부산대학교 도서관

Regulatory T (Treg) cells respond to immune and inflammatory signals to mediate immunosuppression, but how the functional integrity of Tregcells is maintained under activating environments is unclear. Here we show that autophagy is active in Tregcells and supports their lineage stability and survival fitness. Tregcell–specific deletion of Atg7 or Atg5, two essential genes in autophagy, leads to loss of Tregcells, greater tumor resistance and development of inflammatory disorders. Atg7-deficient Tregcells show increased apoptosis and readily lose expression of the transcription factor Foxp3, especially after activation. Mechanistically, autophagy deficiency upregulates metabolic regulators mTORC1 and c-Myc and glycolysis, which contribute to defective Tregfunction. Therefore, autophagy couples environmental signals and metabolic homeostasis to protect lineage and survival integrity of Tregcells in activating contexts.