The forkhead family protein FOXP3 acts as a repressor of transcription and is both an essential and sufficient regulator of the development and function of regulatory T cells. The molecular mechanism by which FOXP3-mediated transcriptional repression occurs remains unclear. Here, we report that transcriptional repression by FOXP3 involves a histone acetyltransferase-deacetylase complex that includes histone acetyltransferase TIP60 (Tat-interactive protein, 60 kDa) and class II histone deacetylases HDAC7 and HDAC9. The N-terminal 106 -190 aa of FOXP3 are required for TIP60 -FOXP3, HDAC7-FOXP3 association, as well as for the transcriptional repression of FOXP3 via its forkhead domain. FOXP3 can be acetylated in primary human regulatory T cells, and TIP60 promotes FOXP3 acetylation in vivo. Overexpression of TIP60 but not its histone acetyltransferase-deficient mutant promotes, whereas knockdown of endogenous TIP60 relieved, FOXP3-mediated transcriptional repression. A minimum FOXP3 ensemble containing native TIP60 and HDAC7 is necessary for IL-2 production regulation in T cells. Moreover, FOXP3 association with HDAC9 is antagonized by T cell stimulation and can be restored by the protein deacetylation inhibitor trichostatin A, indicating a complex dynamic aspect of T suppressor cell regulation. These findings identify a previously uncharacterized complex-based mechanism by which FOXP3 actively mediates transcriptional repression.A central theme that has emerged over the last 25 years is that a process of self-regulation of the immune response occurs to limit self-reactivity. Biochemical details of how the immune system distinguishes and regulates self and non-self remain to be fully documented (1). A recently characterized CD4 ϩ CD25 ϩ regulatory T cell subset expresses the Foxp3 transcription factor. As a transcriptional repressor of cytokine gene expression (2), Foxp3 was subsequently identified as an essential and sufficient regulator of natural regulatory T cell development and function (3-5).Mammalian transcriptional repressors can execute their function by either passive or active mechanisms (6, 7). FOXP3 may, for example, function as a passive transcriptional repressor in the case of its association with 9). In this study, we explore the role of FOXP3 as an active transcriptional repressor by revealing the dynamic FOXP3 ensemble formation with a specific histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and certain class II histone deacetylases (HDACs) in expanded human CD4 ϩ CD25 ϩ regulatory T cells (10, 11).Histone acetylation and histone deacetylation affect chromatin remodeling during T cell development and differentiation (12, 13). HAT and HDAC abnormalities have been associated with leukemia (14, 15), diabetes (16) and other diseases of the immune system (17-19). The linkage of HAT and HDAC as components of a single complex permits dynamic responsiveness to extracellular stimulation (18,20). The HAT TIP60 (Tat-interactive protein, 60 kDa), originally isolated as an HIV-1 TAT-interactive protein (21), functions as eith...

August 2018 CANCER DISCOVERY | OF2 abstRactWe evaluated the safety and activity of autologous T cells expressing NY- , an affinity-enhanced T-cell receptor (TCR) recognizing an HLA-A2-restricted NY-ESO-1/LAGE1a-derived peptide, in patients with metastatic synovial sarcoma (NY-ESO-1 c259 T cells). Confirmed antitumor responses occurred in 50% of patients (6/12) and were characterized by tumor shrinkage over several months. Circulating NY-ESO-1 c259 T cells were present postinfusion in all patients and persisted for at least 6 months in all responders. Most of the infused NY-ESO-1 c259 T cells exhibited an effector memory phenotype following ex vivo expansion, but the persisting pools comprised largely central memory and stem-cell memory subsets, which remained polyfunctional and showed no evidence of T-cell exhaustion despite persistent tumor burdens. Next-generation sequencing of endogenous TCRs in CD8+ NY-ESO-1 c259 T cells revealed clonal diversity without contraction over time. These data suggest that regenerative pools of NY-ESO-1 c259 T cells produced a continuing supply of effector cells to mediate sustained, clinically meaningful antitumor effects. SIGNIFICANCE:Metastatic synovial sarcoma is incurable with standard therapy. We employed engineered T cells targeting NY-ESO-1, and the data suggest that robust, self-regenerating pools of CD8T cells produce a continuing supply of effector cells over several months that mediate clinically meaningful antitumor effects despite prolonged exposure to antigen. Cancer Discov;8(8);

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are essential for self-tolerance and immune homeostasis. Lack of effector T cell (Teff) function and gain of suppressive activity by Treg are dependent on the transcriptional program induced by Foxp3. Here we report repression of SATB1, a genome organizer regulating chromatin structure and gene expression, as crucial for Treg phenotype and function. Foxp3, acting as a transcriptional repressor, directly suppressed the SATB1 locus and indirectly through induction of microRNAs that bound the SATB1 3′UTR. Release of SATB1 from Foxp3 control in Treg caused loss of suppressive function, establishment of transcriptional Teff programs and induction of Teff cytokines. These data support that inhibition of SATB1-mediated modulation of global chromatin remodelling is pivotal for maintaining Treg functionality.

Addition of rapamycin to cultures of expanding natural CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) helps maintain their suppressive activity, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Pim 2 is a serine/threonine kinase that can confer rapamycin resistance. Unexpectedly, pim 2 was found to be constitutively expressed in freshly isolated, resting Tregs, but not in CD4+CD25− T effector cells. Introduction of Foxp3, but not Foxp3Δ2, into effector T cells induced pim 2 expression and conferred preferential expansion in the presence of rapamycin, indicating that Foxp3 can regulate pim 2 expression. Finally, we determined there is a positive correlation between Treg expansion and Foxp3 expression in the presence of rapamycin. Together, these results indicate that Tregs are programmed to be resistant to rapamycin, providing further rationale for why this immunosuppressive drug should be used in conjunction with expanded Tregs.