TY - JOUR
T1 - Estrogen-related receptor-α is a metabolic regulator of effector T-cell activation and differentiation
AU - Michalek, Ryan D.
AU - Gerriets, Valerie A.
AU - Nichols, Amanda G.
AU - Inoue, Makoto
AU - Kazmin, Dmitri
AU - Chang, Ching Yi
AU - Dwyer, Mary A.
AU - Nelson, Erik R.
AU - Pollizzi, Kristen N.
AU - Ilkayeva, Olga
AU - Giguere, Vincent
AU - Zuercher, William J.
AU - Powell, Jonathan D.
AU - Shinohara, Mari L.
AU - McDonnell, Donald P.
AU - Rathmell, Jeffrey C.
PY - 2011/11/8
Y1 - 2011/11/8
N2 - Stimulation of resting CD4 + T lymphocytes leads to rapid proliferation and differentiation into effector (Teff) or inducible regulatory (Treg) subsets with specific functions to promote or suppress immunity. Importantly, Teff and Treg use distinct metabolic programs to support subset specification, survival, and function. Here, we describe that the orphan nuclear receptor estrogen-related receptor-α (ERRα) regulates metabolic pathways critical for Teff. Resting CD4 + T cells expressed low levels of ERRα protein that increased on activation. ERRα deficiency reduced activated T-cell numbers in vivo and cytokine production in vitro but did not seem to modulate immunity through inhibition of activating signals or viability. Rather, ERRα broadly affected metabolic gene expression and glucose metabolism essential for Teff. In particular, up-regulation of Glut1 protein, glucose uptake, and mitochondrial processes were suppressed in activated ERRα -/- T cells and T cells treated with two chemically independent ERRα inhibitors or by shRNAi. Acute ERRα inhibition also blocked T-cell growth and proliferation. This defect appeared as a result of inadequate glucose metabolism, because provision of lipids, but not increased glucose uptake or pyruvate, rescued ATP levels and cell division. Additionally, we have shown that Treg requires lipid oxidation, whereas Teff uses glucose metabolism, and lipid addition selectively restored Treg - but not Teff - generation after acute ERRα inhibition. Furthermore, in vivo inhibition of ERRα reduced T-cell proliferation and Teff generation in both immunization and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis models. Thus, ERRα is a selective transcriptional regulator of Teff metabolism that may provide a metabolic means to modulate immunity.
AB - Stimulation of resting CD4 + T lymphocytes leads to rapid proliferation and differentiation into effector (Teff) or inducible regulatory (Treg) subsets with specific functions to promote or suppress immunity. Importantly, Teff and Treg use distinct metabolic programs to support subset specification, survival, and function. Here, we describe that the orphan nuclear receptor estrogen-related receptor-α (ERRα) regulates metabolic pathways critical for Teff. Resting CD4 + T cells expressed low levels of ERRα protein that increased on activation. ERRα deficiency reduced activated T-cell numbers in vivo and cytokine production in vitro but did not seem to modulate immunity through inhibition of activating signals or viability. Rather, ERRα broadly affected metabolic gene expression and glucose metabolism essential for Teff. In particular, up-regulation of Glut1 protein, glucose uptake, and mitochondrial processes were suppressed in activated ERRα -/- T cells and T cells treated with two chemically independent ERRα inhibitors or by shRNAi. Acute ERRα inhibition also blocked T-cell growth and proliferation. This defect appeared as a result of inadequate glucose metabolism, because provision of lipids, but not increased glucose uptake or pyruvate, rescued ATP levels and cell division. Additionally, we have shown that Treg requires lipid oxidation, whereas Teff uses glucose metabolism, and lipid addition selectively restored Treg - but not Teff - generation after acute ERRα inhibition. Furthermore, in vivo inhibition of ERRα reduced T-cell proliferation and Teff generation in both immunization and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis models. Thus, ERRα is a selective transcriptional regulator of Teff metabolism that may provide a metabolic means to modulate immunity.
KW - AMPK
KW - Fatty acid
KW - Glycolysis
KW - Mammalian target of rapamycin
KW - Oxidative metabolism
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.1108856108
DO - 10.1073/pnas.1108856108
M3 - Article
C2 - 22042850
AN - SCOPUS:81055126129
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 108
SP - 18348
EP - 18353
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 45
ER -