Wilfried Ellmeier and colleagues identified a key role for histone deacetylase 1 in the regulation of CD4+ T cell trafficking in autoimmune diseases.

In their study, Patricia Hamminger and colleagues uncover a novel role for histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) in controlling effector CD4+ T cell migration, thereby providing mechanistic insight into why a T cell-specific deletion of HDAC1 protects against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). HDAC1-deficient CD4+ T cells downregulated genes associated with leukocyte extravasation. In vitro, HDAC1-deficient CD4+ T cells displayed aberrant morphology and migration on surfaces coated with integrin LFA-1 ligand ICAM-1 and showed an impaired ability to arrest on and to migrate across a monolayer of primary mouse brain microvascular endothelial cells under physiological flow. Moreover, HDAC1 deficiency reduced homing of CD4+ T cells into the intestinal epithelium and lamina propria preventing weight-loss, crypt damage and intestinal inflammation in adoptive CD4+ T cell transfer colitis. This correlated with reduced expression levels of LFA-1 integrin chains CD11a and CD18 as well as of selectin ligands CD43, CD44 and CD162 on transferred circulating HDAC1-deficient CD4+ T cells. These data reveal that HDAC1 controls T cell-mediated autoimmunity via the regulation of CD4+ T cell trafficking into the CNS and intestinal tissues.

Hamminger et al., Histone deacetylase 1 controls CD4 + T cell trafficking in autoinflammatory diseases. Feb 20;119:102610. doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2021.102610.

PMID: 33621930