Go to JCI Insight
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • By specialty
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Immunology
    • Metabolism
    • Nephrology
    • Neuroscience
    • Oncology
    • Pulmonology
    • Vascular biology
    • All ...
  • Videos
    • Conversations with Giants in Medicine
    • Video Abstracts
  • Reviews
    • View all reviews ...
    • Pancreatic Cancer (Jul 2025)
    • Complement Biology and Therapeutics (May 2025)
    • Evolving insights into MASLD and MASH pathogenesis and treatment (Apr 2025)
    • Microbiome in Health and Disease (Feb 2025)
    • Substance Use Disorders (Oct 2024)
    • Clonal Hematopoiesis (Oct 2024)
    • Sex Differences in Medicine (Sep 2024)
    • View all review series ...
  • Viewpoint
  • Collections
    • In-Press Preview
    • Clinical Research and Public Health
    • Research Letters
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Editorials
    • Commentaries
    • Editor's notes
    • Reviews
    • Viewpoints
    • 100th anniversary
    • Top read articles

  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • Specialties
  • Reviews
  • Review series
  • Conversations with Giants in Medicine
  • Video Abstracts
  • In-Press Preview
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Research Letters
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Editorials
  • Commentaries
  • Editor's notes
  • Reviews
  • Viewpoints
  • 100th anniversary
  • Top read articles
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
Itch expression by Treg cells controls Th2 inflammatory responses
Hyung-seung Jin, … , Chris Elly, Yun-Cai Liu
Hyung-seung Jin, … , Chris Elly, Yun-Cai Liu
Published October 25, 2013
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2013;123(11):4923-4934. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI69355.
View: Text | PDF
Research Article

Itch expression by Treg cells controls Th2 inflammatory responses

  • Text
  • PDF
Abstract

Regulatory T (Treg) cells maintain immune homeostasis by limiting autoimmune and inflammatory responses. Treg differentiation, maintenance, and function are controlled by the transcription factor Foxp3. However, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying Treg cell regulation remain elusive. Here, we show that Treg cell–specific ablation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch in mice caused massive multiorgan lymphocyte infiltration and skin lesions, chronic T cell activation, and the development of severe antigen-induced airway inflammation. Surprisingly, Foxp3 expression, homeostasis, and the in vitro and in vivo suppressive capability of Treg cells were not affected by Itch deficiency. We found that the expression of Th2 cytokines by Treg cells was increased in the absence of Itch. Fate mapping revealed that a fraction of Treg cells lost Foxp3 expression independently of Itch. However, Th2 cytokines were excessively augmented in Itch–/– Foxp3-negative “ex-Treg” cells without altering the percentage of conversion. Targeted knockdown of Th2 transcriptional regulators in Itch–/– Treg cells prevented Th2 cytokine production. The present study unveils a mechanism of Treg cell acquisition of Th2-like properties that is independent of Foxp3 function and Treg cell stability.

Authors

Hyung-seung Jin, Yoon Park, Chris Elly, Yun-Cai Liu

×

Figure 7

Inhibition of Th2 transcription factors rescued aberrant cytokine production of Itch-deficient Treg cells.

Options: View larger image (or click on image) Download as PowerPoint
Inhibition of Th2 transcription factors rescued aberrant cytokine produc...
(A) Relative mRNA expression amounts of Tbx21, Gata3, c-Maf and Rorc in sorted CD4+YFP+ Treg cells from Itchfl/flFoxp3Cre mice and Itch+/+Foxp3Cre littermates. Results of three experiments are shown as the mean ± SD values. (B) FACS-sorted CD4+ YFP+ Treg cells were fixed and stained with either anti-GATA3 antibody or an isotype-matched control Ig. For phospho-STAT6 detection (p-STAT6), FACS-sorted CD4+YFP+ Treg cells were stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies for 2 hours, followed by staining with antiphospho-STAT6 antibody. (C) Immunoblot analysis of wild-type and Itch-deficient Treg cells. CD4+YFP+ Treg cells sorted from Itchfl/flFoxp3Cre and Itch+/+Foxp3Cre mice were stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies for 24 hours. Cell lysates were separated by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotted with the indicated antibodies. The blot for Itch is the same as that in Figure 1A. (D) Flow cytometric analysis of YFP and mAmetrine expression in CD4+ T cells in the bone marrow chimeric mice (BMC). shRNA-expressing bone marrow chimeric mice were generated by reconstituting retrovirally transduced bone marrow cells from Itchfl/flFoxp3Cre mice into lethally irradiated recipient mice. YFP and mAmetrine double-positive CD4+ T cells were sorted and activated with anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies for 2 days in vitro. Cytokine concentration in the culture supernatants was measured by an ELISA assay. Data are compiled from two independent experiments with four mice per group. Error bars indicate the mean (± SD). *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001.

Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

Sign up for email alerts