SLAT/Def6 Plays a Critical Role in the Development of Th17 Cell-Mediated Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

SWAP-70-like adapter of T cells (SLAT; also known as Def6) is a novel guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rho GTPases that has been previously shown to play a role in CD4+ T cell activation and Th1/Th2 differentiation. However, the role of SLAT/Def6 in autoimmunity and its associated Th1- and Th17-specific responses has not yet been clearly elucidated. We used a prototypical and pathologically relevant Th1/Th17-mediated autoimmune model, that is, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, to assess the role of SLAT/Def6 in autoantigen-specific T cell response. We found that T cell-expressed SLAT/Def6 was critical for experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis development and pathogenesis, as evidenced by the resistance of Def6-deficient (Def6(-/-)) mice to clinical signs of the disease associated with a lack of CNS inflammation and demyelination in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-immunized Def6(-/-) mice. Moreover, Def6 deficiency resulted in a severely diminished myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-specific CD4+ T cell proliferation as well as a defect in IFN-gamma and IL-17 production in secondary lymphoid organs and the CNS. Lastly, Def6(-/-) CD4+ T cells were grossly deficient in their ability to differentiate into Th17 cells both in vitro and in vivo in a T cell-intrinsic manner. Therefore, our study establishes T cell-expressed SLAT/Def6 as a pivotal positive regulator of Th17 inflammatory responses and, thus, essential in controlling autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.