Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 promotes cholesterol biosynthesis-mediated Th17 responses and autoimmunity

J Clin Invest. 2020 Apr 1;130(4):1683-1698. doi: 10.1172/JCI131254.

Abstract

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) catalyzes symmetric dimethylation (SDM) of arginine, a posttranslational modification involved in oncogenesis and embryonic development. However, the role and mechanisms by which PRMT5 modulates Th cell polarization and autoimmune disease have not yet been elucidated. Here, we found that PRMT5 promoted SREBP1 SDM and the induction of cholesterol biosynthetic pathway enzymes that produce retinoid-related orphan receptor (ROR) agonists that activate RORγt. Specific loss of PRMT5 in the CD4+ Th cell compartment suppressed Th17 differentiation and protected mice from developing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We also found that PRMT5 controlled thymic and peripheral homeostasis in the CD4+ Th cell life cycle and invariant NK (iNK) T cell development and CD8+ T cell maintenance. This work demonstrates that PRMT5 expression in recently activated T cells is necessary for the cholesterol biosynthesis metabolic gene expression program that generates RORγt agonistic activity and promotes Th17 differentiation and EAE. These results point to Th PRMT5 and its downstream cholesterol biosynthesis pathway as promising therapeutic targets in Th17-mediated diseases.

Keywords: Adaptive immunity; Autoimmune diseases; Autoimmunity; Immunology; T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autoimmunity*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology*
  • Cholesterol / genetics
  • Cholesterol / immunology*
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / genetics
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / immunology*
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Natural Killer T-Cells / immunology
  • Natural Killer T-Cells / pathology
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 / genetics
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 / immunology
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases / genetics
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases / immunology*
  • Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 / genetics
  • Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 / immunology
  • Th17 Cells / immunology*
  • Th17 Cells / pathology

Substances

  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3
  • Rorc protein, mouse
  • Srebf1 protein, mouse
  • Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1
  • Cholesterol
  • Prmt5 protein, mouse
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases