Study Sheds New Light on CD4/CD8 T Cell Development
Source:
Time: 2012-08-13
During the development of αβ T cells, the alternate commitment to CD4 and CD8 lineages is important for the generation of distinct CD4 (helper) and CD8 (killer) T cells. A new study, conducted by Dr. LIU Xiaolong’s group from Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, uncovered the silencing of CD8 genes by ThPOK in the development of CD4 T cells.
The establishment of mutually exclusive expression profiles of the CD4 and CD8 T cell lineage is the basis for a well-balanced immune system. Transcriptional factor ThPOK, which is a CD4 lineage commitment factor, work as a negative regulator that mediates the deacetylation of Cd8 genes and repositions the CD8 alleles close to heterochromatin during the development of the CD4 lineage. By using ThPOK transgenic as well as ThPOK deficiency mice, researchers found that transcriptional factor ThPOK can recruit Class II HDACs to Cd8 genes and induced the deacetylation and thus reposition of Cd8 genes near heterochromatins. As a result, Cd8 genes were eventually silenced in the development of CD4 T cells. In conclusion, their results highlight the role of ThPOK as a negative regulator of Cd8 genes as well as the important roles of Class II HDACs in the development of CD4 T cells.
This work was published on the Journal of Immunology under the title “Epigenetic Silencing of Cd8 Genes by ThPOK-Mediated Deacetylation during CD4 T Cell Differentiation”. This study was funded by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality.
CONTACT:
Dr. LIU Xiaolong
Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
E-mail: liux@sibs.ac.cn
Tel/Fax: +86-21-54921176