Neuropeptide Signalling Orchestrates T Cell Differentiation

The balance between T helper type 1 (T1) cells and other T cells is critical for antiviral and anti-tumour responses, but how this balance is achieved remains poorly understood. Here we dissected the dynamic regulation of T1 cell differentiation during in vitro polarization, and during in vivo differentiation after acute viral infection. We identified regulators modulating T helper cell differentiation using a unique T1-T2 cell dichotomous culture system and systematically validated their regulatory functions through multiple in vitro and in vivo CRISPR screens. We found that RAMP3, a component of the receptor for the neuropeptide CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide), has a cell-intrinsic role in T1 cell fate determination. Extracellular CGRP signalling through the receptor RAMP3-CALCRL restricted the differentiation of T2 cells, but promoted T1 cell differentiation through the activation of downstream cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3). ATF3 promoted T1 cell differentiation by inducing the expression of Stat1, a key regulator of T1 cell differentiation. After viral infection, an interaction between CGRP produced by neurons and RAMP3 expressed on T cells enhanced the anti-viral IFNγ-producing T1 and CD8 T cell response, and timely control of acute viral infection. Our research identifies a neuroimmune circuit in which neurons participate in T cell fate determination by producing the neuropeptide CGRP during acute viral infection, which acts on RAMP3-expressing T cells to induce an effective anti-viral T1 cell response.