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Hertweck A, Vila de Mucha M, Barber PR, Dagil R, Porter H, Ramos A, Lord GM, Jenner RG. The TH1 cell lineage-determining transcription factor T-bet suppresses TH2 gene expression by redistributing GATA3 away from TH2 genes. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:4557-4573. [PMID: 35438764 PMCID: PMC9071441 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lineage-determining transcription factors (LD-TFs) drive the differentiation of progenitor cells into a specific lineage. In CD4+ T cells, T-bet dictates differentiation of the TH1 lineage, whereas GATA3 drives differentiation of the alternative TH2 lineage. However, LD-TFs, including T-bet and GATA3, are frequently co-expressed but how this affects LD-TF function is not known. By expressing T-bet and GATA3 separately or together in mouse T cells, we show that T-bet sequesters GATA3 at its target sites, thereby removing GATA3 from TH2 genes. This redistribution of GATA3 is independent of GATA3 DNA binding activity and is instead mediated by the T-bet DNA binding domain, which interacts with the GATA3 DNA binding domain and changes GATA3's sequence binding preference. This mechanism allows T-bet to drive the TH1 gene expression program in the presence of GATA3. We propose that redistribution of one LD-TF by another may be a common mechanism that could explain how specific cell fate choices can be made even in the presence of other transcription factors driving alternative differentiation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnulf Hertweck
- UCL Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK UCL Centre, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Maria Vila de Mucha
- UCL Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK UCL Centre, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Paul R Barber
- UCL Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK UCL Centre, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Robert Dagil
- Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6XA, UK
| | - Hayley Porter
- UCL Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK UCL Centre, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Andres Ramos
- Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6XA, UK
| | - Graham M Lord
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9NT, UK
| | - Richard G Jenner
- UCL Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK UCL Centre, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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2
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Abstract
The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family includes cytokines controlling cell behavior, differentiation and homeostasis of various tissues including components of the immune system. Despite well recognized importance of TGF-β in controlling T cell functions, the immunomodulatory roles of many other members of the TGF-β cytokine family, especially bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), start to emerge. Bone Morphogenic Protein Receptor 1α (BMPR1α) is upregulated by activated effector and Foxp3+ regulatory CD4+ T cells (Treg cells) and modulates functions of both of these cell types. BMPR1α inhibits generation of proinflammatory Th17 cells and sustains peripheral Treg cells. This finding underscores the importance of the BMPs in controlling Treg cell plasticity and transition between Treg and Th cells. BMPR1α deficiency in in vitro induced and peripheral Treg cells led to upregulation of Kdm6b (Jmjd3) demethylase, an antagonist of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), and cell cycle inhibitor Cdkn1a (p21Cip1) promoting cell senescence. This indicates that BMPs and BMPR1α may represent regulatory modules shaping epigenetic landscape and controlling proinflammatory reprogramming of Th and Treg cells. Revealing functions of other BMP receptors and their crosstalk with receptors for TGF-β will contribute to our understanding of peripheral immunoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Kraj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
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3
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Busbee PB, Bam M, Yang X, Abdulla OA, Zhou J, Ginsberg JPJ, Aiello AE, Uddin M, Nagarkatti M, Nagarkatti PS. Dysregulated TP53 Among PTSD Patients Leads to Downregulation of miRNA let-7a and Promotes an Inflammatory Th17 Phenotype. Front Immunol 2022; 12:815840. [PMID: 35058939 PMCID: PMC8763839 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.815840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder and patients diagnosed with PTSD often express other comorbid health issues, particularly autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Our previous reports investigating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from PTSD patients showed that these patients exhibit an increased inflammatory T helper (Th) cell phenotype and widespread downregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs), key molecules involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation. A combination of analyzing prior datasets on gene and miRNA expression of PBMCs from PTSD and Control samples, as well as experiments using primary PBMCs collected from human PTSD and Controls blood, was used to evaluate TP53 expression, DNA methylation, and miRNA modulation on Th17 development. In the current report, we note several downregulated miRNAs were linked to tumor protein 53 (TP53), also known as p53. Expression data from PBMCs revealed that compared to Controls, PTSD patients exhibited decreased TP53 which correlated with an increased inflammatory Th17 phenotype. Decreased expression of TP53 in the PTSD population was shown to be associated with an increase in DNA methylation in the TP53 promotor region. Lastly, the most significantly downregulated TP53-associated miRNA, let-7a, was shown to negatively regulate Th17 T cells. Let-7a modulation in activated CD4+ T cells was shown to influence Th17 development and function, via alterations in IL-6 and IL-17 production, respectively. Collectively, these studies reveal that PTSD patients could be susceptible to inflammation by epigenetic dysregulation of TP53, which alters the miRNA profile to favor a proinflammatory Th17 phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip B Busbee
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Marpe Bam
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Xiaoming Yang
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Osama A Abdulla
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Juhua Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Jay Paul Jack Ginsberg
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.,Departments of Psychophysiology, Clinical Psychology, and Research Office, Saybrook University, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Allison E Aiello
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina (UNC) Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Mcgavran-Greenberg Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Monica Uddin
- Genomics Program, University of South Florida College of Public Health, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Mitzi Nagarkatti
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Prakash S Nagarkatti
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
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4
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Browning LM, Miller C, Kuczma M, Pietrzak M, Jing Y, Rempala G, Muranski P, Ignatowicz L, Kraj P. Bone Morphogenic Proteins Are Immunoregulatory Cytokines Controlling FOXP3 + T reg Cells. Cell Rep 2021; 33:108219. [PMID: 33027660 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) are members of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) cytokine family promoting differentiation, homeostasis, and self-renewal of multiple tissues. We show that signaling through the bone morphogenic protein receptor 1α (BMPR1α) sustains expression of FOXP3 in Treg cells in peripheral lymphoid tissues. BMPR1α signaling promotes molecular circuits supporting acquisition and preservation of Treg cell phenotype and inhibiting differentiation of pro-inflammatory effector Th1/Th17 CD4+ T cell. Mechanistically, increased expression of KDM6B (JMJD3) histone demethylase, an antagonist of the polycomb repressive complex 2, underlies lineage-specific changes of T cell phenotypes associated with abrogation of BMPR1α signaling. These results reveal that BMPs are immunoregulatory cytokines mediating maturation and stability of peripheral FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Treg cells) and controlling generation of iTreg cells. Thus, we establish that BMPs, a large cytokine family, are an essential link between stromal tissues and the adaptive immune system involved in sustaining tissue homeostasis by promoting immunological tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Browning
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
| | - Caroline Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
| | - Michal Kuczma
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Maciej Pietrzak
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Yu Jing
- Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
| | - Grzegorz Rempala
- College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Pawel Muranski
- Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Leszek Ignatowicz
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Piotr Kraj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA.
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5
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Read KA, Jones DM, Freud AG, Oestreich KJ. Established and emergent roles for Ikaros transcription factors in lymphoid cell development and function. Immunol Rev 2020; 300:82-99. [PMID: 33331000 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ikaros zinc finger transcription factors are important regulators of the gene programs underlying the development of hematopoietic cell lineages. The family consists of five members: Ikaros, Helios, Aiolos, Eos, and Pegasus, which engage in both homo- and heterotypic intrafamilial interactions to exert diverse functional effects. Pioneering studies focused on the role of these factors in early lymphoid development, as their absence resulted in severe defects in lymphocyte populations. More recent work has now begun to define nuanced, stage-specific roles for Ikaros family members in the differentiation and function of mature T, B, and innate lymphoid cell populations including natural killer (NK) cells. The precise transcriptional mechanisms by which these factors function, both independently and collaboratively, is an area of active investigation. However, several key themes appear to be emerging regarding the pathways influenced by Ikaros family members, including the end-to-end regulation of cytokine signaling. Here, we review roles for Ikaros factors in lymphoid cell development, differentiation, and function, including a discussion of the current understanding of the transcriptional mechanisms they employ and considerations for the future study of this important transcription factor family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin A Read
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.,Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Devin M Jones
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.,Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Aharon G Freud
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.,Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kenneth J Oestreich
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
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6
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Spinner CA, Lazarevic V. Transcriptional regulation of adaptive and innate lymphoid lineage specification. Immunol Rev 2020; 300:65-81. [PMID: 33615514 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Once alerted to the presence of a pathogen, activated CD4+ T cells initiate distinct gene expression programs that produce multiple functionally specialized T helper (Th) subsets. The cytokine milieu present at the time of antigen encounter instructs CD4+ T cells to differentiate into interferon-(IFN)-γ-producing Th1 cells, interleukin-(IL)-4-producing Th2 cells, IL-17-producing Th17 cells, follicular T helper (Tfh) cells, or regulatory T (Treg) cells. In each of these Th cell subsets, a single transcription factor has been identified as a critical regulator of its specialized differentiation program. In this context, the expression of the "master regulator" is necessary and sufficient to activate lineage-specific genes while restricting the gene expression program of alternative Th fates. Thus, the transcription factor T-bet controls Th1 differentiation program, while the development of Th2, Th17, Tfh, and Treg cells is dependent on transcription factors GATA3, RORγt, Bcl6, and Foxp3, respectively. Nevertheless, master regulators or, more precisely, lineage-defining transcription factors do not function in isolation. In fact, they interact with a complex network of transcription factors, orchestrating cell lineage specification programs. In this review, we discuss the concept of the combinatorial interactions of key transcription factors in determining helper T cell identity. Additionally, lineage-defining transcription factors have well-established functions beyond their role in CD4+ Th subsets. They play critically important functions at distinct stages during T cell development in the thymus and they control the development of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in the bone marrow. In tracking the journey of T cells traversing from the thymus to the periphery and during the immune response, we discuss in broad terms developmental stage and context-dependent functions of lineage-defining transcription factors in regulating specification programs of innate and adaptive lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille A Spinner
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vanja Lazarevic
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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7
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14-3-3z sequesters cytosolic T-bet, upregulating IL-13 levels in T C2 and CD8 + lymphocytes from patients with scleroderma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2017; 142:109-119.e6. [PMID: 29155097 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND IL-13-producing CD8+ T cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2-driven inflammatory human conditions. We have shown that CD8+IL-13+ cells play a critical role in cutaneous fibrosis, the most characteristic feature of systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying production of IL-13 and other type 2 cytokines by CD8+ T cells remain unclear. OBJECTIVE We sought to establish the molecular basis of IL-13 overproduction by CD8+ T cells from patients with SSc, focusing on T-bet modulation of GATA-3 activity, which we showed to underlie IL-13 overproduction in CD8+IL-13+ cells from patients with SSc. METHODS Biochemical and biophysical methods were used to determine the expression and association of T-bet, GATA-3, and regulatory factors in CD8+ T cells isolated from the blood and lesional skin of patients with SSc with severe skin thickening. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis determined GATA-3 binding to the IL-13 promoter. ImageStream analysis and confocal microscopy visualized the subcellular localization of T-bet and GATA-3. Transcript levels were decreased by small interfering RNAs. RESULTS Interaction of T-bet with the adaptor protein 14-3-3z in the cytosol of CD8+ T cells from patients with SSc reduces T-bet translocation into the nucleus and its ability to associate with GATA-3, allowing more GATA-3 to bind to the IL-13 promoter and inducing IL-13 upregulation. Strikingly, we show that this mechanism is also found during type 2 polarization of CD8+ T cells (TC2) from healthy donors. CONCLUSIONS We identified a novel molecular mechanism underlying type 2 cytokine production by CD8+ T cells, revealing a more complete picture of the complex pathway leading to SSc disease pathogenesis.
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8
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Abstract
In this issue of Immunity, Iwata et al. (2017) report that the transcription factor T-bet acts as a selective repressor of the type I interferon (IFN) transcriptional program in response to IFN-γ signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanja Lazarevic
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | | | - Laurie H Glimcher
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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9
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
The aim of this review is to provide a coherent framework for understanding dendritic cells (DCs). It has seven sections. The introduction provides an overview of the immune system and essential concepts, particularly for the nonspecialist reader. Next, the “History” section outlines the early evolution of ideas about DCs and highlights some sources of confusion that still exist today. The “Lineages” section then focuses on five different populations of DCs: two subsets of “classical” DCs, plasmacytoid DCs, monocyte-derived DCs, and Langerhans cells. It highlights some cellular and molecular specializations of each, and also notes other DC subsets that have been proposed. The following “Tissues” section discusses the distribution and behavior of different DC subsets within nonlymphoid and secondary lymphoid tissues that are connected by DC migration pathways between them. In the “Tolerance” section, the role of DCs in central and peripheral tolerance is considered, including their ability to drive the differentiation of different populations of regulatory T cells. In contrast, the “Immunity” section considers the roles of DCs in sensing of infection and tissue damage, the initiation of primary responses, the T-cell effector phase, and the induction of immunological memory. The concluding section provides some speculative ideas about the evolution of DCs. It also revisits earlier concepts of generation of diversity and clonal selection in terms of DCs driving the evolution of T-cell responses. Throughout, this review highlights certain areas of uncertainty and suggests some avenues for future investigation.
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10
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CD4+ T cells with an activated and exhausted phenotype distinguish immunodeficiency during aviremic HIV-2 infection. AIDS 2016; 30:2415-2426. [PMID: 27525551 PMCID: PMC5051526 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000001223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
HIV type 2 (HIV-2) represents an attenuated form of HIV, in which many infected individuals remain ‘aviremic’ without antiretroviral therapy. However, aviremic HIV-2 disease progression exists, and in the current study, we therefore aimed to examine if specific pathological characteristics of CD4+ T cells are linked to such outcome.
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Hough KP, Chisolm DA, Weinmann AS. Transcriptional regulation of T cell metabolism. Mol Immunol 2015; 68:520-6. [PMID: 26298576 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2015.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Revised: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
T cells express specific metabolic programs to promote diverse cellular differentiation states. The activation of naïve T cells upregulates the expression of genes encoding components of the glycolysis, glutaminolysis, and lipid biosynthesis pathways to promote robust proliferation and effector T cell activity. In contrast, memory T cells downregulate these pathways and predominantly rely on catabolic pathways for long-term survival. Dynamic changes in the expression of the genes encoding components of metabolic pathways in part define which metabolic programs are utilized in diverse T cell states. The current data suggest that key transcription factors involved in T cell specialization decisions, including T-bet, Bcl-6, HIF1, IRF4 and Myc, link the selective programming of cellular metabolism with fate decisions. In this review, we will highlight the transcriptional regulatory events that define metabolic pathways involved in effector and memory T cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth P Hough
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | | | - Amy S Weinmann
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
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