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Plasticity is the differentiated state of CD4 T cells

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 10, pages 375–378 (2013)Cite this article

The recent application of targeted mutation technologies to lymphocyte fate mapping1 has facilitated the in vivo analysis of CD4 T cells subsequent to their differentiation. The fate mapping of IL17-producing cells has shown them to be responsive to environmental cues in fungal infection and central nervous system autoimmunity.2 Now Stockinger's group reports that many IL17-producing CD4+ T cells home to intestinal Peyer's patches (PP) and convert to a follicular helper T cell (TFH) phenotype, providing critical support for T-dependent IgA responses.3

The integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier is dependent on suppression of inflammatory responses and control of intestinal flora. Secreted IgA, and the cytokines IL17 and TGF-β, play critical roles in intestinal integrity. Selective deficiency of IgA is the most common form of primary immunodeficiency in the West and can result in recurrent pulmonary and gastrointestinal infections.4 IgA is produced in the spleen and gut-associated lymphoid tissues (including the PP) by activated B cells and plasmablasts from two sources: (i) the T cell-independent effects of dendritic cell-derived APRIL and BAFF on ‘innate like’ B1 cells;5 and (ii) the influence of TGFβ and cognate T cell help on (conventional) B2 cells.6,7,8

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Acknowledgements

AGB is supported by a Senior Research Fellowship from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council; MAJ is supported by an Early Career Fellowship from Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia and the NHMRC. This work was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia, Australian Research Council, Lions Clubs of Australia and Charities for MS. We are very grateful to Professor Carola Vinuesa and Dr Roy Ramiscal for their critical reading and suggestions.

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  1. Comparative Genomics Centre, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia

    Alan G Baxter & Margaret A Jordan

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Correspondence to Alan G Baxter.

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Baxter, A., Jordan, M. Plasticity is the differentiated state of CD4 T cells. Cell Mol Immunol 10, 375–378 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2013.29

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