title: Interleukin (IL)-4-independent maintenance of histone modification of the IL-4 gene loci in memory Th2 cells.
abstract: Interleukin (IL)-4-induced STAT6 activation and the subsequent up-regulation of GATA3 are crucial for the induction of chromatin remodeling of the Th2 cytokine gene loci as Th2 cells undergo development. This study probes the role of these molecules in the maintenance of memory Th2 cells. IL-4 was not required to maintain the capability for Th2 cytokine production in in vivo generated antigen-specific memory Th2 cells. Histone H3-K9/14 hyperacetylation and intergenic transcripts associated with the IL-4 gene locus were preserved in the absence of IL-4, but those associated with the IL-13 gene were partially IL-4-dependent. Histone H3-K4 methylation of the IL-13 and IL-4 gene loci was fully preserved in memory Th2 cells and accompanied by memory cell-specific accumulation of Pol II complex to highly restricted sites. Thus, memory Th2 cells maintain a unique Th2-specific remodeled chromatin in the IL-4 and IL-13 gene loci by active molecular events that are IL-4-independent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: Masakatsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shinnakasu
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nigo
authors.forename: Motoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayama
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004257:DNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000235:genetics; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D000939:Epitopes; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; C494748:Gata3 protein, mouse; D006657:Histones; D018793:Interleukin-13; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D015847:Interleukin-4; D004257:DNA Polymerase II