Temporal and context-dependent requirements for the transcription factor Foxp3 expression in regulatory T cells.

ABSTRACT: Regulatory T (T_reg) cells, expressing the transcription factor Foxp3, are obligatory gatekeepers of immune responsiveness, yet the mechanisms by which Foxp3 governs the T_reg transcriptional network remain incompletely understood. Using a novel chemogenetic system of inducible Foxp3 protein degradation in vivo, we found that while Foxp3 was indispensable for the establishment of transcriptional and functional programs of newly generated T_reg cells, Foxp3 loss in mature T_reg cells resulted in minimal functional and transcriptional changes under steady state. This resilience of the Foxp3-dependent program in mature T_reg cells was acquired over an unexpectedly long timescale; however, in settings of severe inflammation, Foxp3 loss led to a

SUBMITTER: Hu W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12571910 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature