DOCK8 regulates lymphocyte shape integrity for skin antiviral immunity

J Exp Med. 2014 Dec 15;211(13):2549-66. doi: 10.1084/jem.20141307. Epub 2014 Nov 24.

Abstract

DOCK8 mutations result in an inherited combined immunodeficiency characterized by increased susceptibility to skin and other infections. We show that when DOCK8-deficient T and NK cells migrate through confined spaces, they develop cell shape and nuclear deformation abnormalities that do not impair chemotaxis but contribute to a distinct form of catastrophic cell death we term cytothripsis. Such defects arise during lymphocyte migration in collagen-dense tissues when DOCK8, through CDC42 and p21-activated kinase (PAK), is unavailable to coordinate cytoskeletal structures. Cytothripsis of DOCK8-deficient cells prevents the generation of long-lived skin-resident memory CD8 T cells, which in turn impairs control of herpesvirus skin infections. Our results establish that DOCK8-regulated shape integrity of lymphocytes prevents cytothripsis and promotes antiviral immunity in the skin.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cattle
  • Cell Adhesion / drug effects
  • Cell Nucleus / drug effects
  • Cell Nucleus / pathology
  • Cell Shape / drug effects
  • Cell Shape / immunology*
  • Chemokine CXCL12 / pharmacology
  • Chemotaxis / drug effects
  • Collagen / pharmacology
  • Cytoskeleton / drug effects
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Female
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / deficiency
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Immunity* / drug effects
  • Immunologic Memory / drug effects
  • Killer Cells, Natural / drug effects
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology
  • Killer Cells, Natural / pathology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Skin / drug effects
  • Skin / immunology*
  • Skin / pathology
  • Skin / virology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / pathology*
  • cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism
  • p21-Activated Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Chemokine CXCL12
  • DOCK8 protein, human
  • Dock8 protein, mouse
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • Collagen
  • p21-Activated Kinases
  • cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein