title: Cutting edge: β-catenin is dispensable for T cell effector differentiation, memory formation, and recall responses.
abstract: The molecular mechanisms that regulate mature T cell fate and enable cells to differentiate into memory T cells are largely unknown. Memory T cells share certain key features with stem cells: they both have the ability to self-renew and are long-lived. The Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathway is a key player in regulating stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. We generated a conditional knockout mouse that specifically lacks β-catenin in mature T cells and report in this article that β-catenin is not involved in regulating effector versus memory T cell differentiation. β-catenin-deficient memory T cells were phenotypically and functionally indistinguishable from control cells and made normal recall responses. β-catenin deficiency does not affect T cell migration, T cell function in a model of chronic infection, or lymphopenia-induced proliferation. Together, our data suggest that self-renewal and differentiation are regulated differently in memory T cells compared with epithelial and hematopoietic stem cells.
authors: Department of Immunology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. mprlic@fhcrc.org
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Prlic
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Bevan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051176:beta Catenin