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Expression of the transcription factor cKrox in peripheral CD8 T cells reveals substantial postthymic plasticity in CD4-CD8 lineage differentiation

  1. Author:
    Jenkinson, S. R.
    Intlekofer, A. M.
    Sun, G.
    Feigenbaum, L.
    Reiner, S. L.
    Bosselut, R.
  2. Author Address

    NCI, Lab Immune Cell Biol, Ctr Canc Res, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA. Univ Penn, Abramson Family Canc Res Inst, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA. Univ Penn, Dept Med, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA. NCI, Frederick Canc Res & Dev Ctr, SAIC Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702 USA.;Bosselut, R, Walter Reed Army Inst Res, Dept Immunol, CD&I, Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA.;remy@helix.nih.gov
    1. Year: 2007
    2. Date: Feb
  1. Journal: Journal of Experimental Medicine
    1. 204
    2. 2
    3. Pages: 267-272
  2. Type of Article: Article
  3. ISSN: 0022-1007
  1. Abstract:

    Most T cells belong to either of two lineages defined by the mutually exclusive expression of CD4 and CD8 coreceptors: CD4 T cells are major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II restricted and have helper function, whereas CD8 T cells are MHC I restricted and have cytotoxic function. The divergence between these two lineages occurs during intrathymic selection and is thought to be irreversible in mature T cells. It is, however, unclear whether the CD4-CD8 differentiation of postthymic T cells retains some level of plasticity or is stably maintained by mechanisms distinct from those that set lineage choice in the thymus. To address this issue, we examined if coreceptor or effector gene expression in mature CD8 T cells remains sensitive to the zinc finger transcription factor cKrox, which promotes CD4 and inhibits CD8 differentiation when expressed in thymocytes. We show that cKrox transduction into CD8 T cells inhibits their expression of CD8 and cytotoxic effector genes and impairs their cytotoxic activity, and that it promotes expression of helper-specific genes, although not of CD4 itself. These observations reveal a persistent degree of plasticity in CD4-CD8 differentiation in mature T cells.

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External Sources

  1. DOI: 10.1084/jem.20061982
  2. WOS: 000244504100007

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