title: Bcl6 expression specifies the T follicular helper cell program in vivo.
abstract: T follicular helper cells (Tfh cells) play a pivotal role in germinal center reactions, which require B cell lymphoma 6 (Bcl6) transcription factor. To analyze their relationships with other effector T cell lineages and their stability in vivo, we developed and analyzed a new Bcl6 reporter mouse alone or together with other lineage reporter systems. Assisted with genome-wide transcriptome analysis, we show substantial plasticity of T cell differentiation in the early phase of immune response. At this stage, CXCR5 appears to be expressed in a Bcl6-independent manner. Once Bcl6 is highly expressed, Tfh cells can persist in vivo and some of them develop into memory cells. Together, our results indicate Bcl6 as a bona fide marker for Tfh polarized program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Xindong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Roza I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Nurieva
authors.forename: Aibo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaohu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martin-Orozco
authors.forename: Yihong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Seon Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Enric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Esplugues
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Flavell
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D023061:Gene Order; D018390:Gene Targeting; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D054380:Receptors, CXCR5 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: C490010:Bcl6 protein, mouse; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D054380:Receptors, CXCR5