Impact of RORgt in regulating CD4 T cells primed under Th17 conditions
CD4 T cells are an essential component of antiviral adaptive immune cell responses. Central to the functional capabilities of CD4 T Cells is their ability to differentiate into distinct subsets. Subset differentiation and maintenance is dependent on the coordinated and sequential activation of certain master regulator transcription factors. While antiviral responses are predominantly Th1, prior studies have shown that both T-bet and Eomes, two critical regulators of Th1 responses are dispensable for CD4 T cell mediated protection. CD4 T Cells lacking both T-bet and Eomes produce strong and highly protective Th17 response characterized by high expression of the transcription factor ROR?t. Here we determine the impact of ROR?t regulation in  CD4 T Cells primed under Th17 conditions and also deficient in T-bet and Eomes. Our studies reveal ROR?t regulates several hundred genes that in Th17 CD4 T Cells, thus providing a potential molecular framework for targeting protective anti-viral immunity. Overall design: RNA-seq profiling and comparison of day 4 CD4 T cells primed under Th17 condiitions and lacking either T-bet and Eomes or T-bet, Eomes and ROR?t