PLZF controls the development of fetal-derived IL-17+ Vγ6+ γδ T cells

Y Lu, X Cao, X Zhang, D Kovalovsky - The Journal of Immunology, 2015 - journals.aai.org
Y Lu, X Cao, X Zhang, D Kovalovsky
The Journal of Immunology, 2015journals.aai.org
Expression of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) protein directs the effector
differentiation of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells and IL-4+ γδ NKT cells. In this study, we show
that PLZF is also required for the development and function of IL-17+ γδ T cells. We
observed that PLZF is expressed in fetal-derived invariant Vγ5+ and Vγ6+ γδ T cells, which
secrete IFN-γ and IL-17, respectively. PLZF deficiency specifically affected the effector
differentiation of Vγ6+ cells, leading to reduced numbers of mature CD27− CD44+ …
Abstract
Expression of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) protein directs the effector differentiation of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells and IL-4+ γδ NKT cells. In this study, we show that PLZF is also required for the development and function of IL-17+ γδ T cells. We observed that PLZF is expressed in fetal-derived invariant Vγ5+ and Vγ6+ γδ T cells, which secrete IFN-γ and IL-17, respectively. PLZF deficiency specifically affected the effector differentiation of Vγ6+ cells, leading to reduced numbers of mature CD27− CD44+ phenotype capable of secreting IL-17. Although PLZF was not required for Vγ5+ γδ T cells to develop, when these cells were reprogrammed into IL-17–secreting cells in Skint-1 mutant mice, they required PLZF for their effector maturation, similarly to Vγ6+ γδ T cells. The impaired effector differentiation of PLZF-deficient Vγ6+ γδ T cells was not due to increased apoptosis and it was related to reduced proliferation of immature CD27+ CD44− Vγ6+ γδ T cells, which was required for their differentiation into mature CD27− CD44+ IL-17–secreting cells. Thus, the present study identifies that PLZF function is not restricted to NKT or IL-4+ T cells, but it also controls the development of IL-17+ γδ T cells.
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