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The roles played by the gut microbiome in human health are increasingly recognized, and the prevalence of specific microorganisms has been correlated with different diseases. For example, blooms of the Gram-positive bacterium Ruminococcus gnavus have been correlated with inflammatory bowel disease, and recently a polysaccharide produced by this organism was shown to stimulate release of inflammatory cytokines. This stimulation was proposed to signal through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). We have synthesized the pentasaccharide repeating unit of this polysaccharide and showed that it stimulates TNF-α and IL-6 release from bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) in a TLR4-dependent manner. A related glycan does not stimulate significant cytokine release, demonstrating TLR4 selectivity in glycan recognition.

Objectives Antigen tests are an essential part of SARS-CoV-2 testing strategies. Rapid antigen tests are easy to use but less sensitive compared to nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT) and less suitable for large-scale testing. In contrast, laboratory-based antigen tests are suitable for high-throughput immunoanalyzers. Here we evaluated the diagnostic performance of the laboratory-based Siemens Healthineers SARS-CoV-2 Antigen (CoV2Ag) assay. Methods In a public test center, from 447 individuals anterior nasal swab specimens as well as nasopharyngeal swab specimens were collected. The nasal swab specimens were collected in sample inactivation medium and measured using the CoV2Ag assay. The nasopharyngeal swab specimens were measured by RT-PCR. Additionally, 9,046 swab specimens obtained for screening purposes in a tertiary care hospital were analyzed and positive CoV2Ag results confirmed by NAT. Results In total, 234/447 (52.3%) participants of the public test center were positive for SARS-CoV-2-RNA. Viral lineage B1.1.529 was dominant during the study. Sensitivity and specificity of the CoV2Ag assay were 88.5% (95%CI: 83.7–91.9%) and 99.5% (97.4–99.9%), respectively. Sensitivity increased to 93.7% (97.4–99.9%) and 98.7% (97.4–99.9%) for swab specimens with cycle threshold values Conclusions Using sample tubes containing inactivation medium the laboratory-based high-throughput CoV2Ag assay is a very specific and highly sensitive assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen in nasal swab specimens including the B1.1.529 variant. In low prevalence settings confirmation of positive CoV2Ag results by SARS-CoV-2-RNA testing is recommended.

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) detection offers highly sensitive label-free detection of biomolecular interactions. Simple and robust surface architectures compatible with real-time detection in a flow-through system are required for broad application in quantitative interaction analysis. Here, we established self-assembly of a functionalized gold nanoparticle (AuNP) monolayer on a glass substrate for stable, yet reversible immobilization of Histidine-tagged proteins. To this end, one-step coating of glass substrates with poly-L-lysine graft poly(ethylene glycol) functionalized with ortho-pyridyl disulfide (PLL-PEG-OPSS) was employed as a reactive, yet biocompatible monolayer to self-assemble AuNP into a LSPR active monolayer. Site-specific, reversible immobilization of His-tagged proteins was accomplished by coating the AuNP monolayer with tris-nitrilotriacetic acid (trisNTA) PEG disulfide. LSPR spectroscopy detection of protein binding on these biocompatible functionalized AuNP monolayers confirms high stability under various harsh analytical conditions. These features were successfully employed to demonstrate unbiased kinetic analysis of cytokine-receptor interactions. Graphical abstract Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00216-020-02551-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Engineered UCNP are used to trigger rapid photoconversion of the fluorescent protein Dendra2 with nanoscopic precision and over longer distances in mammalian cells. By exploiting the synergy of high-level thulium doping with core-shell design and elevated excitation intensities, intense UCNP emission is achieved, allowing fast photoconversion of Dendra2 with

Microorganisms have coevolved diverse mechanisms to impair host defenses. A major one, superantigens, can result in devastating effects on the immune system. While all known superantigens induce vast immune cell proliferation and come from opportunistic pathogens, recently, proteins with similar broad specificity to antibody variable (V) domain families were identified in a commensal microbiota. These proteins, identified in the human commensal Ruminococcus gnavus, are called immunoglobulin-binding protein (Ibp) A and B and have been shown to activate B cells in vitro expressing either human VH3 or murine VH5/6/7. Here, we provide molecular and functional studies revealing the basis of this Ibp/immunoglobulin (Ig) interaction. The crystal structure and biochemical assays of a truncated IbpA construct in complex with mouse VH5 antigen-binding fragment (Fab) shows a binding of Ig heavy chain framework residues to the Ibp Domain D and the C-terminal heavy chain binding domain (HCBD). We used targeted mutagenesis of contact residues and affinity measurements and performed studies of the Fab-IbpA complex to determine the stoichiometry between Ibp and VH domains, suggesting Ibp may serve to cluster full-length IgA antibodies in vivo. Furthermore, in vitro stimulation experiments indicate that binding of the Ibp HCBD alone is sufficient to activate responsive murine B cell receptors. The presence of these proteins in a commensal microbe suggest that binding a broad repertoire of immunoglobulins, particularly in the gut/microbiome environment, may provide an important function in the maintenance of host/microbiome homeostasis contrasting with the pathogenic role of structurally homologous superantigens expressed by pathogens.

The roles played by the gut microbiome in human health are increasingly recognized, and the prevalence of specific microorganisms has been correlated with different diseases. For example, blooms of the Gram-positive bacterium

Summary Innate-like T cell populations expressing conserved TCRs play critical roles in immunity through diverse developmentally acquired effector functions. Focusing on the prototypical lineage of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, we sought to dissect the mechanisms and timing of fate decisions and functional effector differentiation. Utilizing induced expression of the semi-invariant NKT cell TCR on double positive thymocytes, an initially highly synchronous wave of iNKT cell development was triggered by brief homogeneous TCR signaling. After reaching a uniform progenitor state characterized by IL-4 production potential and proliferation, effector subsets emerged simultaneously, but then diverged toward different fates. While NKT17 specification was quickly completed, NKT1 cells slowly differentiated and expanded. NKT2 cells resembled maturing progenitors, which gradually diminished in numbers. Thus, iNKT subset diversification occurs in dividing progenitor cells without acute TCR input but utilizes multiple active cytokine signaling pathways. These data imply a two-step model of iNKT effector differentiation.

Maintaining immune tolerance requires the production of Foxp3-expressing regulatory T (Treg) cells in the thymus. Activation of NF-κB transcription factors is critically required for Treg cell development, partly via initiating Foxp3 expression. NF-κB activation is controlled by a negative feedback regulation through the ubiquitin editing enzyme A20, which reduces proinflammatory signaling in myeloid cells and B cells. In naive CD4+ T cells, A20 prevents kinase RIPK3-dependent necroptosis. Using mice deficient for A20 in T lineage cells, we show that thymic and peripheral Treg cell compartments are quantitatively enlarged because of a cell-intrinsic developmental advantage of A20-deficient thymic Treg differentiation. A20-deficient thymic Treg cells exhibit reduced dependence on IL-2 but unchanged rates of proliferation and apoptosis. Activation of the NF-κB transcription factor RelA was enhanced, whereas nuclear translocation of c-Rel was decreased in A20-deficient thymic Treg cells. Furthermore, we found that the increase in Treg cells in T cell–specific A20-deficient mice was already observed in CD4+ single-positive CD25+ GITR+ Foxp3− thymic Treg cell progenitors. Treg cell precursors expressed high levels of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily molecule GITR, whose stimulation is closely linked to thymic Treg cell development. A20-deficient Treg cells efficiently suppressed effector T cell–mediated graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, suggesting normal suppressive function. Holding thymic production of natural Treg cells in check, A20 thus integrates Treg cell activity and increased effector T cell survival into an efficient CD4+ T cell response.

NKT cells represent a small subset of glycolipid-recognizing T cells that are heavily implicated in human allergic, autoimmune, and malignant diseases. In the thymus, precursor cells recognize self-glycolipids by virtue of their semi-invariant TCR, which triggers NKT cell lineage commitment and maturation. During their development, NKT cells are polarized into the NKT1, NKT2, and NKT17 subsets, defined through their cytokine-secretion patterns and the expression of key transcription factors. However, we have largely ignored how the differentiation into the NKT cell subsets is regulated. In this article, we describe the mRNA-binding Roquin-1 and -2 proteins as central regulators of murine NKT cell fate decisions. In the thymus, T cell–specific ablation of the Roquin paralogs leads to a dramatic expansion of NKT17 cells, whereas peripheral mature NKT cells are essentially absent. Roquin-1/2–deficient NKT17 cells show exaggerated lineage-specific expression of nearly all NKT17-defining proteins tested. We show through mixed bone marrow chimera experiments that NKT17 polarization is mediated through cell-intrinsic mechanisms early during NKT cell development. In contrast, the loss of peripheral NKT cells is due to cell-extrinsic factors. Surprisingly, Roquin paralog–deficient NKT cells are, in striking contrast to conventional T cells, compromised in their ability to secrete cytokines. Altogether, we show that Roquin paralogs regulate the development and function of NKT cell subsets in the thymus and periphery.

IgA is prominently secreted at mucosal surfaces and coats a fraction of the commensal microbiota, a process that is critical for intestinal homeostasis. However, the mechanisms of IgA induction and the molecular targets of these antibodies remain poorly understood, particularly in humans. Here, we demonstrate that microbiota from a subset of human individuals encode two protein "superantigens" expressed on the surface of commensal bacteria of the family Lachnospiraceae such as Ruminococcus gnavus that bind IgA variable regions and stimulate potent IgA responses in mice. These superantigens stimulate B cells expressing human VH3 or murine VH5/6/7 variable regions and subsequently bind their antibodies, allowing these microbial organisms to become highly coated with IgA in vivo. These findings demonstrate a previously unappreciated role for commensal superantigens in host-microbiota interactions. Furthermore, as superantigen-expressing strains show an uneven distribution across human populations, they should be systematically considered in studies evaluating human B cell responses and microbiota during homeostasis and disease.

Replication-deficient recombinant adenoviruses are potent vectors for the efficient transient expression of exogenous genes in resting immune cells. However, most leukocytes are refractory to efficient adenoviral transduction as they lack expression of the coxsackie/adenovirus receptor (CAR). To circumvent this obstacle, we generated the R26/CAG-CARΔ1(StopF) (where R26 is ROSA26 and CAG is CMV early enhancer/chicken β actin promoter) knock-in mouse line. This strain allows monitoring of in situ Cre recombinase activity through expression of CARΔ1. Simultaneously, CARΔ1 expression permits selective and highly efficient adenoviral transduction of immune cell populations, such as mast cells or T cells, directly ex vivo in bulk cultures without prior cell purification or activation. Furthermore, we show that CARΔ1 expression dramatically improves adenoviral infection of in vitro differentiated conventional and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DCs), basophils, mast cells, as well as Hoxb8-immortalized hematopoietic progenitor cells. This novel dual function mouse strain will hence be a valuable tool to rapidly dissect the function of specific genes in leukocyte physiology.

The cytosolic phosphatase and tensin homologue Pten-kinase PINK1 involved in mitochondrial quality control undergoes a proteolytic process inside mitochondria. It has been suggested that the protein is not fully imported into mitochondria during this maturation. Here, we have established live cell triple-color super-resolution microscopy by combining FPALM and tracking and localization microscopy (TALM) in order to unravel the spatiotemporal organization of the C-terminal kinase domain of PINK1 during this process. We find that the kinase domain is imported into active mitochondria and colocalizes with respiratory complex I at the inner mitochondrial membrane. When the processing step inside mitochondria is inhibited or mitochondria are de-energized, full length PINK1 distributes between the outer and the inner mitochondrial membranes, indicating a holdup of import. These findings give the molecular base for a dual role of PINK1—inside energized mitochondria and outside of de-energized mitochondria.

On the basis of a protein cage scaffold, we have systematically explored intracellular application of nanoparticles for single molecule studies and discovered that recognition by the autophagy machinery plays a key role for rapid metabolism in the cytosol. Intracellular stealth nanoparticles were achieved by heavy surface PEGylation. By combination with a generic approach for nanoparticle monofunctionalization, efficient labeling of intracellular proteins with high fidelity was accomplished, allowing unbiased long-term tracking of proteins in the outer mitochondrial membrane.

Regulatory T (Treg) cells safeguard against autoimmunity and overshooting inflammation. During their development in the thymus, Treg cells are selected by stronger autoantigenic T cell receptor (TCR) signals than conventional T cells. These TCR signals are critically important for the initiation of two key lineage defining events, namely induction of the transcription factor Foxp3 and hypomethylation of a specific gene set. Recent studies shed light on the role of continuous (autoreactive) TCR signals for identity, homeostasis and functions of mature Treg cells. Induced TCR ablation on mature Treg cells only minimally reduces Foxp3 expression [1, 2] and does not affect hypomethylation patterns [1]. Stable Foxp3 expression was also observed in Treg cells lacking the TCR signal transduction proteins Lck [3] or SLP-76 [4] and upon ablation of the co-stimulatory receptor CD28 [5]. Fittingly, mature Treg cells, expressing a TCR but deprived of peripheral autoantigenic stimulation due to lack of MHC II on hematopoietic cells, still express Foxp3 [6]. Therefore, once a core Treg cell identity has been established in the thymus, it is maintained independently of peripheral TCR signals. In contrast, the Treg cell surface phenotype and their signature gene expression were strongly affected by the various means of inhibiting TCR signals [1–3, 6]. However, the peripheral Treg cell pool is heterogeneous in that it consists of naive and various subsets of effector-like Treg cells. Induced TCR ablation showed that, at least under homeostatic conditions in healthy mice, effector-like Treg cells strictly depend on TCR signals for their generation and/or maintenance. Attempts to distinguish between naive and effector-like Treg cells based on CD62L/CD44 [2] or CD25 [1] expression revealed that both require TCR signals to maintain their characteristic surface phenotype and gene expression, independently of their homeostasis. Interestingly, apart from reduced levels of TCR-activated transcription factors such as Egr2 and c-Rel and their respective target genes, loss of TCR signals strongly affects IRF4-controlled genes. The concept that DNA hypomethylation ensures the expression of key Treg cell genes is supported by the reduced, but still robust expression of CTLA-4, GITR and Eos of TCR-deficient Treg cells [1]. Both induced TCR and co-stimulatory CD28 ablation cause a decline in Treg cells in the absence of thymic T cell production, which goes hand in hand with completely abrogated [1] or reduced [5] homeostatic proliferation, respectively. This is not due to reduced responsiveness to homeostatic cytokines, such as IL-2. Interestingly, Treg cells deprived of MHC II contact proliferate well in response to anti-CD3 stimulation [6] and TCR-deficient Treg cells divide when stimulated with TCR-bypassing PMA/Ionomycin [2], indicating that these cells do not become anergic to proliferation-inducing signals. The protein levels of Bcl-2 and Bim are two-fold upregulated in Treg cells upon TCR loss, to the same levels as in naive CD4 T cells [1]. However, none of the studies reported a significant difference in survival between TCR signaling impaired and normal Treg cells in vivo, and BrdU pulse-chase experiments suggest impaired turn-over/proliferation, but normal survival of Lck-deficient Treg cells [3]. Collectively, these experiments show that TCR signal-induced proliferation forms an essential homeostatic requirement for all Treg cell subsets. Treg cells suppress immune responses through the release of inhibitory cytokines, competition for IL-2, access to and functional modulation of antigen presenting cells and direct cytotoxic killing. TCR-deficient Treg cells show reduced expression of inhibitory and cytotoxic molecules including IL-10 and Granzyme B. In addition, the expression of proteins through which Treg cells regulate the functions of antigen presenting cells, such as CTLA-4, NT5E/CD73, LFA-1 and NRP1, is significantly reduced [1, 2, 6]. TCR signaling impaired Treg cells fail to efficiently suppress T cell activation and proliferation in vitro [3–6]. Conversely, augmenting TCR signaling by ablating the DAG-metabolizing kinase DGKζ enhances the in vitro suppression capacity [4]. Importantly, Treg cells require constant TCR signals to sustain their suppressive abilities in vivo: MHC II contact-deprived Treg cells fail to control naive T cell expansion upon co-transfer [6], TCR-deficient Treg cells cannot control effector T cell differentiation/proliferation and cytokine production in situ [2] and induced TCR ablation limits Treg cell-mediated control of colitis and EAE [1]. Therefore, TCR signals continuously arm Treg cells for suppression, in addition to their role in their homeostasis. Expression height of Ly-6C, which is strongly elevated in Lck-deficient [3] and TCR-deficient [1] Treg cells, appears to differentiate Treg cells receiving strong TCR signals (Ly-6C−) from those that do not (Ly-6C+) [7]. Purified Ly-6C− and Ly-6C+ Treg cells differed dramatically in phenotype, gene expression and their ability to suppress in vitro and in vivo. Accordingly, effector Treg cells are exclusively Ly-6C−. However, on average half of the TCR-deficient Treg cells lacked Ly-6C (Vahl et al., unpublished), showing that not all Ly-6C− Treg cells result from continuous TCR triggering. Modern multiparameter flow cytometry should help to further unravel the dynamic complexities of Treg cell subsets. In summary, we conclude that while TCR signals are dispensable for maintaining the core Treg cell identity, they are continuously fueling their homeostasis, effector differentiation and suppressive functions.

Background Primary immunodeficiencies represent model diseases for the mechanistic understanding of the human innate and adaptive immune response. They are clinically highly relevant per se because in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), infections caused by opportunistic pathogens are typically life-threatening early in life. Objectives We aimed at defining and functionally characterizing a novel form of SCID in an infant of consanguineous parents who presented with life-threatening Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia using a comprehensive immunologic and whole-exome genetic diagnostic strategy. Methods Analysis of leukocyte subpopulations was performed by using multicolor flow cytometry and was combined with stimulation tests for T-cell function. The search for a disease-causing mutation was performed with diagnostic whole-exome sequencing and systematic variant categorization. Reconstitution assays were used for validating the loss-of-function mutation. Results The novel entity of SCID was characterized by agammaglobulinemia and profoundly deficient T-cell function despite quantitatively normal T and B lymphocytes. Genetic analysis revealed a single pathogenic homozygous nonsense mutation of the caspase recruitment domain 11 (CARD11) gene. In reconstitution assays we demonstrated that the patient-derived truncated CARD11 protein is defective in antigen receptor signaling and nuclear factor κB activation. Conclusion We show that an inactivating CARD11 mutation links defective nuclear factor κB signaling to a novel cause of autosomal recessive SCID.

Abstract 258 Primary immunodeficiencies represent model diseases for the mechanistic understanding of the human innate and the adaptive immune response and are per se clinically highly relevant, because in SCID patients infections by opportunistic pathogens are typically life-threatening early in life. We identified an infant of consanguineous parents suffering from a novel form of SCID, who presented with a life-threatening Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. This entity was characterized by agammaglobulinemia and profoundly deficient T-cell function despite quantitatively normal T- and B-lymphocytes. Lymphocyte proliferation was strongly inhibited after stimulation of PBMCs with T-cell mitogens such as PHA, Con A, or anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody. The expression of several T-cell response associated cytokines upon stimulation with PMA/ionomycin was dramatically reduced in comparison to normal controls. By contrast, proliferation induced by the classical B-cell mitogen PWM was almost comparable to healthy controls. Immunophenotyping revealed a predominantly naïve phenotype (CD45RA+ CCR7+) in CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes, whereas central memory T-lymphocytes (CD45RA− CCR7+) were nearly absent. B-lymphocytes from peripheral blood were mainly naïve B-cells (CD27−) with a uniformly immature transitional B-lymphocyte phenotype (CD24++, CD38++). Patient B-lymphocytes retained the ability to proliferate and differentiate in response to BCR-independent stimuli, while their response to BCR activation was defective. Our findings thus revealed a combined defect of TCR-mediated T-lymphocyte functions and BCR-mediated B-lymphocyte functions but did not enable us to link the immunological phenotype with one of the known molecularly defined categories of SCID. Diagnostic whole-exome sequencing and systematic variant categorization revealed a single pathogenic homozygous nonsense mutation of the caspase recruitment domain 11 (CARD11) gene. CARD11 is a scaffold protein that is known to be required for the assembly and activation of the NF-kB complex. In reconstitution assays we demonstrated that the patient derived truncated CARD11 protein is defective in antigen receptor signaling and NF-kB activation. Several lines of evidence substantiate the involvement of the identified CARD11 mutation in the new form of SCID that we report here. First, PCR and Sanger re-sequencing validated the truncating CARD11 mutation to be homozygous in the patient and heterozygous in the parents, in agreement with the recessive transmission of the mutation through the healthy consanguineous parents. Second, CARD11 is a scaffold protein required for TCR- and BCR-induced NF-kB activation as well as lymphocyte activation and proliferation, which is specifically expressed in hematopoietic cells, consistent with a causative role of CARD11 mutations in the context of an immune disorder. Third, the GUK domain of CARD11, which is missing in the mutated form of CARD11 due to truncation, was previously reported to be necessary for NF-kB activation by PMA/ionomycin treatment, further supporting the presumed damaging nature of the homozygous CARD11 mutation observed in the female patient reported here. Finally, the immunological findings in this patient are compatible with the phenotype of a previously described Card11 −/− k.o. mouse, which shows a selective defect in NF-κB activation leading to diminished antigen receptor or PKC mediated proliferation and defective cytokine production in T-cells and B-cells. Thus, we have identified an inactivating CARD11 mutation linking defective NF-kB signaling with a novel cause of autosomal recessive SCID, which must be considered in the diagnostic assessment of patients with suspected SCID but with quantitatively normal T-cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.