Role of NF-kappaB2-p100 in regulatory T cell homeostasis and activation

Sci Rep. 2019 Sep 25;9(1):13867. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-50454-z.

Abstract

The immunological roles of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) pathway are mediated via the canonical components in immune responses and via non-canonical components in immune organogenesis and homeostasis, although the two components are capable of crosstalk. Regulatory CD4 T cells (Tregs) are homeostatically functional and represent an interesting potential meeting point of these two NF-κB components. We show that mice deficient in the non-canonical NF-κB component gene Nfkb2 (p100) had normal thymic development and suppressive function of Tregs. However, they had enhanced frequencies of peripheral 'effector-phenotype' Tregs (eTregs). In bi-parental chimeras of wild-type (WT) and Nfkb2-/- mice, the Nfkb2-/- genotype was over-represented in Tregs, with a further increase in the relative prominence of eTregs. Consistent with distinct properties of eTregs, the Nfkb2-/- genotype was more prominent in Tregs in extra-lymphoid tissues such as liver in the bi-parental chimeras. The Nfkb2-/- Tregs also displayed greater survival, activation and proliferation in vivo. These Nfkb2-/- Tregs showed higher nuclear NF-κB activity mainly comprising of RelB-containing dimers, in contrast to the prominence of cRel- and RelA-containing dimers in WT Tregs. Since p100 is an inhibitor of RelB activation as well as a participant as cleaved p52 in RelB nuclear activity, we tested bi-parental chimeras of WT and Relb-/- mice, and found normal frequencies of Relb-/- Tregs and eTregs in these chimeric mice. Our findings confirm and extend recent data, and indicate that p100 normally restrains RelB-mediated Treg activation, and in the absence of p100, p50-RelB dimers can contribute to Treg activation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Homeostasis
  • Lymphocyte Activation*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • NF-kappa B p52 Subunit / metabolism*
  • NF-kappa B p52 Subunit / physiology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism*
  • Transcriptome

Substances

  • NF-kappa B p52 Subunit
  • Nfkb2 protein, mouse