Biology subjects

Herr, W.

Publications and source records attributed to Herr, W..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Timed STING Inhibition Mitigates Gastrointestinal GvHD While Preserving Graft-versus-Leukemia Activity After Allo-HSCT

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is curative for hematological malignancies but limited by graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), in which donor T cells damage host tissues. Current prophylaxis broadly suppresses donor immunity, often compromising the beneficial graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) response, highlighting the need for strategies that uncouple GvHD from GvL. The cGAS-STING pathway can be strongly activated during conditioning-induced tissue damage and represents a potential therapeutic target. However, its context-dependent roles in inflammation and homeostasis have constrained its clinical translation. Here, we show that "timed" administration of the covalent STING inhibitor H151 before conditioning reduced GvHD-associated mortality without impairing GvL in murine allo-BMT models. Donor T cell activation and effector function were preserved, indicating that the protective effect operates at the level of GvHD target tissues rather than through systemic immunosuppression. Timed STING inhibition protected the intestinal epithelium by limiting apoptosis, preserving intestinal stem cell function, and sustaining metabolic fitness during conditioning-induced injury, independently of type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling. In allo-HSCT patients, low intestinal STING expression is associated with reduced transplant-related mortality. Together, these findings identify timed STING inhibition as a tissue-protective prophylactic strategy that could be incorporated into existing conditioning regimens to enhance efficacy while minimizing toxicity.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

A microbial metabolite protects against graft-versus-host disease via mTORC1 and STING-dependent intestinal regeneration

Changes in the intestinal microbiome and microbiota-derived metabolites predict clinical outcomes after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Here, we report that desaminotyrosine (DAT), a product of bacterial flavonoid metabolism, correlates with improved overall survival and reduced relapse rates in allo-HSCT patients. In preclinical mouse models, treatment with synthetic DAT prevents graft-versus-host disease by protecting the intestinal barrier and promoting intestinal regeneration and contributes to graft-vs.-leukemia responses. DATs beneficial effects on intestinal regeneration remain effective despite broad-spectrum antibiotics-induced dysbiosis, also when administered by fecal microbiota transfer with flavonoid-degrading F. plautii. Mechanistically, DAT promotes mTORC1-dependent activation and proliferation of intestinal stem cells, with concomitant engagement of the innate immune receptor STING required to mitigate metabolic stress and maintain an undifferentiated stem cell state independently of type-I interferon responses. Additionally, DAT can skew T cells towards an effector phenotype to modulate graft-versus-leukemia responses. Our data uncover DATs dual, tissue- and immune-modulating properties and underscore its potential in precision microbiome-based therapies to improve tissue regeneration and minimize immune-mediated side effects.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

Tissue-adapted Tregs harness inflammatory signals to promote intestinal repair from therapy-related injury

Intestinal stem cells (ISC) promote tissue repair after genotoxic or immune-mediated injury. However, ISCs are particularly sensitive to various stressors and primary targets of overwhelming immune responses such as interferon-{gamma} (IFN{gamma})-mediated killing. In mouse models of gut damage and biopsies from patients having undergone allo-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, we observed IFNy expression by intestinal Treg cells. Treg cells leverage combined IFN{gamma} and interleukin 10 (IL-10) stimulation of ISCs to nurture the growth of intestinal organoids through the activation of the mTORC1 and Myc pathways. Similarly, Treg cells or the combined addition of recombinant IFN{gamma} and IL-10 promote the regeneration of organoids after irradiation. Exposure of organoids to Wnt- or EGF-free culture conditions revealed distinct growth factor-like properties of IFN{gamma} and IL-10. While IFN{gamma} induced epithelial proliferation and differentiation, combined addition of IFN{gamma} and IL-10 led to balanced proliferation, ensuring ISC maintenance. Our results uncover a context-dependent role of inflammatory signaling in ISC, through which Treg cells promote epithelial repair.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2019

THAP11F80L cobalamin disorder-associated mutation reveals normal and pathogenic THAP11 functions in gene expression and cell proliferation

Twelve human THAP proteins share the THAP domain, an evolutionary conserved zinc-finger DNA-binding domain. Studies of different THAP proteins have indicated roles in gene transcription, cell proliferation and development. We have analyzed this protein family, focusing on THAP7 and THAP11. We show that human THAP proteins possess differing homo- and heterodimer formation properties and interaction abilities with the transcriptional co-regulator HCF-1. HEK-293 cells lacking THAP7 were viable but proliferated more slowly. In contrast, HEK-293 cells were very sensitive to THAP11 alteration. Nevertheless, HEK-293 cells bearing a THAP11 mutation identified in a patient suffering from cobalamin disorder (THAP11F80L) were viable although proliferated more slowly. Cobalamin disorder is an inborn vitamin deficiency characterized by neurodevelopmental abnormalities, most often owing to biallelic mutations in the MMACHC gene, whose gene product MMACHC is a key enzyme in the cobalamin (vitamin B12) metabolic pathway. We show that THAP11F80L selectively affected promoter binding by THAP11, having more deleterious effects on a subset of THAP11 targets, and resulting in altered patterns of gene expression. In particular, THAP11F80L exhibited a strong effect on association with the MMACHC promoter and led to a decrease in MMACHC gene transcription, suggesting that the THAP11F80L mutation is directly responsible for the observed cobalamin disorder.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2019

HCF-2 inhibits cell proliferation and activates differentiation-gene expression programs

HCF-2 is a member of the host-cell-factor protein family, which arose in early vertebrate evolution as a result of gene duplication. Whereas its paralog, HCF-1, is known to act as a versatile chromatin-associated protein required for cell proliferation and differentiation, much less is known about HCF-2. Here, we show that HCF-2 is broadly present in human and mouse cells, and possesses activities distinct from HCF-1. Unlike HCF-1, which is excluded from nucleoli, HCF-2 is nucleolar -- an activity conferred by one and a half C-terminal Fibronectin type 3 repeats and inhibited by the HCF-1 nuclear localization signal. Elevated HCF-2 synthesis in HEK-293 cells results in phenotypes reminiscent of HCF-1-depleted cells, including inhibition of cell proliferation and mitotic defects. Furthermore, increased HCF-2 levels in HEK-293 cells lead to inhibition of cell proliferation and metabolism gene-expression programs with parallel activation of differentiation and morphogenesis gene-expression programs. Thus, the HCF ancestor appears to have evolved into a small two-member protein family possessing contrasting nuclear vs. nucleolar localization, and cell proliferation and differentiation functions.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Cycles of gene expression and genome response during mammalian tissue regeneration

BackgroundCompensatory liver hyperplasia -- or regeneration -- induced by two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) permits the study of synchronized activation of mammalian gene expression, particularly in relation to cell proliferation. Here, we measured genomic transcriptional responses and mRNA accumulation changes after PH and sham surgeries.\n\nResultsDuring the first 10-20 hours, the PH- and sham-surgery responses were very similar, including parallel early activation of cell-division-cycle genes. After 20 hours, however, whereas post-PH livers continued with a robust and coordinate cell-division-cycle gene-expression response before returning to the resting state by one week, sham-surgery livers returned directly to a resting gene-expression state. Localization of RNA polymerase II (Pol II), and trimethylated histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and 36 (H3K36me3) on genes dormant in the resting liver and activated during the PH response revealed a general de novo promoter Pol II recruitment and H3K4me3 increase during the early 10-20 hour phase followed by Pol II elongation and H3K36me3 accumulation in gene bodies during the later proliferation phase. H3K36me3, generally appearing at the first-internal exon, was preceded 5' by H3K36me2; 3' of the first-internal exon, in about half of genes H3K36me3 predominated and in the other half H3K36me2 and H3K36me3 co-existed. Further, we observed some unusual gene profiles with abundant Pol II but little evident H3K4me3 or H3K36me3 modification, indicating that these modifications are neither universal nor essential partners to Pol II transcription.\n\nConclusionsPH and sham surgical procedures on mice reveal striking early post-operatory gene expression similarities followed by synchronized mRNA accumulation and epigenetic histone mark changes specific to PH.

genomics↗