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Review
. 2010 Sep;3(5):443-9.
doi: 10.1038/mi.2010.27. Epub 2010 May 26.

Regulatory T-cell stability and plasticity in mucosal and systemic immune systems

M Murai  1 , P Krause, H Cheroutre, M Kronenberg
Affiliations
Review

Regulatory T-cell stability and plasticity in mucosal and systemic immune systems

M Murai et al. Mucosal Immunol. 2010 Sep.

Abstract

Regulatory T cells (Treg) express the forkhead box p3 (Foxp3) transcription factor and suppress pathological immune responses against self and foreign antigens, including commensal microorganisms. Foxp3 has been proposed as a master key regulator for Treg, required for their differentiation, maintenance, and suppressive functions. Two types of Treg have been defined. Natural Treg (nTreg) are usually considered to be a separate sublineage arising during thymus differentiation. Induced Treg (iTreg) originate upon T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation in the presence of tumor growth factor beta. Although under homeostatic conditions most Treg in the periphery are nTreg, special immune challenges in the intestine promote more frequently the generation of iTreg. Furthermore, recent observations have challenged the notion that Treg are a stable sublineage, and they suggest that, particularly under lymphopenic and/or inflammatory conditions, Treg may lose Foxp3 and/or acquire diverse effector functions, especially in the intestine, which may contribute to uncontrolled inflammation.

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Conflict of interest statement

DISCLOSURE

The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conditions leading to maintenance and loss of regulatory T cells (Treg) in the intestine and elsewhere are illustrated. Top: Interleukin (IL)-2 maintains Treg populations systemically, and Treg may be either induced or under inflammatory conditions maintained by IL-10 from macrophages or other myeloid cells in intestinal tissues. Bottom: IL-12 may lead to induction of T-bet expression in the intestine, and it, or other inflammatory cytokines, may contribute to the loss of Foxp3 expression when Treg are transferred to lymphopenic mice that lack IL-10.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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