title: BATF regulates the development and function of IL-17 producing iNKT cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  BATF plays important roles in the function of the immune system. Batf null mice are deficient in both CD4+ Th17 cells and T follicular helper cells and possess an intrinsic B cell defect that leads to the complete absence of class switched Ig. In this study, Tg mice overexpressing BATF in T cells were used together with Batf null mice to investigate how altering levels of BATF expression in T cells impacts the development and function of a recently characterized population of iNKT cells expressing IL-17 (iNKT-17).
  
  
  RESULTS
  BATF has a direct impact on IL-17 expression by iNKT cells. However, in contrast to the Th17 lineage where BATF activates IL-17 expression and leads to the expansion of the lineage, BATF overexpression restricts overall iNKT cell numbers while skewing the compartment in vivo and in vitro toward an iNKT-17 phenotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work is the first to demonstrate that BATF joins RORγt as the molecular signature for all IL-17 producing cells in vivo and identifies BATF as a component of the nuclear protein network that could be targeted to regulate IL-17-mediated disease. Interestingly, these studies also reveal that while the Il17a gene is a common target for BATF regulation in Th17 and iNKT-17 cells, this regulation is accompanied by opposite effects on the growth and expansion of these two cell lineages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Jordan-Williams
authors.forename: Stacie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poston
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Taparowsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; C431772:Batf protein, mouse; D020381:Interleukin-17
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