Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

The VICC.ORG Investigator Directory

Thomas M. Aune, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine
VICC Member
Researcher

Contact Information:

Vanderbilt University Medical Center
T-3219 Medical Center North
Nashville, TN 37232
615-343-7353

Research Specialty:

Our research focuses on the use of functional genomic and epigenetic approaches to understand gene regulation.

Research Description:

Our research focuses on the use of functional genomic and epigenetic approaches to understand gene regulation. Our interests range from detailed mechanistic studies of the interferon-gamma gene, a key cytokine produced by cells of the innate and adaptive immune system, a critical cytokine required to induce cell-mediated inflammation to the use of these approaches to gain new insights into human disease, including diseases of the endocrine system. These include recent studies evaluating relationships among gene expression signatures in atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome and study of copy number polymorphisms in type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.

Publications:

• Collier, SP, Collins, PL, Williams, CL, Boothby, MR, Aune, TM Cutting edge: influence of Tmevpg1, a long intergenic noncoding RNA, on the expression of Ifng by Th1 cells. J Immunol, 189(5), 2084-8, 2012.
• Collins, PL, Henderson, MA, Aune, TM Diverse functions of distal regulatory elements at the IFNG locus. J Immunol, 188(4), 1726-33, 2012.
• Collins, PL, Henderson, MA, Aune, TM Lineage-specific adjacent IFNG and IL26 genes share a common distal enhancer element. Genes Immun, 13(6), 481-8, 2012.
• Spurlock, CF, Tossberg, JT, Fuchs, HA, Olsen, NJ, Aune, TM Methotrexate increases expression of cell cycle checkpoint genes via JNK activation. Arthritis Rheum, 64(6), 1780-9, 2012.
• Reed, NP, Henderson, MA, Oltz, EM, Aune, TM Reciprocal regulation of Rag expression in thymocytes by the zinc-finger proteins, Zfp608 and Zfp609. Genes Immun, 2012.
• Grayson, BL, Aune, TM A comparison of genomic copy number calls by Partek Genomics Suite, Genotyping Console and Birdsuite algorithms to quantitative PCR. BioData Min, 48, 2011.
• Wang, L, Jia, P, Wolfinger, RD, Chen, X, Grayson, BL, Aune, TM, Zhao, Z An efficient hierarchical generalized linear mixed model for pathway analysis of genome-wide association studies. Bioinformatics, 27(5), 686-92, 2011.
• Spurlock, CF, Aune, ZT, Tossberg, JT, Collins, PL, Aune, JP, Huston, JW, Crooke, PS, Olsen, NJ, Aune, TM Increased sensitivity to apoptosis induced by methotrexate is mediated by JNK. Arthritis Rheum, 63(9), 2606-16, 2011.
• Grayson, BL, Wang, L, Aune, TM Peripheral blood gene expression profiles in metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. Genes Immun, 12(5), 341-51, 2011.
• Collins, PL, Chang, S, Henderson, M, Soutto, M, Davis, GM, McLoed, AG, Townsend, MJ, Glimcher, LH, Mortlock, DP, Aune, TM Distal regions of the human IFNG locus direct cell type-specific expression. J Immunol, 185(3), 1492-501, 2010.
• Hoek, KL, Gordy, LE, Collins, PL, Parekh, VV, Aune, TM, Joyce, S, Thomas, JW, Van Kaer, L, Sebzda, E Follicular B Cell Trafficking within the Spleen Actively Restricts Humoral Immune Responses. Immunity, 2010.
• Grayson, BL, Smith, ME, Thomas, JW, Wang, L, Dexheimer, P, Jeffrey, J, Fain, PR, Nanduri, P, Eisenbarth, GS, Aune, TM Genome-wide analysis of copy number variation in type 1 diabetes. PLoS One, 5(11), e15393, 2010.
• Collins, PL, Aune, TM Keeping one''s option open. Immunity, 32(5), 581-3, 2010.
• Aune, TM, Collins, PL, Chang, S Epigenetics and T helper 1 differentiation. Immunology, 126(3), 299-305, 2009.
• Liu, Z, Sokka, T, Maas, K, Olsen, NJ, Aune, TM Prediction of disease severity in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis by gene expression profiling. Hum Genomics Proteomics, 20092009.
• Chang, S, Collins, PL, Aune, TM T-bet dependent removal of Sin3A-histone deacetylase complexes at the Ifng locus drives Th1 differentiation. J Immunol, 181(12), 8372-81, 2008.
• Chang, S, Aune, TM Dynamic changes in histone-methylation 'marks' across the locus encoding interferon-gamma during the differentiation of T helper type 2 cells. Nat Immunol, 8(7), 723-31, 2007.
• Fossey, SC, Vnencak-Jones, CL, Olsen, NJ, Sriram, S, Garrison, G, Deng, X, Crooke, PS, Aune, TM Identification of molecular biomarkers for multiple sclerosis. J Mol Diagn, 9(2), 197-204, 2007.
• Eivazova, ER, Vassetzky, YS, Aune, TM Selective matrix attachment regions in T helper cell subsets support loop conformation in the Ifng gene. Genes Immun, 8(1), 35-43, 2007.
• Zhang, F, Thomas, LR, Oltz, EM, Aune, TM Control of thymocyte development and recombination-activating gene expression by the zinc finger protein Zfp608. Nat Immunol, 7(12), 1309-16, 2006.
• Liu, Z, Aune, TM Deregulated stress system in non-obese diabetic lymphocyte. Genes Immun, 7(5), 352-8, 2006.
• Liu, Z, Maas, K, Aune, TM Identification of gene expression signatures in autoimmune disease without the influence of familial resemblance. Hum Mol Genet, 15(3), 501-9, 2006.
• Liu, Z, Yelverton, RW, Kraft, B, Tanner, SB, Olsen, NJ, Aune, TM Highly conserved gene expression profiles in humans with allergic rhinitis altered by immunotherapy. Clin Exp Allergy, 35(12), 1581-90, 2005.
• Chang, S, Aune, TM Histone hyperacetylated domains across the Ifng gene region in natural killer cells and T cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 102(47), 17095-100, 2005.
• Maas, K, Westfall, M, Pietenpol, J, Olsen, NJ, Aune, T Reduced p53 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis is associated with loss of radiation-induced apoptosis. Arthritis Rheum, 52(4), 1047-57, 2005.
• Maas, K, Chen, H, Shyr, Y, Olsen, NJ, Aune, T Shared gene expression profiles in individuals with autoimmune disease and unaffected first-degree relatives of individuals with autoimmune disease. Hum Mol Genet, 14(10), 1305-14, 2005.
• Tong, Y, Aune, T, Boothby, M T-bet antagonizes mSin3a recruitment and transactivates a fully methylated IFN-gamma promoter via a conserved T-box half-site. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 102(6), 2034-9, 2005.
• Olsen, N, Sokka, T, Seehorn, CL, Kraft, B, Maas, K, Moore, J, Aune, TM A gene expression signature for recent onset rheumatoid arthritis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Ann Rheum Dis, 63(11), 1387-92, 2004.
• Aune, TM, Parker, JS, Maas, K, Liu, Z, Olsen, NJ, Moore, JH Co-localization of differentially expressed genes and shared susceptibility loci in human autoimmunity. Genet Epidemiol, 27(2), 162-72, 2004.
• Liu, Z, Maas, K, Aune, TM Comparison of differentially expressed genes in T lymphocytes between human autoimmune disease and murine models of autoimmune disease. Clin Immunol, 112(3), 225-30, 2004.
• Eivazova, ER, Aune, TM Dynamic alterations in the conformation of the Ifng gene region during T helper cell differentiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 101(1), 251-6, 2004.
• Olsen, NJ, Moore, JH, Aune, TM Gene expression signatures for autoimmune disease in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Arthritis Res Ther, 6(3), 120-8, 2004.
• Zhou, W, Chang, S, Aune, TM Long-range histone acetylation of the Ifng gene is an essential feature of T cell differentiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 101(8), 2440-5, 2004.
• Aune, TM, Maas, K, Parker, J, Moore, JH, Olsen, NJ Profiles of gene expression in human autoimmune disease. Cell Biochem Biophys, 40(2), 81-96, 2004.
• Zhang, F, Liang, Z, Matsuki, N, Van Kaer, L, Joyce, S, Wakeland, EK, Aune, TM A murine locus on chromosome 18 controls NKT cell homeostasis and Th cell differentiation. J Immunol, 171(9), 4613-20, 2003.
• Zhou, W, Zhang, F, Aune, TM Either IL-2 or IL-12 is sufficient to direct Th1 differentiation by nonobese diabetic T cells. J Immunol, 170(2), 735-40, 2003.
• Aune, TM, Maas, K, Moore, JH, Olsen, NJ Gene expression profiles in human autoimmune disease. Curr Pharm Des, 9(23), 1905-17, 2003.
• Zhou, W., and Aune, T.M "IL-2 and IL-12 are equivalent Th1 differentiation factors for NOD T cells." J. Immunol., 170735-740, 2003.
• Soutto, M, Zhang, F, Enerson, B, Tong, Y, Boothby, M, Aune, TM A minimal IFN-gamma promoter confers Th1 selective expression. J Immunol, 169(8), 4205-12, 2002.
• Soutto, M., Zhang, F., Emerson, B., Tong, Y., Boothby, M., and Aune, T.M "A minimal IFN-gamma promoter confers Th1 selective expression." J. Immunol., 1694205-4212, 2002.
• Soutto, M., Zhou, W., and Aune, T.M "Cutting Edge: Distal regulatory elements are required to achieve selective expression of IFN-gamma in Th1/Tc1 effector cells." J. Immunol., 1696664-6667, 2002.
• Maas, Chan, S., Parker J., Slater, A., Moore, J., Olsen, N and Aune, T "Cutting Edge: Molecular Portrait of Human Autoimmune Disease." J. Immunol., 1695-9, 2002.
• Soutto, M, Zhou, W, Aune, TM Cutting edge: distal regulatory elements are required to achieve selective expression of IFN-gamma in Th1/Tc1 effector cells. J Immunol, 169(12), 6664-7, 2002.
• Maas, K, Chan, S, Parker, J, Slater, A, Moore, J, Olsen, N, Aune, TM Cutting edge: molecular portrait of human autoimmune disease. J Immunol, 169(1), 5-9, 2002.
• Moore, J.H., Parker, J.S., Olsen, N., and Aune, T.M "Symbolic Discriminant Analysis of Microarray Data in Autoimmune Disease." Genetic Epidemiology, 2357-69, 2002.
• Moore, JH, Parker, JS, Olsen, NJ, Aune, TM Symbolic discriminant analysis of microarray data in autoimmune disease. Genet Epidemiol, 23(1), 57-69, 2002.
• Aune, TM Transcriptional reprogramming during T helper cell differentiation. Immunol Res, 23(2-3), 193-204, 2001.
• Zhang, F., Rincon, M., Flavell, R.A., and Aune, T.M "Defective Th function induced by a dominant negative cAMP response element binding protein mutation is reversed by Bcl 2." J. Immunol., 1651762 1770, 2000.
• Zhang, F, Rincon, M, Flavell, RA, Aune, TM Defective Th function induced by a dominant-negative cAMP response element binding protein mutation is reversed by Bcl-2. J Immunol, 165(4), 1762-70, 2000.
• Zhang, F., T. Nakamura, and T.M. Aune "TCR and IL-12 receptor signals cooperate to activate an individual response element in the IFN-gamma promoter in effector Th cells." J. Immunol, 163728-735, 1999.
• Aune, T.M., A.L. Mora, S. Kim, M. Boothby, and A.H. Lichtman "Costimulation reverses the defect in IL-2 but not effector cytokine production by T cells with impaired IkBa degradation." J. Immunol., 1625805-5811, 1999.
• Aune, TM, Mora, AL, Kim, S, Boothby, M, Lichtman, AH Costimulation reverses the defect in IL-2 but not effector cytokine production by T cells with impaired IkappaBalpha degradation. J Immunol, 162(10), 5805-12, 1999.
• Zhang, F., Nakamura, T., and Aune, T.M. "T cell receptor and IL-12 receptor signals cooperate to activate an individual response element in the IFNγ promoter in effector T helper cells.." J. Immunol, 163728-735, 1999.
• Zhang, F, Nakamura, T, Aune, TM TCR and IL-12 receptor signals cooperate to activate an individual response element in the IFN-gamma promoter in effector Th cells. J Immunol, 163(2), 728-35, 1999.
• Zhang, F., D.Z Wang, M.Boothby, L.Penix, R.A. Flavell, and T.M. Aune "Regulation of the activity of IFN-gamma promoter elements during Th cell differentiation." J. Immuno., 1616105-6112, 1998.
• Zhang, F, Wang, DZ, Boothby, M, Penix, L, Flavell, RA, Aune, TM Regulation of the activity of IFN-gamma promoter elements during Th cell differentiation. J Immunol, 161(11), 6105-12, 1998.
• Aune, T.M., and R. A. Flavell "Differential expression of transcription directed by a discrete NF-AT binding element from the IL-4 promoter in naive and effector CD4 T cells." J. Immunol., 15936-43, 1997.
• Aune, T.M., L. A. Penix, M.R. Rincon, and R. A. Flavell "Differential transcription directed by discrete gamma interferon promoter elements in naive and memory (effector) CD4 T cells and CD8 T cells." Mol. Cel. Biol., 17199-208, 1997.
• Aune, T.M., Golden, H.W., and McGrath, K.M "Inhibition of serotonin synthesis or inhibition of serotonin 1A receptors inhibits T cell function in vitro and in vivo." J. Immunol., 153489-498, 1994.
• Bombara, M.P., Webb, D.L., Conrad, P., Marlor, C.W., Sarr, T., Ranges, G.E., Aune, T.M., and Blue, M-L "Cell contact between T cells and synovial fibroblasts causes induction of adhesion molecules and cytokines." J. Leuk. Biol, 54399-406, 1993.
• Rothman, B.L., Kennure, N., Kelley, K.A., Katz, M., and Aune, T.M "Elevation of intracellular cAMP in human T lymphocytes by an anti-CD44 mAb." J. Immunol., 1516036-6042, 1993.
• Aune, T.M., McGrath, K.M., Sarr, T., Bombara, M.P., and Kelley, K.A "Expression of 5HT1a receptors on activated human T lymphocytes: Regulation of cAMP levels and T cell proliferation by 5HT." J. Immunol., 1511175-1183, 1993.
• Piela-Smith, T.H., Aune, T.M., Aneiro, L., Nuveen, E., and Korn, J.H "Impairment of lymphocyte adhesion to cultured fibroblasts and endothelial cells by gamma-irradiation." J. Immunol., 14841-46, 1992.
• Rothman, B.L., Blue, M-L, Kelley, K.A., Wunderlich, D., Mierz, D.V., and Aune, T.M "Human T cell activation by OKT3 is inhibited by a monoclonal antibody to CD44." J. Immunol., 1472493-2499, 1991.
• Webb, D.R., Mensi, N., Freire-Moar, J., Schnaper, H.W., Lewis R.V., Semenuk, G., Devens, B.H., Koontz, A., Danho, W., Pan, Y-C, Wesselschmidt, R., Aune, T.M. and Pierce, C.W "Putative amino terminal sequence of murine soluble immune response suppressor (SIRS): Significant homology with short neurotoxin 1.." Inter. Immunol., 2765-774, 1990.
• Aune, T.M., Kelley, K.A., Ranges, G.E., and Bombara, M.P "Serotonin activated signal transduction in human T cells.." J. Immunol., 1451826-1831, 1990.
• Aune, T.M., and Pogue, S.L "Inhibition of tumor cell growth by interferon-gamma is mediated by two distinct mechanisms dependent upon oxygen tension: Induction of tryptophan degradation and depletion of intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide.." J. Clin. Invest., 84863-875, 1989.
• Aune, T.M., and Pogue, S.L "Generation and initial characterization of a human CD8+ suppressor T cell line." J. Immunol., 1423731-3739, 1989.
• Schnaper, H.W., and Aune, T.M "Steroid sensitive mechanism of soluble immune response suppressor production in steroid responsive nephrotic syndrome." J.Clin.Invest. , 79254-264, 1987.
• Schnaper, H.W., and Aune, T.M "Suppression of immune responses to sheep erythrocytes by the lymphokine soluble immune response suppressor (SIRS) in vivo." J.Immunol., 137863-867, 1986.
• Aune, T.M "ELISA for the detection of the lymphokine soluble immune response suppressor.." J. Immunol. Methods, 8433-44, 1985.
• Aune, T.M., Freeman, G.L., and Colley,. D.G "Production of the lymphokine, SIRS, during chronic experimental schistosomiasis mansoni.." J.Immunol. , 1352768-2771, 1985.
• Webb, D.R., Mason, K., Semenuk, G., Aune, T.M. and Pierce, C. W "Purification and isolation of isoforms of soluble immune response suppressor (SIRS).." J.Immunol., 1353238-3242, 1985.
• Schnaper, H.W., and Aune, T.M "Identification of the lymphokine, soluble immune response suppressor, in urine of patients with nephrotic syndrome." J.Clin. Invest., 76341-349, 1985.
• Aune, T.M "Inhibition of soluble immune response suppressor activity by growth factors." Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 826260-6264, 1985.
• Webb, D.R., Mason, K., Semenuk, G., Aune, T.M. and Pierce, C. W "Purification and isolation of isoforms of soluble immune response suppressor (SIRS)." J.Immunol. , 1353238-3242, 1985.
• Aune, T.M., and Pierce, C.W "Inhibition of interferon or soluble immune response suppressor mediated suppression by levamisole." Int. J. Immunopharm., 591-98, 1983.
• Aune, T.M., Webb, D.R., and Pierce, C.W "Purification and initial characterization of the lymphokine, soluble immune response suppressor." J. Immunol., 1312848-2852, 1983.
• Aune, T.M., Webb, D.R., and Pierce, C.W "Purification of radiolabeled soluble immune responses suppressor." Interleukins, Lymphokines and Cytokines, J.J. Oppenheim and Cohen, eds. Academic Press, New York, 383-389, 1983.
• Schnaper, H.W., Aune, T.M., and Pierce, C.W "Suppressor T cell Activation by human lymphocyte interferon." J. Immunol., 1312301-2306, 1983.
• Aune, T.M. and Pierce, C.W "Activation of A Suppressor T Cell Pathway by Interferon." Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci., 793808-3812, 1982.
• Aune, T.M., Pierce, C.W "Conversion of Soluble Immune Response Suppressor to Macrophage-derived Suppressor Factor by Peroxide." Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci., 785099-5103, 1981.