Takao Yoshida

IFN-α Directly Promotes Programmed Cell Death-1 Transcription and Limits the Duration of T Cell-Mediated Immunity

Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) is an inhibitory coreceptor for T lymphocytes that provides feedback inhibition of T cell activation. Although PD-1’s expression on T cells is known to be activation dependent, the factors that determine the timing, intensity, and duration of PD-1 expression in immune reactions are not fully understood. To address this question, we performed a fine mapping analysis of a conserved 5′-flanking region of the PD-1 gene and identified a putative IFN stimulation response element, which was responsible for PD-1 transcription in the 2B4.11 T cell line. Consistent with this finding, activation by IFN-α enhanced both the induction and maintenance of PD-1 expression on TCR-engaged primary mouse T cells through an association IFN-responsive factor 9 (IRF9) to the IFN stimulation response element. Furthermore, PD-1 expression on Ag-specific CD8+ T cells was augmented by IFN-α in vivo. We propose that strong innate inflammatory responses promote primary T cell activation and their differentiation into effector cells, but also cause an attenuated T cell response in sustained immune reactions, at least partially through type I IFN-mediated PD-1 transcription. Based on this idea, we demonstrate that IFN-α administration in combination with PD-1 blockade in tumor-bearing mice effectively augments the antitumor immunity, and we propose this as a novel and rational approach for cancer immunotherapy.

PD-1-mediated suppression of IL-2 production induces CD8+ T cell anergy in vivo

Accumulating evidence suggests that PD-1, an immuno-inhibitory receptor expressed on activated T cells, regulates peripheral T cell tolerance. In particular, PD-1 is involved in the induction and/or maintenance of T cells’ intrinsic unresponsiveness to previously encountered Ags, although the mechanism is yet to be determined. We used a simple experimental model to dissect the mechanism for anergy establishment, in which 2C TCR transgenic rag2−/− PD-1+/+ mice were anergized by a single injection of a cognate peptide. Interestingly, 2C rag2−/− PD-1−/− mice were totally resistant to anergy induction by the same treatment; thus, PD-1 was responsible for anergy induction. Furthermore, PD-1 expression was induced within 24 h of the initial Ag exposure. The establishment of anergy was associated with a marked down-regulation of IL-2 from the CD8+ T cells. In fact, IL-2 blockade resulted in anergy even in 2C rag2−/−PD-1−/− T cells. Furthermore, the complementation of the IL-2 signal in 2C rag2−/− PD-1+/+ mice reversed the anergy induction. We propose that CD8+ T cell anergy is induced by a reduction of cell-autonomous IL-2 synthesis, which is caused by the quick expression of PD-1 in response to Ag stimulation and the subsequent stimulation of this receptor by its ligands on surrounding cells.