Cell Metabolism, 18 December, 2023, DOI：https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2023.11.012

Apoptosis releases hydrogen sulfide to inhibit Th17 cell differentiation

Qianmin Ou, Xinhua Qiao, Zhengshi Li, Luhan Niu, Fangcao Lei, Ruifeng Cheng, Ting Xie, Ning Yang, Yao Liu, Ling Fu, Jing Yang, Xueli Mao, Xiaoxing Kou, Chang Chen, Songtao Shi

Abstract

Over 50 billion cells undergo apoptosis each day in an adult human to maintain immune homeostasis. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is also required to safeguard the function of immune response. However, it is unknown whether apoptosis regulates H₂S production. Here, we show that apoptosis-deficient MRL/lpr (B6.MRL-Faslpr/J) and Bim^-/- (B6.129S1-Bcl2l11tm1.1Ast/J) mice exhibit significantly reduced H₂S levels along with aberrant differentiation of Th17 cells, which can be rescued by the additional H₂S. Moreover, apoptotic cells and vesicles (apoVs) express key H₂S-generating enzymes and generate a significant amount of H₂S, indicating that apoptotic metabolism is an important source of H₂S. Mechanistically, H₂S sulfhydrates selenoprotein F (Sep15) to promote signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) phosphorylation and suppress STAT3 phosphorylation, leading to the inhibition of Th17 cell differentiation. Taken together, this study reveals a previously unknown role of apoptosis in maintaining H₂S homeostasis and the unique role of H₂S in regulating Th17 cell differentiation via sulfhydration of Sep15^C38.

Article link：https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413123004448?via%3Dihub