NFAT transcription factors promote the generation of follicular helper T cells in response to acute viral infection

Follicular helper T (Tfh) cells provide B cell help in germinal center reactions that support class switching, somatic hypermutation, and the generation of high-affinity antibodies. Here we show that deficiency in NFAT1 and NFAT2 in CD4 + T cells leads to impaired germinal center reactions upon vira...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 196; no. 5; pp. 2015 - 2019
Main Authors: Martinez, Gustavo J., Hu, Joyce K., Pereira, Renata M., Crampton, Jordan S., Togher, Susan, Bild, Nicholas, Crotty, Shane, Rao, Anjana
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: 05-02-2016
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Summary:Follicular helper T (Tfh) cells provide B cell help in germinal center reactions that support class switching, somatic hypermutation, and the generation of high-affinity antibodies. Here we show that deficiency in NFAT1 and NFAT2 in CD4 + T cells leads to impaired germinal center reactions upon viral infection due to reduced Tfh cell differentiation and defective expression of proteins involved in T:B interactions and B cell help, including ICOS, PD-1, and SLAM family receptors. ChIP-seq data suggest that NFAT proteins likely directly participate in regulation of genes important for Tfh cell differentiation and function. NFAT proteins are important TCR and Ca 2+ -dependent regulators of T cell biology, and here we demonstrate a major positive role of NFAT family members in Tfh differentiation.
Bibliography:Present address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology. The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA.
Present address: Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil.
ISSN:0022-1767
1550-6606
DOI:10.4049/jimmunol.1501841