The Orphan Nuclear Receptor RORγt Directs the Differentiation Program of Proinflammatory IL-17+ T Helper Cells

Ivanov, Ivaylo I.; McKenzie, Brent; Zhou, Liang; Tadokoro, Carlos E.; Lepelley, Alice; Lafaille, Juan J.; Daniel, J.; Littman, Dan R.

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2006.07.035

Cited by 4,552 publications

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“…17,18,21,32,33 Other helper T-cell phenotypes are regulated in similar ways, such as the Treg phenotype and its master transcription factor FOXP3 19 and the cytokine TGFb, or the Th17 phenotype governed by RORgt and IL17, 34,35 but as of yet little is known about their epigenetic regulatory mechanisms.…”

Section: The Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cell division curtails helper phenotype plasticity and expedites helper T‐cell differentiation

Ham

Boer

2012

Immunol Cell Biol

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Following activation by antigen, helper T cells differentiate into one of many effector phenotypes. Formulating mechanistic mathematical models combining regulatory networks at the transcriptional, translational and epigenetic level, we study how individual helper T cells may adopt their different phenotypes. For each cytokine phenotype, for example, T helper type 1 (Th1) and type 2 (Th2) cells, we find that the intracellular molecular network allows a cell to adopt one of the three states, which we interpret as naive, active and memory states. Cell division markedly speeds up the differentiation into a particular memory state because of DNA demythelation. In a memory state, cells readily resume production of the same cytokine they produced before. Using stochastic models we show that helper T-cell plasticity (that is, the ability to switch phenotype) is low during clonal expansion. Although most memory cells rapidly secrete the original cytokine upon restimulation, some adopt another phenotype and produce different cytokines, allowing for considerable diversity in the phenotypes that are adopted during a memory response. In summary, we show that helper T-cell division expedites cell differentiation by increasing DNA demethylation. We also show that plasticity is low during the clonal expansion phase, but that helper T cells may adopt alternative phenotypes during a memory response. Keywords: epigenetic regulation; helper T-cell phenotypes; mathematical modelling; transcriptional regulation For more than a century, biologists have studied the mechanisms that enable cells to encode genetic information, and how this information is passed on to the cell's progeny. 1 Besides the genetic DNA code of a cell that is replicated faithfully upon every cell division and therefore virtually identical in every cell within an individual, 2 additional 'epigenetic' information fixes differential cell development by prompting daughter cells to express a similar set of genes as their mother cell. 3 This facilitates and thus preserves the differentiation process that the mother cell and its ancestors have undergone as part of cellular diversification within an organism.A variety of biological systems have now been studied using highthroughput technologies, which provide data that allow a better understanding of information processing within a cell. [4][5][6][7] The availability of quantitative data and the apparent complexity of cellular regulatory networks have led to a data-driven mathematical modelling approach that is usually referred to as computational or systems biology. Mathematical models have revealed nonlinearity in genetic networks that allow cells to switch between states. Examples are the Lac operon 8 and cells of the haematopoietic lineage. [9][10][11][12] Recently, epigenetic regulation mediated by histone modification has been studied using similar mathematical models. [13][14][15] At the molecular level these mathematical models describe quite different genetic and epigenetic systems. Mathematically they share im...

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Section: The Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cell division curtails helper phenotype plasticity and expedites helper T‐cell differentiation

Ham

Boer

2012

Immunol Cell Biol

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“…Expression of the transcription factor retinoic acid related orphan receptor gamma-t (RORγt) is required for the differentiation of Th17 cells [5,6]. The orphan receptor RORγt is a thymusspecific isoform of RORγ [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…IL-6, together with TGF-β, is required to induce IL-17 expression in naïve CD4 + T cells, which are characterized by the expression of RORγt [5,10,11]. Since its discovery in 1986, IL-6 has been shown to promote plasma cell differentiation and antibody production by B cells and to play a central role in a number of diseases [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Th17 cells have been shown to participate in the development of autoimmunity, and also to play an important role in host defense against infection [4]. Expression of the transcription factor retinoic acid related orphan receptor gamma-t (RORγt) is required for the differentiation of Th17 cells [5,6]. The orphan receptor RORγt is a thymusspecific isoform of RORγ [7].…”

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Overexpression of RORγt under control of the CD2 promoter induces polyclonal plasmacytosis and autoantibody production in transgenic mice

et al. 2012

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Retinoic acid related orphan receptor gamma-t (RORγt) is known to be a master regulator of Th17-cell development. In this study, we generated RORγt-overexpressing transgenic (RORγt Tg) mice in which transgene expression was driven by the CD2 promoter, and found that these mice developed polyclonal plasmacytosis and autoantibody production. RORγt Tg mice were generated on a C57BL/6 background, and also were intercrossed with BALB/c mice. BALB/c F1 (BALB/F1) RORγt Tg mice developed massive polyclonal plasmacytosis, and had shorter life spans. Splenomegaly and infiltration of plasma cells into the lung were observed. Hyperglobulinemia, anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies, antierythrocyte antibodies, and anti-platelet antibodies were detected in BALB/F1 RORγt Tg mice. In the present study, polyclonal plasmacytosis in BALB/F1 RORγt Tg mice appeared to be due to the induction of excessive IL-6 production by IL-17. We detected increased numbers of CD11b + cells that produced IL-6. We also generated IL-6-deficient RORγt Tg BALB/F1 background mice, which displayed high levels of serum IL-17, but did not develop severe hyperglobulinemia. Excessive IL-6 production by several cell types, including macrophages, in BALB/F1 RORγt Tg mice, might effect the development of plasmacytosis. These results suggest that RORγt plays important roles in the development of plasmacytosis and autoantibody production. Eur. J. Immunol. 2012Immunol. . 42: 1999Immunol. -2009 Introduction CD4 + T helper (Th) cells are a subcategory of T lymphocytes that play a central role in modulating immune responses. Classically, naïve CD4 + T cells have been thought to differentiate into two cell types, Th1 and Th2 cells. This corresponds to the Th1/Th2 paradigm proposed by Mosmann et al. [1]. More recently, a third subset of Th cells, Th17 cells, has been described; this is a distinct lineage that does not share developmental pathways with either Th1 or Th2 cells [2,3]. Th17 cells are generally thought to be proinflammatory, especially through the production of 3]. Th17 cells have been shown to participate in the development of autoimmunity, and also to play an important role in host defense against infection [4]. Expression of the transcription factor retinoic acid related orphan receptor gamma-t (RORγt) is required for the differentiation of Th17 cells [5,6]. The orphan receptor RORγt is a thymusspecific isoform of RORγ [7]. A related nuclear receptor, RORα, was shown to act in synergy with RORγt to promote the differentiation of Th17 cells [8]. STAT3 is also required for full generation of the Th17 lineage [9]. The upregulation of RORγt depends on STAT3 [9], and the selective deletion of STAT3 in T cells partially abrogates the development of Th17 cells because it also abrogates the expression of RORα and RORγt [8].IL-6 is an important cytokine in the differentiation of Th17 cells. IL-6, together with TGF-β, is required to induce IL-17 expression in naïve CD4 + T cells, which are characterized by the expression of RORγt [5,10,11]. Since its discovery i...

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“…Th17 cells produce cytokines like IL-17, IL-22 and mediate immunity to extracellular bacteria and fungi, but are also responsible for autoimmunity and inflammation [12,13]. Development of naïve T cells to Th17 cells requires the presence of IL-6, TGF-b1 and the transcription factor RORgt [14][15][16][17]. [20,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

T‐cell‐specific deletion of gp130 renders the highly susceptible IL‐10‐deficient mouse resistant to intestinal nematode infection

et al. 2009

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Gp130 is the common receptor of the IL-6 family of cytokines and is involved in many biological processes, including acute phase response, inflammation and immune reactions. To investigate the role of gp130 under inflammatory conditions, T-cell-specific conditional gp130 mice were first bred to the IL-10-deficient background and were then infected with the gastrointestinal nematode Trichuris muris. While IL-10 À/À mice were highly susceptible to T. muris, developed a mixed Th1/Th17 response and displayed severe inflammation of the caecum, infection of mice with an additional T-cell-specific deletion of gp130 signalling completely reversed the phenotype. These mice showed an accelerated worm expulsion that was associated with the rapid generation of a strong Th2 immune response and a significant increase in Foxp3-expressing Treg. Therefore, gp130 signalling in T cells regulates a switch between proinflammatory and pathogenic Th1/Th17 cells and regulatory Th2/Treg in vivo. Taken together, the data demonstrate that gp130 signalling in T cells is a positive regulator of inflammatory processes, favouring the Th1/Th17 axis.Key words: Cytokine receptor . Helminthic infection . Inflammation Th1/Th2/Th17 cells Transgenic mice IntroductionThe common receptor gp130 is constitutively expressed on immune and non-immune cells and is used by all members of the IL-6 family, which comprises IL-6, IL-11, leukaemia inhibitory factor, oncostatin M and the recently characterized cytokine IL-27, among others [1,2]. While gp130 acts as the obligate signalling subunit, each cytokine first binds to its specific receptor, which accounts for the difference in activities [3,4]. The lethality of mice with classical disruptions of two gp130 alleles demonstrated that gp130 signalling is important for the development of the nervous and hematopoietic systems [5,6]. Moreover, signals mediated by gp130 regulate multiple other biological functions, including acute phase response, immune reactions and inflammation [7,8]. The receptor is also involved in sustaining the disease state in inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or MS [9][10][11]. The Th pathway is composed of, at least, three distinct subsets: Th1 cells produce IFN-g and are involved in the fight against intracellular pathogens. The Th2 immune response with T cells producing IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 provides immunity to helminths [2]. Th17 cells produce cytokines like IL-17, IL-22 and mediate immunity to extracellular bacteria and fungi, but are also responsible for autoimmunity and inflammation [12,13]. Development of naïve T cells to Th17 cells requires the presence of IL-6, TGF-b1 and the transcription factor RORgt [14][15][16][17]. [20,21]. Since TGF-b1 is a common factor for Treg and Th17 cells, it is possible that a switch from Th17 to Treg exists in vivo in the absence of IL-6 signalling in T cells. The gastrointestinal helminth Trichuris muris is a good model to investigate Th-cell pathways. In common inbred mouse strains (BALB/c, C57BL/6), infection with T. muris is...

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The Orphan Nuclear Receptor RORγt Directs the Differentiation Program of Proinflammatory IL-17+ T Helper Cells

Cited by 4,552 publications

References 58 publications

Cell division curtails helper phenotype plasticity and expedites helper T‐cell differentiation

Cell division curtails helper phenotype plasticity and expedites helper T‐cell differentiation

Overexpression of RORγt under control of the CD2 promoter induces polyclonal plasmacytosis and autoantibody production in transgenic mice

T‐cell‐specific deletion of gp130 renders the highly susceptible IL‐10‐deficient mouse resistant to intestinal nematode infection

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