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IDO1 Expression in Ovarian Cancer Induces PD-1 in T Cells via Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation

  • Adaobi Amobi-McCloud
  • , Ravikumar Muthuswamy
  • , Sebastiano Battaglia
  • , Han Yu
  • , Tao Liu
  • , Jianmin Wang
  • , Vasanta Putluri
  • , Prashant K. Singh
  • , Feng Qian
  • , Ruea Yea Huang
  • , Nagireddy Putluri
  • , Takemasa Tsuji
  • , Amit A. Lugade
  • , Song Liu
  • , Kunle Odunsi
  • Roswell Park Cancer Institute
  • Baylor College of Medicine
  • The University of Chicago

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

87 Scopus citations

Abstract

The immunoregulatory enzyme, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) and the PD-1/PD-L1 axis are potent mechanisms that impede effective anti-tumor immunity in ovarian cancer. However, whether the IDO pathway regulates PD-1 expression in T cells is currently unknown. Here we show that tumoral IDO1 expression led to profound changes in tryptophan, nicotinate/nicotinamide, and purine metabolic pathways in the ovarian tumor microenvironment, and to an increased frequency of PD-1+CD8+ tumor infiltrating T cells. We determined that activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) by kynurenine induced PD-1 expression, and this effect was significantly abrogated by the AHR antagonist CH223191. Mechanistically, kynurenine alters chromatin accessibility in regulatory regions of T cell inhibitory receptors, allowing AHR to bind to consensus XRE motifs in the promoter region of PD-1. These results enable the design of strategies to target the IDO1 and AHR pathways for enhancing anti-tumor immunity in ovarian cancer.

Original languageEnglish
Article number678999
JournalFrontiers in Immunology
Volume12
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 16 2021

Keywords

  • 3-dioxygenase
  • AhR (aryl hydrocarbon Receptor)
  • IDO
  • immunosuppression
  • indoleamine 2
  • KYN
  • kynurenine
  • PD-1

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