Project description:The aim of experiment was to study on genome-wide level IRF4 target genes in chicken DT40 B cell line, by comparizon of gene expression profiles of IRF4-deficient DT40 cells with WT IRF4 DT40 cells .
Project description:Differentiation of B cells into antibody secreting cells (ASCs), plasmablasts and plasma cells, is regulated by a network of transcription factors. Within this network factors including PAX5 and BCL6 prevent ASC differentiation and maintain the B cell phenotype whereas BLIMP-1 and high IRF4 expression promote plasmacytic differentiation. BLIMP-1 is thought to induce immunoglobulin secretion. While IRF4 is needed for the survival of ASCs, its role in the regulation of antibody secretion has been controversial. BCL6-deficient DT40 B cell line has upregulated BLIMP-1 expression and secrete antibodies. In order to study the role of IRF4 in regulation of antibody secretion we have created a double knockout (DKO) DT40 B cell line deficient in both IRF4 and BCL6. This DKO cell line did not upregulate PRDM1 (the gene encoding for BLIMP-1) expression or secrete IgM. Even enforced BLIMP-1 expression in DKO cells or IRF4-deficient cells could not induce IgM secretion while it did in WT cells. However, enforced IRF4 expression in DKO cells induced strong IgM secretion. Our findings support a model where IRF4 expression in addition to BLIMP-1 expression is required to induce antibody secretion.
Project description:- transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) = crucial transcription factor for different immune cells, incl pro-inflammatory Th17 and anti-inflammatory Treg cells
- IRF4 is essential for the cell differentiation and fate determination
- however molecular mechanisms of IRF4-mediated gene expression in fully differentiated Th17/Treg cells are still not fully understood
- integration of data derived from affinity-purification and full mass spectrometry-based proteome analysis with chromatin immune precipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq)
- characterization of proteins generally involved in the T cell development as well as subtype-specific differentiation and identification of novel, yet uncharted IRF4 interactors
Project description:The transcription factor IRF4 is crucial for the fate determination of pro-inflammatory T helper (Th)17 and the functionally opposing group of immunomodulatory regulatory T (Treg) cells. However, molecular mechanisms of how IRF4 steers diverse transcriptional programs in Th17 and Treg cells are far from being definitive. To unveil IRF4-driven lineage determination, we integrated data derived from affinity-purification and full mass spectrometry-based proteome analysis with chromatin immune precipitation sequencing. This allowed the characterization of subtype-specific molecular programs and the identification of IRF4 interactors in the Th17/Treg context. Our data reveal that IRF4-interacting transcription factors are recruited to IRF composite elements for the regulation of cell type-specific transcriptional programs as exemplarily demonstrated for FLI1, which in cooperation with IRF4 promotes Th17-specific gene expression. Inhibition of FLI1 markedly impaired Th17-differentiation. The present ‘omics’ dataset provides a valuable resource for studying IRF4-mediated gene regulatory programs in pro- and anti-inflammatory immune responses.