Generation of pathogenic T(H)17 cells in the absence of TGF-β signalling. - Literature - Data resources

20962846

Generation of pathogenic T(H)17 cells in the absence of TGF-β signalling.

Nature, 2010/10/21;467(7318):967-71.

Ghoreschi K^[1], Laurence A, Yang XP, Tato CM, McGeachy MJ, Konkel JE, Ramos HL, Wei L, Davidson TS, Bouladoux N, Grainger JR, Chen Q, Kanno Y, Watford WT, Sun HW, Eberl G, Shevach EM, Belkaid Y, Cua DJ, Chen W, O'Shea JJ

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PMID: 20962846DOI: 10.1038/nature09447

Impact factor: 69.504

Abstract

CD4(+) T-helper cells that selectively produce interleukin (IL)-17 (T(H)17), are critical for host defence and autoimmunity. Although crucial for T(H)17 cells in vivo, IL-23 has been thought to be incapable of driving initial differentiation. Rather, IL-6 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 have been proposed to be the factors responsible for initiating specification. Here we show that T(H)17 differentiation can occur in the absence of TGF-β signalling. Neither IL-6 nor IL-23 alone efficiently generated T(H)17 cells; however, these cytokines in combination with IL-1β effectively induced IL-17 production in naive precursors, independently of TGF-β. Epigenetic modification of the Il17a, Il17f and Rorc promoters proceeded without TGF-β1, allowing the generation of cells that co-expressed RORγt (encoded by Rorc) and T-bet. T-bet(+)RORγt(+) T(H)17 cells are generated in vivo during experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, and adoptively transferred T(H)17 cells generated with IL-23 without TGF-β1 were pathogenic in this disease model. These data indicate an alternative mode for T(H)17 differentiation. Consistent with genetic data linking IL23R with autoimmunity, our findings re-emphasize the importance of IL-23 and therefore may have therapeutic implications.

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