Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are required to control immune responses and maintain homeostasis, but are a significant barrier to anti-tumor immunity 1 . Conversely, Treg instability, characterized by loss of the master transcription factor Foxp3 and acquisition of pro-inflammatory properties 2 , can promote autoimmunity and/or facilitate more effective tumor immunity 3 , 4 . A comprehensive understanding of the pathways that regulate Foxp3 could lead to more effective Treg therapies for autoimmune disease and cancer. Despite improved functional genetic tools that now allow for systematic interrogation, dissection of the gene regulatory programs that modulate Foxp3 expression has not yet been reported. In this study, we developed a CRISPR-based pooled screening platform for phenotypes in primary mouse Tregs and applied this technology to perform a targeted loss-of-function screen of ~490 nuclear factors to identify gene regulatory programs that promote or disrupt Foxp3 expression. We discovered several novel modulators including ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 (Usp22) and ring finger protein 20 (Rnf20). Usp22, a member of the deubiquitination module of the SAGA chromatin modifying complex, was discovered to be a positive regulator that stabilized Foxp3 expression; whereas the screen suggested Rnf20, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, can serve as a negative regulator of Foxp3. Treg-specific ablation of Usp22 in mice reduced Foxp3 protein and created defects in their suppressive function that led to spontaneous autoimmunity but protected against tumor growth in multiple cancer models. Foxp3 destabilization in Usp22-deficient Tregs could be rescued by ablation of Rnf20, revealing a reciprocal ubiquitin switch in Tregs. These results reveal novel modulators of Foxp3 and demonstrate a screening method that can be broadly applied to discover new targets for Treg immunotherapies for cancer and autoimmune disease.

The perception and response to cellular death is an important aspect of multicellular eukaryotic life. For example, damage-associated molecular patterns activate an inflammatory cascade that leads to removal of cellular debris and promotion of healing. We demonstrate that lysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells triggers a program in the remaining population that confers fitness in interspecies co-culture. We find that this program, termed P. aeruginosa response to antagonism (PARA), involves rapid deployment of antibacterial factors and is mediated by the Gac/Rsm global regulatory pathway. Type VI secretion, and, unexpectedly, conjugative type IV secretion within competing bacteria, induce P. aeruginosa lysis and activate PARA, thus providing a mechanism for the enhanced capacity of P. aeruginosa to target bacteria that elaborate these factors. Our finding that bacteria sense damaged kin and respond via a widely distributed pathway to mount a complex response raises the possibility that danger sensing is an evolutionarily conserved process.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05701.001

mutations are commonly observed in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). JMML and CMML transform into acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in about 10% and 50% of patients, respectively. However, how additional events cooperate with Ras to promote this transformation are largely unknown. We show that absence of the ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 (USP22), a component of the Spt-Ada-GCN5-acetyltransferase chromatin-remodeling complex that is linked to cancer progression, unexpectedly promotes AML transformation in mice expressing oncogenic USP22 deficiency in mice resulted in shorter survival compared with control mice. This was due to a block in myeloid cell differentiation leading to the generation of AML. This effect was cell autonomous because mice transplanted with USP22-deficient cells developed an aggressive disease and died rapidly. The transcriptome profile of USP22-deficient progenitors resembled leukemic stem cells and was highly correlated with genes associated with poor prognosis in AML. We show that USP22 functions as a PU.1 deubiquitylase by positively regulating its protein stability and promoting the expression of PU.1 target genes. Reconstitution of PU.1 overexpression in USP22-deficient progenitors rescued their differentiation. Our findings uncovered an unexpected role for USP22 in Ras-induced leukemogenesis and provide further insights into the function of USP22 in carcinogenesis.

No abstract

No abstract

The tumor microenvironment (TME) enhances regulatory T (T reg ) cell stability and immunosuppressive functions through up-regulation of lineage transcription factor Foxp3, a phenomenon known as T reg fitness or adaptation. Here, we characterize previously unknown TME-specific cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying T reg fitness. We demonstrate that TME-specific stressors including transforming growth factor–β (TGF-β), hypoxia, and nutrient deprivation selectively induce two Foxp3-specific deubiquitinases, ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 ( Usp22 ) and Usp21 , by regulating TGF-β, HIF, and mTOR signaling, respectively, to maintain T reg fitness. Simultaneous deletion of both USPs in T reg cells largely diminishes TME-induced Foxp3 up-regulation, alters T reg metabolic signatures, impairs T reg -suppressive function, and alleviates T reg suppression on cytotoxic CD8 + T cells. Furthermore, we developed the first Usp22 -specific small-molecule inhibitor, which dramatically reduced intratumoral T reg Foxp3 expression and consequently enhanced antitumor immunity. Our findings unveil previously unappreciated mechanisms underlying T reg fitness and identify Usp22 as an antitumor therapeutic target that inhibits T reg adaptability in the TME.

No abstract

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are required to control immune responses and maintain homeostasis but are a significant barrier to anti-tumor immunity 1 . Conversely, Treg instability, characterized by loss of the master transcription factor Foxp3 and acquisition of pro-inflammatory properties 2 , can promote autoimmunity and/or facilitate more effective tumor immunity 3,4 . A comprehensive understanding of the pathways that regulate Foxp3 could lead to more effective Treg therapies for autoimmune disease and cancer. Despite improved functional genetic tools that now allow for systematic interrogation, dissection of the gene regulatory programs that modulate Foxp3 expression has not yet been reported. In this study, we developed a CRISPR-based pooled screening platform for phenotypes in primary mouse Tregs and applied this technology to perform a targeted loss-of-function screen of ~490 nuclear factors to identify gene regulatory programs that promote or disrupt Foxp3 expression. We discovered several novel modulators including ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 (Usp22), Ataxin 7 like 3 (Atxn7l3) and ring finger protein 20 (Rnf20). Members of the deubiquitination module of the SAGA chromatin modifying complex, Usp22 and Atxn7l3, were discovered to be positive regulators that stabilized Foxp3 expression; whereas the screen suggested Rnf20, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, is a negative regulator of Foxp3. Treg-specific ablation of Usp22 in mice reduced Foxp3 protein and created defects in their suppressive function that led to spontaneous autoimmunity but protected against tumor growth in multiple cancer models. Foxp3 destabilization in Usp22-deficient Tregs could be rescued by ablation of Rnf20, revealing a reciprocal ubiquitin switch in Tregs. These results reveal novel modulators of Foxp3 and demonstrate a screening method that can be broadly applied to discover new targets for Treg immunotherapies for cancer and autoimmune disease.