Project description:Follicular helper T (Tfh) cells promote germinal center (GC) B cell survival and proliferation, and guide their differentiation and Ig isotype switching by delivering contact-dependent and soluble factors, including IL-21, IL-4, IL-9, and IFN-g. IL-21 and IFN-g are co-expressed by Tfh cells during acute and chronic infections, but transcriptional regulation of these cytokines in the GC is incompletely understood. We show that the Th1 transcriptional regulators T-bet and STAT4 are co-expressed with Bcl6 in Tfh cells following acute murine lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection, albeit with temporal decline in T-bet expression as the GC response evolved. T-bet was important for Tfh cell production of IFN-g, but not IL-21, and for the generation of a robust germinal center reaction. STAT4, phosphorylated in Tfh cells upon infection, was required for their expression of T-bet and Bcl6, and that of IFN-g and IL-21. These data indicate that T-bet is concomitantly expressed with Bcl6 in Tfh cells and is required alongside STAT4 phosphorylation to coordinate Tfh cell IL-21 and IFN-g production, and for promotion of the GC response following acute viral challenge.
Project description:Follicular helper T (Tfh) cells promote germinal center (GC) B cell survival and proliferation, and guide their differentiation and Ig isotype switching by delivering contact-dependent and soluble factors, including IL-21, IL-4, IL-9, and IFN-g. IL-21 and IFN-g are co-expressed by Tfh cells during acute and chronic infections, but transcriptional regulation of these cytokines in the GC is incompletely understood. We show that the Th1 transcriptional regulators T-bet and STAT4 are co-expressed with Bcl6 in Tfh cells following acute murine lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection, albeit with temporal decline in T-bet expression as the GC response evolved. T-bet was important for Tfh cell production of IFN-g, but not IL-21, and for the generation of a robust germinal center reaction. STAT4, phosphorylated in Tfh cells upon infection, was required for their expression of T-bet and Bcl6, and that of IFN-g and IL-21. These data indicate that T-bet is concomitantly expressed with Bcl6 in Tfh cells and is required alongside STAT4 phosphorylation to coordinate Tfh cell IL-21 and IFN-g production, and for promotion of the GC response following acute viral challenge.
Project description:Follicular helper T (Tfh) cells comprise an important subset of helper T cells; however, their relationship with other helper lineages is incompletely understood. Herein, we show IL-12 acting via signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) induced both Il21 and Bcl6 genes, generating cells with features of both Tfh and Th1 cells. However, STAT4 also induced T-bet. Using ChIP-seq, we defined the genome-wide targets of T-bet and found that it repressed Bcl6 and other markers of Tfh cells, thereby attenuating the nascent Tfh-like phenotype in the late phase of Th1 specification. Finally, Tfh-like T cells were rapidly generated following Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice, but T-bet constrained Tfh cells expansion and consequent germinal center formation and antibody production. Our data argue that Tfh and Th1 share a transitional stage through the signal mediated by STAT4, which promotes both phenotypes. However, T-bet represses Tfh functionalities, promoting full Th1 differentiation. The roles of STAT4 and T-bet to determine T helper cell fate were investigated by comparing DNA binding profiles of STAT4 and T-bet in Th1 conditions. The functional outcome was further evaluated by profiling DNase hypersensitivity sites and histone epigenetic marks between WT and STAT4-deficient or T-bet-deficient T cells in Th1 conditions.