Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule on human oligodendrocytes mediates Th17 cell adhesion
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neuroinflammatory disorder characterized by demyelination, oligodendrocyte damage/loss and neuroaxonal injury in the context of immune cell infiltration in the central nervous system. No neuroprotective therapy is available to promote the survival of oligodendrocytes and protect their myelin processes in immune-mediated demyelinating diseases. Pro-inflammatory CD4 T helper (Th)17 cells can directly interact with oligodendrocytes in multiple sclerosis and its animal model, causing injury to myelinating processes and cell death through direct contact. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the close contact and subsequent detrimental interaction of Th17 cells with oligodendrocytes remain unclear. In this study we conducted single cell RNA sequencing of human primary oligodendrocytes cultured alone, in contact or separated by an insert with primary Th17 polarized T cells and identified several cell adhesion molecules that may modulate T cell contact mediated damage of oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, we used flow cytometry and immunofluorescence studies on central nervous system tissue from multiple sclerosis subjects, its animal model and controls to characterize the expression of cell adhesion molecules by mature oligodendrocytes. We found that a significant proportion of human and murine mature oligodendrocytes express melanoma cell adhesion molecule and activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule in multiple sclerosis, EAE and controls although their regulation differ between human and mouse. We observed that exposure to pro-inflammatory cytokines or to human activated T cells are associated with a marked downregulation of the expression of melanoma cell adhesion molecule but not activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule at the surface of human primary oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, we used in vitro live-imaging, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry to determine the contribution of these molecules to Th17-polarized cell adhesion and cytotoxicity towards human oligodendrocytes. Silencing and blocking activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule but not melanoma cell adhesion molecule limited prolonged interactions between oligodendrocytes and Th17-polarized cells, resulting in decreased adhesion of Th17-polarized cells to oligodendrocytes and conferred significant protection of oligodendrocytic processes. Overall design: Human oligodendrocytes in primary culture derived from the a brain sample from resection path of surgery for epilepsy were exposed to IL-23-polarized CD4 T cells (Th17 cells) at 1:2 ratio. They were either directly in contact (TCO condition) or separated by a an insert with a porous membrane of 0.4 µm size (insert, TCM condition).