Cutting Edge: miR-17-92 Is Required for Both CD4 Th1 and T Follicular Helper Cell Responses during Viral Infection.
Viral infections induce the differentiation of naive CD4 T cells into two distinct lineages, Th1 cells and T follicular helper (TFH) cells. Two recent studies demonstrated that the microRNA cluster miR-17-92 selectively promotes CD4 TFH responses. However, we show in this study that miR-17-92 expression is required for the clonal expansion of both virus-specific Th1 and TFH cells. Upon viral infection, miR-17-92-deficient CD4 T cells showed impaired clonal expansion and subsequent memory formation. Although miR-17-92 deficiency impaired the clonal expansion of both Th1 and TFH cells, the expansion of Th1 cells was more affected. Overexpression of miR-17-92 in CD4 T cells resulted in increased expansion of both virus-specific Th1 and TFH cells but selectively enhanced the Th1 response. Taken together, our data suggest that miR-17-92 is necessary for both Th1 and TFH cells to respond efficiently to viral infections and that the Th1 response is more sensitive to the level of miR-17-92 expression.
Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322; and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322.
Tuoqi
T
Wu
Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322; and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322.
Andreas
A
Wieland
Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322; and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322.
Judong
J
Lee
Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322; and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322.
J Scott
JS
Hale
Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322; and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322.
Jin-Hwan
JH
Han
Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322; and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322.
Xiaojin
X
Xu
Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322; and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322 rahmed@emory.edu.
Rafi
R
Ahmed
D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D060966:Clonal Selection, Antigen-Mediated / Q000276:immunology*; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
C575895:MIRN17-92 microRNA, mouse; D035683:MicroRNAs