TY - JOUR
T1 - β-catenin drives butyrophilin-like molecule loss and γδ T-cell exclusion in colon cancer
AU - Suzuki, Toshiyasu
AU - Kilbey, Anna
AU - Casa Rodriguez, Nuria
AU - Lawlor, Amy
AU - Georgakopoulou, Anastasia
AU - Hayman, Hannah
AU - Yin Swe, Kyi Lai
AU - Nordin, Anna
AU - Cantù, Claudio
AU - Vantourout, Pierre
AU - Ridgway, Rachel A.
AU - Byrne, Ryan M.
AU - Chen, Lei
AU - Verzi, Michael P.
AU - Gay, David M.
AU - Gil Vazquez, Ester
AU - Belnoue-Davis, Hayley L.
AU - Gilroy, Kathryn
AU - Kostner, Anne Helene
AU - Kersten, Christian
AU - Thuwajit, Chanitra
AU - Andersen, Ditte K.
AU - Wiesheu, Robert
AU - Jandke, Anett
AU - Blyth, Karen
AU - Roseweir, Antonia K.
AU - Leedham, Simon J.
AU - Dunne, Philip D.
AU - Edwards, Joanne
AU - Hayday, Adrian
AU - Sansom, Owen J.
AU - Coffelt, Seth B.
PY - 2023/6/13
Y1 - 2023/6/13
N2 - Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) expressing γδ T-cell receptors (γδTCRs) play key roles in elimination of colon cancer. However, the precise mechanisms by which progressing cancer cells evade immunosurveillance by these innate T cells are unknown. Here, we investigated how loss of the Apc tumor suppressor in gut tissue could enable nascent cancer cells to escape immunosurveillance by cytotoxic γδIELs. In contrast with healthy intestinal or colonic tissue, we found that γδIELs were largely absent from the microenvironment of both mouse and human tumors, and that butyrophilin-like (BTNL) molecules, which can critically regulate γδIEL through direct γδTCR interactions, were also downregulated in tumors. We then demonstrated that β-catenin activation through loss of Apc rapidly suppressed expression of the mRNA encoding the HNF4A and HNF4G transcription factors, preventing their binding to promoter regions of Btnl genes. Re-expression of BTNL1 and BTNL6 in cancer cells increased γδIEL survival and activation in co-culture assays but failed to augment their cancer-killing ability in vitro or their recruitment to orthotopic tumors. However, inhibition of β-catenin signaling via genetic deletion of Bcl9/Bcl9l in either Apc-deficient or mutant β-catenin mouse models restored Hnf4a, Hnf4g, and Btnl gene expression and γδ T-cell infiltration into tumors. These observations highlight an immune-evasion mechanism specific to WNT-driven colon cancer cells that disrupts γδIEL immunosurveillance and furthers cancer progression.
AB - Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) expressing γδ T-cell receptors (γδTCRs) play key roles in elimination of colon cancer. However, the precise mechanisms by which progressing cancer cells evade immunosurveillance by these innate T cells are unknown. Here, we investigated how loss of the Apc tumor suppressor in gut tissue could enable nascent cancer cells to escape immunosurveillance by cytotoxic γδIELs. In contrast with healthy intestinal or colonic tissue, we found that γδIELs were largely absent from the microenvironment of both mouse and human tumors, and that butyrophilin-like (BTNL) molecules, which can critically regulate γδIEL through direct γδTCR interactions, were also downregulated in tumors. We then demonstrated that β-catenin activation through loss of Apc rapidly suppressed expression of the mRNA encoding the HNF4A and HNF4G transcription factors, preventing their binding to promoter regions of Btnl genes. Re-expression of BTNL1 and BTNL6 in cancer cells increased γδIEL survival and activation in co-culture assays but failed to augment their cancer-killing ability in vitro or their recruitment to orthotopic tumors. However, inhibition of β-catenin signaling via genetic deletion of Bcl9/Bcl9l in either Apc-deficient or mutant β-catenin mouse models restored Hnf4a, Hnf4g, and Btnl gene expression and γδ T-cell infiltration into tumors. These observations highlight an immune-evasion mechanism specific to WNT-driven colon cancer cells that disrupts γδIEL immunosurveillance and furthers cancer progression.
KW - Cancer Research
KW - Immunology
U2 - 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0644
DO - 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0644
M3 - Article
JO - Cancer Immunology Research
JF - Cancer Immunology Research
SN - 2326-6074
ER -