Toll-like receptor signaling in thymic epithelium controls monocyte-derived dendritic cell recruitment and Treg generation

Voboril, Matous; Brabec, Tomas; Dobes, Jan; Splichalova, Iva; Brezina, Jiri; Cepkova, Adela; Dobesova, Martina; Aidarova, Aigerim; Kubovciak, Jan; Tsyklauri, Oksana; Stepanek, Ondrej; Benes, Vladimir; Sedlacek, Radislav; Klein, Ludger; Kolar, Michal and Filipp, Dominik (2020): Toll-like receptor signaling in thymic epithelium controls monocyte-derived dendritic cell recruitment and Treg generation. In: Nature Communications, Vol. 11, No. 1

Abstract

The development of thymic regulatory T cells (Treg) is mediated by Aire-regulated self-antigen presentation on medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) and dendritic cells (DCs), but the cooperation between these cells is still poorly understood. Here we show that signaling through Toll-like receptors (TLR) expressed on mTECs regulates the production of specific chemokines and other genes associated with post-Aire mTEC development. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing, we identify a new thymic CD14(+)Sirp alpha (+) population of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (CD14(+)moDC) that are enriched in the thymic medulla and effectively acquire mTEC-derived antigens in response to the above chemokines. Consistently, the cellularity of CD14(+)moDC is diminished in mice with MyD88-deficient TECs, in which the frequency and functionality of thymic CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Tregs are decreased, leading to aggravated mouse experimental colitis. Thus, our findings describe a TLR-dependent function of mTECs for the recruitment of CD14(+)moDC, the generation of Tregs, and thereby the establishment of central tolerance. Immune tolerance is mediated by the deletion of autoreactive T cells via medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC) and dendritic cells (DC), and by the induction of regulatory T cells (Treg). Here the authors show that mTEC receiving toll-like receptor signaling control the recruitment of CD14(+)Sirp alpha (+) DC population that is capable of inducing Treg for establishing tolerance.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Medicine
• Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medicine and health
• ISSN: 2041-1723
• Language: English