@phdthesis{Koenig2022, author = {K{\"o}nig, Anika}, title = {The role of the transcriptional regulators NFATc1 and Blimp-1 in follicular T-cells}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-20972}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-209727}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The defense against invading pathogens is, amongst other things, mediated via the action of antibodies. Class-switched antibodies and antibodies of high affinity are produced by plasma cells descending from germinal center B (GCB) cells. GCB cells develop in the germinal center (GC), a specialized microstructure found in the B-cell follicle of secondary lymphoid organs. GCB-cell maturation and proliferation are supported by follicular T- helper (Tfh) cells. On the other hand, follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells control this process in quantity and quality preventing, for instance, the formation of autoantibodies directed against endogenous structures. The development of GCB, Tfh and Tfr cells essentially depends on the migration into the GC, which is mediated via the expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR5. One transcription factor highly expressed in follicular T cells, comprising Tfh and Tfr cells, is NFATc1. Tfr cells additionally express the transcriptional repressor Blimp-1, which is not expressed in Tfh cells. We found that NFATc1 is transactivating Cxcr5 via response elements in the promoter and enhancer in vitro. Blimp-1 binds to the same elements, transactivating Cxcr5 expression in cooperation with NFATc1, whilst mediating Cxcr5- repression on its own. In Tfr cells Blimp-1 suppresses CXCR5 expression in the absence of NFATc1. Blimp-1 itself is necessary to restrict Tfr-cell frequencies and to mediate Tfr- cell function as in mice with Blimp-1-ablated Tregs high frequencies of Tfr cells do not reduce GCB- or Tfh cell frequencies. NFATc1 and Blimp-1 double deficient Tfr cells show additional loss of function, which becomes visible in clearly expanded antibody titers. To evaluate the function of NFATc1 in Tfr cells, we not only deleted it, but also overexpressed a constitutive active form of NFATc1/aA (caNFATc1/aA) in regulatory T cells (Tregs). The latter is leading to an upregulation of CXCR5 per cell, without changing Tfh or Tfr-cell frequencies. However, the high density of surface CXCR5 enhances the migration of Tfr cells deep into the GC, which results in a tighter control of the antigen- specific humoral immune response. Additionally, caNFATc1/aA increases the expression of genes coding for Tfr effector molecules like Il1rn, Il10, Tigit and Ctla4. Interestingly, this part of the transcriptional change is dependent on the presence of Blimp-1. Furthermore, Blimp-1 regulates the expression of multiple chemokine receptor genes on the background of caNFATc1/aA. In contrast, when caNFATc1/aA is overexpressed in all T cells, the frequencies of Tfh- and GCB cells are dominantly reduced. This effect seems to stem from the conventional T- cell (Tcon) side, most probably originating from increased secretion of interleukin-2 (IL- 2) via the caNFATc1/aA overexpressing Tcons. IL-2 is known to hinder the germinal center reaction (GCR) and it might in its abundance not be neutralizable by Tfr cells. Taken together, NFATc1 and Blimp-1 cooperate to control the migration of Tfr cells into the GC. Tfr cells in the GC depend on NFATc1 and Blimp-1 to perform their proper function. Overexpression of caNFATc1 in Tregs strengthens Tfr function in a Blimp-1-dependent manner, whilst overexpression of caNFATc1 in all T cells dominantly diminishes the GCR.}, subject = {Signaltransduktion}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Geis2005, author = {Geis, Steffen}, title = {Die Rolle des Signalmolek{\"u}ls Ca 2+ in der Signaltransduktion der SC-1-induzierten Apoptose}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-17032}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde das Thema "Die Rolle des Signalmolek{\"u}ls Ca2+ in der Signaltransduktion der SC-1-induzierten Apoptose" anhand von immunhisto-chemischen, proteinbiochemischen und fluoreszenzmikroskopischen Methoden erarbeitet. Die SC-1-induzierte Apoptose stellt einen neuen intrinsischen, „death domain"-unabh{\"a}ngigen Signalweg in der Vermittlung des programmierten Zelltodes dar, der {\"u}ber die Bindung dieses Antik{\"o}rpers an CD55SC-1 ausgel{\"o}st wird. Dem Signalmolek{\"u}l Ca2+ galt besonderes Interesse bei der Charakterisierung der durch SC-1 ausgel{\"o}sten Signaltransduktion. Nach Aktivierung von CD55SC-1 durch SC-1 steigt das intrazellul{\"a}re Ca2+ um Faktor 2,7 an, stabilisiert sich danach auf dem 1,5fachen Ausgangsniveau. Dies hat keinerlei Einfluss auf die Ausf{\"u}hrung des Apoptoseprogramms, ist aber maßgeblich in das Expressionsverhalten involviert. Der Ca2+ - Einstrom ist somit nicht direkt in die Ausf{\"u}hrung der Apoptose beteiligt, durch die Hochregulation der Expression des Apoptoserezeptors verst{\"a}rkt es jedoch die Wahrscheinlichkeit der Tumorzelle, den programmierten Zelltod zu vollziehen, da durch die verst{\"a}rkte Expression dieses Apoptose-induzierenden Rezeptors auch die Wahrscheinlichkeit steigt, dass mehrere SC-1-Antik{\"o}rper binden k{\"o}nnen. Da die Quervernetzung mehrerer Rezeptoren mittels des SC-1-Antik{\"o}rpers in der Apoptoseinduktion von N{\"o}ten ist, stellt diese durch Ca2+ getriggerte {\"U}berexpression von CD55SC-1 einen essentiellen Bestandteil in der Exekution dieses Selbstmordprogrammes dar. Dieses Ergebnis gibt einen interessanten Einblick in den Signalweg der durch SC-1 induzierten Apoptose. Weiterf{\"u}hrende Experimente sind notwendig, um genauere Erkenntnisse dieser einzigartigen Form einer gewebespezifischen Apoptose zu erlangen.}, language = {de} }