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Complex interactions of transcription factors in mediating cytokine biology in T cells
Author(s) -
Li Peng,
Spolski Rosanne,
Liao Wei,
Leonard Warren J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
immunological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.839
H-Index - 223
eISSN - 1600-065X
pISSN - 0105-2896
DOI - 10.1111/imr.12199
Subject(s) - biology , transcription factor , stat protein , stat , cellular differentiation , microbiology and biotechnology , stat1 , epigenetics , immunology , immune system , cytokine , t cell , t helper cell , signal transduction , genetics , stat3 , gene
Summary T‐helper (Th) cells play critical roles within the mammalian immune system, and the differentiation of naive CD 4 + T cells into distinct T‐helper subsets is critical for normal immunoregulation and host defense. These carefully regulated differentiation processes are controlled by networks of cytokines, transcription factors, and epigenetic modifications, resulting in the generation of multiple CD 4 + T‐cell subsets, including Th1, Th2, Th9, Th17, Treg, and Tfh cells. In this review, we discuss the roles of transcription factors in determining the specific type of differentiation and in particular the role of interleukin‐2 ( IL ‐2) in promoting or inhibiting Th differentiation. In addition to discussing master regulators and subset‐specific transcription factors for distinct T‐helper cell populations, we focus on signal transducer and activator of transcription ( STAT ) proteins and on the cooperative action of interferon regulatory factor 4 ( IRF 4) with activator protein 1 ( AP ‐1) family proteins and STAT 3 in the assembly of complexes that broadly influence T‐cell differentiation.