Transcription factors early growth response gene (Egr) 2 and 3 control inflammatory responses of tolerant T cells.
IMMUNITY INFLAMMATION AND DISEASE 2018;
6:221-233. [PMID:
29314730 PMCID:
PMC5946152 DOI:
10.1002/iid3.210]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction
Impaired proliferation and production of IL2 are the hallmarks of experimental T cell tolerance. However, in most autoimmune diseases, auto‐reactive T cells do not display hyper proliferation, but inflammatory phenotypes.
Methods
We have now demonstrated that the transcription factors Egr2 and 3 are important for the control of inflammatory cytokine production by tolerant T cells, but not for tolerance induction.
Results
In the absence of Egr2 and 3, T cell tolerance, as measured by impaired proliferation and production of IL2, can still be induced, but tolerant T cells produced high levels of inflammatory cytokines. Egr2 and 3 regulate expression of differentiation repressors and directly inhibit T‐bet function in T cells. Indeed, decreased expression of differentiation repressors, such as Id3 and Tcf1, and increased expression of inflammatory transcription factors, such as RORγt and Bhlhe40 were found in Egr2/3 deficient T cells under tolerogenic conditions. In addition, T‐bet was co‐expressed with Egr2 in tolerant T cells and Egr2/3 defects leads to production of high levels of IFNγ in tolerant T cells.
Conclusions
Our findings demonstrated that despite impaired proliferation and IL2 production, tolerant T cells can display inflammatory responses in response to antigen stimulation and this is controlled at least partly by Egr2 and 3.
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