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  • Title: Requirement of CD28 signaling in homeostasis/survival of TGF-beta converted CD4+CD25+ Tregs from thymic CD4+CD25- single positive T cells.
    Author: Liu Y, Amarnath S, Chen W.
    Journal: Transplantation; 2006 Oct 15; 82(7):953-64. PubMed ID: 17038912.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: The thymus is a major organ that generates "natural" CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells (Tregs). However, the detailed pathway(s) by which Tregs are developed remain a mystery. CD28-/- mice have profound decrease in Tregs, but the underlying molecular events remain largely undefined. METHODS: CD4+CD25+ thymocytes from wildtype and CD28-/- mice were cultured with T-cell receptor (TCR) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta stimulation to generate CD25+ Tregs and their phenotype and function were studied in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: TGF-beta induced Foxp3 expression in thymic CD4+CD25+ cells and converted them to CD25+ Tregs. The converted Tregs expressed high levels of CD25, whereas the non-suppressive CD4+ T cells from the control cultures expressed CD25(low). CD28-/- thymic CD4+CD25+ cells showed transit lower levels of Foxp3 upon TCR and TGF-beta stimulation early in culture, but the defect in Foxp3 expression was restored to normal levels after 60-72 hr. Consequently, TGF-beta converted CD28-/- CD25+ cells to CD25+ Tregs that were indistinguishable from those of the wildtype mice. However, the total number of TGF-beta converted CD28-/- Tregs was significantly lower than that of wildtype mice. In vivo, TGF-beta converted CD28-/- CD25+ Tregs were less viable than those from the wildtype mice. Importantly, TGF-beta induced alloantigen specific CD4+CD25+ Tregs from thymic CD25-SP cells which also required CD28 to maintain their survival. CONCLUSIONS: TGF-beta and TCR co-stimulation converts thymic CD4+CD25+ T cells into CD4+CD25+ Tregs by inducing Foxp3, and the contribution of CD28 stimulation to this process is mainly through maintaining survival of the induced Tregs.
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