The phosphatase DUSP22/JKAP inhibits UBR2-mediated K63-ubiquitination and activation of Lck in TCR signaling, and MAP4K2 promotes Treg differentiation and suppresses antitumor immunity

DUSP22 (also named JKAP) is a dual-specificity phosphatase that inhibits T cell activation. Here we identified the E3 ubiquitin ligase UBR2 as an upstream activator of Lck during T-cell activation. JKAP dephosphorylated UBR2 at two residues, leading to ubiquitin-mediated UBR2 degradation. The SCF (SKP1-CUL1-TrCP) complex induced UBR2 Lys48-linked ubiquitination at three lysine residues. Moreover, single-cell RNA sequencing analysis and UBR2 knockout showed that UBR2 increased proinflammatory cytokines. Remarkably, UBR2 induced Lys63-linked ubiquitination of Lck at two lysine residues and subsequent Lck Tyr394 phosphorylation/activation in TCR signaling. Conversely, TCR-induced Lck activation and JKAP knockout-enhanced inflammatory phenotypes were attenuated by UBR2 knockout. Consistently, the UBR2- Lck interaction and Lck Lys63-linked ubiquitination were induced in peripheral blood T cells of human SLE patients. Collectively, UBR2 protein stability and UBR2-induced Lck ubiquitination/activation are inhibited by JKAP, leading to attenuation of T-cell activation and T-cell-mediated inflammation. MAP4K family kinases are key kinases for T-cell-mediated immune responses; however, in vivo roles of MAP4K2 in immune regulation remain unclear. Using T-cell-specific Map4k2 conditional knockout (T-Map4k2 cKO) mice, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), and mass spectrometry analysis, we found that MAP4K2 interacted with DDX39B, induced Foxp3 gene expression, and promoted Treg differentiation. Mechanistically, MAP4K2 directly phosphorylated the DEAD box protein DDX39B, leading to DDX39B nuclear translocation and subsequent Foxp3 RNA splicing. MAP4K2-induced FOXP3 mRNA levels were abolished in DDX39B knockout T cells. Furthermore, T-Map4k2 cKO mice displayed the reduction of Treg population and sustained inflammation during remission phase of EAE autoimmune disease model. Remarkably, the anti-PD-1 immunotherapeutic effect on pancreatic cancer was drastically improved in T-Map4k2 cKO mice, Treg-specific Map4k2-deficient mice, or MAP4K2-inhibitor-treated mice. Consistently, scRNA-seq analysis of human pancreatic or lung cancer patients showed increased MAP4K2 levels in infiltrating Treg cells. Collectively, MAP4K2 promotes Treg differentiation by inducing DDX39B nuclear translocation, leading to the attenuation of tumor immunity.