Abstracts (complete list) - Wissenschaft Online

Anne Brüstle, Sylvia Heink, Magdalena Huber, Christine Rosenplänter, Christine
Stadelmann, Philipp Yu, Enrico Arpaia, Tak W. Mak, Thomas Kamradt, Michael Lohoff
Development of inflammatory Th17 cells requires interferon
regulatory factor 4
The transcription factor IRF4 is essential for T helper 2 (Th2) development. We show
here that IRF4 is also critical for generating Th17 cells, pro-inflammatory cytokineproducing
cells associated with autoimmune diseases like experimental autoimmune
encephalomyelitis (EAE). IRF4-deficient (IRF4-/-) mice did not develop EAE and IRF4-/-
Th cells failed to differentiate into Th17 cells. Transfer of IRF4+/+ Th cells rendered
IRF4-/- mice susceptible to EAE. IRF4-/- Th cells showed reduced expression of RORgt
and increased expression of Foxp3, transcription factors important for Th17 and
regulatory T cell differentiation, respectively. The dysregulation of both factors
contributed to the phenotype of IRF4-/- Th cells . Our data position IRF4 at the center
of Th development, influencing not only Th2 but also Th17 differentiation.