Follicular regulatory T cells control humoral autoimmunity via NFAT2-regulated CXCR5 expression

Martin Vaeth1, Gerd Müller, Dennis Stauss

  • 1Department of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology and 4 Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, Julius-Maximilians-University of Wuerzburg, 97080 Wuerzburg, Germany.

Maturation of high-affinity B lymphocytes is precisely controlled during the germinal center reaction. This is dependent on CD4(+)CXCR5(+) follicular helper T cells (TFH) and inhibited by CD4(+)CXCR5(+)Foxp3(+) follicular regulatory T cells (TFR). Because NFAT2 was found to be highly expressed and activated in follicular T cells, we addressed its function herein. Unexpectedly, ablation of NFAT2 in T cells caused an augmented GC reaction upon immunization. Consistently, however, TFR cells were clearly reduced in the follicular T cell population due to impaired homing to B cell follicles. This was TFR-intrinsic because only in these cells NFAT2 was essential to up-regulate CXCR5. The physiological relevance for humoral (auto-)immunity was corroborated by exacerbated lupuslike disease in the presence of NFAT2-deficient TFR cells.

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