Benjamin Klein, Mack B. Reynolds, Bin Xu, Mehrnaz Gharaee-Kermani, Yiqing Gao, Celine C. Berthier, Svenja Henning, Lam C. Tsoi, Shannon N. Loftus, Kelsey E. McNeely, Christine M. Goudsmit, Amanda M. Victory, Craig Dobry, Grace A. Hile, Feiyang Ma, Jessica L. Turnier, Johann E. Gudjonsson, Mary X. O’Riordan, J. Michelle Kahlenberg
{"title":"Epidermal ZBP1 stabilizes mitochondrial Z-DNA to drive UV-induced IFN signaling in autoimmune photosensitivity","authors":"Benjamin Klein, Mack B. Reynolds, Bin Xu, Mehrnaz Gharaee-Kermani, Yiqing Gao, Celine C. Berthier, Svenja Henning, Lam C. Tsoi, Shannon N. Loftus, Kelsey E. McNeely, Christine M. Goudsmit, Amanda M. Victory, Craig Dobry, Grace A. Hile, Feiyang Ma, Jessica L. Turnier, Johann E. Gudjonsson, Mary X. O’Riordan, J. Michelle Kahlenberg","doi":"10.1126/sciimmunol.ado1710","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.ado1710","url":null,"abstract":"Photosensitivity is observed in numerous autoimmune diseases and drives poor quality of life and disease flares. Elevated epidermal type I interferon (IFN) production primes for photosensitivity and enhanced inflammation, but the substrates that sustain and amplify this cycle remain undefined. We show that IFN-induced Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1) stabilizes ultraviolet (UV) B–induced cytosolic Z-DNA derived from oxidized mitochondrial DNA. ZBP1 is up-regulated in the epidermis of adult and pediatric patients with autoimmune photosensitivity. In patient-derived samples, lupus keratinocytes accumulate extensive cytosolic Z-DNA after UVB exposure, and transfection of keratinocytes with Z-DNA results in stronger IFN production through cyclic guanosine monophosphate–adenosine monophosphate synthase–stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) activation compared with the more conventional B-DNA. ZBP1 knockdown abrogates UVB-induced IFN responses, whereas overexpression results in a lupus-like phenotype with spontaneous Z-DNA accumulation and IFN production. Our results highlight Z-DNA and ZBP1 as critical mediators for UVB-induced inflammation and uncover how type I IFNs prime for cutaneous inflammation in photosensitivity.","PeriodicalId":21734,"journal":{"name":"Science Immunology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":24.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143575445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"MBPeace treaty: How myelin self-peptides broker CNS tolerance","authors":"Isabelle Leo, Etienne Caron","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Specific MBP-derived self-peptides promote immune tolerance in the CNS and induce an unconventional regulatory T cell response.</div>","PeriodicalId":21734,"journal":{"name":"Science Immunology","volume":"10 105","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143583701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Benjamin Klein, Mack B. Reynolds, Bin Xu, Mehrnaz Gharaee-Kermani, Yiqing Gao, Celine C. Berthier, Svenja Henning, Lam C. Tsoi, Shannon N. Loftus, Kelsey E. McNeely, Christine M. Goudsmit, Amanda M. Victory, Craig Dobry, Grace A. Hile, Feiyang Ma, Jessica L. Turnier, Johann E. Gudjonsson, Mary X. O’Riordan, J. Michelle Kahlenberg
{"title":"Epidermal ZBP1 stabilizes mitochondrial Z-DNA to drive UV-induced IFN signaling in autoimmune photosensitivity","authors":"Benjamin Klein, Mack B. Reynolds, Bin Xu, Mehrnaz Gharaee-Kermani, Yiqing Gao, Celine C. Berthier, Svenja Henning, Lam C. Tsoi, Shannon N. Loftus, Kelsey E. McNeely, Christine M. Goudsmit, Amanda M. Victory, Craig Dobry, Grace A. Hile, Feiyang Ma, Jessica L. Turnier, Johann E. Gudjonsson, Mary X. O’Riordan, J. Michelle Kahlenberg","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Photosensitivity is observed in numerous autoimmune diseases and drives poor quality of life and disease flares. Elevated epidermal type I interferon (IFN) production primes for photosensitivity and enhanced inflammation, but the substrates that sustain and amplify this cycle remain undefined. We show that IFN-induced Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1) stabilizes ultraviolet (UV) B–induced cytosolic Z-DNA derived from oxidized mitochondrial DNA. ZBP1 is up-regulated in the epidermis of adult and pediatric patients with autoimmune photosensitivity. In patient-derived samples, lupus keratinocytes accumulate extensive cytosolic Z-DNA after UVB exposure, and transfection of keratinocytes with Z-DNA results in stronger IFN production through cyclic guanosine monophosphate–adenosine monophosphate synthase–stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) activation compared with the more conventional B-DNA. ZBP1 knockdown abrogates UVB-induced IFN responses, whereas overexpression results in a lupus-like phenotype with spontaneous Z-DNA accumulation and IFN production. Our results highlight Z-DNA and ZBP1 as critical mediators for UVB-induced inflammation and uncover how type I IFNs prime for cutaneous inflammation in photosensitivity.</div>","PeriodicalId":21734,"journal":{"name":"Science Immunology","volume":"10 105","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143583702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kennady Knox, Devon Jeltema, Nicole Dobbs, Kun Yang, Cong Xing, Kun Song, Zhen Tang, Gustavo Torres-Ramirez, Jiefu Wang, Shan Gao, Tuoqi Wu, Chen Yao, Jian Wang, Nan Yan
{"title":"Dynamic STING repression orchestrates immune cell development and function","authors":"Kennady Knox, Devon Jeltema, Nicole Dobbs, Kun Yang, Cong Xing, Kun Song, Zhen Tang, Gustavo Torres-Ramirez, Jiefu Wang, Shan Gao, Tuoqi Wu, Chen Yao, Jian Wang, Nan Yan","doi":"10.1126/sciimmunol.ado9933","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.ado9933","url":null,"abstract":"STING is an essential component of the innate immune system, yet homeostatic STING expression patterns and regulation are unknown. Using <jats:italic> Sting1 <jats:sup>IRES-EGFP</jats:sup> </jats:italic> reporter and conditional <jats:italic>Sting1</jats:italic> transgenic mice, we found that regulation of STING expression is critical for immune cell development and functionality. STING expression was repressed in neutrophils, and forced STING expression or signaling drove systemic inflammatory disease. During T lymphocyte development, STING expression was restricted at the double-positive stage via epigenetic silencing by DNA methyltransferase 1. Forced STING expression or signaling impaired T lymphocyte development independent of type I interferon and promoted lineage commitment to innate-like γδ T cells over adaptive αβ T cells. In the tumor microenvironment, CD8 <jats:sup>+</jats:sup> T lymphocytes repressed STING expression, correlating with features of T cell exhaustion in syngeneic mouse tumors and human colorectal cancer. Our data demonstrate the necessity of controlled, rather than ubiquitous, STING expression, uncovering a previously unappreciated dimension of STING pathobiology.","PeriodicalId":21734,"journal":{"name":"Science Immunology","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":24.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143575442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Trouble at the border: An invading gut bacterium can break tolerance to self-RNA","authors":"Rachael A. Clark","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Mouse anti-RNA antibodies triggered by gut <i>E. gallinarum</i> correlate with self-RNA autoantibodies and lupus severity in humans.</div>","PeriodicalId":21734,"journal":{"name":"Science Immunology","volume":"10 105","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143583698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kennady Knox, Devon Jeltema, Nicole Dobbs, Kun Yang, Cong Xing, Kun Song, Zhen Tang, Gustavo Torres-Ramirez, Jiefu Wang, Shan Gao, Tuoqi Wu, Chen Yao, Jian Wang, Nan Yan
{"title":"Dynamic STING repression orchestrates immune cell development and function","authors":"Kennady Knox, Devon Jeltema, Nicole Dobbs, Kun Yang, Cong Xing, Kun Song, Zhen Tang, Gustavo Torres-Ramirez, Jiefu Wang, Shan Gao, Tuoqi Wu, Chen Yao, Jian Wang, Nan Yan","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<div >STING is an essential component of the innate immune system, yet homeostatic STING expression patterns and regulation are unknown. Using <i>Sting1<sup>IRES-EGFP</sup></i> reporter and conditional <i>Sting1</i> transgenic mice, we found that regulation of STING expression is critical for immune cell development and functionality. STING expression was repressed in neutrophils, and forced STING expression or signaling drove systemic inflammatory disease. During T lymphocyte development, STING expression was restricted at the double-positive stage via epigenetic silencing by DNA methyltransferase 1. Forced STING expression or signaling impaired T lymphocyte development independent of type I interferon and promoted lineage commitment to innate-like γδ T cells over adaptive αβ T cells. In the tumor microenvironment, CD8<sup>+</sup> T lymphocytes repressed STING expression, correlating with features of T cell exhaustion in syngeneic mouse tumors and human colorectal cancer. Our data demonstrate the necessity of controlled, rather than ubiquitous, STING expression, uncovering a previously unappreciated dimension of STING pathobiology.</div>","PeriodicalId":21734,"journal":{"name":"Science Immunology","volume":"10 105","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143583700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Trouble at the border: An invading gut bacterium can break tolerance to self-RNA","authors":"Rachael A. Clark","doi":"10.1126/sciimmunol.adx0218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.adx0218","url":null,"abstract":"Mouse anti-RNA antibodies triggered by gut <jats:italic>E. gallinarum</jats:italic> correlate with self-RNA autoantibodies and lupus severity in humans.","PeriodicalId":21734,"journal":{"name":"Science Immunology","volume":"127 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":24.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143575441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yinghui J. Huang, Shin Foong Ngiow, Amy E. Baxter, Sasikanth Manne, Simone L. Park, Jennifer E. Wu, Omar Khan, Josephine R. Giles, E. John Wherry
{"title":"Continuous expression of TOX safeguards exhausted CD8 T cell epigenetic fate","authors":"Yinghui J. Huang, Shin Foong Ngiow, Amy E. Baxter, Sasikanth Manne, Simone L. Park, Jennifer E. Wu, Omar Khan, Josephine R. Giles, E. John Wherry","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Although checkpoint blockade temporarily improves exhausted CD8 T (T<sub>ex</sub>) cell function, the underlying T<sub>ex</sub> epigenetic landscape remains largely unchanged, preventing durable T<sub>ex</sub> “reinvigoration” in cancer and chronic infections. The transcription factor TOX initiates T<sub>ex</sub> epigenetic programming, yet it remains unclear whether TOX continually preserves T<sub>ex</sub> biology after T<sub>ex</sub> establishment. Here, we demonstrated that induced TOX ablation in committed T<sub>ex</sub> cells resulted in apoptotic-driven loss of T<sub>ex</sub> cells, reduced expression of inhibitory receptors, and decreased terminal differentiation. Gene expression and epigenetic profiling revealed a critical role for TOX in maintaining chromatin accessibility and transcriptional patterns in committed T<sub>ex</sub> cells. Moreover, TOX removal endows established T<sub>ex</sub> cells with greater fate flexibility to differentiate into more functional effector-like T cells. Thus, continuous TOX expression in established T<sub>ex</sub> cells acts as a durable epigenetic barrier reinforcing the T<sub>ex</sub> developmental fate. TOX manipulation even after T<sub>ex</sub> establishment could therefore provide therapeutic opportunities to rewire T<sub>ex</sub> cells in chronic infections or cancer.</div>","PeriodicalId":21734,"journal":{"name":"Science Immunology","volume":"10 105","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143583692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"MBPeace treaty: How myelin self-peptides broker CNS tolerance.","authors":"Isabelle Leo, Etienne Caron","doi":"10.1126/sciimmunol.adx0208","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.adx0208","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Specific MBP-derived self-peptides promote immune tolerance in the CNS and induce an unconventional regulatory T cell response.</p>","PeriodicalId":21734,"journal":{"name":"Science Immunology","volume":"10 105","pages":"eadx0208"},"PeriodicalIF":17.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143575986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yinghui J. Huang, Shin Foong Ngiow, Amy E. Baxter, Sasikanth Manne, Simone L. Park, Jennifer E. Wu, Omar Khan, Josephine R. Giles, E. John Wherry
{"title":"Continuous expression of TOX safeguards exhausted CD8 T cell epigenetic fate","authors":"Yinghui J. Huang, Shin Foong Ngiow, Amy E. Baxter, Sasikanth Manne, Simone L. Park, Jennifer E. Wu, Omar Khan, Josephine R. Giles, E. John Wherry","doi":"10.1126/sciimmunol.ado3032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.ado3032","url":null,"abstract":"Although checkpoint blockade temporarily improves exhausted CD8 T (T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> ) cell function, the underlying T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> epigenetic landscape remains largely unchanged, preventing durable T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> “reinvigoration” in cancer and chronic infections. The transcription factor TOX initiates T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> epigenetic programming, yet it remains unclear whether TOX continually preserves T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> biology after T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> establishment. Here, we demonstrated that induced TOX ablation in committed T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> cells resulted in apoptotic-driven loss of T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> cells, reduced expression of inhibitory receptors, and decreased terminal differentiation. Gene expression and epigenetic profiling revealed a critical role for TOX in maintaining chromatin accessibility and transcriptional patterns in committed T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> cells. Moreover, TOX removal endows established T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> cells with greater fate flexibility to differentiate into more functional effector-like T cells. Thus, continuous TOX expression in established T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> cells acts as a durable epigenetic barrier reinforcing the T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> developmental fate. TOX manipulation even after T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> establishment could therefore provide therapeutic opportunities to rewire T <jats:sub>ex</jats:sub> cells in chronic infections or cancer.","PeriodicalId":21734,"journal":{"name":"Science Immunology","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":24.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143575440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}