Plasticity of CD4+ T cell lineage differentiation.
The differentiation of naive CD4(+) T cells into lineages with distinct effector functions has been considered to be an irreversible event. T helper type 1 (Th1) cells stably express IFN-gamma, whereas Th2 cells express IL-4. The discovery and investigation of two other CD4(+) T cell subsets, induced regulatory T (iTreg) cells and Th17 cells, has led to a rethinking of the notion that helper T cell subsets represent irreversibly differentiated endpoints. Accumulating evidence suggests that CD4(+) T cells, particularly iTreg and Th17 cells, are more plastic than previously appreciated. It appears that expression of Foxp3 by iTreg cells or IL-17 by Th17 cells may not be stable and that there is a great degree of flexibility in their differentiation options. Here, we will discuss recent findings that demonstrate the plasticity of CD4(+) T cell differentiation and the biological implications of this flexibility.
Zhou
Liang
L
The Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Chong
Mark M W
MM
Littman
Dan R
DR
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology*; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors