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P21‐activated kinase 2 is essential in maintenance of peripheral Foxp3 + regulatory T cells
Author(s) -
Choi Jinyong,
Pease David Randall,
Chen Siqi,
Zhang Bin,
Phee Hyewon
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/imm.12886
Subject(s) - foxp3 , microbiology and biotechnology , peripheral tolerance , il 2 receptor , biology , zap70 , interleukin 21 , regulatory t cell , t cell , kinase , immunology , immune system
Summary The p21‐activated kinase 2 (Pak2), an effector molecule of the Rho family GTPases Rac and Cdc42, regulates diverse functions of T cells. Previously, we showed that Pak2 is required for development and maturation of T cells in the thymus, including thymus‐derived regulatory T (Treg) cells. However, whether Pak2 is required for the functions of various subsets of peripheral T cells, such as naive CD4 and helper T‐cell subsets including Foxp3 + Treg cells, is unknown. To determine the role of Pak2 in CD4 T cells in the periphery, we generated inducible Pak2 knockout (KO) mice, in which Pak2 was deleted in CD4 T cells acutely by administration of tamoxifen. Temporal deletion of Pak2 greatly reduced the number of Foxp3 + Treg cells, while minimally affecting the homeostasis of naive CD4 T cells. Pak2 was required for proliferation and Foxp3 expression of Foxp3 + Treg cells upon T‐cell receptor and interleukin‐2 stimulation, differentiation of in vitro induced Treg cells, and activation of naive CD4 T cells. Together, Pak2 is essential in maintaining the peripheral Treg cell pool by providing proliferation and maintenance signals to Foxp3 + Treg cells.