10月30日，免疫學專業(yè)期刊《免疫學雜志》（Journal of Immunology）發(fā)表了中國科學院上海生命科學研究院生物化學與細胞生物學研究所孫兵研究組最新研究成果：轉錄調控因子Dec2在Th2細胞分化中的調控機制。這一研究成果進一步揭示了Th2細胞分化的調控網絡，并有助于了解Th2細胞介導的過敏性疾病的發(fā)病機制,。
過敏性疾病如過敏性哮喘主要由Th2細胞所介導,。當機體幼稚Th細胞被抗原遞呈細胞激活后,，經過克隆增殖與細胞分化,，形成不同的細胞亞型如Th1，Th2,，Th17和Treg等,。不同的細胞亞型介導不同的疾病，其中Th2細胞分泌大量的白介素4,，5和13,，在抗寄生蟲以及過敏反應中起到重要的作用。然而Th2細胞分化的精確調控仍不清楚,，深入研究Th2細胞分化的調控網絡,，對包括哮喘在內的過敏性疾病的治療和預防有重要意義。
孫兵研究組的劉智多和李振虎博士發(fā)現(xiàn),，一個從屬于bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) 超家族的轉錄因子Dec2,， 在Th細胞朝向Th2方向分化的過程中被逐漸地誘導表達，而且這一趨勢在Th2細胞分化的后期顯得尤為明顯,。在Th2細胞誘導的條件下,，即在IL-4信號開放的條件下，Dec2能夠強力促進Th2細胞的分化,。相反,，如果用RNA干擾的方法下調細胞內的Dec2的表達水平，Th2細胞分化的進程就會受到抑制,。另外,，他們在用OVA誘導的小鼠過敏性哮喘模型中發(fā)現(xiàn)，相比于對照小鼠Dec2轉基因小鼠里檢測到了更強的Th2免疫反應,。此項工作揭示Dec2是通過上調IL-2R的α亞基,，也就是CD25的表達水平，來增強IL-2信號通路,，進而更好地促進Th2的分化,。該研究不僅發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個新的Th2細胞分化調控機制,，闡明了IL-2和IL-4在Th2的分化中發(fā)揮了同等的作用,，還為過敏性疾病的治療提供了一個新的藥物靶點。
此項研究成果得到科技部973,、國家自然科學基金,、上海市科學技術委員會和中國科學院的資金資助,。浙江大學項春生教授在用DNA芯片技術篩選Dec2基因的研究中，做出了重要貢獻,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
The Journal of Immunology, 2009, 183, 6320 -6329 doi:10.4049/jimmunol.0900975
Dec2 Promotes Th2 Cell Differentiation by Enhancing IL-2R Signaling1
Zhiduo Liu,2* Zhenhu Li,2* Kairui Mao,* Jia Zou,* Yuan Wang,* Zhiyun Tao,* Guomei Lin,* Lin Tian,* Yongyong Ji,* Xiaodong Wu,* Xueliang Zhu,* Shuhui Sun, Weiguang Chen, Charlie Xiang,3 and Bing Sun3*
*Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Institute Pasteur of Shanghai, Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Fudan University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Th cell differentiation is precisely regulated by thousands of genes at different stages. In the present study, we demonstrate that Dec2, a transcription factor belonging to the bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) superfamily, is progressively induced during the course of Th2 differentiation, especially at the late stage. The up-regulated Dec2 can strongly promote Th2 development under Th2-inducing conditions, as evidenced by retrovirus-mediated gene transfer or transgenic manipulation. In addition, an enhancement of Th2 responses is also detectable in Dec2 transgenic mice in vivo. Conversely, RNA interference-mediated suppression of endogenous Dec2 could attenuate Th2 differentiation. Finally, we show that the enhanced Th2 development is at least in part due to substantial up-regulation of CD25 expression elicited by Dec2, thereby resulting in hyperresponsiveness to IL-2 stimulation.
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1 This work was supported by Grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30530700, 30623003, 30600568, 30721065, 90713044, 30600308, 30801011, 30870126) and the CAS project (KSCX1-YW-R-43), a grant from the SIBS project (2007KIP301), grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology (2006CB504300, 2007CB512404, 2006AA02A247, 20072714), grants from the Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (88014199, 07DZ22916, 07XD14033, 064319034, 08431903004, 2008ZX10206, 08DZ2291703), the EU project (FP6-2005-SSP-5-B, SP5B-CT-2006-044161), the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, No. 2007CB513001) and a grant from the E-institutes of Shanghai Universities Immunology Division.
2 Z. Liu and Z. Li contributed equally to this study.
3 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Bing Sun, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, China or Dr. Charlie Xiang, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
4 Abbreviations used in this paper: bHLH, basic helix-loop-helix; hCD4, human CD4; Treg, regulatory T cell; siRNA, short-interfering RNA; MFI, mean fluorescence intensity; RNAi, RNA interference; iTreg, induced regulatory T cell; MSCV, mouse stem cell virus.
5 The online version of this article contains supplementary material.
