Chronic T cell receptor stimulation unmasks NK receptor signaling in peripheral T cell lymphomas via epigenetic reprogramming
Sylvain Carras, … , Emmanuel Bachy, Laurent Genestier
Sylvain Carras, … , Emmanuel Bachy, Laurent Genestier
Published May 27, 2021
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2021;131(13):e139675. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI139675.
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Chronic T cell receptor stimulation unmasks NK receptor signaling in peripheral T cell lymphomas via epigenetic reprogramming

Abstract

Peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCLs) represent a significant unmet medical need with dismal clinical outcomes. The T cell receptor (TCR) is emerging as a key driver of T lymphocyte transformation. However, the role of chronic TCR activation in lymphomagenesis and in lymphoma cell survival is still poorly understood. Using a mouse model, we report that chronic TCR stimulation drove T cell lymphomagenesis, whereas TCR signaling did not contribute to PTCL survival. The combination of kinome, transcriptome, and epigenome analyses of mouse PTCLs revealed a NK cell–like reprogramming of PTCL cells with expression of NK receptors (NKRs) and downstream signaling molecules such as Tyrobp and SYK. Activating NKRs were functional in PTCLs and dependent on SYK activity. In vivo blockade of NKR signaling prolonged mouse survival, demonstrating the addiction of PTCLs to NKRs and downstream SYK/mTOR activity for their survival. We studied a large collection of human primary samples and identified several PTCLs recapitulating the phenotype described in this model by their expression of SYK and the NKR, suggesting a similar mechanism of lymphomagenesis and establishing a rationale for clinical studies targeting such molecules.

Authors

Sylvain Carras, Dimitri Chartoire, Sylvain Mareschal, Maël Heiblig, Antoine Marçais, Rémy Robinot, Mirjam Urb, Roxane M. Pommier, Edith Julia, Amel Chebel, Aurélie Verney, Charlotte Bertheau, Emilie Bardel, Caroline Fezelot, Lucien Courtois, Camille Lours, Alyssa Bouska, Sunandini Sharma, Christine Lefebvre, Jean-Pierre Rouault, David Sibon, Anthony Ferrari, Javeed Iqbal, Laurence de Leval, Philippe Gaulard, Alexandra Traverse-Glehen, Pierre Sujobert, Mathieu Blery, Gilles Salles, Thierry Walzer, Emmanuel Bachy, Laurent Genestier

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Figure 2

TCR stimulation is required for lymphomagenesis but dispensable for mPTCL survival.

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TCR stimulation is required for lymphomagenesis but dispensable for mPTC...
(A) Heatmap of all genes included in the GSEA for the TCR signaling pathway in mPTCL cells compared with normal resting and activated T cells. (B) GSEA of a set of genes from the TCR signaling pathway. The downward deflection indicates enrichment of the TCR signaling pathway signature in normal T cells (P = 0.007, nominal permutation P value based on 1000 permutations). NES, normalized enrichment score. (C) Kaplan-Meier survival curves for WT mice receiving mPTCL cells and treated with CsA (20 mg/kg; n = 5) or vehicle alone (Ctrl; n = 5). P value was determined by log-rank test. Shown are results from 1 representative experiment among 3 tested with different PTCLs. (D) Kaplan-Meier survival curves for WT mice (n = 5 for each group) transferred with mPTCL cells genetically invalidated for Cd3e or Ilr2b using Alt-R CRISPR/Cas9 sgRNA targeting either of these genes, or transfected with control sgRNA (sgCtrl). *P < 0.05, by log-rank test and Holm’s post hoc correction. Data are representative of 2 independent experiments using different mPTCL cells.