Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, United Kingdom.
J Immunol. 2012 Aug 1;189(3):1113-7. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1200991. Epub 2012 Jun 29.
Multiple factors control susceptibility of C57BL/6 mice to infection with the helminth Heligmosomoides polygyrus, including TGF-β signaling, which inhibits immunity in vivo. However, mice expressing a T cell-specific dominant-negative TGF-β receptor II (TGF-βRII DN) show dampened Th2 immunity and diminished resistance to infection. Interestingly, H. polygyrus-infected TGF-βRII DN mice show greater frequencies of CD4(+)Foxp3(+)Helios(+) Tregs than infected wild-type mice, but levels of CD103 are greatly reduced on both these cells and on the CD4(+)Foxp3(+)Helios(-) population. Although Th9 and Th17 levels are comparable between infected TGF-βRII DN and wild-type mice, the former develop exaggerated CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell IFN-γ responses. Increased susceptibility conferred by TGF-βRII DN expression was lost in IFN-γ-deficient mice, although they remained unable to completely clear infection. Hence, overexpression of IFN-γ negatively modulates immunity, and the presence of Helios(+) Tregs may maintain susceptibility on the C57BL/6 background.
多种因素控制着 C57BL/6 小鼠对蠕虫旋毛虫感染的易感性,包括 TGF-β 信号通路,它在体内抑制免疫。然而,表达 T 细胞特异性显性负 TGF-β 受体 II(TGF-βRII DN)的小鼠表现出减弱的 Th2 免疫和对感染的抵抗力降低。有趣的是,感染 TGF-βRII DN 的 H. polygyrus 小鼠比感染野生型小鼠显示出更高频率的 CD4(+)Foxp3(+)Helios(+)Tregs,但这些细胞和 CD4(+)Foxp3(+)Helios(-)群体上的 CD103 水平大大降低。尽管感染 TGF-βRII DN 和野生型小鼠之间的 Th9 和 Th17 水平相当,但前者发展出过度的 CD4(+)和 CD8(+)T 细胞 IFN-γ 反应。尽管 IFN-γ 缺陷小鼠失去了 TGF-βRII DN 表达赋予的易感性,但它们仍然无法完全清除感染。因此,IFN-γ 的过度表达负调节免疫,而 Helios(+)Tregs 的存在可能维持 C57BL/6 背景下的易感性。