Project description:Recent studies have identified Zeb2 as a transcription factor important for the final maturation of natural killer cells and effector CD8+ T cells. We show that Zeb2 is required for the development of two myeloid cell types, the monocyte and the plasmacytoid dendritic cell, and clarify that this factor is not required for the development of classical dendritic cells.
Project description:Recent studies have identified Zeb2 as a transcription factor important for the final maturation of natural killer cells and effector CD8+ T cells. We show that Zeb2 is required for the development of two myeloid cell types, the monocyte and the plasmacytoid dendritic cell, and clarify that this factor is not required for the development of classical dendritic cells.
Project description:Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) develop from pre-pDCs, while two lineages of conventional DCs (cDC1s and cDC2s) develop from lineage-committed pre-cDCs. A number of transcription factors (TFs) have been implicated in regulating the development of pDCs (E2-2, Id2) and cDC1s (IRF8, Id2 and Batf3) however, those required for the early commitment of pre-cDCs towards the cDC2 lineage are unknown. Here we identified the TF Zinc finger E box binding homeobox 2 (Zeb2), to play a crucial role in regulating DC development. Zeb2 was expressed from the pre-pDC and pre-cDC stage onwards, and highly expressed in mature pDCs and cDC2s. Mice conditionally lacking Zeb2 in CD11c+ cells had a cell intrinsic reduction in pDCs and cDC2s, coupled with an increase in cDC1s. Conversely, mice in which CD11c+ cells overexpressed Zeb2 displayed a reduction in cDC1s. This was accompanied by altered expression of Id2, which was upregulated in cDC2s and pDCs from conditional knock-out mice. Zeb2 ChIP analysis revealed Id2 to be a direct target of Zeb2. Thus, we conclude that Zeb2 regulates commitment to both the cDC2 and pDC lineages through repression of Id2.
