Dectin-1 diversifies Aspergillus fumigatus-specific T cell responses by inhibiting T helper type 1 CD4 T cell differentiation

J Exp Med. 2011 Feb 14;208(2):369-81. doi: 10.1084/jem.20100906. Epub 2011 Jan 17.

Abstract

Pulmonary infection of mice with Aspergillus fumigatus induces concurrent T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 responses that depend on Toll-like receptor/MyD88 and Dectin-1, respectively. However, the mechanisms balancing Th1 and Th17 CD4 T cell populations during infection remain incompletely defined. In this study, we show that Dectin-1 deficiency disproportionally increases Th1 responses and decreases Th17 differentiation after A. fumigatus infection. Dectin-1 signaling in A. fumigatus-infected wild-type mice reduces IFN-γ and IL-12p40 expression in the lung, thereby decreasing T-bet expression in responding CD4 T cells and enhancing Th17 responses. Absence of IFN-γ or IL-12p35 in infected mice or T-bet in responding CD4 T cells enhances Th17 differentiation, independent of Dectin-1 expression, in A. fumigatus-infected mice. Transient deletion of monocyte-derived dendritic cells also reduces Th1 and boosts Th17 differentiation of A. fumigatus-specific CD4 T cells. Our findings indicate that Dectin-1-mediated signals alter CD4 T cell responses to fungal infection by decreasing the production of IL-12 and IFN-γ in innate cells, thereby decreasing T-bet expression in A. fumigatus-specific CD4 T cells and enabling Th17 differentiation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aspergillosis / drug therapy
  • Aspergillosis / immunology*
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / immunology*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects*
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Interleukin-12 Subunit p40 / metabolism
  • Lectins, C-Type
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Membrane Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Th1 Cells / drug effects*
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Th17 Cells / drug effects
  • Th17 Cells / immunology

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Interleukin-12 Subunit p40
  • Lectins, C-Type
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • dectin 1
  • Interferon-gamma