Repression of miR-31 by BCL6 stabilizes the helper function of human follicular helper T cells.

ABSTRACT: Follicular helper T cells (T_FHs) are a key component of adaptive immune responses as they help antibody production by B cells. Differentiation and function of T_FH cells are controlled by the master gene BCL6, but it is largely unclear how this transcription repressor specifies the T_FH program. Here we asked whether BCL6 controlled helper function through down-regulation of specific microRNAs (miRNAs). We first assessed miRNA expression in T_FH cells and defined a T_FH-specific miRNA signature. We report that hsa-miR-31-5p (miR-31) is down-regulated in T_FH; we showed that BCL6 suppresses miR-31 expression by binding to its promoter; and we demonstrated that miR-31 inhibits the expression of molecules that control T-helpe

SUBMITTER: Ripamonti A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5715737 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature