SFB 1054 Seminar - Ingo Schmitz
Institute for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg & Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
23.03.2017 at 12:15
Title: Regulatory T cells – something on their birth and their death
Regulatory T cells are key players for the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Moreover, they establish a threshold for the activation of effector T cells and regulate the duration and strength of an immune response. Loss of regulatory T cells leads to massive systemic autoimmune diseases. Recent studies demonstrate that the transcription factor NF-κB and proteins regulating its activity are crucial for the development of regulatory T cells, especially the NF-κB-subunit c Rel and the atypical inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB) protein IκBNS. The phenotypical similarities of IκBNS- and c-Rel-deficient mice suggest a functional or molecular interaction of both proteins. To analyze this, we generated mice that are deficient for both, IκBNS and c-Rel. The characterization of these mice and the molecular mechanisms, by which c-Rel and IκBNS govern regulatory T cell development, will be discussed. Furthermore, regulatory T cells are known to be highly proliferative cells, but little is known about the mechanisms the homeostatic processes that limit excessive Treg cell numbers. We found that regulatory T cells exhibit a higher apoptosis rate compared to conventional T cells. Furthermore, we asked whether the anti-apoptotic protein c-FLIP is involved in Treg cell homeostasis. Indeed, Treg-specific deletion of c-FLIP resulted in fatal autoimmune disease of a scurfy-like phenotype. Thus, our data reveal a critical role for c-FLIP in Treg cell survival, homeostasis and prevention of autoimmunity.
Schmitz Website Helmholtz / Schmitz Website University Magdeburg
Venue:
BioMedical Center (BMC), Room N 01.017,
Großhaderner Str. 9, Planegg-Martinsried
Host: Vigo Heissmeyer (A03)
