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The amino-acid catabolizing enzyme Interleukin-4 induced gene 1 (IL4I1) remains poorly characterized despite it is emerging as a pertinent therapeutic target for cancer. IL4I1 is secreted in the synaptic cleft by antigen-presenting cells. It inhibits TCR signaling, modulates naïve T cell differentiation and limits effector T cell proliferation. IL4I1 expression in tumors shapes the tumor microenvironment and impairs the antitumor cytotoxic T cell response, thereby facilitating cancer immune escape. Several mechanisms participate in these effects. Recent data suggest a role of new IL4I1 metabolites in activation of the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Here, we observe that expression of IL4I1 is poorly correlated with that of validated targets of AHR in human cancers. Moreover, dendritic cells do not upregulate AHR target genes in relation with IL4I1 expression in vivo . Finally, IL4I1 activity toward tryptophan leading to production of AHR-activating products is very low, and should be negligible when tryptophan-degrading enzymes of higher affinity compete for the substrate. We recently showed that IL4I1 expression by dendritic cells directly regulates immune synapse formation and modulates the repertoire and memory differentiation of responding CD8 T cells after viral infection. Thus, IL4I1 may restrain tumor control through regulating the priming of tumor-specific CD8 T cells, independently of AHR activation., (© 2021 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.)

IL4I1 is an immunoregulatory enzyme that inhibits CD8 T-cell proliferation in vitro and in the tumoral context. Here, we dissected the effect of IL4I1 on CD8 T-cell priming by studying the differentiation of a transgenic CD8 T-cell clone and the endogenous repertoire in a mouse model of acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection. Unexpectedly, we show that IL4I1 accelerates the expansion of functional effector CD8 T cells during the first several days after infection and increases the average affinity of the elicited repertoire, supporting more efficient LCMV clearance in WT mice than IL4I1-deficient mice. Conversely, IL4I1 restrains the differentiation of CD8 T-cells into long-lived memory precursors and favors the memory response to the most immunodominant peptides. IL4I1 expression does not affect the phenotype or antigen-presenting functions of dendritic cells (DCs), but directly reduces the stability of T-DC immune synapses in vitro , thus dampening T-cell activation. Overall, our results support a model in which IL4I1 increases the threshold of T-cell activation, indirectly promoting the priming of high-affinity clones while limiting memory T-cell differentiation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Puiffe, Dupont, Sako, Gatineau, Cohen, Mestivier, Lebon, Prévost-Blondel, Castellano and Molinier-Frenkel.)

The high metabolic needs of T lymphocytes in response to activation make them particularly vulnerable to modifications of their biochemical milieu. Immunosuppressive enzymes produced in the tumor microenvironment modify nutrient availability by catabolizing essential or semi-essential amino acids and producing toxic catabolites, thus participating in the local sabotage of the antitumor immune response. L-amino-acid oxidases are FAD-bound enzymes found throughout evolution, from bacteria to mammals, and are often endowed with anti-infectious properties. IL4I1 is a secreted L-phenylalanine oxidase mainly produced by inflammatory antigen-presenting cells-in particular, macrophages present in T helper type 1 granulomas and in various types of tumors. In the last decade, it has been shown that IL4I1 is involved in the fine control of B- and T-cell adaptive immune responses. Preclinical models have revealed its role in cancer immune evasion. Recent clinical data highlight IL4I1 as a new potential prognostic marker in human melanoma. As a secreted enzyme, IL4I1 may represent an easily targetable molecule for cancer immunotherapy.

Several studies have emphasized the importance of immune composition of the melanoma microenvironment for clinical outcome. The contribution of IL4I1, a phenylalanine oxidase with immunoregulatory functions, has not been yet explored. Here we studied a primary cutaneous melanoma series from stage I-III patients to investigate the association between in situ IL4I1 expression and clinical parameters or tumor-infiltrating T-cell subsets. IL4I1 was detected in 87% of tumors and was mainly expressed by tumor-associated macrophages and very rare FoxP3 + regulatory T cells. The proportion of IL4I1 + cells was higher in patients with an ulcerated melanoma or with a positive sentinel lymph node and tended to correlate with a rapid relapse and shorter overall survival. This proportion also correlated positively with the presence of regulatory T cells and negatively with the presence of cytotoxic CD8 + T cells. The location of IL4I1 + cells may also be relevant to predict prognosis, because their presence near tumor cells was associated with sentinel lymph node invasion and higher melanoma stage. Collectively, our data show that IL4I1 + cells shape the T-cell compartment and are associated with a higher risk of poor outcome in melanoma, supporting a key role for IL4I1 in immune evasion., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Amino-acid catabolizing enzymes produced by mononuclear phagocytes play a central role in regulating the immune response. The mammalian phenylalanine-catabolizing enzyme IL4-induced gene 1 (IL4I1) inhibits effector T lymphocyte proliferation and facilitates regulatory T-cell development. IL4I1 expression by macrophages of various human tumors may affect patient prognosis as it facilitates tumor escape from the T-cell response in murine models. Its enzymatic activity appears to participate in its effects, but some actions of IL4I1 remain unclear. Here, we show that the presence of IL4I1 during T-cell activation decreases early signaling events downstream of TCR stimulation, resulting in global T-cell inhibition which is more pronounced when there is CD28 costimulation. Surprisingly, the enzymatic activity of IL4I1 is not involved. Focal secretion of IL4I1 into the immune synaptic cleft and its binding to CD3 + lymphocytes could be important in IL4I1 immunosuppressive mechanism of action., (© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

l-amino acid oxidases are flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent enzymes present in all major kingdom of life, from bacteria to mammals. They participate in defense mechanisms by limiting the growth of most bacteria and parasites. A few mammalian LAAOs have been described, of which the enzyme "interleukin-4 induced gene 1" (IL4I1) is the best characterized. IL4I1 mainly oxidizes l-phenylalanine. It is a secreted enzyme physiologically produced by antigen presenting cells of the myeloid and B cell lineages and T helper type (Th) 17 cells. Important roles of IL4I1 in the fine control of the adaptive immune response in mice and humans have emerged during the last few years. Indeed, IL4I1 inhibits T cell proliferation and cytokine production and facilitates naïve CD4⁺ T-cell differentiation into regulatory T cells in vitro by limiting the capacity of T lymphocytes to respond to clonal receptor stimulation. It may also play a role in controlling the germinal center reaction for antibody production and limiting Th1 and Th17 responses. IL4I1 is expressed in tumor-associated macrophages of most human cancers and in some tumor cell types. Such expression, associated with its capacity to facilitate tumor growth by inhibiting the anti-tumor T-cell response, makes IL4I1 a new potential druggable target in the field of immunomodulation in cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare no commercial or financial conflict of interest.

The ubiquitous mold Aspergillus fumigatus threatens immunosuppressed patients as inducer of lethal invasive aspergillosis. A. fumigatus conidia are airborne and reach the alveoli, where they encounter alveolar epithelial cells (AEC). Previous studies reported the importance of the surfactant-producing AEC II during A. fumigatus infection via in vitro experiments using cell lines. We established a negative isolation protocol yielding untouched primary murine AEC II with a purity >90%, allowing ex vivo analyses of the cells, which encountered the mold in vivo By label-free proteome analysis of AEC II isolated from mice 24h after A. fumigatus or mock infection we quantified 2256 proteins and found 154 proteins to be significantly differentially abundant between both groups (ANOVA p value ≤ 0.01, ratio of means ≥1.5 or ≤0.67, quantified with ≥2 peptides). Most of these proteins were higher abundant in the infected condition and reflected a comprehensive activation of AEC II on interaction with A. fumigatus This was especially represented by proteins related to oxidative phosphorylation, hence energy production. However, the most strongly induced protein was the l-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) Interleukin 4 induced 1 (IL4I1) with a 42.9 fold higher abundance (ANOVA p value 2.91 -10 ). IL4I1 has previously been found in B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells and rare neurons. Increased IL4I1 abundance in AEC II was confirmed by qPCR, Western blot and immunohistology. Furthermore, A. fumigatus infected lungs showed high levels of IL4I1 metabolic products. Importantly, higher IL4I1 abundance was also confirmed in lung tissue from human aspergilloma. Because LAAO are key enzymes for bactericidal product generation, AEC II might actively participate in pathogen defense. We provide insights into proteome changes of primary AEC II thereby opening new avenues to analyze the molecular changes of this central lung cell on infectious threats. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD005834., (© 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

The immunosuppressive phenylalanine oxidase interleukin 4-induced gene 1 (IL4I1), primarily produced by antigen-presenting cells, inhibits T-cell proliferation and promotes the generation of Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells in vitro. Highly expressed by tumour-associated macrophages from human cancers, IL4I1 has a potential role in immune evasion from the anti-tumour immune response. We have reviewed single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and mutations described for the exon 4 of the IL4I1 isoform 1, which is expressed in lymphoid tissue. Two of them were expressed in an exogenous system to analyse their effect on the enzymatic activity. The N92D SNP leads to a hyperactive enzyme, while the R102G mutation is hypomorphic. Moreover, we show that IL4I1 activity is not only directed against phenylalanine, as initially described, but also at a lower level against arginine. These data pave the way to more extensive analyses of the mutational state of IL4I1 in pathological conditions such as cancer, where its participation in immune system dysfunctions may have therapeutic implications.

IL4I1 (interleukin-4-induced gene 1) is a phenylalanine oxidase produced mainly by APCs of myeloid origin, and converts phenylalanine (Phe) to phenylpyruvate, hydrogen peroxide, and ammonia. We have previously shown that IL4I1 is highly expressed by tumor-associated macrophages from various human cancers and facilitates immune evasion from the cytotoxic response in a murine tumor model. Indeed, IL4I1 inhibits T-cell proliferation via hydrogen peroxide toxicity on effector/memory T cells. Here, we explored the effect of IL4I1 on naïve CD4(+) T-cell differentiation. We show that IL4I1 stimulates the generation of Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells in vitro from human and mouse T cells. This effect was observed with IL4I1 from different sources, including the naturally produced enzyme. Conversely, IL4I1 limits Th1 and Th2 polarization while modifying the Th17 phenotype, in particular, by inducing its own production. Analysis of Treg-cell induction under conditions of Phe deprivation and hydrogen peroxide addition suggests that Phe consumption by the enzyme participates in Treg-cell enrichment. In line with this hypothesis, IL4I1 inhibits mTORC1 signaling shortly after T-cell activation. Thus, the IL4I1 enzyme may act on T cells both by direct inhibition of effector cell proliferation and by indirect immunoregulation mediated by Treg-cell induction., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

L-amino acid oxidases (LAAO) are flavoproteins that catalyze the oxidative deamination of L-amino acids to a keto-acid along with the production of H₂O₂ and ammonia. Interleukin 4 induced gene 1 (IL4I1) is a secreted LAAO expressed by macrophages and dendritic cells stimulated by microbial derived products or interferons, which is endowed with immunoregulatory properties. It is the first LAAO described in mammalian innate immune cells. In this work, we show that this enzyme blocks the in vitro and in vivo growth of Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. This antibiotic effect is primarily mediated by H₂O₂ production but is amplified by basification of the medium due to the accumulation of ammonia. The depletion of phenylalanine (the primary amino acid catabolized by IL4I1) may also participate in the in vivo inhibition of staphylococci growth. Thus, IL4I1 plays a distinct role compared to other antibacterial enzymes produced by mononuclear phagocytes.

We previously reported a strong IL4I1 gene expression in primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) and recently identified the protein as a secreted L-phenylalanine oxidase, physiologically expressed by myeloid cells, which inhibits T-cell proliferation in vitro. Here, we analyzed the pattern of IL4I1 protein expression in 315 human lymphoid and non-lymphoid malignancies. Besides PMBL, IL4I1 expression in tumors was very frequent. IL4I1 was detected in tumor-associated macrophages from most of the tumors and in neoplastic cells from follicular lymphoma, classic and nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphomas and small lymphocytic lymphoma, three of which are germinal center derived. IL4I1-positive tumor cells were also detected in rare cases of solid cancers, mainly mesothelioma. The enzymatic activity paralleled protein expression, suggesting that IL4I1 is functional in vivo. Depending on the tumor type, IL4I1 may impact on different infiltrating lymphocyte populations with consequences on tumor evolution. In the particular case of follicular lymphoma cells, which are susceptible to antitumor cytotoxic T cells killing but depend on interactions with local T helper cells for survival, a high level of IL4I1 expression seems associated with the absence of bone marrow involvement and a better outcome. These findings plead for an evaluation of IL4I1 as a prognosis factor.

Interleukin-4-induced gene 1 (IL4I1) was first described as a B-cell IL4-inducible gene and is highly expressed in primary mediastinal B-cell lymphomas. We established stable HEK293 clones expressing human and mouse IL4I1 to examine their biochemical properties and function. Both proteins were secreted into the culture medium, and we observed the secretion of endogenous human IL4I1 (hIL4I1) protein in a mediastinal lymphoma B-cell line, MedB-1. We showed that IL4I1 has l-amino acid oxidase activity, optimal at physiological pH and primarily directed toward phenylalanine. Immunohistochemical analysis of secondary lymphoid organs showed staining of germinal center macrophages and inflammatory myeloid cells. In vitro, functional enzyme was highest in mature dendritic cells (DCs), suggesting a role in antigen-presenting cell/T-lymphocyte cross-talk. Indeed, hIL4I1 inhibited the proliferation of CD3-stimulated T lymphocytes with a similar effect on CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. In contrast, memory T cells were more strongly affected by hIL4I1 and its catabolite H(2)O(2) than naive T cells. hIL4I1 inhibitory effect was dependent on enzymatic activity and H(2)O(2) production and associated with a transient down-regulation of TCRzeta expression. Altogether these data suggest IL4I1 as a new immunomodulatory enzyme produced by DCs.