Human skin-resident CD8+ T cells require RUNX2 and RUNX3 for induction of cytotoxicity and expression of the integrin CD49a.

Zitti B, Hoffer E, Zheng W, Pandey RV, Schlums H, Perinetti Casoni G, Fusi I, Nguyen L, Kärner J, Kokkinou E, Carrasco A, Gahm J, Ehrström M, Happaniemi S, Keita ÅV, Hedin CRH, Mjösberg J, Eidsmo L, Bryceson YT

Immunity 56 (6) 1285-1302.e7 [2023-06-13; online 2023-06-02]

The integrin CD49a marks highly cytotoxic epidermal-tissue-resident memory (TRM) cells, but their differentiation from circulating populations remains poorly defined. We demonstrate enrichment of RUNT family transcription-factor-binding motifs in human epidermal CD8+CD103+CD49a+ TRM cells, paralleled by high RUNX2 and RUNX3 protein expression. Sequencing of paired skin and blood samples revealed clonal overlap between epidermal CD8+CD103+CD49a+ TRM cells and circulating memory CD8+CD45RA-CD62L+ T cells. In vitro stimulation of circulating CD8+CD45RA-CD62L+ T cells with IL-15 and TGF-β induced CD49a expression and cytotoxic transcriptional profiles in a RUNX2- and RUNX3-dependent manner. We therefore identified a reservoir of circulating cells with cytotoxic TRM potential. In melanoma patients, high RUNX2, but not RUNX3, transcription correlated with a cytotoxic CD8+CD103+CD49a+ TRM cell signature and improved patient survival. Together, our results indicate that combined RUNX2 and RUNX3 activity promotes the differentiation of cytotoxic CD8+CD103+CD49a+ TRM cells, providing immunosurveillance of infected and malignant cells.

NGI Short read [Service]

NGI Stockholm (Genomics Production) [Service]

National Genomics Infrastructure [Service]

PubMed 37269830

DOI 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.05.003

Crossref 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.05.003

pii: S1074-7613(23)00220-0


Publications 9.5.0