Category of Work
Article
Publication Title
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)
Abstract
T cells are essential for immune defenses against pathogens, such that viability of naïve T cells before antigen encounter is critical to preserve a polyclonal repertoire and prevent immunodeficiencies. The viability of naïve T cells before antigen recognition is ensured by IL-7, which drives expression of the prosurvival factor Bcl-2. Quiescent naïve T cells have low basal activity of the transcription factor NF-κB, which was assumed to have no functional consequences. In contrast to this postulate, our data show that basal nuclear NF-κB activity plays an important role in the transcription of IL-7 receptor α-subunit (CD127), enabling responsiveness of naïve T cells to the prosurvival effects of IL-7 and allowing T-cell persistence in vivo. Moreover, we show that this property of basal NF-κB activity is shared by mouse and human naïve T cells. Thus, NF-κB drives a distinct transcriptional program in T cells before antigen encounter by controlling susceptibility to IL-7. Our results reveal an evolutionarily conserved role of NF-κB in T cells before antigenic stimulation and identify a novel molecular pathway that controls T-cell homeostasis.
First Page
7397
Last Page
7402
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1315398111
Publication Date
5-5-2014
Recommended Citation
Miller, Michelle L.; Chen, Luqiu; Zhou, Ping; Liu, Xindong; Michelotti, Monica; Gunn, Nicole Tramontini; Powers, Sarah E.; Zhu, Xiaoping; Evaristo, Cesar; Alegre, Maria-Luisa; and Molinero, Luciana L., "Basal NF-κB controls IL-7 responsiveness of quiescent naïve T cells" (2014). Biology Department Faculty Articles. 21.
https://digitalcommons.lewisu.edu/biology_facpubs/21
