[HTML][HTML] Inhibition of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in regulatory T cells reveals a very dynamic regulation of Foxp3 expression

JD Goldstein, A Burlion, B Zaragoza, K Sendeyo… - PLoS …, 2016 - journals.plos.org
JD Goldstein, A Burlion, B Zaragoza, K Sendeyo, JK Polansky, J Huehn, E Piaggio…
PLoS One, 2016journals.plos.org
The IL-2/JAK3/STAT-5 signaling pathway is involved on the initiation and maintenance of
the transcription factor Foxp3 in regulatory T cells (Treg) and has been associated with
demethylation of the intronic Conserved Non Coding Sequence-2 (CNS2). However, the
role of the JAK/STAT pathway in controlling Foxp3 in the short term has been poorly
investigated. Using two different JAK/STAT pharmacological inhibitors, we observed a
detectable loss of Foxp3 after 10 min. of treatment that affected 70% of the cells after one …
The IL-2/JAK3/STAT-5 signaling pathway is involved on the initiation and maintenance of the transcription factor Foxp3 in regulatory T cells (Treg) and has been associated with demethylation of the intronic Conserved Non Coding Sequence-2 (CNS2). However, the role of the JAK/STAT pathway in controlling Foxp3 in the short term has been poorly investigated. Using two different JAK/STAT pharmacological inhibitors, we observed a detectable loss of Foxp3 after 10 min. of treatment that affected 70% of the cells after one hour. Using cycloheximide, a general inhibitor of mRNA translation, we determined that Foxp3, but not CD25, has a high turnover in IL-2 stimulated Treg. This reduction was correlated with a rapid reduction of Foxp3 mRNA. This loss of Foxp3 was associated with a loss in STAT-5 binding to the CNS2, which however remains demethylated. Consequently, Foxp3 expression returns to normal level upon restoration of basal JAK/STAT signaling in vivo. Reduced expression of several genes defining Treg identity was also observed upon treatment. Thus, our results demonstrate that Foxp3 has a rapid turn over in Treg partly controlled at the transcriptional level by the JAK/STAT pathway.
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