# Intrinsic T cell glutaminolysis promotes autoimmunity in lupus-prone mice

## TL;DR

This study shows that blocking glutaminolysis in T cells reduces autoimmunity in lupus-prone mice by impairing follicular helper T cell function.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that T cell-specific glutaminolysis inhibition impairs Tfh function in lupus, revealing a metabolic vulnerability in autoimmune disease.

## Key findings

- Pharmacological inhibition of glutaminolysis reduced ICOS expression and autoantibody production in lupus Tfh cells.
- Genetic inhibition of glutaminolysis in T cells phenocopied pharmacological effects in lupus-prone mice.
- Tfh cells from lupus mice showed greater metabolic changes in response to glutaminolysis inhibition compared to healthy Tfh cells.

## Abstract

Glutaminolysis is enhanced in T cells of patients with lupus and in Tfh cells, a critical subset of CD4+ T cells that provide help to autoreactive B cells, in lupus mice. Glutaminolysis inhibitors reduced lupus activity in association with a decreased frequency of Th17 cells in mice. Here, we thought to determine the role of glutaminolysis in murine Tfh cells. The pharmacological inhibition of glutaminolysis with DON reduced the expression of the critical costimulatory molecule ICOS on lupus Tfh cells, in association with a reduction of autoantibody production and B cell differentiation markers. Accordingly, profound transcriptomic and metabolic changes, including a reduction of glycolysis, were induced by DON in lupus Tfh cells, whereas healthy Tfh cells showed minor changes. The T cell–specific genetic inhibition of glutaminolysis largely phenocopied the effects of DON on Tfh cells and B cells in an autoimmune genetic background with minor changes in Tfh and B cells in healthy controls. Furthermore, we showed that T cell–specific glutaminolysis inhibition impaired T-dependent humoral responses in autoimmune mice as well as their Tfh response to a viral infection. Overall, these results suggest that lupus Tfh cells have a greater intrinsic requirement of glutaminolysis for their helper functions.

This study showed that the pharmacological and T cell-specific inhibition of glutaminolysis impaired the function of follicular helper T cells in lupus.