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HIP1R targets PD-L1 to lysosomal degradation to alter T cell–mediated cytotoxicity

Nature Chemical Biology volume 15, pages 42–50 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

Expression of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) ligand 1 (PD-L1) protects tumor cells from T cell–mediated immune surveillance, and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 have exhibited significant clinical benefits. However, the relatively low response rate and observed ICB resistance highlight the need to understand the molecular regulation of PD-L1. Here we show that HIP1R targets PD-L1 to lysosomal degradation to alter T cell–mediated cytotoxicity. HIP1R physically interacts with PD-L1 and delivers PD-L1 to the lysosome through a lysosomal targeting signal. Depletion of HIP1R in tumor cells caused PD-L1 accumulation and suppressed T cell–mediated cytotoxicity. A rationally designed peptide (PD-LYSO) incorporating the lysosome-sorting signal and the PD-L1-binding sequence of HIP1R successfully depleted PD-L1 expression in tumor cells. Our results identify the molecular machineries governing the lysosomal degradation of PD-L1 and exemplify the development of a chimeric peptide for targeted degradation of PD-L1 as a crucial anticancer target.

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Fig. 1: Identification of HIP1R as a regulator of PD-L1.
Fig. 2: Effects of HIP1R on PD-L1 degradation and subcellular distribution.
Fig. 3: Effects of HIP1R on tumor cell PD-1 binding and T cell cytotoxicity.
Fig. 4: HIP1R physically interacts with PD-L1 through a conserved C-terminal domain.
Fig. 5: A sorting motif in HIP1R directs lysosomal degradation.
Fig. 6: A rationally designed PD-LYSO peptide targets PD-L1 to lysosomal degradation.

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Data availability

Source data for statistical tests in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5 are provided. All data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank J. Zheng in Shanghai Jiao Tong University and X. Su in Peking University for their inspiring discussions and critical reading of the manuscript. This project was supported by the following grants to J.X.: National Key Research & Development (R&D) Plan (2016YFC0906002); National Natural Science Foundation of China (81874050, 81572326, 81322036, 81320108024); Top-Notch Young Talents Program of China (ZTZ2015-48); Shanghai Municipal Education Commission-Gaofeng Clinical Medicine Grant Support (20152514); “Shu Guang” project supported by Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Shanghai Education Development Foundation (15SG16); Tang Scholar (SJTU-JX).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China

    Huanbin Wang, Han Yao, Chushu Li, Yao Zhang, Lunxi Liang, Jing-Yuan Fang & Jie Xu

  2. Division of Cancer Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China

    Hubing Shi & Jiang Lan

  3. State Key Lab of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China

    Zhaoli Li

  4. Gastroenterology Department, Changsha Central Hospital, Changsha, China

    Lunxi Liang

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Contributions

H.W. performed co-immunoprecipitation, cycloheximide-chase, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, cell proliferation assay, and T cell cytotoxicity assays; H.W., Z.L., H.Y., C.L., H.S., J.L., and J.X. collaboratively performed the other biochemical and cellular experiments including molecular cloning, GST pull-down, peptide binding assay, and PD-1 binding assay; H.W., H.Y., Y.Z., L.L. and J.-Y.F. analyzed flow cytometry data and colocalization between PD-L1 and different subcellular organelles; J.X. reprogramed the OncoBinder package and designed the PD-LYSO peptide. H.W. and J.X. wrote the paper. J.X. conceived and supervised the study.

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Correspondence to Jie Xu.

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Wang, H., Yao, H., Li, C. et al. HIP1R targets PD-L1 to lysosomal degradation to alter T cell–mediated cytotoxicity. Nat Chem Biol 15, 42–50 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-018-0161-x

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