Control of Foxp3 induction and maintenance by sequential histone acetylation and DNA demethylation

Autor: Jun Li, Beisi Xu, Minghong He, Xinying Zong, Trevor Cunningham, Cher Sha, Yiping Fan, Richard Cross, Jacob H. Hanna, Yongqiang Feng
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Cell Reports, Vol 37, Iss 11, Pp 110124- (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2211-1247
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110124
Popis: Summary: Regulatory T (Treg) cells play crucial roles in suppressing deleterious immune response. Here, we investigate how Treg cells are mechanistically induced in vitro (iTreg) and stabilized via transcriptional regulation of Treg lineage-specifying factor Foxp3. We find that acetylation of histone tails at the Foxp3 promoter is required for inducing Foxp3 transcription. Upon induction, histone acetylation signals via bromodomain-containing proteins, particularly targets of inhibitor JQ1, and sustains Foxp3 transcription via a global or trans effect. Subsequently, Tet-mediated DNA demethylation of Foxp3 cis-regulatory elements, mainly enhancer CNS2, increases chromatin accessibility and protein binding, stabilizing Foxp3 transcription and obviating the need for the histone acetylation signal. These processes transform stochastic iTreg induction into a stable cell fate, with the former sensitive and the latter resistant to genetic and environmental perturbations. Thus, sequential histone acetylation and DNA demethylation in Foxp3 induction and maintenance reflect stepwise mechanical switches governing iTreg cell lineage specification.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals