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The honey bee is of paramount importance to humans in both agricultural and ecological settings. Honey bee colonies have suffered from increased attrition in recent years, stemming from complex interacting stresses. Defining common cellular stress responses elicited by these stressors represents a key step in understanding potential synergies. The proteostasis network is a highly conserved network of cellular stress responses involved in maintaining the homeostasis of protein production and function. Here, we have characterized the Heat Shock Response (HSR), one branch of this network, and found that its core components are conserved. In addition, exposing bees to elevated temperatures normally encountered by honey bees during typical activities results in robust HSR induction with increased expression of specific heat shock proteins that was variable across tissues. Surprisingly, we found that heat shock represses multiple immune genes in the abdomen and additionally showed that wounding the cuticle of the abdomen results in decreased expression of multiple HSR genes in proximal and distal tissues. This mutually antagonistic relationship between the HSR and immune activation is unique among invertebrates studied to date and may promote understanding of potential synergistic effects of disparate stresses in this critical pollinator and social insects more broadly.

Tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) are important for tumor antigen–specific T cell generation and effective anticancer immune responses. However, TDLNs are often the primary site of metastasis, causing immune suppression and worse outcomes. Through cross-species single-cell RNA-Seq analysis, we identified features defining cancer cell heterogeneity, plasticity, and immune evasion during breast cancer progression and lymph node metastasis (LNM). A subset of cancer cells in the lymph nodes exhibited elevated MHC class II (MHC-II) gene expression in both mice and humans. MHC-II+ cancer cells lacked costimulatory molecule expression, leading to regulatory T cell (Treg) expansion and fewer CD4+ effector T cells in TDLNs. Genetic knockout of MHC-II reduced LNM and Treg expansion, while overexpression of the MHC-II transactivator, Ciita, worsened LNM and caused excessive Treg expansion. These findings demonstrate that cancer cell MHC-II expression promotes metastasis and immune evasion in TDLNs.

The bacterial cytoplasmic membrane is a principal site of protein translocation, lipid and peptidoglycan biogenesis, signal transduction, transporters and energy generating components of the respiratory chain. Although 25-30% of bacterial proteomes consist of membrane proteins, a comprehensive understanding of their influence on fundamental cellular processes is incomplete. Here, we show that YciB and DcrB, two small cytoplasmic membrane proteins of previously unknown functions, play an essential synergistic role in maintaining cell envelope integrity of Escherichia coli. Lack of both YciB and DcrB results in pleiotropic cell defects including increased levels of lipopolysaccharide, membrane vesiculation, dynamic shrinking and extension of the cytoplasmic membrane accompanied by lysis and cell death. The stalling of an abundant outer membrane lipoprotein, Lpp, at the periplasmic face of the inner membrane leads to lethal inner membrane-peptidoglycan linkages. Additionally, the periplasmic chaperone Skp contributes to yciB dcrB mutant cell death by possibly mistargeting stalled porins into the inner membrane. Consistent with the idea of a compromised envelope in the yciB dcrB mutant, multiple envelope stress response systems are induced, with Cpx signal transduction being required for growth. Taken together, our results suggest a fundamental role for YciB and DcrB in cell envelope biogenesis.

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States and is one of the few malignancies that had an increasing incidence and mortality rate over the last 10 years. Current research models fail to recapitulate actual characteristics of the tumor that are necessary for the proper understanding and treatment of this heterogenous disease. Patient-derived organoids provide a durable and versatile culture system that can capture patient-specific characteristics such as the mutational profile and response to therapy of the primary tumor. Here we describe the methods for establishing, expansion and banking of endometrial cancer organoids to develop a living biobank. Samples of both endometrial tumor tissue and matched normal endometrium were collected from 10 patients. The tissue was digested into single cells and then cultured in optimized media to establish matched patient endometrial cancer and normal endometrial tissue organoids. Organoids were created from all major endometrial cancer histologic subtypes. These organoids are passaged long term, banked and can be utilized for downstream histological and genomic characterization as well as functional assays such as assessing the response to therapeutic drugs.

Tumor-draining lymph nodes are critical sites for generating tumor antigen-specific T cells and are associated with durable immune responses. However, lymph nodes are often the first site of metastasis and lymph node metastases portend worse outcomes. Through cross-species single cell gene expression analysis of breast cancer progression and metastasis to lymph nodes, we uncovered features that define the heterogeneity, plasticity, and immune evasion of cancer cells. Notably, a subpopulation of metastatic cancer cells in the lymph node were marked by high levels of MHC class II (MHC-II) gene expression both in mice and humans. Mechanistically, the IFN-γ and JAK/STAT signaling pathways mediate MHC-II expression in cancer cells. Ablation of IFNGR1/2 or CIITA, the transactivator of MHC-II, in cancer cells prevented tumor progression. Interestingly, MHC-II+ cancer cells lacked co-stimulatory molecule expression, engendered the expansion of regulatory T cells and blunted CD4+ effector T cells in the tumor-draining lymph nodes and favor tumor progression. Overall, our data suggests that cancer cell plasticity during breast cancer progression and metastasis to lymph nodes endows metastatic cells with the ability to avoid immune surveillance. These data provide the basis for new opportunities to therapeutically stimulate anti-cancer immune responses against local and systemic metastases.

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