奧地利研究人員日前報告說,，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了參與免疫細胞——T細胞形成的一種關鍵因子,。這一研究成果刊登在新一期英國《自然·免疫學》雜志上,。
T細胞是淋巴細胞的一種，在免疫反應中扮演著重要角色,。按照功能的不同,，T細胞可以分成細胞毒T細胞和輔助T細胞等很多種類。其中細胞毒T細胞能夠消滅感染細胞,，而輔助T細胞可通過增生擴散來激活其他可產(chǎn)生直接免疫反應的免疫細胞,。細胞毒T細胞和輔助T細胞都產(chǎn)生于共同先驅細胞，即雙陽性胸腺細胞,。
維也納醫(yī)科大學病理生理學專家維爾弗里德·艾梅爾領導的研究小組發(fā)現(xiàn)，一種名為MAZR的轉錄因子參與了雙陽性胸腺細胞,、細胞毒T細胞以及輔助T細胞的形成過程。
艾梅爾說,，如果MAZR缺失,，雙陽性胸腺細胞就會轉化成輔助T細胞,，反之就會形成細胞毒T細胞。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Nature Immunology doi:10.1038/ni.1860
The zinc-finger protein MAZR is part of the transcription factor network that controls the CD4 versus CD8 lineage fate of double-positive thymocytes
Shinya Sakaguchi1, Matthias Hombauer1,5, Ivan Bilic1,3,5, Yoshinori Naoe2,4, Alexandra Schebesta1, Ichiro Taniuchi2 & Wilfried Ellmeier1
The CD4 versus CD8 lineage specification of thymocytes is linked to coreceptor expression. The transcription factor MAZR has been identified as an important regulator of Cd8 expression. Here we show that variegated CD8 expression by loss of Cd8 enhancers was reverted in MAZR-deficient mice, which confirms that MAZR negatively regulates the Cd8 loci during the transition to the double-positive (DP) stage. Moreover, loss of MAZR led to partial redirection of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I–restricted thymocytes into CD4+ helper-like T cells, which correlated with derepression of Th-POK, a central transcription factor for helper-lineage development. MAZR bound the silencer of the gene encoding Th-POK, which indicated direct regulation of this locus by MAZR. Thus, MAZR is part of the transcription factor network that regulates the CD8 lineage differentiation of DP thymocytes.
