Selective inhibition of CD4+ T-cell cytokine production and autoimmunity by BET protein and c-Myc inhibitors

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Sep 4;109(36):14532-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1212264109. Epub 2012 Aug 21.

Abstract

Bromodomain-containing proteins bind acetylated lysine residues on histone tails and are involved in the recruitment of additional factors that mediate histone modifications and enable transcription. A compound, I-BET-762, that inhibits binding of an acetylated histone peptide to proteins of the bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) family, was previously shown to suppress the production of proinflammatory proteins by macrophages and block acute inflammation in mice. Here, we investigated the effect of short-term treatment with I-BET-762 on T-cell function. Treatment of naïve CD4(+) T cells with I-BET-762 during the first 2 d of differentiation had long-lasting effects on subsequent gene expression and cytokine production. Gene expression analysis revealed up-regulated expression of several antiinflammatory gene products, including IL-10, Lag3, and Egr2, and down-regulated expression of several proinflammatory cytokines including GM-CSF and IL-17. The short 2-d treatment with I-BET-762 inhibited the ability of antigen-specific T cells, differentiated under Th1 but not Th17 conditions in vitro, to induce pathogenesis in an adoptive transfer model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The suppressive effects of I-BET-762 on T-cell mediated inflammation in vivo were accompanied by decreased recruitment of macrophages, consistent with decreased GM-CSF production by CNS-infiltrating T cells. These effects were mimicked by an inhibitor of c-myc function, implicating reduced expression of c-myc and GM-CSF as one avenue by which I-BET-762 suppresses the inflammatory functions of T cells. Our study demonstrates that inhibiting the functions of BET-family proteins during early T-cell differentiation causes long-lasting suppression of the proinflammatory functions of Th1 cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • Benzodiazepines / pharmacology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Cytokines / metabolism*
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / immunology*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology*
  • Histones / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Microarray Analysis
  • Nuclear Proteins / immunology*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Positive Transcriptional Elongation Factor B / metabolism
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Salivary alpha-Amylases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Thiazoles / pharmacology
  • Transcription Factors / immunology*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Transcription, Genetic / immunology*

Substances

  • 5-(4-ethylbenzylidene)-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one
  • Brd4 protein, mouse
  • Cytokines
  • Histones
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Thiazoles
  • Transcription Factors
  • Benzodiazepines
  • molibresib
  • Positive Transcriptional Elongation Factor B
  • Amy1 protein, mouse
  • Salivary alpha-Amylases

Associated data

  • GEO/GSE39886