Hyperactivating EZH2 to augment H3K27me3 levels in regulatory T cells enhances immune suppression by driving early effector differentiation
Janneke G. C. Peeters, Stephanie Silveria, Merve Özdemir, Srinivas Ramachandran, Michel DuPage
Abstract
The immunosuppressive function of regulatory T (Treg) cells is essential for maintaining immune homeostasis. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) methyltransferase, plays a key role in maintaining Treg cell function upon CD28 co-stimulation, and Ezh2 deletion in Treg cells causes autoimmunity. Here, we assess whether increasing H3K27me3 levels, by using an Ezh2 Y641F gain-of-function mutation, will improve Treg cell function. We find that Treg cells expressing Ezh2 Y641F display an effector Treg phenotype, are poised for improved homing to organ tissues, and can accelerate remission from autoimmunity. The H3K27me3 landscape and transcriptome of naive Ezh2 Y641F Treg cells exhibit a redistribution of H3K27me3 modifications that recapitulates the gene expression profile of activated Ezh2 WT Treg cells after CD28 co-stimulation. Altogether, increased H3K27me3 levels promote the differentiation of effector Treg cells that can better suppress autoimmunity.