Expression of the transcription factor cKrox in peripheral CD8 T cells reveals substantial postthymic plasticity in CD4-CD8 lineage differentiation.
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.
Jenkinson
S Rhiannon
SR
Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Intlekofer
Andrew M
AM
Sun
Guangping
G
Feigenbaum
Lionel
L
Reiner
Steven L
SL
Bosselut
Rémy
R
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology*; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012190:Retroviridae; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014161:Transduction, Genetic
D016827:CD8 Antigens; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C117093:Zbtb7a protein, mouse