Shimon Sakaguchi’s group (Experimental Immunology) and others revealed the mechanism of regulatory T (Treg) cells development by Satb1.
Previous studies showed that the transcription factor Foxp3 is essential for Treg cells development and function. The group addressed how Treg cell lineage specification occurs before Foxp3 expression, and found that Treg cell specific super enhancers (SEs) began to be activated in Treg precursor cells. They also found that deletion of Satb1 impaired Treg SE activation and caused severe autoimmunity, suggesting that Satb1 dependent Treg SEs activation is crucial epigenetic event for Treg cell lineage specification.
Further study would aid understanding of autoimmune and other immune diseases.
Guidance of regulatory T cell development by Satb1-dependent super-enhancer establishment (Sakaguchi group, in Nat Immunol)
December 20, 2016
