title: The transcription factor Bcl11b is specifically expressed in group 2 innate lymphoid cells and is essential for their development.
abstract: Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), or ILC2s, are a subset of recently identified ILCs, which play important roles in innate immunity by producing type 2 effector cytokines. Several transcription factors have been found to have critical functions in the development of both ILC2s and T cells. We report here that Bcl11b, a transcription factor essential in T cell lineage commitment and maintenance, is specifically expressed in progenitors committed to the ILC2 lineage and is required for ILC2 development. The Bcl11b gene is expressed in ∼28% of ILC progenitors (ILCPs; common helper innate lymphoid progenitors or ILCPs expressing either ID2 or promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger, respectively). Both in vitro and in vivo, these Bcl11b-expressing early ILCPs generate only ILC2s. Inactivation of Bcl11b causes a complete loss of ILC2 development from hematopoietic progenitors, which is confirmed upon immune challenge with either papain administration or influenza virus infection.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1HH, England, UK.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1HH, England, UK Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201106, China.
authors.forename: Cui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1HH, England, UK.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clare
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1HH, England, UK.
authors.forename: Juexuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1HH, England, UK.
authors.forename: Song-Choon
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1HH, England, UK.
authors.forename: Cordelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1HH, England, UK.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1HH, England, UK Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201106, China.
authors.forename: Daqian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030.
authors.forename: Nancy A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030.
authors.forename: Neal G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Copeland
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1HH, England, UK.
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dougan
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1HH, England, UK pl2@sanger.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Pentao
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002469:Cell Separation; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D060889:Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: C511143:Bcl11b protein, mouse; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; C494748:Gata3 protein, mouse; C556694:Icos protein, mouse; C486189:Il1rl1 protein, mouse; D060889:Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins