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Detection of infection by hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) is essential
to replace myeloid cells consumed during the immune response. HSPCs express some
functional pattern recognition receptors involved in the recognition of Candida albicans. In
this context, our group has previously demonstrated that C. albicans yeasts induce
proliferation and differentiation of HSPCs via TLR2 and Dectin-1. In the present PhD thesis,
we used in vitro and ex vivo models of HSPC differentiation to investigate the functional
consequences for mature myeloid cells of exposure of HSPCs to PAMPs or C. albicans yeasts.
In vitro experiments show that murine HSPCs continuously exposed to TLR2 or TLR4
ligands, in homeostatic conditions, generate macrophages with a diminished ability to
secrete TNF-α and IL-6 (tolerized phenotype), whereas Dectin-1 or C. albicans yeasts
stimulation leads to the generation of macrophages that secrete higher amounts of these
pro-inflammatory cytokines (trained phenotype). In these conditions, transient exposure of
HSPCs to TLR agonists is sufficient to generate macrophages with a tolerized phenotype,
which is partially reversed by subsequent exposure to C. albicans yeasts. However, only
TLR2 signaling in HSPCs impacts the inflammatory function of macrophages they produce
in inflammatory conditions, and subsequently exposure to C. albicans yeasts do not reverse
but reinforce this altered phenotype. TLR2 and Dectin-1 signaling in HSPCs also have
functional consequences for the antigen presenting cells (APCs) derived from them, which
exhibit an altered expression of histocompatibility complex class II molecules (signal one)
and costimulatory molecules (CD40, CD80 and CD86) (signal two), as well as an altered
cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-12 p40 and IL-2) (signal three). These changes in the
three key signals that APCs deliver to naïve T cells provoke that APCs from
TLR2/Dectin-1-programed HSPCs prime enhanced Th1 and Th17 responses in CD4⁺ T cell
cocultures.
C. albicans systemic infection and in vivo TLR2 agonist treatment also alter cytokine
production and fungicidal activity of the ex vivo macrophages derived from murine HSPCs
in homeostatic conditions. Unexpectedly, an extended TLR2 agonist treatment generates
macrophages with a trained phenotype. This prolonged treatment also causes an expansion
of HSPCs and myeloid cells in the spleen, and drastically reduces the fungal burden in the
kidney and the spleen during systemic C. albicans infection. This protection is abrogated by
immunodepletion of HSPCs. In addition, HSPCs produce in vitro cytokines and chemokines
in response to a TLR2 ligand or C. albicans yeasts, and these secretomes can induce
differentiation of HSPCs towards the myeloid lineage.
Taken together, these data assign an active role to HSPCs in sensing pathogens during
infection and in contributing to host protection by diverse mechanisms.
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