title: Regulation of regulatory T cells: epigenetics and plasticity.
abstract: Regulatory T (Treg) cells, as central mediators of immune suppression, play crucial roles in many aspects of immune system's physiology and pathophysiology. The transcription factor Foxp3 has been characterized as a master gene of Tregs. Yet Treg cells possess a distinct pattern of gene expression, including upregulation of immune-suppressive genes and silencing of inflammatory cytokine genes. Recent studies have revealed the molecular mechanisms that establish and maintain such gene regulation in Treg cells. This review discusses recent progress in our understanding of molecular features of Treg cells, with particular attention to Treg-cell lineage commitment and stability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Sana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hibino
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Someya
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: yoshimura@a6.keio.jp.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshmura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors
keywords: Autoimmune disease; Cytokine; Foxp3; Promoter; Tolerance