Critical role for the transcription regulator CCCTC-binding factor in the control of Th2 cytokine expression

J Immunol. 2009 Jan 15;182(2):999-1010. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.182.2.999.

Abstract

Differentiation of naive CD4+ cells into Th2 cells is accompanied by chromatin remodeling at the Th2 cytokine locus allowing the expression of the IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 genes. In this report, we investigated the role in Th2 differentiation of the transcription regulator CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF). Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed multiple CTCF binding sites in the Th2 cytokine locus. Conditional deletion of the Ctcf gene in double-positive thymocytes allowed development of peripheral T cells, but their activation and proliferation upon anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulation in vitro was severely impaired. Nevertheless, when TCR signaling was circumvented with phorbol ester and ionomycin, we observed proliferation of CTCF-deficient T cells, enabling the analysis of Th2 differentiation in vitro. We found that in CTCF-deficient Th2 polarization cultures, transcription of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 was strongly reduced. By contrast, CTCF deficiency had a moderate effect on IFN-gamma production in Th1 cultures and IL-17 production in Th17 cultures was unaffected. Consistent with a Th2 cytokine defect, CTCF-deficient mice had very low levels of IgG1 and IgE in their serum, but IgG2c was close to normal. In CTCF-deficient Th2 cultures, cells were polarized toward the Th2 lineage, as substantiated by induction of the key transcriptional regulators GATA3 and special AT-rich binding protein 1 (SATB1) and down-regulation of T-bet. Also, STAT4 expression was low, indicating that in the absence of CTCF, GATA3 still operated as a negative regulator of STAT4. Taken together, these findings show that CTCF is essential for GATA3- and SATB1-dependent regulation of Th2 cytokine gene expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding Sites / genetics
  • CCCTC-Binding Factor
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis*
  • Cytokines / genetics*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / deficiency
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / physiology*
  • GATA3 Transcription Factor / biosynthesis
  • GATA3 Transcription Factor / physiology
  • Gene Deletion
  • Matrix Attachment Region Binding Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Matrix Attachment Region Binding Proteins / physiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Repressor Proteins / physiology*
  • Th2 Cells / immunology*
  • Th2 Cells / metabolism*
  • Th2 Cells / pathology
  • Trans-Activators / deficiency
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism
  • Trans-Activators / physiology

Substances

  • CCCTC-Binding Factor
  • Ctcf protein, mouse
  • Cytokines
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • GATA3 Transcription Factor
  • Gata3 protein, mouse
  • Matrix Attachment Region Binding Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Satb1 protein, mouse
  • Trans-Activators