Akiyama N1, Shinzawa M1, Miyauchi M1, Yanai H1, Tateishi R1, Shimo Y1, Ohshima D1, Matsuo K2, Sasaki I3, Hoshino K4, Wu G5, Yagi S5, Inoue JI1, Kaisho T6, Akiyama T7
1Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
2Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
3Laboratory for Immune Regulation, World Premier International Research Center Initiative, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
4Laboratory for Immune Regulation, World Premier International Research Center Initiative, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan Laboratory for Inflammatory Regulation, Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kita-gun, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
5Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Animal Resource Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
6Laboratory for Immune Regulation, World Premier International Research Center Initiative, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan Laboratory for Inflammatory Regulation, Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
7Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) expressing the autoimmune regulator AIRE and various tissue-specific antigens (TSAs) are critical for preventing the onset of autoimmunity and may attenuate tumor immunity. However, molecular mechanisms controlling mTEC development remain elusive. Here, we describe the roles of the transcription factor Spi-B in mTEC development. Spi-B is rapidly up-regulated by receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) cytokine signaling, which triggers mTEC differentiation, and in turn up-regulates CD80, CD86, some TSAs, and the natural inhibitor of RANKL signaling, osteoprotegerin (OPG). Spi-B-mediated OPG expression limits mTEC development in neonates but not in embryos, suggesting developmental stage-specific negative feedback regulation. OPG-mediated negative regulation attenuates cellularity of thymic regulatory T cells and tumor development in vivo. Hence, these data suggest that this negative RANKL-Spi-B-OPG feedback mechanism finely tunes mTEC development and function and may optimize the trade-off between prevention of autoimmunity and induction of antitumor immunity.
