Follicular regulatory T cells expressing Foxp3 and Bcl-6 suppress germinal center reactions

Nat Med. 2011 Jul 24;17(8):983-8. doi: 10.1038/nm.2426.

Abstract

Foxp3(+) regulatory T (T(reg)) cells suppress different types of immune responses to help maintain homeostasis in the body. How T(reg) cells regulate humoral immunity, including germinal center reactions, is unclear. Here we identify a subset of T(reg) cells expressing CXCR5 and Bcl-6 that localize to the germinal centers in mice and humans. The expression of CXCR5 on T(reg) cells depends on Bcl-6. These CXCR5(+)Bcl-6(+) T(reg) cells are absent in the thymus but can be generated de novo from CXCR5(-)Foxp3(+) natural T(reg) precursors. A lack of CXCR5(+) T(reg) cells leads to greater germinal center reactions including germinal center B cells, affinity maturation of antibodies and the differentiation of plasma cells. These results unveil a Bcl-6-CXCR5 axis in T(reg) cells that drives the development of follicular regulatory T (T(FR)) cells that function to inhibit the germinal center reactions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Germinal Center / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Palatine Tonsil / immunology
  • Palatine Tonsil / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6
  • Receptors, CXCR5 / metabolism
  • Self Tolerance / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / physiology

Substances

  • BCL6 protein, human
  • CXCR5 protein, human
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • FOXP3 protein, human
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6
  • Receptors, CXCR5