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Updated: May 19, 2026

In Vitro Selection of Engineered Transcriptional Repressors for Targeted Epigenetic Silencing
Published on: May 5, 2023
Polycomb antagonizes p300/CREB-binding protein-associated factor to silence FOXP3 in a Kruppel-like factor-dependent
Yuning Xiong1, Sahil Khanna, Adrienne L Grzenda
1Chromatin Dynamics and Epigenetics Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Abstract:
Inducible gene expression underlies the epigenetically inherited differentiation program of most immune cells. We report that the promoter of the FOXP3 gene possesses two distinct functional states: an "off state" mediated by the polycomb histone methyltransferase complex and a histone acetyltransferase-dependent "on state." Regulating these states is the presence of a Kruppel-like factor (KLF)-containing Polycomb response element. In the KLF10(-/-) mouse, the FOXP3 promoter is epigenetically silenced by EZH2 (Enhancer of Zeste 2)-mediated trimethylation of Histone 3 K27; thus, impaired FOXP3 induction and inappropriate adaptive T regulatory cell differentiation results in vitro and in vivo. The epigenetic transmittance of adaptive T regulatory cell deficiency is demonstrated throughout more than 40 generations of mice. These results provide insight into chromatin remodeling events key to phenotypic features of distinct T cell populations.
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