부산대학교 도서관

Several subsets of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg cells) work in concert to maintain immune homeostasis. However, the molecular bases underlying the phenotypic and functional diversity of Treg cells remain obscure. We show that in response to interferon-γ, Foxp3+ Treg cells upregulated the T helper type 1 (TH1)-specifying transcription factor T-bet. T-bet promoted expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 on Treg cells, and T-bet+ Treg cells accumulated at sites of TH1 cell–mediated inflammation. Furthermore, T-bet expression was required for the homeostasis and function of Treg cells during type 1 inflammation. Thus, in a subset of CD4+ T cells, the activities of the transcription factors Foxp3 and T-bet are overlaid, which results in Treg cells with unique homeostatic and migratory properties optimized for the suppression of TH1 responses in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]