Most replicated genetic determinants for type 1 diabetes are common (minor allele frequency [MAF] >5%). We aimed to identify novel rare or low-frequency (MAF <5%) single nucleotide polymorphisms with large effects on risk of type 1 diabetes. We undertook deep imputation of genotyped data followed by genome-wide association testing and meta-analysis of 9,358 type 1 diabetes case and 15,705 control subjects from 12 European cohorts. Candidate variants were replicated in a separate cohort of 4,329 case and 9,543 control subjects. Our meta-analysis identified 27 independent variants outside the MHC, among which 3 were novel and had MAF <5%. Three of these variants replicated with P replication < 0.05 and P combined < P discovery . In silico analysis prioritized a rare variant at 2q24.3 (rs60587303 [C], MAF 0.5%) within the first intron of STK39, with an effect size comparable with those of common variants in the INS and PTPN22 loci (combined [from the discovery and replication cohorts] estimate of odds ratio [OR combined ] 1.97, 95% CI 1.58-2.47, P combined 5 2.9 3 10 29 ). Pharmacological inhibition of Stk39 activity in primary murine T cells augmented effector responses through enhancement of interleukin 2 signaling. These findings provide insight into the genetic architecture of type 1 diabetes and have identified rare variants having a large effect on disease risk.

The translation of mRNAs into proteins serves as a critical regulatory event in gene expression. In the context of cancer, deregulated translation is a hallmark of transformation, promoting the proliferation, survival, and metastatic capabilities of cancer cells. The best-studied factor involved in the translational control of cancer is the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). We and others have shown that eIF4E availability and phosphorylation promote metastasis in mouse models of breast cancer by selectively augmenting the translation of mRNAs involved in invasion and metastasis. However, the impact of translational control in cell types within the tumor microenvironment (TME) is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that regulatory events affecting translation in cells of the TME impact cancer progression. Mice bearing a mutation in the phosphorylation site of eIF4E (S209A) in cells comprising the TME are resistant to the formation of lung metastases in a syngeneic mammary tumor model. This is associated with reduced survival of prometastatic neutrophils due to decreased expression of the antiapoptotic proteins BCL2 and MCL1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of eIF4E phosphorylation prevents metastatic progression in vivo, supporting the development of phosphorylation inhibitors for clinical use.

CD4 + Foxp3 + regulatory T (T REG ) cells are critical mediators of peripheral tolerance and modulators of immune responses. Functional adaptation of T REG cells, through acquisition of secondary transcription factors is critical for their effector differentiation towards local inflammatory stimuli including infections. The drivers and consequences of this adaptation of T REG cell function remain largely unknown. Using an unbiased screen, we identified receptors of the IL-1 family controlling the adaptation of T REG cells. Through respiratory infection models, we show that the IL-33 receptor (ST2) and the IL-1 receptor (IL1R1) selectively identify stable and unstable T REG cells at mucosal surfaces, respectively. IL-33, not IL-1, is specifically required for maintaining the suppressive function of T REG cells. In the absence of ST2, T REG cells are prone to lose Foxp3 expression and acquire RORγT and IL1R1, while, in the absence of IL-1R1, they maintain Foxp3 expression and resist the acquisition of a Th17 phenotype. Finally, lack of IL-1 signalling enhances the accumulation of ST2 + T REG over pro-inflammatory T REG cells in a Cryptococcus neoformans infection. These observations show that IL-1 and IL-33 exert opposing functions in controlling the functional adaptation of T REG cells, ultimately dictating the dynamics of adaptive immunity to pathogens.Mucosal Immunology (2019) 12:746-760; https://doi.