Systematic decoding of cis gene regulation defines context-dependent control of the multi-gene costimulatory receptor locus in human T cells


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Date

2024-06

Publication Type

Journal Article

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yes

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Abstract

Cis-regulatory elements (CREs) interact with trans regulators to orchestrate gene expression, but how transcriptional regulation is coordinated in multi-gene loci has not been experimentally defined. We sought to characterize the CREs controlling dynamic expression of the adjacent costimulatory genes CD28, CTLA4 and ICOS, encoding regulators of T cell-mediated immunity. Tiling CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screens in primary human T cells, both conventional and regulatory subsets, uncovered gene-, cell subset- and stimulation-specific CREs. Integration with CRISPR knockout screens and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq) profiling identified trans regulators influencing chromatin states at specific CRISPRi-responsive elements to control costimulatory gene expression. We then discovered a critical CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) boundary that reinforces CRE interaction with CTLA4 while also preventing promiscuous activation of CD28. By systematically mapping CREs and associated trans regulators directly in primary human T cell subsets, this work overcomes longstanding experimental limitations to decode context-dependent gene regulatory programs in a complex, multi-gene locus critical to immune homeostasis.

Publication status

published

Editor

Book title

Volume

56 (6)

Pages / Article No.

1156 - 1167

Publisher

Nature

Event

Edition / version

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Subject

Gene regulation; Immunogenetics

Organisational unit

09635 - Corn, Jacob / Corn, Jacob check_circle

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