Fine-mapping of the HNF1B multicancer locus identifies candidate variants that mediate endometrial cancer risk.

Common variants in the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 homeobox B (HNF1B) gene are associated with the risk of Type II diabetes and multiple cancers. Evidence to date indicates that cancer risk may be mediated via genetic or epigenetic effects on HNF1B gene expression. We previously found single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the HNF1B locus to be associated with endometrial cancer, and now report extensive fine-mapping and in silico and laboratory analyses of this locus. Analysis of 1184 genotyped and imputed SNPs in 6608 Caucasian cases and 37 925 controls, and 895 Asian cases and 1968 controls, revealed the best signal of association for SNP rs11263763 (P = 8.4 × 10(-14), odds ratio = 0.86, 95% confidence interval = 0.82-0.89), located within HNF1B intron 1. Haplotype analysis and conditional analyses provide no evidence of further independent endometrial cancer risk variants at this locus. SNP rs11263763 genotype was associated with HNF1B mRNA expression but not with HNF1B methylation in endometrial tumor samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Genetic analyses prioritized rs11263763 and four other SNPs in high-to-moderate linkage disequilibrium as the most likely causal SNPs. Three of these SNPs map to the extended HNF1B promoter based on chromatin marks extending from the minimal promoter region. Reporter assays demonstrated that this extended region reduces activity in combination with the minimal HNF1B promoter, and that the minor alleles of rs11263763 or rs8064454 are associated with decreased HNF1B promoter activity. Our findings provide evidence for a single signal associated with endometrial cancer risk at the HNF1B locus, and that risk is likely mediated via altered HNF1B gene expression

The structure of the atypical killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor, KIR2DL4

The engagement of Natural Killer (NK) cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptors (KIRs) with their target ligands, Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) molecules, is a critical component of innate immunity. Structurally, KIRs typically have either two (D1-D2) or three (D0-D1-D2) extracellular immunoglobulin domains, with the D1 and D2 domain recognizing the α1 and α2 helices of HLA respectively, while the D0 domain of the KIR3DLs binds a loop region flanking the α1 helix of the HLA molecule. KIR2DL4 is distinct from other KIRs (except KIR2DL5) in that it does not contain a D1 domain and instead has a D0-D2 arrangement. Functionally, KIR2DL4 is also atypical in that, unlike all other KIRs, KIR2DL4 has both activating and inhibitory signaling domains. Here, we determined the 2.8 Å crystal structure of the extracellular domains of KIR2DL4. Structurally, KIR2DL4 is reminiscent of other KIR2DL receptors, with the D0 and D2 adopting the C2-type immunoglobulin fold arranged with an acute elbow angle. However, KIR2DL4 self-associated via the D0 domain in a concentration-dependent manner and was observed as a tetramer in the crystal lattice, by size-exclusion chromatography, dynamic light scattering, analytical ultra-centrifugation and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments. The assignment of residues in the D0 domain to forming the KIR2DL4 tetramer precludes an interaction with HLA akin to that observed for KIR3DL1. Accordingly, no interaction was observed to HLA by direct binding studies. Our data suggest that the unique functional properties of KIR2DL4 may be mediated by self-association of the receptor

A conserved energetic footprint underpins recognition of human leukocyte antigen-E by two distinct αβ T cell receptors

\u3b1\u3b2 T cell receptors (TCRs) interact with peptides bound to the polymorphic Major Histocompatibility Complex class Ia (MHC-Ia) and class II (MHC-II) molecules, as well as the essentially monomorphic MHC class Ib (MHC-Ib) molecules. While there is a large amount of information on how TCRs engage with MHC-Ia and MHC-II, our understanding of TCR-MHC-Ib interactions is very limited. Infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) can elicit a CD8+ T cell response restricted by the human MHC-Ib molecule, Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-E, and specific for an epitope from UL40 (VMAPRTLIL), which is characterized by biased TRBV14 gene usage. Here we describe an HLA-E-restricted CD8+ T cell able to recognize an allotypic variant of the UL40 peptide, with a modification at position 8 (P8) of the peptide (VMAPRTLVL) that uses the TRBV9 gene segment. We report the structures of a TRBV9+ TCR in complex with the HLA-E molecule presenting the two peptides. Our data revealed that the TRBV9+ TCR adopts a different docking mode and molecular footprint atop HLA-E when compared with the TRBV14+ TCR-HLA-E ternary complex. Additionally, despite their differing V gene segment usage and different docking mechanisms, mutational analyses showed that the TCRs shared a conserved energetic footprint on the HLA-E molecule, focussed around the peptide-binding groove. Hence, we provide new insights into how monomorphic MHC molecules interact with T cells

Endocytosis Inhibition in Humans to Improve Responses to ADCC-Mediating Antibodies

A safe and controlled manipulation of endocytosis in vivo may have disruptive therapeutic potential. Here, we demonstrate that the anti-emetic/anti-psychotic prochlorperazine can be repurposed to reversibly inhibit the in vivo endocytosis of membrane proteins targeted by therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, as directly demonstrated by our human tumor ex vivo assay. Temporary endocytosis inhibition results in enhanced target availability and improved efficiency of natural killer cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), a mediator of clinical responses induced by IgG1 antibodies, demonstrated here for cetuximab, trastuzumab, and avelumab. Extensive analysis of downstream signaling pathways ruled out on-target toxicities. By overcoming the heterogeneity of drug target availability that frequently characterizes poorly responsive or resistant tumors, clinical application of reversible endocytosis inhibition may considerably improve the clinical benefit of ADCC-mediating therapeutic antibodies.Endocytosis inhibitors, such as prochlorperazine, can be used to move tumor cell antigens that are the targets of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies but hiding inside the cell to the cell surface for improved therapeutic antibody binding and tumor cell destruction by NK cells

The Structure of the Atypical Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor, KIR2DL4

The engagement of Natural Killer (NK) cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptors (KIRs) with their target ligands, Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) molecules, is a critical component of innate immunity. Structurally, KIRs typically have either two (D1-D2) or three (D0-D1-D2) extracellular immunoglobulin domains, with the D1 and D2 domain recognizing the α1 and α2 helices of HLA respectively, while the D0 domain of the KIR3DLs binds a loop region flanking the α1 helix of the HLA molecule. KIR2DL4 is distinct from other KIRs (except KIR2DL5) in that it does not contain a D1 domain and instead has a D0-D2 arrangement. Functionally, KIR2DL4 is also atypical in that, unlike all other KIRs, KIR2DL4 has both activating and inhibitory signaling domains. Here, we determined the 2.8 Å crystal structure of the extracellular domains of KIR2DL4. Structurally, KIR2DL4 is reminiscent of other KIR2DL receptors, with the D0 and D2 adopting the C2-type immunoglobulin fold arranged with an acute elbow angle. However, KIR2DL4 self-associated via the D0 domain in a concentration-dependent manner and was observed as a tetramer in the crystal lattice, by size-exclusion chromatography, dynamic light scattering, analytical ultra-centrifugation and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments. The assignment of residues in the D0 domain to forming the KIR2DL4 tetramer precludes an interaction with HLA akin to that observed for KIR3DL1. Accordingly, no interaction was observed to HLA by direct binding studies. Our data suggest that the unique functional properties of KIR2DL4 may be mediated by self-association of the receptor