FOXO3 is differentially required for CD8+ T-cell death during tolerance versus immunity

Immunol Cell Biol. 2016 Oct;94(9):895-899. doi: 10.1038/icb.2016.53. Epub 2016 Jun 21.

Abstract

Peripheral tolerance mechanisms limit autoimmunity by constitutively eliminating self-reactive CD8+ T cells from the periphery in a process called deletion. Previous work has demonstrated that this deletion process is mediated by BIM-dependent apoptotic death due to transcriptional induction of the Bim gene. Currently, the transcriptional pathways responsible for Bim induction during peripheral deletion remain unclear. We speculated that the transcriptional regulator FOXO3 may induce BIM-dependent death during peripheral deletion, as it has been implicated in Bim induction and cell death during effector CD8+ T-cell differentiation. Despite observing less Akt-dependent inactivation of FOXO transcription factors in tolerised cells relative to effector cells, we demonstrate that FOXO3-deficient CD8+ T cells induce Bim and die normally during peripheral deletion. These data thus demonstrate that BIM-dependent death during CD8+ T-cell deletion is FOXO3 independent. Furthermore, these data provide the first evidence that the pathways responsible for Bim induction and cell death during effector differentiation versus tolerance of CD8+ T cells are molecularly distinct.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bcl-2-Like Protein 11 / metabolism
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • Cell Death / immunology
  • Forkhead Box Protein O3 / metabolism*
  • Immune Tolerance*
  • Immunity*
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism

Substances

  • Bcl-2-Like Protein 11
  • Forkhead Box Protein O3
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt