Thymic regulatory T cells arise via two distinct developmental programs

Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Owen, David L.;Mahmud, Shawn A.;Sjaastad, Louisa E.;Williams, Jason B.;Spanier, Justin A.;Simeonov, Dimitre R.;Ruscher, Roland;Huang, Weishan;Miller, Corey;Hekim, Can;Jeschkle, Jonathan C.;Aggarwal, Praful;Broeckel, Ulrich;LaRue, Rebecca S.;Henzler, Christine M.;Alegre, Maria-Luisa;Anderson, Mark S.;August, Avery;Marson, Alexander;Zheng, Ye;Williams, Calvin B.;Farrar, Michael A.
Abstract

The developmental programs that generate a broad repertoire of regulatory T cells (Treg cells) able to respond to both self antigens and non-self antigens remain unclear. Here we found that mature Treg cells were generated through two distinct developmental programs involving CD25+ Treg cell progenitors (CD25+ TregP cells) and Foxp3lo Treg cell progenitors (Foxp3lo TregP cells). CD25+ TregP cells showed higher rates of apoptosis and interacted with thymic self antigens with higher affinity than did Foxp3lo TregP cells, and had a T cell antigen receptor repertoire and transcriptome distinct from that of Foxp3lo TregP cells. The development of both CD25+ TregP cells and Foxp3lo TregP cells was controlled by distinct signaling pathways and enhancers. Transcriptomics and histocytometric data suggested that CD25+ TregP cells and Foxp3lo TregP cells arose by coopting negative-selection programs and positive-selection programs, respectively. Treg cells derived from CD25+ TregP cells, but not those derived from Foxp3lo TregP cells, prevented experimental autoimmune encephalitis. Our findings indicate that Treg cells arise through two distinct developmentalprograms that are both required for a comprehensive Treg cell repertoire capable of establishing immunotolerance.

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Nature Immunology

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20

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1529-2916

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Pages Count

11

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Nature Publishing Group

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DOI

10.1038/s41590-018-0289-6