title: Cutting Edge: memory regulatory t cells require IL-7 and not IL-2 for their maintenance in peripheral tissues.
abstract: Thymic Foxp3-expressing regulatory T cells are activated by peripheral self-antigen to increase their suppressive function, and a fraction of these cells survive as memory regulatory T cells (mTregs). mTregs persist in nonlymphoid tissue after cessation of Ag expression and have enhanced capacity to suppress tissue-specific autoimmunity. In this study, we show that murine mTregs express specific effector memory T cell markers and localize preferentially to hair follicles in skin. Memory Tregs express high levels of both IL-2Rα and IL-7Rα. Using a genetic-deletion approach, we show that IL-2 is required to generate mTregs from naive CD4(+) T cell precursors in vivo. However, IL-2 is not required to maintain these cells in the skin and skin-draining lymph nodes. Conversely, IL-7 is essential for maintaining mTregs in skin in the steady state. These results elucidate the fundamental biology of mTregs and show that IL-7 plays an important role in their survival in skin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Iris K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Gratz
authors.forename: Hong-An
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.forename: Sara Hsin-Yi
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Megan M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Maurano
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Abul K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rosenblum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology*; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000276:immunology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7 / Q000276:immunology*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7; C415350:interleukin-7 receptor, alpha chain
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