NKAP is a transcriptional repressor of notch signaling and is required for T cell development.
T cell development depends on the coordinated interplay between receptor signaling and transcriptional regulation. Through a genetic complementation screen a transcriptional repressor, NKAP, was identified. NKAP associated with the histone deacetylase HDAC3 and was shown to be part of a DNA-binding complex, as demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation. NKAP also associated with the Notch corepressor complex. The expression of NKAP during T cell development inversely correlated with the expression of Notch target genes, implying that NKAP may modulate Notch-mediated transcription. To examine the function of NKAP in T cell development, we ablated NKAP by Lck(cre). Loss of NKAP blocked development of alphabeta but not gammadelta T cells, and Nkap(fl/o)Lck(cre) DP T cells expressed 8- to 20-fold higher amounts of Hes1, Deltex1, and CD25 mRNA. Thus, NKAP functions as a transcriptional repressor, acting on Notch target genes, and is required for alphabeta T cell development.
Pajerowski
Anthony G
AG
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Nguyen
Chau
C
Aghajanian
Haig
H
Shapiro
Michael J
MJ
Shapiro
Virginia Smith
VS
D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D056970:Co-Repressor Proteins; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006655:Histone Deacetylases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000378:metabolism; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000378:metabolism; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099186:Histone Deacetylase 3
D056970:Co-Repressor Proteins; D006655:Histone Deacetylases; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D000099186:Histone Deacetylase 3; C479077:NKAP protein, human