There are at least 49 members of the BTB-ZF gene family, which includes PLZF, BCL6, ThPOK, LRF and others. Only a few have been studied in the context of immune system development or function. Expression of the known BTB-ZF genes correlates with specific functions of the cells - in many ways, the BTB-ZF gene actually defines the subset. Therefore, our lab has hypothesized that analysis of BTB-ZF gene expression at the level of the single cell will result in the identification of new T cell subsets. What is clear is hat understanding the diversity of lymphocyte subsets defined by this gene family will have a profound impact on our understanding of the overall complexity and function of the immune response. Indeed, the identification of novel immune subsets, such as Th17 T cells, Tregs, Tfh cells, has proven over the last few years to have major implications for vaccine development, cancer treatment and the management of autoimmune diseases. In this application, we show that that a specific BTB-ZF family member defines a distinct subset FoxP3 expressing Tregs and CD4 T cells. More than 400 genes are differentially expressed by these cells as compared to phenotypically similar T cells. Furthermore, these cells appear to be functionally distinct from their counterparts. For example, we show that these cells rapidly produce effector cytokines following stimulation. Therefore, the significance of this application lies in the definition of noel regulatory T cell subsets that we hypothesize play unique roles in immune homeostasis. In this application, we will fully explore the unique characteristic of these cells and, importantly, determine if these cells represent a distinct lineage of Tregs.
We propose to study a novel subset of regulatory T cells that we have recently discovered. These cells express a specific transcription factor that we believe is essential for their function. In this application, we will combine sophisticated cellular and molecular approaches that will give insight into the impact that these cells have on the homeostatic regulation of the immune system.
