Regulatory T cell migration is dependent on glucokinase-mediated glycolysis
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Authors
Colleges, School and Institutes
External organisations
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M6BQ, UK.
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20133, Italy.
- Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IEOS-CNR), Naples 80131, Italy.
- Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IEOS-CNR), Naples 80131, Italy; Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli "Federico II," Naples 80131, Italy.
- Discovery Sciences, Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB40WG, UK.
- Babraham Institute
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20133, Italy; IRCCS Multimedica Hospital, Milan 20138, Italy.
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20133, Italy; School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia.
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M6BQ, UK. Electronic address: f.marelli-berg@qmul.ac.uk.
Abstract
Migration of activated regulatory T (Treg) cells to inflamed tissue is crucial for their immune-modulatory function. While metabolic reprogramming during Treg cell differentiation has been extensively studied, the bioenergetics of Treg cell trafficking remains undefined. We have investigated the metabolic demands of migrating Treg cells in vitro and in vivo. We show that glycolysis was instrumental for their migration and was initiated by pro-migratory stimuli via a PI3K-mTORC2-mediated pathway culminating in induction of the enzyme glucokinase (GCK). Subsequently, GCK promoted cytoskeletal rearrangements by associating with actin. Treg cells lacking this pathway were functionally suppressive but failed to migrate to skin allografts and inhibit rejection. Similarly, human carriers of a loss-of-function GCK regulatory protein gene-leading to increased GCK activity-had reduced numbers of circulating Treg cells. These cells displayed enhanced migratory activity but similar suppressive function, while conventional T cells were unaffected. Thus, GCK-dependent glycolysis regulates Treg cell migration.
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 875-889.e10 |
| Journal | Immunity |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Publication status | Published - 21 Nov 2017 |
Keywords
- regulatory T cells, metabolism, migration, glycolysis, mTOR, CD28, CTLA-4