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. 2012 Jun 29:3:178.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2012.00178. eCollection 2012.

Multiple treg suppressive modules and their adaptability

James B Wing  1 , Shimon Sakaguchi
Affiliations

Multiple treg suppressive modules and their adaptability

James B Wing et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a constitutively immunosuppressive cell type critical for the control of autoimmunity and inflammatory pathology. A range of mechanisms of Treg suppression have been identified and it has not always been clear how these different mechanisms interact in order to properly suppress autoimmunity and excessive inflammation. In recent years it has become clear that, while all Tregs seem to share some core suppressive mechanisms, they are also able to adapt to their surroundings in response to a variety of stimuli by homing to the sites of inflammation and exerting ancillary suppressive functions. In this review, we discuss the relevance and possible modes of Treg adaptability and put forward a modular model of Treg suppressive function. Understanding this flexibility may hold the key to understanding the full spectrum of Treg suppressive behavior.

Keywords: CTLA-4; Tregs; adaptability; suppression; transcription factors.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
A two module model of Treg function. Foxp3 acts to control the core module of Treg suppressive function by regulating expression of a number of key molecules such as CTLA-4 and CD25. This allows Tregs to suppress T-effector activation and proliferation by suppressing APC function via CTLA-4 and possibly depriving IL-2 from other T cells. An additional Thχ-like module of suppressive function may also be induced that causes Tregs to express Thχ-like transcription factors allowing the Tregs to take on some of the properties of Th1, Th2, Th17, or follicular T cells, travel to the same sites and deliver in situ suppression.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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