[PDF][PDF] A mutation in the transcription factor Foxp3 drives T helper 2 effector function in regulatory T cells

F Van Gool, MLT Nguyen, MR Mumbach, AT Satpathy… - Immunity, 2019 - cell.com
F Van Gool, MLT Nguyen, MR Mumbach, AT Satpathy, WL Rosenthal, S Giacometti, DT Le…
Immunity, 2019cell.com
Regulatory T (Treg) cells maintain immune tolerance through the master transcription factor
forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), which is crucial for Treg cell function and homeostasis. We
identified an IPEX (immune dysregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy X-linked)
syndrome patient with a FOXP3 mutation in the domain swap interface of the protein.
Recapitulation of this Foxp3 variant in mice led to the development of an autoimmune
syndrome consistent with an unrestrained T helper type 2 (Th2) immune response. Genomic …
Summary
Regulatory T (Treg) cells maintain immune tolerance through the master transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), which is crucial for Treg cell function and homeostasis. We identified an IPEX (immune dysregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy X-linked) syndrome patient with a FOXP3 mutation in the domain swap interface of the protein. Recapitulation of this Foxp3 variant in mice led to the development of an autoimmune syndrome consistent with an unrestrained T helper type 2 (Th2) immune response. Genomic analysis of Treg cells by RNA-sequencing, Foxp3 chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput DNA sequencing (ChIP-sequencing), and H3K27ac-HiChIP revealed a specific de-repression of the Th2 transcriptional program leading to the generation of Th2-like Treg cells that were unable to suppress extrinsic Th2 cells. Th2-like Treg cells showed increased intra-chromosomal interactions in the Th2 locus, leading to type 2 cytokine production. These findings identify a direct role for Foxp3 in suppressing Th2-like Treg cells and implicate additional pathways that could be targeted to restrain Th2 trans-differentiated Treg cells.
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