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T Cell Activation Threshold Regulated by E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Cbl-b Determines Fate of Inducible Regulatory T Cells
Journal article   Peer reviewed

T Cell Activation Threshold Regulated by E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Cbl-b Determines Fate of Inducible Regulatory T Cells

Guilin Qiao, Yixia Zhao, Zhenping Li, Peter Q Tang, Wallace Y Langdon, Tianlan Yang and Jian Zhang
The Journal of immunology (1950), Vol.191(2), pp.632-639
07/15/2013
DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1202068
PMCID: PMC3702637
PMID: 23749633

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Abstract

E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b is critical for establishing the threshold for T cell activation, and is essential for induction of T cell anergy. Recent studies suggest that Cbl-b is involved in the development of inducible CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells (iTregs). In this study, we report that the optimal induction of Foxp3 by naïve CD4 + CD25 − T cells requires suboptimal TCR triggering. In the absence of Cbl-b, the TCR strength for optimal Foxp3 induction is down-regulated in vitro. Using TCR transgenic Rag −/− mice in combination with Cbl-b deficiency, we show that in vivo iTreg development is also controlled by Cbl-b via tuning the TCR strength. Furthermore, we show that Akt-2 but not Akt-1 regulates Foxp3 expression downstream of Cbl-b. Therefore, we demonstrate that Cbl-b regulates the fate of iTregs via controlling the threshold for T cell activation.

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