title: Cutting edge: vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) induces differentiation of Th17 cells with a distinctive cytokine profile.
abstract: Immune cellular effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) are transduced by VIP G protein-coupled receptors type 1 (VPAC1) and type 2 (VPAC2). We now show that VIP with TGFbeta stimulates the transformation of CD4 T cells to a distinctive type of Th17 cell that generates IL-17 but not IL-6 or IL-21. VIP induction of Th17 cells was higher in VPAC2 knockout mice than wild-type mice, suggesting that VPAC1 is the principal transducer. Compared with Th17 cells elicited by IL-6, those evoked by VIP were similar in the secretion of IL-17 and IL-22, but lacked IL-21 secretion. Suppression of VIP induction of Th17 cells by protein kinase A inhibitors and enhancement by pharmacologically increased cAMP supports a role for this signal. The ability of VIP-VPAC1 axis signals to evoke development of a novel type of Th17 cells demonstrates the unique specificity of neuroregulatory mechanisms in the immunological environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Mahesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Goetzl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D007378:Interleukins / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000502:physiology*; D000098546:Interleukin-21
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D020381:Interleukin-17; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D000098546:Interleukin-21