Foxn1-β5t transcriptional axis controls CD8<sup>+</sup> T-cell production in the thymus.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 28176764.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms14419 and PMC identifier 5309848.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The thymus is an organ that produces functionally competent T cells that protect us from pathogens and malignancies. Foxn1 is a transcription factor that is essential for thymus organogenesis; however, the direct target for Foxn1 to actuate thymic T-cell production is unknown. Here we show that a Foxn1-binding cis-regulatory element promotes the transcription of β5t, which has an essential role in cortical thymic epithelial cells to induce positive selection of functionally competent CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells. A point mutation in this genome element results in a defect in β5t expression and CD8<sup>+</sup> T-cell production in mice. The results reveal a Foxn1-β5t transcriptional axis that governs CD8<sup>+</sup> T-cell production in the thymus.
Medical subject headings
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
- Forkhead Transcription Factors
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex
- Thymus Gland