Generation of T Follicular Helper Cells Is Mediated by Interleukin-21 but Independent of T Helper 1, 2, or 17 Cell Lineages

SummaryAfter activation, CD4+ helper T (Th) cells differentiate into distinct effector subsets. Although chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 5-expressing T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are important in humoral immunity, their developmental regulation is unclear. Here we show that Tfh cells had a distinct gene expression profile and developed in vivo independently of the Th1 or Th2 cell lineages. Tfh cell generation was regulated by ICOS ligand (ICOSL) expressed on B cells and was dependent on interleukin-21 (IL-21), IL-6, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). However, unlike Th17 cells, differentiation of Tfh cells did not require transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) or Th17-specific orphan nuclear receptors RORα and RORγ in vivo. Finally, naive T cells activated in vitro in the presence of IL-21 but not TGF-β signaling preferentially acquired Tfh gene expression and promoted germinal-center reactions in vivo. This study thus demonstrates that Tfh is a distinct Th cell lineage

Inducible costimulator is essential for collagen-induced arthritis

CD4(+) helper Th cells play a major role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Th cell activation, differentiation, and immune function are regulated by costimulatory molecules. Inducible costimulator (ICOS) is a novel costimulatory receptor expressed on activated T cells. We, as well as others, recently demonstrated its importance in Th2 cytokine expression and Ab class switching by B cells. In this study, we examined the role of ICOS in rheumatoid arthritis using a collagen-induced arthritis model. We found that ICOS knockout mice on the DBA/1 background were completely resistant to collagen-induced arthritis and exhibited absence of joint tissue inflammation. These mice, when immunized with collagen, exhibited reduced anti-collagen IgM Ab’s in the initial stage and IgG2a Ab’s at the effector phase of collagen-induced arthritis. Furthermore, ICOS regulates the in vitro and in vivo expression of IL-17, a proinflammatory cytokine implicated in rheumatoid arthritis. These data indicate that ICOS is essential for collagen-induced arthritis and may suggest novel means for treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis

A Costimulation-Initiated Signaling Pathway Regulates NFATc1 Transcription in T Lymphocytes

T cell activation and differentiation is accompanied and mediated by transcriptional reprogramming. The NFATc1 transcription factor is strongly induced upon T cell activation and controls numerous genes involved in the T cell effector function. However, its regulation by physiological stimuli in primary T cells has not been well understood. We previously found that ICOS synergizes with TCR and CD28 to greatly enhance NFATc1 expression in primary T cells. In this study, we have examined the signaling mechanisms whereby costimulation regulates NFATc1 expression. We found that CD28 and ICOS regulate sustained PI3K activity in primary T cells, which is required for NFATc1 up-regulation. CD28 and ICOS costimulation, possibly through Itk, a Tec kinase downstream of the PI3K, enhanced phosphorylation of phospholipase C gamma1 and increased and sustained Ca(2+) flux in T cells. Costimulation of T cells potentiated transcription of the Nfatc1 gene P1 promoter in a PI3K-dependent manner. This work demonstrates an important role for costimulatory receptors in sustaining T cell activation programs leading to Nfatc1 gene transcription and has implications in our understanding of the immune response and tolerance

Activation of the transcription factor c-Maf in T cells is dependent on the CARMA1-IKKβ signaling cascade

The proto-oncogene c-Maf is a transcription factor that plays a critical role in the differentiation of various T helper (T(H)) cell subsets. The amount of c-Maf increases after stimulation of the T cell receptor (TCR), which results in the production of multiple cytokines. We showed that two essential regulators of the transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), the scaffold protein CARMA1 and the kinase IKKβ [inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB) kinase β], are also critical for the activation of c-Maf. Although CARMA1 deficiency did not affect the TCR-dependent increase in c-Maf abundance in T cells, CARMA1-dependent activation of the IKK complex was required for the nuclear translocation of c-Maf and its binding to the promoters of its target genes. Consistent with a role for c-Maf in the development of T follicular helper (T(FH)) cells, which provide help to B cells in the germinal centers of the spleen, CARMA1- or IKKβ-deficient mice immunized with peptide antigen had defects in the generation of T(FH) cells, formation of germinal centers, and production of antigen-specific antibodies. Together, these data suggest a mechanism by which c-Maf is regulated during T cell activation and differentiation