Activation of mTORC1 at late endosomes misdirects T cell fate decision in older individuals.
Sci Immunol
; 6(60)2021 06 18.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1276879
ABSTRACT
The nutrient-sensing mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is integral to cell fate decisions after T cell activation. Sustained mTORC1 activity favors the generation of terminally differentiated effector T cells instead of follicular helper and memory T cells. This is particularly pertinent for T cell responses of older adults who have sustained mTORC1 activation despite dysfunctional lysosomes. Here, we show that lysosome-deficient T cells rely on late endosomes rather than lysosomes as an mTORC1 activation platform, where mTORC1 is activated by sensing cytosolic amino acids. T cells from older adults have an increased expression of the plasma membrane leucine transporter SLC7A5 to provide a cytosolic amino acid source. Hence, SLC7A5 and VPS39 deficiency (a member of the HOPS complex promoting early to late endosome conversion) substantially reduced mTORC1 activities in T cells from older but not young individuals. Late endosomal mTORC1 is independent of the negative-feedback loop involving mTORC1-induced inactivation of the transcription factor TFEB that controls expression of lysosomal genes. The resulting sustained mTORC1 activation impaired lysosome function and prevented lysosomal degradation of PD-1 in CD4+ T cells from older adults, thereby inhibiting their proliferative responses. VPS39 silencing of human T cells improved their expansion to pertussis and to SARS-CoV-2 peptides in vitro. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of CD4+ Vps39-deficient LCMV-specific SMARTA cells improved germinal center responses, CD8+ memory T cell generation, and recall responses to infection. Thus, curtailing late endosomal mTORC1 activity is a promising strategy to enhance T cell immunity.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Endosomes
/
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
/
Signal Transduction
/
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
/
Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Animals
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Young adult
Language:
English
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Sciimmunol.abg0791
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