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T cells

The flexibility of T-cell fates

Nature Reviews Immunology volume 8, pages 906–907 (2008)Cite this article

The authors first identified that, similarly to other T-cell subsets, the differentiation of IL-9-producing T cells in vitro required the addition of specific cytokines. Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) — which is necessary for the differentiation of both TH17 and inducible TReg cells — and IL-4 were both essential for the generation of IL-9-producing T cells. The analysis of cytokine production by flow cytometry showed that IL-9-producing T cells that were differentiated under these conditions did not co-express the cytokines that are characteristic of other T-cell subsets, such as interferon-γ, IL-4 or IL-17A, nor the transcription factors that determine other T-cell transcriptional programmes, such as T-bet, GATA3, RORγt or FOXP3.

Subsequent experiments showed that IL-9-producing T cells could be generated from TH2 cells that were exposed to TGFβ in vitro, even when the TH2 cells were highly polarized. However, IL-12, a TH1-cell-polarizing cytokine, was not sufficient to reprogramme polarized TH2 cells into TH1 cells, suggesting that the plasticity of T-cell phenotypes is tightly controlled.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Veldoen, M. et al. Transforming growth factor-β 'reprograms' the differentiation of T helper 2 cells and promotes an interleukin 9-producing subset. Nature Immunol. 19 Oct 2008 (doi: 10.1038/ni.1659)

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  1. Sarah Allan
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Allan, S. The flexibility of T-cell fates. Nat Rev Immunol 8, 906–907 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri2453

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