Activation of TGF-β by dendritic cells (DCs) expressing αvβ8 integrin is essential for the generation of intestinal regulatory T cells (Tregs) that in turn promote tolerance to intestinal antigens. We have recently shown that αvβ8 integrin is preferentially expressed by CD103+ DCs, and confers their ability to activate TGF-β and generate Tregs. However, how these DCs become specialized for this vital function is unknown. Here we show that β8 expression is controlled by a combination of factors that include DC lineage, and signals derived from the tissue microenvironment and microbiota. Specifically, our data demonstrate that TGF-β itself, along with retinoic acid (RA) and Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling, drive expression of αvβ8 in DCs. However, these signals only result in high levels of β8 expression in cells of the cDC1 lineage, CD8α+ or CD103+CD11b− DCs, and this is associated with epigenetic changes in the Itgb8 locus. Together, these data provide a key illustrative example of how microenvironmental factors and cell lineage drive the generation of regulatory αvβ8-expressing DCs specialized for activation of TGF-β to facilitate Treg generation.
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