bims-imicid 2023-06-04 papers

bims-imicid

Biomed News

on Immunometabolism of infection, cancer and immune-mediated disease

Issue of 2023–06–04
35 papers selected by
Dylan Ryan, University of Cambridge

Pyruvate metabolism controls chromatin remodeling during CD4+ T cell activation.
Biallelic NFATC1 mutations cause an inborn error of immunity with impaired CD8+ T-cell function and perturbed glycolysis.
Mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism and glutaminolysis toggle steady-state and emergency myelopoiesis.
The Scap-SREBP1-S1P/S2P lipogenesis signal orchestrates the homeostasis and spatiotemporal activation of NF-κB.
Hyperosmolarity promotes macrophage pyroptosis by driving the glycolytic reprogramming of corneal epithelial cells in dry eye disease.
Drosophila melanogaster Imd signaling interacts with insulin signaling and alters feeding rate upon parasitic nematode infection.
Mycobacterial infection alters host mitochondrial activity.
Ovol1/2 loss-induced epidermal defects elicit skin immune activation and alter global metabolism.
Role of UPRmt and mitochondrial dynamics in host immunity: it takes two to tango.
Microbiota and Nod-like receptors balance inflammation and metabolism during obesity and diabetes.
T-cell senescence induced by peripheral phospholipids.
The role of dendritic cells and their immunometabolism in rheumatoid arthritis.
Itaconate family-based host-directed therapeutics for infections.
Uptake of tumor-derived microparticles induces metabolic reprogramming of macrophages in the early metastatic lung.
B cell activation via immunometabolism in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Recombinant Treponema pallidum Protein Tp47 Promoted the Phagocytosis of Macrophages by Activating NLRP3 Inflammasome Induced by PKM2-Dependent Glycolysis.
Immunogenetic metabolomics reveals key enzymes that modulate CAR T-cell metabolism and function.
Norbergenin prevents LPS-induced inflammatory responses in macrophages through inhibiting NFκB, MAPK and STAT3 activation and blocking metabolic reprogramming.
The potential role of T-cell metabolism-related molecules in chronic neuropathic pain after nerve injury: a narrative review.
Editorial: Host-pathogen interactions: the metabolic crossroads.
Orchestral role of lipid metabolic reprogramming in T-cell malignancy.
The Role of Innate Immune Cells in Cardiac Injury and Repair: A Metabolic Perspective.
Modulation of T cells by tryptophan metabolites in the kynurenine pathway.
Macrophage scavenger receptor A1 antagonizes abdominal aortic aneurysm via upregulating IRG1.
Phenylalanine diminishes M1 macrophage inflammation.
The CD73 immune checkpoint promotes tumor cell metabolic fitness.
2-Deoxy-D-glucose inhibits lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus propagation by targeting glycoprotein N-glycosylation.
Metabolic Reprogramming During B-Cell Differentiation.
Exhaustion-associated cholesterol deficiency dampens the cytotoxic arm of antitumor immunity.
Gut microbiota derived bile acid metabolites maintain the homeostasis of gut and systemic immunity.
Gut-derived short-chain fatty acids bridge cardiac and systemic metabolism and immunity in heart failure.
Dynamic polarization of tumor-associated macrophages and their interaction with intratumoral T cells in an inflamed tumor microenvironment: from mechanistic insights to therapeutic opportunities.
Gut microbiota-derived lipid metabolites facilitate regulatory T cell differentiation.
The methylglyoxal pathway is a sink for glutathione in Salmonella experiencing oxidative stress.
Dimethyl itaconate ameliorates the deficits of goal-directed behavior in Toxoplasma gondii infected mice.

Cell Rep. 2023 Jun 01. pii: S2211-1247(23)00594-6. [Epub ahead of print]42(6): 112583

Pyruvate metabolism controls chromatin remodeling during CD4+ T cell activation.

Enric Mocholi, Laura Russo, Keshav Gopal, Andrew G Ramstead, Sophia M Hochrein, Harmjan R Vos, Geert Geeven, Adeolu O Adegoke, Anna Hoekstra, Robert M van Es, Jose Ramos Pittol, Sebastian Vastert, Jared Rutter, Timothy Radstake, Jorg van Loosdregt, Celia Berkers, Michal Mokry, Colin C Anderson, Ryan M O'Connell, Martin Vaeth, John Ussher, Boudewijn M T Burgering, Paul J Coffer.

  Upon antigen-specific T cell receptor (TCR) engagement, human CD4+ T cells proliferate and differentiate, a process associated with rapid transcriptional changes and metabolic reprogramming. Here, we show that the generation of extramitochondrial pyruvate is an important step for acetyl-CoA production and subsequent H3K27ac-mediated remodeling of histone acetylation. Histone modification, transcriptomic, and carbon tracing analyses of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH)-deficient T cells show PDH-dependent acetyl-CoA generation as a rate-limiting step during T activation. Furthermore, T cell activation results in the nuclear translocation of PDH and its association with both the p300 acetyltransferase and histone H3K27ac. These data support the tight integration of metabolic and histone-modifying enzymes, allowing metabolic reprogramming to fuel CD4+ T cell activation. Targeting this pathway may provide a therapeutic approach to specifically regulate antigen-driven T cell activation.

Keywords:  CP: Metabolism; T cell; citrate; epigenetics; epigenome remodeling; glucose metabolism; glycolysis; histone acetylation; nuclear metabolism; pyruvate; pyruvate dehydrogenase

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112583
Blood. 2023 May 30. pii: blood.2022018303. [Epub ahead of print]

Biallelic NFATC1 mutations cause an inborn error of immunity with impaired CD8+ T-cell function and perturbed glycolysis.

Sevgi Kostel Bal, Sarah Giuliani, Jana Block, Peter Repiscak, Christoph Hafemeister, Tala Shahin, Nurhan Kasap, Bernhard Ransmayr, Yirun Miao, Cheryl van de Wetering, Alexandra Frohne, Raul Jimenez-Heredia, Michael K Schuster, Samaneh Zoghi, Vanessa Hertlein, Marini Thian, Aleksandr Bykov, Royala Babayeva, Sevgi Bilgic Eltan, Elif Karakoc-Aydiner, Lisa E Shaw, Iftekhar Chowdury, Markku Varjosalo, Rafael Jose Argüello, Matthias Farlik, Ahmet Ozen, Edgar Albert Ernst Serfling, Loïc Dupré, Christoph Bock, Florian Halbritter, J Thomas Hannich, Irinka Castanon, Michael J Kraakman, Safa Baris, Kaan Boztug.

The NFAT family of transcription factors plays central roles in adaptive immunity in murine models, however, their contribution to human immune homeostasis remains poorly defined. In a multigenerational pedigree, we identified three patients carrying germline biallelic missense variants in NFATC1, presenting with recurrent infections, hypogammaglobulinemia and decreased antibody responses. The compound heterozygous NFATC1 variants identified in the patients caused decreased stability and reduced binding of DNA and interacting proteins. We observed defects in early activation and proliferation of T and B cells from these patients, amenable to reconstitution upon genetic rescue. Following stimulation, T-cell activation and proliferation were impaired, reaching that of healthy controls with delay indicative of an adaptive capacity of the cells. Assessment of the metabolic capacity of patient T cells, revealed that NFATc1-dysfunction rendered T cells unable to engage in glycolysis following stimulation, although oxidative metabolic processes were intact. We hypothesized that NFATc1-mutant T cells could compensate for the energy deficit due to defective glycolysis by enhanced lipid metabolism as an adaptation, leading to a delayed, but not lost activation responses. Indeed, we observed increased 13C-labelled palmitate incorporation into citrate indicating higher fatty acid oxidation and we demonstrated that metformin and rosiglitazone improved patient T-cell effector functions. Collectively, enabled by our molecular dissection of NFATC1 mutations and extending the role of NFATc1 in human immunity beyond receptor signaling, and reveal evidence of metabolic plasticity in the context of impaired glycolysis observed in patient T cells to remedy delayed effector responses.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2022018303
J Exp Med. 2023 Sep 04. pii: e20221373. [Epub ahead of print]220(9):

Mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism and glutaminolysis toggle steady-state and emergency myelopoiesis.

Hannah A Pizzato, Yahui Wang, Michael J Wolfgang, Brian N Finck, Gary J Patti, Deepta Bhattacharya.

To define the metabolic requirements of hematopoiesis, we examined blood lineages in mice conditionally deficient in genes required for long-chain fatty acid oxidation (Cpt2), glutaminolysis (Gls), or mitochondrial pyruvate import (Mpc2). Genetic ablation of Cpt2 or Gls minimally impacted most blood lineages. In contrast, deletion of Mpc2 led to a sharp decline in mature myeloid cells and a slower reduction in T cells, whereas other hematopoietic lineages were unaffected. Yet MPC2-deficient monocytes and neutrophils rapidly recovered due to a transient and specific increase in myeloid progenitor proliferation. Competitive bone marrow chimera and stable isotope tracing experiments demonstrated that this proliferative burst was progenitor intrinsic and accompanied by a metabolic switch to glutaminolysis. Myeloid recovery after loss of MPC2 or cyclophosphamide treatment was delayed in the absence of GLS. Reciprocally, MPC2 was not required for myeloid recovery after cyclophosphamide treatment. Thus, mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism maintains myelopoiesis under steady-state conditions, while glutaminolysis in progenitors promotes emergency myelopoiesis.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20221373
Cell Rep. 2023 Jun 01. pii: S2211-1247(23)00597-1. [Epub ahead of print]42(6): 112586

The Scap-SREBP1-S1P/S2P lipogenesis signal orchestrates the homeostasis and spatiotemporal activation of NF-κB.

Xia Fei, Jiaqi Huang, Fei Li, Yuejue Wang, Zhehua Shao, Lingling Dong, Yinfang Wu, Boran Li, Xue Zhang, Baihui Lv, Yun Zhao, Qingyu Weng, Kaijun Chen, Min Zhang, Shiyi Yang, Chao Zhang, Min Zhang, Wen Li, Songmin Ying, Qiming Sun, Zhihua Chen, Huahao Shen.

  The nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway plays essential roles in innate and adaptive immunity, but little is known how NF-κB signaling is compartmentalized and spatiotemporally activated in the cytoplasm. Here, we show that the lipogenesis signal cascade Scap-SREBP1-S1P/S2P orchestrates the homeostasis and spatiotemporal activation of NF-κB. SREBP cleavage-activating protein (Scap) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) form a super complex with inhibitors of NF-κB α (IκBα) to associate NF-κB close to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, Scap transports the complex to the Golgi apparatus, where SREBP1 is cleaved by site-1 protease (S1P)/S2P, liberating IκBα for IκB kinase (Ikk)-mediated phosphorylation and subsequent activation of NF-κB. Loss of Scap or inhibition of S1P or S2P diminishes, while SREBP1 deficiency augments, LPS-induced NF-κB activation and subsequent inflammatory responses. Our results reveal the Scap-SREBP1 complex as an additional cytoplasmic checkpoint for NF-κB homeostasis and unveil the Golgi apparatus as the optimal cellular platform for NF-κB activation, providing insights into the crosstalk between lipogenesis signaling and immunity.

Keywords:  CP: Immunology; inflammation; metabolism

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112586
Front Med. 2023 Jun 02.

Hyperosmolarity promotes macrophage pyroptosis by driving the glycolytic reprogramming of corneal epithelial cells in dry eye disease.

Yu Han, Yu Zhang, Kelan Yuan, Yaying Wu, Xiuming Jin, Xiaodan Huang.

  Tear film hyperosmolarity plays a core role in the development of dry eye disease (DED) by mediating the disruption of ocular surface homeostasis and triggering inflammation in ocular surface epithelium. In this study, the mechanisms involving the hyperosmolar microenvironment, glycolysis mediating metabolic reprogramming, and pyroptosis were explored clinically, in vitro, and in vivo. Data from DED clinical samples indicated that the expression of glycolysis and pyroptosis-related genes, including PKM2 and GSDMD, was significantly upregulated and that the secretion of IL-1β significantly increased. In vitro, the indirect coculture of macrophages derived from THP-1 and human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) was used to discuss the interaction among cells. The hyperosmolar environment was found to greatly induce HCECs' metabolic reprogramming, which may be the primary cause of the subsequent inflammation in macrophages upon the activation of the related gene and protein expression. 2-Deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG) could inhibit the glycolysis of HCECs and subsequently suppress the pyroptosis of macrophages. In vivo, 2-DG showed potential efficacy in relieving DED activity and could significantly reduce the overexpression of genes and proteins related to glycolysis and pyroptosis. In summary, our findings suggested that hyperosmolar-induced glycolytic reprogramming played an active role in promoting DED inflammation by mediating pyroptosis.

Keywords:  2-DG; dry eye disease; glycolytic reprogramming; inflammation; pyroptosis

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-023-0986-x
Heliyon. 2023 May;9(5): e16139

Drosophila melanogaster Imd signaling interacts with insulin signaling and alters feeding rate upon parasitic nematode infection.

Yaprak Ozakman, Dhaivat Raval, Ioannis Eleftherianos.

  Significant progress has been made in recent years on exploring immunometabolism, a field that integrates two processes essential for maintaining tissue and organismal homeostasis, immunity and metabolism. The nematode parasite Heterorhabditis gerrardi, its mutualistic bacteria Photorhabdus asymbiotica, and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster constitute a unique system to investigate the molecular basis of host immunometabolic response to nematode-bacterial complexes. In this study, we explored the contribution of the two major immune signaling pathways, Toll and Imd, to sugar metabolism in D. melanogaster larvae during infection with H. gerrardi nematodes. We infected Toll or Imd signaling loss-of-function mutant larvae with H. gerrardi nematodes and assessed larval survival ability, feeding rate, and sugar metabolism. We found no significant differences in the survival ability or levels of sugar metabolites in any of the mutant larvae when responding to H. gerrardi infection. However, we found that the Imd mutant larvae have higher feeding rate than controls during the early stages of infection. In addition, feeding rates are lower in Imd mutants relative to the control larvae as the infection progresses. We further showed that Dilp2 and Dilp3 gene expression increases in Imd mutants compared to controls early in the infection, but their expression levels decrease at later times. These findings indicate that Imd signaling activity regulates the feeding rate and Dilp2 and Dilp3 expression in D. melanogaster larvae infected with H. gerrardi. Results from this study facilitate our understanding of the link between host innate immunity and sugar metabolism in the context of infectious diseases caused by parasitic nematodes.

Keywords:  Drosophila; Heterorhabditis; Immunometabolism; Insulin signaling; Photorhabdus

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16139
Int Rev Cell Mol Biol. 2023 ;pii: S1937-6448(23)00007-2. [Epub ahead of print]377 87-119

Mycobacterial infection alters host mitochondrial activity.

Krishnaveni Mohareer, Sharmistha Banerjee.

  The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) to hijack host mitochondria and control host immune signaling is the key to its successful infection. Infection of M. tb causes distinct changes in mitochondrial morphology, metabolism, disruption of innate signaling, and cell fate. The alterations in mitochondria are intricately linked to the immunometabolism of host immune cells such as macrophages, dendritic cells, and T cells. Different immune cells are tuned to diverse immunometabolic states that decide their immune response. These changes could be attributed to the several proteins targeted to host mitochondria by M. tb. Bioinformatic analyses and experimental evidence revealed the potential localization of secreted mycobacterial proteins in host mitochondria. Given the central role of mitochondria in the host metabolism, innate signaling, and cell fate, its manipulation by M. tb renders it susceptible to infection. Restoring mitochondrial health can override M. tb-mediated manipulation and thus clear infection. Several reviews are available on the role of different immune cells in tuberculosis infection and M. tb evasion of immune responses; in the present chapter, we discuss the mitochondrial functional alterations in the innate immune signaling of various immune cells driven by differential mitochondrial immunometabolism during M. tb infection and the role of M. tb proteins, which are directly targeted to the host mitochondria and compromise its innate signaling system. Further studies would help in uncovering the molecular mechanisms of M. tb-directed proteins in host mitochondria to conceptualize both host- directed and pathogen- directed interventions in TB disease management.

Keywords:  Immunometabolism; Mitochondrial bioenergetics; Mitochondrial targeting factors; Mycobacteria; Restoration of mitochondrial health

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.01.007
EMBO Rep. 2023 May 30. e56214

Ovol1/2 loss-induced epidermal defects elicit skin immune activation and alter global metabolism.

Morgan Dragan, Zeyu Chen, Yumei Li, Johnny Le, Peng Sun, Daniel Haensel, Suhas Sureshchandra, Anh Pham, Eddie Lu, Katherine Thanh Pham, Amandine Verlande, Remy Vu, Guadalupe Gutierrez, Wei Li, Cholsoon Jang, Selma Masri, Xing Dai.

  Skin epidermis constitutes the outer permeability barrier that protects the body from dehydration, heat loss, and myriad external assaults. Mechanisms that maintain barrier integrity in constantly challenged adult skin and how epidermal dysregulation shapes the local immune microenvironment and whole-body metabolism remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that inducible and simultaneous ablation of transcription factor-encoding Ovol1 and Ovol2 in adult epidermis results in barrier dysregulation through impacting epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and inflammatory gene expression. We find that aberrant skin immune activation then ensues, featuring Langerhans cell mobilization and T cell responses, and leading to elevated levels of secreted inflammatory factors in circulation. Finally, we identify failure to gain body weight and accumulate body fat as long-term consequences of epidermal-specific Ovol1/2 loss and show that these global metabolic changes along with the skin barrier/immune defects are partially rescued by immunosuppressant dexamethasone. Collectively, our study reveals key regulators of adult barrier maintenance and suggests a causal connection between epidermal dysregulation and whole-body metabolism that is in part mediated through aberrant immune activation.

Keywords:  Ovol1/Ovol2; epidermis; epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP); immune; metabolism

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202256214
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023 ;13 1135203

Role of UPRmt and mitochondrial dynamics in host immunity: it takes two to tango.

Manmohan Kumar, Shagun Sharma, Shibnath Mazumder.

  The immune system of a host contains a group of heterogeneous cells with the prime aim of restraining pathogenic infection and maintaining homeostasis. Recent reports have proved that the various subtypes of immune cells exploit distinct metabolic programs for their functioning. Mitochondria are central signaling organelles regulating a range of cellular activities including metabolic reprogramming and immune homeostasis which eventually decree the immunological fate of the host under pathogenic stress. Emerging evidence suggests that following bacterial infection, innate immune cells undergo profound metabolic switching to restrain and countervail the bacterial pathogens, promote inflammation and restore tissue homeostasis. On the other hand, bacterial pathogens affect mitochondrial structure and functions to evade host immunity and influence their intracellular survival. Mitochondria employ several mechanisms to overcome bacterial stress of which mitochondrial UPR (UPRmt) and mitochondrial dynamics are critical. This review discusses the latest advances in our understanding of the immune functions of mitochondria against bacterial infection, particularly the mechanisms of mitochondrial UPRmt and mitochondrial dynamics and their involvement in host immunity.

Keywords:  ATFS-1; DRP1; MFN1; MFN2; UPRmt; bacterial infection; mitochondrial dynamics

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1135203
Biomed J. 2023 May 30. pii: S2319-4170(23)00047-1. [Epub ahead of print] 100610

Microbiota and Nod-like receptors balance inflammation and metabolism during obesity and diabetes.

Rodrigo Rodrigues E-Lacerda, Han Fang, Nazli Robin, Arshpreet Bhatwa, Daniel M Marko, Jonathan D Schertzer.

  Gut microbiota influence host immunity and metabolism during obesity. Bacterial sensors of the innate immune system relay signals from specific bacterial components (i.e., postbiotics) that can have opposing outcomes on host metabolic inflammation. NOD-like receptors (NLRs) such as Nod1 and Nod2 both recruit receptor-interacting protein kinase 2 (RIPK2) but have opposite effects on blood glucose control. Nod1 connects bacterial cell wall-derived signals to metabolic inflammation and insulin resistance, whereas Nod2 can promote immune tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and better blood glucose control during obesity. NLR family pyrin domain containing (NLRP) inflammasomes can also generate divergent metabolic outcomes. NLRP1 protects against obesity and metabolic inflammation potentially because of a bias toward IL-18 regulation, whereas NLRP3 appears to have a bias toward IL-1β-mediated metabolic inflammation and insulin resistance. Targeting specific postbiotics that improve immunometabolism is a key goal. The Nod2 ligand, muramyl dipeptide (MDP) is a short-acting insulin sensitizer during obesity or during inflammatory lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stress. LPS with underacylated lipid-A antagonizes TLR4 and counteracts the metabolic effects of inflammatory LPS. Providing underacylated LPS derived from Rhodobacter sphaeroides improved insulin sensitivity in obese mice. Therefore, certain types of LPS can generate metabolically beneficial metabolic endotoxemia. Engaging protective adaptive immunoglobulin immune responses can also improve blood glucose during obesity. A bacterial vaccine approach using an extract of the entire bacterial community in the upper gut promotes protective adaptive immune response and long-lasting improvements in blood glucose control. A key future goal is to identify and combine postbiotics that cooperate to improve blood glucose control.

Keywords:  NLRs; T2D; glucose; insulin; insulin resistance; microbiome; microbiota; obesity

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2023.100610
Cell Biol Toxicol. 2023 Jun 01.

T-cell senescence induced by peripheral phospholipids.

Mingyue Ma, Ying Yang, Zhouyi Chen, Xiaoyan Li, Zhicheng Yang, Ke Wang, Xusuo Li, Hao Fang, Yunfeng Cheng, Tiankui Qiao, Xin Zou, Zhiqiang Lu, Xiangdong Wang, Duojiao Wu.

  We present an integrated analysis of the clinical measurements, immune cells, and plasma lipidomics of 2000 individuals representing different age stages. In the study, we explore the interplay of systemic lipids metabolism and circulating immune cells through in-depth analysis of immune cell phenotype and function in peripheral dynamic lipids environment. The population makeup of circulation lymphocytes and lipid metabolites changes dynamically with age. We identified a major shift between young group and middle age group, at which point elevated, immune response is accompanied by the elevation of specific classes of peripheral phospholipids. We tested the effects in mouse model and found that 10-month-dietary added phospholipids induced T-cell senescence. However, the chronic malignant disease, the crosstalk between systemic metabolism and immunity, is completely changed. In cancer patients, the unusual plasma cholesteryl esters emerged, and free fatty acids decreased. The study reveals how immune cell classes and peripheral metabolism coordinate during age acceleration and suggests immune senescence is not isolated, and thus, system effect is the critical point for cell- and function-specific immune-metabolic targeting. • The study identifies a major shift of immune phenotype between young group and middle age group, and the immune response is accompanied by the elevation of specific classes of peripheral phospholipids; • The study suggests potential implications for translational studies such as using metabolic drug to regulate immune activity.

Keywords:  Immune senescence; Metabolism; Phospholipid; T cell; Tumor

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10565-023-09811-y
Front Immunol. 2023 ;14 1161148

The role of dendritic cells and their immunometabolism in rheumatoid arthritis.

Yuichi Suwa, Yasuo Nagafuchi, Saeko Yamada, Keishi Fujio.

  Dendritic cells (DCs) play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a prototypic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic synovitis and joint destruction. Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) with professional antigen-presenting functions are enriched in the RA synovium. In the synovium, the cDCs are activated and show both enhanced migratory capacities and T cell activation in comparison with peripheral blood cDCs. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells, another subtype of DCs capable of type I interferon production, are likely to be tolerogenic in RA. Monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs), once called "inflammatory DCs", are localized in the RA synovium, and they induce T-helper 17 cell expansion and enhanced proinflammatory cytokine production. Recent studies revealed that synovial proinflammatory hypoxic environments are linked to metabolic reprogramming. Activation of cDCs in the RA synovium is accompanied by enhanced glycolysis and anabolism. In sharp contrast, promoting catabolism can induce tolerogenic DCs from monocytes. Herein, we review recent studies that address the roles of DCs and their immunometabolic features in RA. Immunometabolism of DCs could be a potential therapeutic target in RA.

Keywords:  OXPHOS (oxidative phosphorylation); dendritic cell (DC); glycolysis (glycolytic pathway); immunometabolism; rheumatoid arthritis

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1161148
Front Immunol. 2023 ;14 1203756

Itaconate family-based host-directed therapeutics for infections.

Jae-Min Yuk, Eun-Jin Park, In Soo Kim, Eun-Kyeong Jo.

  Itaconate is a crucial anti-infective and anti-inflammatory immunometabolite that accumulates upon disruption of the Krebs cycle in effector macrophages undergoing inflammatory stress. Esterified derivatives of itaconate (4-octyl itaconate and dimethyl itaconate) and its isomers (mesaconate and citraconate) are promising candidate drugs for inflammation and infection. Several itaconate family members participate in host defense, immune and metabolic modulation, and amelioration of infection, although opposite effects have also been reported. However, the precise mechanisms by which itaconate and its family members exert its effects are not fully understood. In addition, contradictory results in different experimental settings and a lack of clinical data make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the therapeutic potential of itaconate. Here we review how the immune response gene 1-itaconate pathway is activated during infection and its role in host defense and pathogenesis in a context-dependent manner. Certain pathogens can use itaconate to establish infections. Finally, we briefly discuss the major mechanisms by which itaconate family members exert antimicrobial effects. To thoroughly comprehend how itaconate exerts its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, additional research on the actual mechanism of action is necessary. This review examines the current state of itaconate research in infection and identifies the key challenges and opportunities for future research in this field.

Keywords:  host defense; inflammation; innate immunity; itaconate; toll-like receptor

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1203756
Cell Rep. 2023 May 30. pii: S2211-1247(23)00593-4. [Epub ahead of print]42(6): 112582

Uptake of tumor-derived microparticles induces metabolic reprogramming of macrophages in the early metastatic lung.

Kelly Kersten, Ran You, Sophia Liang, Kevin M Tharp, Joshua Pollack, Valerie M Weaver, Matthew F Krummel, Mark B Headley.

  Pre-metastatic niche formation is a critical step during the metastatic spread of cancer. One way by which primary tumors prime host cells at future metastatic sites is through the shedding of tumor-derived microparticles as a consequence of vascular sheer flow. However, it remains unclear how the uptake of such particles by resident immune cells affects their phenotype and function. Here, we show that ingestion of tumor-derived microparticles by macrophages induces a rapid metabolic and phenotypic switch that is characterized by enhanced mitochondrial mass and function, increased oxidative phosphorylation, and upregulation of adhesion molecules, resulting in reduced motility in the early metastatic lung. This reprogramming event is dependent on signaling through the mTORC1, but not the mTORC2, pathway and is induced by uptake of tumor-derived microparticles. Together, these data support a mechanism by which uptake of tumor-derived microparticles induces reprogramming of macrophages to shape their fate and function in the early metastatic lung.

Keywords:  CP: Cancer; CP: Metabolism; infinity flow; lung; macrophages; metastasis

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112582
Front Immunol. 2023 ;14 1155421

B cell activation via immunometabolism in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Shigeru Iwata, Maiko Hajime Sumikawa, Yoshiya Tanaka.

  Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease involving multiple organs in which B cells perform important functions such as antibody and cytokine production and antigen presentation. B cells are activated and differentiated by the primary B cell receptor, co-stimulatory molecule signals-such as CD40/CD40L-, the Toll-like receptors 7,9, and various cytokine signals. The importance of immunometabolism in the activation, differentiation, and exerting functions of B cells and other immune cells has been widely reported in recent years. However, the regulatory mechanism of immunometabolism in B cells and its involvement in SLE pathogenesis remain elusive. Similarly, the importance of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway, glycolytic system, and oxidative phosphorylation has been demonstrated in the mechanisms of B cell immunometabolic activation, mainly in mouse studies. However, the activation of the mTOR pathway in B cells in patients with SLE, the induction of plasmablast differentiation through metabolic and transcription factor regulation by mTOR, and the involvement of this phenomenon in SLE pathogenesis are unclear. In our studies using activated B cells derived from healthy donors and from patients with SLE, we observed that methionine, an essential amino acid, is important for mTORC1 activation. Further, we observed that splenic tyrosine kinase and mTORC1 activation synergistically induce EZH2 expression and plasmablasts by suppressing BACH2 expression through epigenomic modification. Additionally, we identified another mechanism by which the glutaminolysis-induced enhancement of mitochondrial function promotes plasmablast differentiation in SLE. In this review, we focused on the SLE exacerbation mechanisms related to the activation of immune cells-especially B cells-and immunometabolism and reported the latest findings in the field.

Keywords:  B-cell; SLE; glutaminolysis; immunometabolism; mitochondria

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1155421
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2023 May 29.

Recombinant Treponema pallidum Protein Tp47 Promoted the Phagocytosis of Macrophages by Activating NLRP3 Inflammasome Induced by PKM2-Dependent Glycolysis.

Y-W Zheng, M Wang, J-W Xie, R Chen, X-T Wang, Y He, T-C Yang, L-L Liu, L-R Lin.

BACKGROUND: Glycolysis is a critical pathway in cellular glucose metabolism that provides energy and participates in immune responses. However, whether glycolysis is involved in NOD-like receptor family protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation and phagocytosis of macrophages in response to Treponema pallidum infection remains unclear.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of glycolysis in activating the NLRP3 inflammasome for regulating phagocytosis in macrophages in response to Treponema pallidum protein Tp47 and its associated mechanisms.
METHODS: Interactions between activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and phagocytosis and the role of glycolysis in Tp47-treated macrophages were investigated through experiments on peritoneal macrophages and human monocytic cell line-derived macrophages.
RESULTS: Activation of phagocytosis and NLRP3 inflammasome were observed in Tp47-treated macrophages. Treatment with NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 or si-NLRP3 attenuated Tp47-induced phagocytosis. Glycolysis and glycolytic capacity were enhanced by Tp47 stimulation in macrophages, and a change in the levels of glycolytic metabolites (phosphoenolpyruvate, citrate, and lactate) was induced by Tp47 in macrophages. Inhibition of glycolysis with 2-deoxy-D-glucose, a glycolysis inhibitor, decreased the activation of NLRP3. Expression of M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2), an enzyme catalyzing a rate-limiting reaction in the glycolytic pathway, was upregulated in Tp47-stimulated macrophages. Inhibition of PKM2 with shikonin or si-PKM2 decreased glycolysis and NLRP3 activation.
CONCLUSION: Tp47 promotes phagocytosis in macrophages by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome, which is induced by the enhancement of PKM2-dependent glycolysis.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.19231
Cancer Immunol Res. 2023 May 30. pii: CIR-22-0565. [Epub ahead of print]

Immunogenetic metabolomics reveals key enzymes that modulate CAR T-cell metabolism and function.

Paul Renauer, Jonathan J Park, Meizhu Bai, Arianny Acosta, Won-Ho Lee, Guang Han Lin, Yueqi Zhang, Xiaoyun Dai, Guangchuan Wang, Youssef Errami, Terence Wu, Paul Clark, Lupeng Ye, Quanjun Yang, Sidi Chen.

Immune evasion is a critical step of cancer progression that remains a major obstacle for current T cell-based immunotherapies. Hence, we investigated whether it is possible to genetically reprogram T cells to exploit a common tumor-intrinsic evasion mechanism whereby cancer cells suppress T-cell function by generating a metabolically unfavorable tumor microenvironment (TME). In an in silico screen, we identified ADA and PDK1 as metabolic regulators. We then showed that overexpression (OE) of these genes enhanced the cytolysis of CD19-specific chimeric-antigen receptor (CAR) T cells against cognate leukemia cells, and conversely, ADA or PDK1 deficiency dampened this effect. ADA-OE in CAR T cells improved cancer cytolysis under high concentrations of adenosine, the ADA substrate and an immunosuppressive metabolite in the TME. High-throughput transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis of these CAR T cells revealed alterations of global gene expression and metabolic signatures in both ADA- and PDK1-engineered CAR T cells. Functional and immunological analyses demonstrated that ADA-OE increased proliferation and decreased exhaustion in CD19-specific and HER2-specific CAR T cells. ADA-OE improved tumor infiltration and clearance by HER2-specific CAR T cells in an in vivo colorectal cancer model. Collectively, these data unveil systematic knowledge of metabolic reprogramming directly in CAR T cells and reveal potential targets for improving CAR T-cell therapy.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-22-0565
Front Immunol. 2023 ;14 1117638

Norbergenin prevents LPS-induced inflammatory responses in macrophages through inhibiting NFκB, MAPK and STAT3 activation and blocking metabolic reprogramming.

Wan Li, Zhengnan Cai, Florian Schindler, Sheyda Bahiraii, Martin Brenner, Elke H Heiss, Wolfram Weckwerth.

  Inflammation is thought to be a key cause of many chronic diseases and cancer. However, current therapeutic agents to control inflammation have limited long-term use potential due to various side-effects. This study aimed to examine the preventive effects of norbergenin, a constituent of traditional anti-inflammatory recipes, on LPS-induced proinflammatory signaling in macrophages and elucidate the underlying mechanisms by integrative metabolomics and shotgun label-free quantitative proteomics platforms. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, we identified and quantified nearly 3000 proteins across all samples in each dataset. To interpret these datasets, we exploited the differentially expressed proteins and conducted statistical analyses. Accordingly, we found that LPS-induced production of NO, IL1β, TNFα, IL6 and iNOS in macrophages was alleviated by norbergenin via suppressed activation of TLR2 mediated NFκB, MAPKs and STAT3 signaling pathways. In addition, norbergenin was capable of overcoming LPS-triggered metabolic reprogramming in macrophages and restrained the facilitated glycolysis, promoted OXPHOS, and restored the aberrant metabolites within the TCA cycle. This is linked to its modulation of metabolic enzymes to support its anti-inflammatory activity. Thus, our results uncover that norbergenin regulates inflammatory signaling cascades and metabolic reprogramming in LPS stimulated macrophages to exert its anti-inflammatory potential.

Keywords:  MAPK pathways; NFκB signaling pathway; TLR - toll-like receptor; anti-inflammation; macrophages; metabolomics; norbergenin; proteomics

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1117638
Front Immunol. 2023 ;14 1107298

The potential role of T-cell metabolism-related molecules in chronic neuropathic pain after nerve injury: a narrative review.

Xiaoke Dou, Rui Chen, Juexi Yang, Maosha Dai, Junhao Long, Shujun Sun, Yun Lin.

  Neuropathic pain is a common type of chronic pain, primarily caused by peripheral nerve injury. Different T-cell subtypes play various roles in neuropathic pain caused by peripheral nerve damage. Peripheral nerve damage can lead to co-infiltration of neurons and other inflammatory cells, thereby altering the cellular microenvironment and affecting cellular metabolism. By elaborating on the above, we first relate chronic pain to T-cell energy metabolism. Then we summarize the molecules that have affected T-cell energy metabolism in the past five years and divide them into two categories. The first category could play a role in neuropathic pain, and we explain their roles in T-cell function and chronic pain, respectively. The second category has not yet been involved in neuropathic pain, and we focus on how they affect T-cell function by influencing T-cell metabolism. By discussing the above content, this review provides a reference for studying the direct relationship between chronic pain and T-cell metabolism and searching for potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of chronic pain on the level of T-cell energy metabolism.

Keywords:  P2X7R; PKM2; T cell; adiponectin; chronic neuropathic pain; energy metabolism

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1107298
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023 ;13 1212051

Editorial: Host-pathogen interactions: the metabolic crossroads.

Crystal L Richards, Sébastien Bontemps-Gallo, Travis J Bourret.



Keywords:  infection; metabolism; metabolites; microbiota; pathogens

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1212051
Front Oncol. 2023 ;13 1122789

Orchestral role of lipid metabolic reprogramming in T-cell malignancy.

Arundhati Mehta, Yashwant Kumar Ratre, Vivek Kumar Soni, Dhananjay Shukla, Subhash C Sonkar, Ajay Kumar, Naveen Kumar Vishvakarma.

  The immune function of normal T cells partially depends on the maneuvering of lipid metabolism through various stages and subsets. Interestingly, T-cell malignancies also reprogram their lipid metabolism to fulfill bioenergetic demand for rapid division. The rewiring of lipid metabolism in T-cell malignancies not only provides survival benefits but also contributes to their stemness, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Owing to distinctive lipid metabolic programming in T-cell cancer, quantitative, qualitative, and spatial enrichment of specific lipid molecules occur. The formation of lipid rafts rich in cholesterol confers physical strength and sustains survival signals. The accumulation of lipids through de novo synthesis and uptake of free lipids contribute to the bioenergetic reserve required for robust demand during migration and metastasis. Lipid storage in cells leads to the formation of specialized structures known as lipid droplets. The inimitable changes in fatty acid synthesis (FAS) and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) are in dynamic balance in T-cell malignancies. FAO fuels the molecular pumps causing chemoresistance, while FAS offers structural and signaling lipids for rapid division. Lipid metabolism in T-cell cancer provides molecules having immunosuppressive abilities. Moreover, the distinctive composition of membrane lipids has implications for immune evasion by malignant cells of T-cell origin. Lipid droplets and lipid rafts are contributors to maintaining hallmarks of cancer in malignancies of T cells. In preclinical settings, molecular targeting of lipid metabolism in T-cell cancer potentiates the antitumor immunity and chemotherapeutic response. Thus, the direct and adjunct benefit of lipid metabolic targeting is expected to improve the clinical management of T-cell malignancies.

Keywords:  T cell malignancies; fatty acids; lipid droplets; lipid metabolism; lipid rafts

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2023.1122789
Curr Cardiol Rep. 2023 May 30.

The Role of Innate Immune Cells in Cardiac Injury and Repair: A Metabolic Perspective.

Durba Banerjee, Rong Tian, Shanshan Cai.

   PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Recent technological advances have identified distinct subpopulations and roles of the cardiac innate immune cells, specifically macrophages and neutrophils. Studies on distinct metabolic pathways of macrophage and neutrophil in cardiac injury are expanding. Here, we elaborate on the roles of cardiac macrophages and neutrophils in concomitance with their metabolism in normal and diseased hearts.
RECENT FINDINGS: Single-cell techniques combined with fate mapping have identified the clusters of innate immune cell subpopulations present in the resting and diseased hearts. We are beginning to know about the presence of cardiac resident macrophages and their functions. Resident macrophages perform cardiac homeostatic roles, whereas infiltrating neutrophils and macrophages contribute to tissue damage during cardiac injury with eventual role in repair. Prior studies show that metabolic pathways regulate the phenotypes of the macrophages and neutrophils during cardiac injury. Profiling the metabolism of the innate immune cells, especially of resident macrophages during chronic and acute cardiac diseases, can further the understanding of cardiac immunometabolism.

Keywords:  Cardiac homeostasis; Cardiac injury; Immunometabolism; Inflammation; Macrophage; Neutrophil

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-023-01897-4
Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2023 May 27. pii: S0165-6147(23)00089-5. [Epub ahead of print]

Modulation of T cells by tryptophan metabolites in the kynurenine pathway.

Trevor W Stone, Richard O Williams.

  Lymphocytes maturing in the thymus (T cells) are key factors in adaptive immunity and the regulation of inflammation. The kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism includes several enzymes and compounds that can modulate T cell function, but manipulating these pharmacologically has not achieved the expected therapeutic activity for the treatment of autoimmune disorders and cancer. With increasing knowledge of other pathways interacting with kynurenines, the expansion of screening methods, and the application of virtual techniques to understanding enzyme structures and mechanisms, details of interactions between kynurenines and other pathways are being revealed. This review surveys some of these alternative approaches to influence T cell function indirectly via the kynurenine pathway and summarizes the most recent work on the development of compounds acting directly on the kynurenine pathway.

Keywords:  3-hydroxyanthranilic acid; AHR; GPR35; IDO; IL4i1; T cells; autoimmunity; cancer therapy; immune tolerance; indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase; kynurenic acid; kynurenine; tryptophan

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tips.2023.04.006
Biochem Pharmacol. 2023 May 29. pii: S0006-2952(23)00222-8. [Epub ahead of print] 115631

Macrophage scavenger receptor A1 antagonizes abdominal aortic aneurysm via upregulating IRG1.

Jianan Huang, Yunlong Jiang, Ruiyuan Ji, Yutian Jia, Saiya Wang, Zhongqiu Zhou, Siying Wang, Jie Wang, Qing Yang, Hui Bai, Xudong Zhu, Bin Jiang, Jingjing Ben, Hanwen Zhang, Xiaoyu Li, Qi Chen.

   AIMS: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common, usually asymptomatic disease with high mortality and limited therapeutic options. Extensive extracellular matrix (ECM) fragmentation and transmural inflammation act as major pathological processes of AAA. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of scavenger receptor A1 (SR-A1), a key pattern recognition receptor modulating macrophage activity, in pathogenesis of AAA.
METHODS AND RESULTS: The AAA model was generated by administration of angiotensin II (Ang II) into apolipoprotein E knockout mice or peri-arterial application of calcium phosphate in C57BJ/6L mice. We found that SR-A1 was markedly down-regulated in the macrophages isolated from murine AAA aortas. Global or myeloid-specific ablation of SR-A1 aggravated vascular inflammation, loss of vascular smooth muscle cells and degradation of the extracellular matrix. These effects of SR-A1 deficiency on AAA development were mediated by suppressed immunoresponsive gene 1 (IRG1) and increased inflammatory response in macrophages. Mechanically, binding of SR-A1 with Lyn led to STAT3 phosphorylation and translocation into the nucleus, in which STAT3 promoted IRG1 transcription through directly binding to its promoter. Restoration of macrophage SR-A1 in SR-A1-deficient mice by bone marrow transplantation or administration of 4-octyl itaconate, the derivate of IRG1 product itaconate, could relieve murine AAA.
CONCLUSION: Our study reveals a protective effect of macrophage SR-A1-STAT3-IRG1 axis against aortic aneurysm formation via inhibiting inflammation.

Keywords:  4-OI, 4-octyl itaconate (PubChem CID: 14239884); Colivelin (PubChem CID: 90477169); abdominal aortic aneurysm; cryptotanshinone (PubChem CID: 160254); immunoresponsive gene 1; inflammation; macrophage; scavenger receptor A1

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115631
Sci China Life Sci. 2023 May 25.

Phenylalanine diminishes M1 macrophage inflammation.

Qingzhuo Zhang, Siyuan Chen, Yan Guo, Fang He, Jian Fu, Wenkai Ren.

  Emerging evidence suggests that amino acids dictate the effector functions of immune cells; however, whether and how phenylalanine (Phe) orchestrates the polarization of macrophages is not understood. Here, we determined that Phe attenuated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and P. multocida serotype A strain CQ2 (PmCQ2) infection-induced inflammation in vivo. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Phe inhibited the production of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in proinflammatory (M1) macrophages. Phe reprogrammed the transcriptomic and metabolic profiles and enhanced oxidative phosphorylation in M1 macrophages, which reduced the activation of caspase-1. Notably, the valine-succinyl-CoA axis played a critical role in Phe-mediated inhibition of IL-1β production in M1 macrophages. Taken together, our findings suggest that manipulating the valine-succinyl-CoA axis provides a potential target for preventing and/or treating macrophage-related diseases.

Keywords:  IL-1β; macrophage; phenylalanine; succinyl-CoA; valine

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-022-2296-0
Elife. 2023 Jun 01. pii: e84508. [Epub ahead of print]12

The CD73 immune checkpoint promotes tumor cell metabolic fitness.

David Allard, Isabelle Cousineau, Eric H Ma, Bertrand Allard, Yacine Bareche, Hubert Fleury, John Stagg.

  CD73 is an ectonucleotidase overexpressed on tumor cells that suppresses anti-tumor immunity. Accordingly, several CD73 inhibitors are currently being evaluated in the clinic, including in large randomized clinical trials. Yet, the tumor cell-intrinsic impact of CD73 remain largely uncharacterized. Using metabolomics, we discovered that CD73 significantly enhances tumor cell mitochondrial respiration and aspartate biosynthesis. Importantly, rescuing aspartate biosynthesis was sufficient to restore proliferation of CD73-deficient tumors in immune deficient mice. Seahorse analysis of a large panel of mouse and human tumor cells demonstrated that CD73 enhanced oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and glycolytic reserve. Targeting CD73 decreased tumor cell metabolic fitness, increased genomic instability and suppressed poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) activity. Our study thus uncovered an important immune-independent function for CD73 in promoting tumor cell metabolism, and provides the rationale for previously unforeseen combination therapies incorporating CD73 inhibition.

Keywords:  cancer biology; human; mouse

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.84508
Virol J. 2023 May 31. 20(1): 108

2-Deoxy-D-glucose inhibits lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus propagation by targeting glycoprotein N-glycosylation.

Lucia Baďurová, Katarína Polčicová, Božena Omasta, Ingrid Ovečková, Eva Kocianová, Jana Tomášková.

   BACKGROUND: Increased glucose uptake and utilization via aerobic glycolysis are among the most prominent hallmarks of tumor cell metabolism. Accumulating evidence suggests that similar metabolic changes are also triggered in many virus-infected cells. Viral propagation, like highly proliferative tumor cells, increases the demand for energy and macromolecular synthesis, leading to high bioenergetic and biosynthetic requirements. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the metabolic changes induced by viruses, the interaction between host cell metabolism and arenavirus infection remains unclear. Our study sheds light on these processes during lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection, a model representative of the Arenaviridae family.
METHODS: The impact of LCMV on glucose metabolism in MRC-5 cells was studied using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and biochemical assays. A focus-forming assay and western blot analysis were used to determine the effects of glucose deficiency and glycolysis inhibition on the production of infectious LCMV particles.
RESULTS: Despite changes in the expression of glucose transporters and glycolytic enzymes, LCMV infection did not result in increased glucose uptake or lactate excretion. Accordingly, depriving LCMV-infected cells of extracellular glucose or inhibiting lactate production had no impact on viral propagation. However, treatment with the commonly used glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) profoundly reduced the production of infectious LCMV particles. This effect of 2-DG was further shown to be the result of suppressed N-linked glycosylation of the viral glycoprotein.
CONCLUSIONS: Although our results showed that the LCMV life cycle is not dependent on glucose supply or utilization, they did confirm the importance of N-glycosylation of LCMV GP-C. 2-DG potently reduces LCMV propagation not by disrupting glycolytic flux but by inhibiting N-linked protein glycosylation. These findings highlight the potential for developing new, targeted antiviral therapies that could be relevant to a wider range of arenaviruses.

Keywords:  2-Deoxy-D-glucose; Antiviral therapy; Arenavirus; Cell metabolism; Glycolysis; Glycoprotein; LCMV; N-linked glycosylation; Virus-host interaction

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-023-02082-3
Methods Mol Biol. 2023 ;2675 271-283

Metabolic Reprogramming During B-Cell Differentiation.

Sophie Stephenson, Gina M Doody.

  B cells engaging with antigen and secondary signals provided by T cell help, or ligands for Toll-like receptors, undergo a step-wise process of differentiation to eventually produce antibody-secreting plasma cells. During the course of this conversion, the cells transition from a resting, non-growing state to an activated B-cell state engaged in DNA synthesis and mitosis to a terminally differentiated, quiescent cell state with expanded organelles necessary for high levels of secretion. Each of these phases is accompanied by considerable changes in metabolic requirements. To facilitate evaluation of this metabolic reprogramming, methods for the in vitro differentiation of human B cells that incorporates each of the transitional stages are described.

Keywords:  B cell; Differentiation; Plasma cell; Plasmablast

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3247-5_20
Cancer Cell. 2023 May 23. pii: S1535-6108(23)00142-3. [Epub ahead of print]

Exhaustion-associated cholesterol deficiency dampens the cytotoxic arm of antitumor immunity.

Chengsong Yan, Lin Zheng, Shutan Jiang, Haochen Yang, Jun Guo, Lu-Yi Jiang, Tongzhou Li, Haosong Zhang, Yibing Bai, Yu Lou, Qi Zhang, Tingbo Liang, Wolfgang Schamel, Haopeng Wang, Weiwei Yang, Guangchuan Wang, Zheng-Jiang Zhu, Bao-Liang Song, Chenqi Xu.

  The concept of targeting cholesterol metabolism to treat cancer has been widely tested in clinics, but the benefits are modest, calling for a complete understanding of cholesterol metabolism in intratumoral cells. We analyze the cholesterol atlas in the tumor microenvironment and find that intratumoral T cells have cholesterol deficiency, while immunosuppressive myeloid cells and tumor cells display cholesterol abundance. Low cholesterol levels inhibit T cell proliferation and cause autophagy-mediated apoptosis, particularly for cytotoxic T cells. In the tumor microenvironment, oxysterols mediate reciprocal alterations in the LXR and SREBP2 pathways to cause cholesterol deficiency of T cells, subsequently leading to aberrant metabolic and signaling pathways that drive T cell exhaustion/dysfunction. LXRβ depletion in chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells leads to improved antitumor function against solid tumors. Since T cell cholesterol metabolism and oxysterols are generally linked to other diseases, the new mechanism and cholesterol-normalization strategy might have potential applications elsewhere.

Keywords:  CAR-T cells; Intratumoral T cells; autophagy-mediated apoptosis; cholesterol deficiency; cholesterol normalization; oxysterols

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2023.04.016
Front Immunol. 2023 ;14 1127743

Gut microbiota derived bile acid metabolites maintain the homeostasis of gut and systemic immunity.

Xiaomin Su, Yunhuan Gao, Rongcun Yang.

  Bile acids (BAs) as cholesterol-derived molecules play an essential role in some physiological processes such as nutrient absorption, glucose homeostasis and regulation of energy expenditure. They are synthesized in the liver as primary BAs such as cholic acid (CA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and conjugated forms. A variety of secondary BAs such as deoxycholic acid (DCA) and lithocholic acid (LCA) and their derivatives is synthesized in the intestine through the involvement of various microorganisms. In addition to essential physiological functions, BAs and their metabolites are also involved in the differentiation and functions of innate and adaptive immune cells such as macrophages (Macs), dendritic cells (DCs), myeloid derived suppressive cells (MDSCs), regulatory T cells (Treg), Breg cells, T helper (Th)17 cells, CD4 Th1 and Th2 cells, CD8 cells, B cells and NKT cells. Dysregulation of the BAs and their metabolites also affects development of some diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases. We here summarize recent advances in how BAs and their metabolites maintain gut and systemic homeostasis, including the metabolism of the BAs and their derivatives, the role of BAs and their metabolites in the differentiation and function of immune cells, and the effects of BAs and their metabolites on immune-associated disorders.

Keywords:  bile acids; deoxycholic acid; gut microbiota; lithocholic acid; regulatory B cells; regulatory T cells; tolerogenic macrophages

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1127743
J Nutr Biochem. 2023 May 26. pii: S0955-2863(23)00103-1. [Epub ahead of print] 109370

Gut-derived short-chain fatty acids bridge cardiac and systemic metabolism and immunity in heart failure.

Anzhu Wang, Zhendong Li, Zhuo Sun, Dawu Zhang, Xiaochang Ma.

  Heart failure (HF) represents a group of complex clinical syndromes with high morbidity and mortality and has a significant global health burden. Inflammation and metabolic disorders are closely related to the development of HF, which are complex and depend on the severity and type of HF and common metabolic comorbidities such as obesity and diabetes. An increasing body of evidence indicates the importance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in regulating cardiac function. In addition, SCFAs represent a unique class of metabolites and play a distinct role in shaping systemic immunity and metabolism. In this review, we reveal the role of SCFAs as a link between metabolism and immunity, which regulate cardiac and systemic immune and metabolic systems by acting as energy substrates, inhibiting the expression of histone deacetylase (HDAC) regulated genes and activating G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) signaling. Ultimately cardiac efficiency is improved, cardiac inflammation alleviated and cardiac function in failing hearts enhanced. In conclusion, SCFAs represent a new therapeutic approach for HF.

Keywords:  dietary fiber; gut microbiota; heart failure; immunity; metabolism; short-chain fatty acids

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2023.109370
Front Immunol. 2023 ;14 1160340

Dynamic polarization of tumor-associated macrophages and their interaction with intratumoral T cells in an inflamed tumor microenvironment: from mechanistic insights to therapeutic opportunities.

Jiashu Han, Luochu Dong, Mengwei Wu, Fei Ma.

  Immunotherapy has brought a paradigm shift in the treatment of tumors in recent decades. However, a significant proportion of patients remain unresponsive, largely due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play crucial roles in shaping the TME by exhibiting dual identities as both mediators and responders of inflammation. TAMs closely interact with intratumoral T cells, regulating their infiltration, activation, expansion, effector function, and exhaustion through multiple secretory and surface factors. Nevertheless, the heterogeneous and plastic nature of TAMs renders the targeting of any of these factors alone inadequate and poses significant challenges for mechanistic studies and clinical translation of corresponding therapies. In this review, we present a comprehensive summary of the mechanisms by which TAMs dynamically polarize to influence intratumoral T cells, with a focus on their interaction with other TME cells and metabolic competition. For each mechanism, we also discuss relevant therapeutic opportunities, including non-specific and targeted approaches in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and cellular therapies. Our ultimate goal is to develop macrophage-centered therapies that can fine-tune tumor inflammation and empower immunotherapy.

Keywords:  immunometabolic dysregulation; immunotherapy; inflammation; macrophage polarization; tumor microenvironment; tumor-associated macrophages

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1160340
Sci Rep. 2023 Jun 01. 13(1): 8903

Gut microbiota-derived lipid metabolites facilitate regulatory T cell differentiation.

Hiroaki Shiratori, Hiroyuki Oguchi, Yosuke Isobe, Kyu-Ho Han, Akira Sen, Kyosuke Yakebe, Daisuke Takahashi, Michihiro Fukushima, Makoto Arita, Koji Hase.

Commensal bacteria-derived metabolites are critical in regulating the host immune system. Although the impact of gut microbiota-derived hydrophilic metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, on immune cell functions and development has been well documented, the immunomodulatory effects of gut microbiota-derived lipids are still of interest. Here, we report that lipid extracts from the feces of specific-pathogen-free (SPF), but not germ-free (GF), mice showed regulatory T (Treg)-cell-inducing activity. We conducted RP-HPLC-based fractionation and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based lipidome profiling and identified two bioactive lipids, 9,10-dihydroxy-12Z-octadecenoic acid (9,10-DiHOME) and all-trans retinoic acid (atRA), with Treg-inducing activity in vitro. The luminal abundance of 9,10-DiHOME in the large intestine was significantly decreased by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, indicating that 9,10-DiHOME may be a potential biomarker of colitis. These observations implied that commensal bacteria-derived lipophilic metabolites might contribute to Treg development in the large intestine.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35097-5
PLoS Pathog. 2023 Jun 02. 19(6): e1011441

The methylglyoxal pathway is a sink for glutathione in Salmonella experiencing oxidative stress.

Sashi Kant, Lin Liu, Andres Vazquez-Torres.

Salmonella suffer the cytotoxicity of reactive oxygen species generated by the phagocyte NADPH oxidase in the innate host response. Periplasmic superoxide dismutases, catalases and hydroperoxidases detoxify superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) synthesized in the respiratory burst of phagocytic cells. Glutathione also helps Salmonella combat the phagocyte NADPH oxidase; however, the molecular mechanisms by which this low-molecular-weight thiol promotes resistance of Salmonella to oxidative stress are currently unknown. We report herein that Salmonella undergoing oxidative stress transcriptionally and functionally activate the methylglyoxal pathway that branches off from glycolysis. Activation of the methylglyoxal pathway consumes a substantial proportion of the glutathione reducing power in Salmonella following exposure to H2O2. The methylglyoxal pathway enables Salmonella to balance glucose utilization with aerobic respiratory outputs. Salmonella take advantage of the metabolic flexibility associated with the glutathione-consuming methylglyoxal pathway to resist reactive oxygen species generated by the enzymatic activity of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase in macrophages and mice. Taken together, glutathione fosters oxidative stress resistance in Salmonella against the antimicrobial actions of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase by promoting the methylglyoxal pathway, an offshoot metabolic adaptation of glycolysis.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1011441
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2023 May;17(5): e0011350

Dimethyl itaconate ameliorates the deficits of goal-directed behavior in Toxoplasma gondii infected mice.

Yongshuai Wu, Daxiang Xu, Yan He, Ziyi Yan, Rundong Liu, Zhuanzhuan Liu, Cheng He, Xiaomei Liu, Yinghua Yu, Xiaoying Yang, Wei Pan.

BACKGROUND: The neurotrophic parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) has been implicated as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. However, there is only limited information concerning its underlying mechanism and therapeutic strategy. Here, we investigated the effects of T. gondii chronic infection on the goal-directed cognitive behavior in mice. Moreover, we evaluated the preventive and therapeutic effect of dimethyl itaconate on the behavior deficits induced by the parasite.
METHODS: The infection model was established by orally infecting the cysts of T. gondii. Dimethyl itaconate was intraperitoneally administered before or after the infection. Y-maze and temporal order memory (TOM) tests were used to evaluate the prefrontal cortex-dependent behavior performance. Golgi staining, transmission electron microscopy, indirect immunofluorescence, western blot, and RNA sequencing were utilized to determine the pathological changes in the prefrontal cortex of mice.
RESULTS: We showed that T. gondii infection impaired the prefrontal cortex-dependent goal-directed behavior. The infection significantly downregulated the expression of the genes associated with synaptic transmission, plasticity, and cognitive behavior in the prefrontal cortex of mice. On the contrary, the infection robustly upregulated the expression of activation makers of microglia and astrocytes. In addition, the metabolic phenotype of the prefrontal cortex post infection was characterized by the enhancement of glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation, the blockage of the Krebs cycle, and the disorder of aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1)-itaconate axis. Notably, the administration of dimethyl itaconate significantly prevented and treated the cognitive impairment induced by T. gondii, which was evidenced by the improvement of behavioral deficits, synaptic ultrastructure lesion and neuroinflammation.
CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that T. gondii infection induces the deficits of the goal-directed behavior, which is associated with neuroinflammation, the impairment of synaptic ultrastructure, and the metabolic shifts in the prefrontal cortex of mice. Moreover, we report that dimethyl itaconate has the potential to prevent and treat the behavior deficits.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011350