT Ndfip2–/– 9.91 8.16 82.9 86.1 0.684 0.887 Thymus 2.6 2.94 1.82 2.41 IL-4 30.8 35.7 Spleen 3.89 2.75 CD4 17.9 21.9 CD4 CD8 IFNγ b 80.7 80 d 10 Ndfip1 Ndfip2 CD4+ 8 6 16.7 17.3 4 71 69 19.1 21.4 2 CD8a+ Relative expression 0 1.94 1.71 6 h 24 h 48 h Rest CD62L ex vivo 6 h restim 24 h restim CD44 Figure 1 | Ndfip2 À / À mice do not show signs of inflammation.