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. 2012 Apr;142(4):865-874.e2.
doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2011.12.036. Epub 2011 Dec 24.

The membrane-bound mucin Muc1 regulates T helper 17-cell responses and colitis in mice

Atsushi Nishida  1 , Cindy W Lau, Mei Zhang, Akira Andoh, Hai Ning Shi, Emiko Mizoguchi, Atsushi Mizoguchi
Affiliations

The membrane-bound mucin Muc1 regulates T helper 17-cell responses and colitis in mice

Atsushi Nishida et al. Gastroenterology. 2012 Apr.

Abstract

Background & aims: T helper (Th) 17 cells produce the effector cytokine interleukin (IL)-17, along with IL-22, which stimulates colonic epithelial cells to produce a membrane-bound mucin, Muc1. Muc1 is a component of the colonic mucus, which functions as a lubricant and a physiologic barrier between luminal contents and mucosal surface. The gene MUC1 has been associated with susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease; we investigated the role of Muc1 in development of colitis in mice.

Methods: Muc1 and RAG1 were disrupted in mice (Muc/RAG double knockout mice); Th1-mediated colitis was induced by intravenous injection of CD4(+)CD45RB(high) T cells. We also studied Th2-mediated colitis using mice with disruptions in Muc1 and T-cell receptor α chain (Muc/TCR double knockout mice).

Results: Muc1 deficiency led to the development of more severe forms of Th1- and Th2-induced colitis than controls. Loss of Muc1 increased colonic permeability and the Th17-cell, but not Th2 or Th1 cell, response in the inflamed colon. Loss of Muc1 also promoted expansion of an innate lymphoid cell population (Lin(-) ckit(-) Thy1(+) Sca1(+)) that produces IL-17. The expansion of Th17 adaptive immune cells and innate lymphoid cells required the commensal microbiota.

Conclusions: Muc1, which is up-regulated by Th17 signaling, functions in a negative feedback pathway that prevents an excessive Th17 cell response in inflamed colons of mice. Disruption of this negative feedback pathway, perhaps by variants in Muc1, might contribute to inflammatory bowel disease in patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest:

The authors disclose no conflicts.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Protective role of Muc1 in Th2-mediated colitis: (A) Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis shows the expression levels of Muc1 in the colonic epithelial cells from WT mice (open bars) and TCRαKO mice without (shaded bars) or with (solid bars) colitis. *P < .05. (B) Histology of colon (original magnification, ×4) from Muc1 KO (left panel), TCRαKO (middle panel), and Muc/TCR DKO (right panel) at 6 months of age is shown. Colitis in TCRαKO mice is characterized by elongation of epithelial crypt, whereas epithelial cell damage with more exacerbated inflammatory cell infiltration is observed in the colon of Muc/TCR DKO mice. (C) The disease scores of Muc1 KO, TCRαKO, and Muc/TCR DKO mice are summarized. Each dot represents an individual mouse. **P < .0005. (D) Absolute numbers of infiltrated cells into the colon of Muc1 KO (n = 8), TCRαKO (n = 8), and Muc/TCR DKO (n = 8) mice are shown. *P < .05, **P < .005. (E) Immunohistochemical analysis of colon from TCRαKO (left panel) vs Muc/TCR DKO (right panel) mice using anti-Gr1 monoclonal antibodies is shown. (F) Myeloperoxidase assay suggests the increased neutrophil activity in the inflamed colon of Muc/TCR DKO mice as compared with TCRαKO mice.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Enhanced Th1, but not Th2, response in Th2-mediated colitis by absence of Muc1. (A) Absolute numbers of CD4+ T cells in the inflamed colon of TCRαKO (n = 6) vs Muc/TCR DKO (n = 6) mice are shown. **P < .001. (B) CD4+ T cells from the inflamed colon of TCRαKO (left panel) vs Muc/TCR (right panel) mice were stimulated with phorbor-12, 13-dibutylate and subjected to fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. Representative figures on the expressions of IL-17 vs IL-4 in the colonic CD4+ T cells are shown. (C) Immunofluorescent staining shows the expressions of IL-17F (green, left panel) vs CD4 (red, middle panel) in the inflamed colon of Muc/TCR DKO mice. The merge image is shown in right panel. The result is representative of 9 Muc/TCR DKO mice. (D) Absolute numbers of colonic CD4+ T cells expressing IL-17 (Th17, left panel), IL-4 (Th2, middle panel), or IFN-γ (Th1, right panel) are summarized. *P < .01. (E) Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis shows the expression levels of IL-17A, IL-17F, RORγt, IL-4, GATA3, IFN-γ, and T-bet in the colonic CD4+ T cells from TCRαKO (open bars) vs Muc/TCR DKO (solid bars) mice. The data represent the average (n = 5) of the values of 2−CT of target molecules/2−CT of β-actin. *P < .05, **P< .0005.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Increased IL-17-producing innate cell population in the absence of Muc1. (A) Colonic cells from inflamed colon of Muc/TCR DKO mice were stimulated with phorbor-12,13-dibutylate and subjected to cytokine fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. IL-17 productions are observed in both CD4 + and CD4− cell populations. (B) Expressions of IL-17 vs TCRγδ in total cells from the inflamed colon of Muc/TCR DKO mice after stimulation with phorbor-12,13-dibutylate are shown IL-17 productions are recognized in TCRγδ− but not TCRγδ+ cell population. (C) Representative figures of Sca1+ Thy1+ cells in the gated lin− cKit− cell population from the inflamed colon of TCRαKO (left panel) vs Muc/TCR (right panel) mice are shown. (D) Absolute numbers of Lin− cKit− Sca1+ Thy1+ cells in the inflamed colon of TCRαKO (n = 3) and Muc/TCR (n = 4) are summarized. **P < .0005 (E) Expression of IL-17 in the colonic Lin− cKit− Sca1+ Thy1+ cells of Muc/TCR DKO mouse is shown. This observation was representative in 8 separate experiments.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Requirement of commensal microbiota for the enhanced Th17 response by absence of Muc1. Muc/TCR DKO mice with colitis were treated with a combination of antibiotics for 3 weeks. (A) Expressions of IL-17 in colonic CD4+ T cells from Muc/TCR DKO mice without (left panel) vs with (middle panel) antibiotics treatment are shown. Absolute numbers of colonic Th17 cells in Muc/TCR DKO mice without (n = 5) vs with (n = 5) antibiotics treatment are summarized in right panel. *P < .05. (B) Representative figures of Sca1+Thy1+ cells in the gated lin− cKit− cell population from the colon of Muc/TCR DKO mice without (left panel) or with (middle panel) antibiotics treatment are shown. The absolute numbers of Lin− cKit− Sca1+ Thy1+ cells are summarized in right panel. **P < .0005. (C) Absolute numbers of inflammatory cell infiltrates into the colon of Muc/TCR DKO mice without vs with antibiotics treatment are summarized. *P < .01. (D) After rectal administration of horseradish peroxidase, serum horseradish peroxidase concentrations in TCRαKO (open bars) vs Muc/TCR DKO (solid bars) mice were measured at 0, 45, and 120 minutes. **P < .005. (E) OVA-loaded colonic DCs from TCRαKO mice and Muc/TCR DKO mice induce Th1, but not Th17 or Th2, responses of OVA-specific CD4+ T cells. The data are representative in 2 individual mice.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Protective role of Muc1 in Th1-mediated colitis. (A) Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis shows the expression levels of Muc1 in the colonic epithelial cells from WT mice (open bar) and RAG1 KO mice without (shaded bar) or with (solid bar) transfer of CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells. *P < .005. (B) Colonic histology (original magnification, ×4) of recipient RAG KO (top panel) vs Muc/RAG DKO (bottom panel) at 8 weeks after adaptive transfer of CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells from WT mice is shown. More severe colitis with granulomas (arrow) is recognized in the recipient Muc/RAG DKO mice. (C) High magnification (original magnification, ×40) of representative granuloma seen in Muc/RAG DKO mice with transfer of WT CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells is shown. (D) Disease scores of recipient RAG KO vs Muc/RAG DKO at 8 weeks after adaptive transfer of WT CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells are summarized. Each dot represents an individual mouse. *P < .001.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Enhanced Th17, but not Th1, response in Th1-mediated colitis by absence of Muc1. (A) Expressions of IFN-γ vs IL-17 in colonic CD4+ T cells from RAG KO (left panel) vs Muc/RAG DKO (right panel) at 8 weeks after transfer of WT CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells are shown. (B) Absolute numbers of colonic CD4+ T cells producing IL-17 (Th17) or IFN-γ (Th1) in RAG KO (n = 5) vs Muc/RAG DKO (n = 5) after transfer of WT CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells are summarized. *P < .05. (C) Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis shows the expression levels of IL-17A, IL-17F, RORγt, IFN-γ, ant T-bet in the colonic CD4+ T cells from RAG KO (open bars, n = 5) vs Muc/RAG DKO (solid bars, n = 5) after transfer of WT CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells. The data represent the average of the values of 2−CT of target molecules/2−CT of β-actin. *P < .05, **P < .005. (D) Representative figures of Sca1+ Thy1+ cells in the gated lin− cKit− cell population from the colon of RAG KO (left panel) vs Muc/RAG DKO (right panel) at 8 weeks after transfer of WT CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells are shown. (E) The absolute numbers of Lin− cKit− Sca1+ Thy1+ cells are summarized. **P < .005.
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