CARMA1 Controls Th2 Cell-Specific Cytokine Expression through Regulating JunB and GATA3 Transcription Factors This information is current as Marzenna Blonska, Donghyun Joo, Patrick A. of September 27, 2021. Zweidler-McKay, Qingyu Zhao and Xin Lin J Immunol published online 27 February 2012 http://www.jimmunol.org/content/early/2012/02/26/jimmun ol.1102943 Downloaded from Supplementary http://www.jimmunol.org/content/suppl/2012/02/27/jimmunol.110294 Material 3.DC1 http://www.jimmunol.org/ Why The JI? Submit online. • Rapid Reviews! 30 days* from submission to initial decision • No Triage! 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Published February 27, 2012, doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1102943 The Journal of Immunology CARMA1 Controls Th2 Cell-Specific Cytokine Expression through Regulating JunB and GATA3 Transcription Factors Marzenna Blonska,* Donghyun Joo,*,† Patrick A. Zweidler-McKay,‡ Qingyu Zhao,*,1 and Xin Lin*,† The scaffold protein CARMA1 is required for the TCR-induced lymphocyte activation. In this study, we show that CARMA1 also plays an essential role in T cell differentiation. We have found that the adoptive transfer of bone marrow cells expressing constitutively active CARMA1 results in lung inflammation, eosinophilia, and elevated levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 in recipient mice. In contrast, CARMA1-deficient T cells are defective in TCR-induced expression of Th2 cytokines, suggesting that CARMA1 preferentially directs Th2 differentiation. The impaired cytokine production is due to reduced expression of JunB and GATA3 transcription factors. CARMA1 deficiency affects JunB stability resulting in its enhanced ubiquitination and degradation. In contrast, TCR-dependent induction of GATA3 is suppressed at the transcriptional level. We also found that supplementation with Downloaded from IL-4 partially restored GATA3 expression in CARMA1-deficient CD4+ splenocytes and subsequently production of GATA3- dependent cytokines IL-5 and IL-13. Therefore, our work provides the mechanism by which CARMA1 regulates Th2 cell differ- entiation. The Journal of Immunology, 2012, 188: 000–000. D4+ T cells, also known as Th cells, play a central role diseases, whereas overproduction of Th2 cytokines causes allergic in immune protection by directing responses to various inflammation (1). http://www.jimmunol.org/ C infectious agents. Inappropriate regulation of the Th Previous studies have established the central and indispensible response results in chronic inflammation, autoimmune diseases, role of the NF-kB transcription factor in TCR-induced prolifera- and/or allergies (1). Therefore, activation, differentiation, and ex- tion of CD4+ T cells (11). In resting cells, NF-kB is sequestered in pansion of Th cells are tightly regulated by specific transcription an inactive state by the cytoplasmic inhibitory proteins IkB. Upon factors and cytokine network. Stimulation of the TCR leads to stimulation, the IkB kinase (IKK) complex, composed of IKKa a rapid activation of transcription factors, such as NF-kB, AP-1, and IKKb kinases and regulatory subunit NEMO, phosphorylates and NF-AT, that initiates IL-2 production and is required for cell IkB inhibitors, tagging them for ubiquitination and degradation. proliferation and expansion (2). Activated Th cells further dif- Released NF-kB is translocated to the nucleus and initiates tran- ferentiate into one of the four major effector populations, Th1, scription of its target genes (12). To date, several signaling mol- by guest on September 27, 2021 Th2, and Th17, and inducible regulatory T cells (1). Each Th ecules have been shown to transduce signals from TCR to the IKK lineage preferentially expresses distinct transcription factors and complex (13, 14). One of the critical molecules is CARMA1 (also cytokines. T-bet is upregulated in Th1 cells and controls IFN-g known as CARD11), a scaffold protein exclusively expressed in production (3); in contrast, GATA3, c-Maf, and JunB are ex- lymphoid and myeloid tissues (14, 15). Loss of CARMA1 impairs pressed at high levels in Th2 cells and induce IL-4, IL-5, and IL- AgR-induced IKK activation, NF-kB translocation, IL-2 pro- 13 (4–8). Th17 is a novel subset of effector cells that require duction, and proliferation of T cells (16–18). Ligation of TCR RORa and RORgt for its differentiation and produce IL-17 (9, and CD28 coreceptor results in activation of protein kinase Cu 10). Both, Th1 and Th17 have been associated with autoimmune (PKCu) (19) and phosphorylation of CARMA1 in the linker re- gion between the coiled-coil and PDZ domains (20, 21). This critical modification destabilizes an inhibitory conformation of *Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson CARMA1 and uncovers the protein interaction sites (21). Acti- Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030; †Cancer Biology Program, Graduate School of vated CARMA1 recruits its downstream signaling components, ‡ Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030; and Division of Bcl10, MALT1, and IKK, leading to activation of the IKK com- Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030. plex and subsequently NF-kB (22, 23). Our previous study also 1Currentaddress:IntensiveCareUnit,Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China demonstrates that the CARMA1–Bcl10 complex is indispensible Received for publication October 12, 2011. Accepted for publication January 22, for recruitment and assembly of the MAPK module that phos- 2012. phorylates JNK2 (24, 25). JNK2 is known to regulate the ex- This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants GM065899 and pression level of AP-1 family members c-Jun and JunB by targeting AI050848 (to X.L.). M.B. is a Special Fellow of the Leukemia and Lymphoma them for ubiquitination and degradation (26–28). CARMA1- Society. dependent JNK2 phosphorylation is required for stabilization and Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Xin Lin, Department of Mo- accumulation of c-Jun in activated cells (24). lecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 108, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail address: xllin@ In this study, we demonstrate that stable expression of consti- mdanderson.org tutively active CARMA1 increases the basal levels of c-Jun and The online version of this article contains supplemental material. JunB in vitro, suggesting its role in cell proliferation. However, Abbreviations used in this article: BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage; ChIP, chromatin upregulation of CARMA1 in vivo results in Th2 cell-mediated immunoprecipitation; IKK, IkB kinase; ph, phospho; PKC, protein kinase C; PKCu, inflammation. Mice expressing constitutively active CARMA1 protein kinase C u; WT, wild-type. have elevated IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 and spontaneously develop Copyright Ó 2012 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc. 0022-1767/12/$16.00 pulmonary inflammation and eosinophilia. We found that CARMA1 www.jimmunol.org/cgi/doi/10.4049/jimmunol.1102943 2 CARMA1 REGULATES Th2 CYTOKINE EXPRESSION regulates JunB and GATA3 expression, which are crucial for the CD4+ T cell isolation and activation initiation and propagation of Th2 polarization. CARMA1-deficient + + CD4 T cells were isolated from mouse spleens and peripheral lymph CD4 T cells have severely impaired production of IL-4 because of nodes using magnetic beads (StemCell Technologies). The cells were the reduced JunB level and defective GATA3 induction. We also purified by negative selection with a panel of biotinylated Abs directed found that CARMA1-deficient CD4+ splenocytes could induce against CD8, CD11b, CD19, CD45R/B220, CD49b, TER119 (StemCell GATA3 in the presence of exogenous IL-4, and the supplementa- Technologies), and CD25 (eBioscence). After 3 h of resting, the cells were activated with plate-bound anti-CD3ε (2 mg/ml) and anti-CD28 (1 mg/ml) tion with IL-4 partially restored production of GATA3-dependent (both from BD Biosciences). For Th2 polarization, 10 mg/ml anti–IFN-g cytokines IL-5 and IL-13. (XMG1.2) and 10 ng/ml murine IL-4 (PeproTech) were added. Because CARMA1-deficient T cells are defective in IL-2 production, every cell Materials and Methods culture was supplemented with rIL-2 (30 U/ml). Reagents and plasmids ELISA 63/73 202 Abs specific for phospho (ph)–c-Jun (Ser ), c-Jun, ph-ERK1/2 (Thr / Cytokines were measured in cell culture supernatants and mouse plasma by 204 32/36 183 185 Tyr ), ph-IkBa (Ser ), ph-JNK (Thr /Tyr ), JNK2, and CARMA1 sandwich ELISA. IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, and IFN-g Ready-SET-GO kits were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology. Abs specific for JunB, were purchased from eBioscience, and IL-2 OptEIA kit was obtained from JunD, GATA3, T-bet, c-Maf, NFAT, IkBa, Myc, laminB, Ub (P4D1), and BD Biosciences. Results