Aire downregulates multiple molecules that have contradicting immune-enhancing and immune-suppressive functions

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a systemic disease with autoimmune characteristics caused by mutations in a single gene called AIRE. Although a defect in negative selection has been emphasized for the pathogenesis of the autoimmune symptoms on the basis of studies of Aire-targeted mice, the function of the gene in the peripheral immune system and the cause of immunodeficiency noted in the disease have not been clarified yet. In this study, we demonstrated using murine Aire transfectants that Aire downregulates IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), which is important for immune suppression, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules, which are critical for acquired immunity. It was surprising to learn that Aire, which has been supposed to positively regulate transcription, downregulates multiple molecules. This downregulation of IL-1Ra and MHC class II molecules seems to be caused by the competition for transcriptional coactivator, CREB-binding protein (CBP), and may explain part of the contradictory (i.e., both autoimmune and immunodeficient) nature of APECED.