Article abstract


Nature Immunology 10, 167 - 175 (2008)
Published online: 21 December 2008 | doi:10.1038/ni.1690

The costimulatory molecule ICOS regulates the expression of c-Maf and IL-21 in the development of follicular T helper cells and TH-17 cells

Aurelie T Bauquet1, Hulin Jin1,4, Alison M Paterson2,4, Meike Mitsdoerffer1, I-Cheng Ho3, Arlene H Sharpe2 & Vijay K Kuchroo1


The inducible costimulatory molecule ICOS has been suggested to be important in the development of interleukin 17 (IL-17)-producing helper T cells (TH-17 cells) and of follicular helper T cells (TFH cells). Here we show that ICOS-deficient mice had no defect in TH-17 differentiation but had fewer TH-17 cells after IL-23 stimulation and fewer TFH cells. We also show that TFH cells produced IL-17 and that TFH cells in ICOS-deficient mice were defective in IL-17 production. Both TH-17 and TFH cells had higher expression of the transcription factor c-Maf. Genetic loss of c-Maf resulted in a defect in IL-21 production and fewer TH-17 and TFH cells. Thus our data suggest that ICOS-induced c-Maf regulates IL-21 production that in turn regulates the expansion of TH-17 and TFH cells.

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  1. Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
  2. Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
  3. Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy and Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
  4. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Correspondence to: Vijay K Kuchroo1 e-mail: vkuchroo@rics.bwh.harvard.edu



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