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Follicular regulatory T cells control humoral autoimmunity via NFAT2-regulated CXCR5 expression

2014; Rockefeller University Press; Volume: 211; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1084/jem.20130604

1540-9538

Martin Vaeth, Gerd Müller, Dennis Stauss, Lena Dietz, Stefan Klein‐Hessling, Edgar Serfling, Martin Lipp, Ingolf Berberich, Friederike Berberich‐Siebelt,

Immunotherapy and Immune Responses

Maturation of high-affinity B lymphocytes is precisely controlled during the germinal center reaction. This is dependent on CD4+CXCR5+ follicular helper T cells (TFH) and inhibited by CD4+CXCR5+Foxp3+ follicular regulatory T cells (TFR). Because NFAT2 was found to be highly expressed and activated in follicular T cells, we addressed its function herein. Unexpectedly, ablation of NFAT2 in T cells caused an augmented GC reaction upon immunization. Consistently, however, TFR cells were clearly reduced in the follicular T cell population due to impaired homing to B cell follicles. This was TFR-intrinsic because only in these cells NFAT2 was essential to up-regulate CXCR5. The physiological relevance for humoral (auto-)immunity was corroborated by exacerbated lupuslike disease in the presence of NFAT2-deficient TFR cells.