The Transforming Growth Factor Beta Signaling Pathway is Critical for the Formation of CD4 T Follicular Helper Cells and Isotype-switched Antibody Responses in the Lung Mucosa

Overview

Journal Elife

Specialty Biology

Date 2015 Jan 9

PMID 25569154

Citations 39

Authors

Heather D Marshall

John P Ray

Brian J Laidlaw

Nianzhi Zhang

Dipika Gawande

Matthew M Staron

Joe Craft

Susan M Kaech

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

T follicular helper cells (Tfh) are crucial for the initiation and maintenance of germinal center (GC) reactions and high affinity, isotype-switched antibody responses. In this study, we demonstrate that direct TGF-β signaling to CD4 T cells is important for the formation of influenza-specific Tfh cells, GC reactions, and development of isotype-switched, flu-specific antibody responses. Early during infection, TGF-β signaling suppressed the expression of the high affinity IL-2 receptor α chain (CD25) on virus-specific CD4 T cells, which tempered IL-2 signaling and STAT5 and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation in Tfh precursor CD4 T cells. Inhibition of mTOR allowed for the differentiation of Tfh cells in the absence of TGF-βR signaling, suggesting that TGF-β insulates Tfh progenitor cells from IL-2-delivered mTOR signals, thereby promoting Tfh differentiation during acute viral infection. These findings identify a new pathway critical for the generation of Tfh cells and humoral responses during respiratory viral infections.

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