Foxp3+ T-regulatory cells (Tregs) normally serve to attenuate immune responses and are key to maintenance of immune homeostasis. Over the past decade, Treg cells have become a major focus of research for many groups, and various functional subsets have been characterized. Recently, the Ikaros family member, Helios, was reported as a marker to discriminate naturally occurring, thymic-derived Tregs from those peripherally induced from naïve CD4+ T cells. We investigated Helios expression in murine and human T cells under resting or activating conditions, using well-characterized molecules of naïve/effector/memory phenotypes, as well as a set of Treg-associated markers. We found that Helios-negative T cells are enriched for naïve T cell phenotypes and vice versa. Moreover, Helios can be induced during T cell activation and proliferation, but regresses in the same cells under resting conditions. We demonstrated comparable findings using human and murine CD4+Foxp3+ Tregs, as well as in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Since Helios expression is associated with T cell activation and cellular division, regardless of the cell subset involved, it does not appear suitable as a marker to distinguish natural and induced Treg cells.

Although certain chemokines and their receptors guide homeostatic recirculation of T cells and others promote recruitment of activated T cells to inflammatory sites, little is known of the mechanisms underlying a third function, migration of Foxp3⁺ regulatory T (T reg) cells to sites where they maintain unresponsiveness. We studied how T reg cells are recruited to cardiac allografts in recipients tolerized with CD154 monoclonal antibody (mAb) plus donor-specific transfusion (DST). Real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that intragraft Foxp3 levels in tolerized recipients were ∼100-fold higher than rejecting allografts or allografts associated with other therapies inducing prolonged survival but not tolerance. Foxp3⁺ cells were essential for tolerance because pretransplant thymectomy or peritransplant depletion of CD25⁺ cells prevented long-term survival, as did CD25 mAb therapy in well-functioning allografts after CD154/DST therapy. Analysis of multiple chemokine pathways showed that tolerance was accompanied by intragraft up-regulation of CCR4 and one of its ligands, macrophage-derived chemokine (CCL22), and that tolerance induction could not be achieved in CCR4^−/− recipients. We conclude that Foxp3 expression is specifically up-regulated within allografts of mice displaying donor-specific tolerance, that recruitment of Foxp3-expressing T reg cells to an allograft tissue is dependent on the chemokine receptor, CCR4, and that, in the absence of such recruitment, tolerizing strategies such as CD154 mAb therapy are ineffectual.

Conventional T (Tcon) cells and Foxp3 ⁺ T‐regulatory (Treg) cells are thought to have differing metabolic requirements, but little is known of mitochondrial functions within these cell populations in vivo. In murine studies, we found that activation of both Tcon and Treg cells led to myocyte enhancer factor 2 (Mef2)‐induced expression of genes important to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Inhibition of OXPHOS impaired both Tcon and Treg cell function compared to wild‐type cells but disproportionally affected Treg cells. Deletion of Pgc1α or Sirt3 , which are key regulators of OXPHOS, abrogated Treg‐dependent suppressive function and impaired allograft survival. Mef2 is inhibited by histone/protein deacetylase‐9 (Hdac9), and Hdac9 deletion increased Treg suppressive function. Hdac9 ^‐/‐ Treg showed increased expression of Pgc1α and Sirt3, and improved mitochondrial respiration, compared to wild‐type Treg cells. Our data show that key OXPHOS regulators are required for optimal Treg function and Treg‐dependent allograft acceptance. These findings provide a novel approach to increase Treg function and give insights into the fundamental mechanisms by which mitochondrial energy metabolism regulates immune cell functions in vivo. —Beier, U. H., Angelin, A., Akimova, T., Wang, L., Liu, Y., Xiao, H., Koike, M. A., Hancock, S. A., Bhatti, T. R., Han, R., Jiao, J., Veasey, S. C., Sims, C. A., Baur, J. A., Wallace, D. C., Hancock, W. W. Essential role of mitochondrial energy metabolism in Foxp3 ⁺ T‐regulatory cell function and allograft survival. FASEB J. 29, 2315‐2326 (2015). www.fasebj.org

PD-L1 ⁺ tumor cells, but not macrophages, are likely responsible for inhibiting tumor-specific T cells in early-stage human lung tumors.

Foxp3⁺ T-regulatory cells (Tregs) are key to immune homeostasis such that their diminished numbers or function can cause autoimmunity and allograft rejection. Foxp3⁺ Tregs express multiple histone/protein deacetylases (HDACs) that regulate chromatin remodeling, gene expression, and protein function. Pan-HDAC inhibitors developed for oncologic applications enhance Treg production and Treg suppression function but have limited nononcologic utility given their broad actions and various side effects. We show, using HDAC6-deficient mice and wild-type (WT) mice treated with HDAC6-specific inhibitors, that HDAC6 inhibition promotes Treg suppressive activity in models of inflammation and autoimmunity, including multiple forms of experimental colitis and fully major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-incompatible cardiac allograft rejection. Many of the beneficial effects of HDAC6 targeting are also achieved by inhibition of the HDAC6-regulated protein heat shock protein 90 (HSP90). Hence, selective targeting of a single HDAC isoform, HDAC6, or its downstream target, HSP90, can promote Treg-dependent suppression of autoimmunity and transplant rejection.

Background & Aims Foxp3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) help prevent autoimmunity, and increases in their numbers of functions could decrease the development of inflammatory bowel disease. Like other cells, Foxp3+ Tregs express histone/protein deacetylases (HDACs), which regulate chromatin remodeling and gene expression. We investigated whether disruption of a specific class IIa HDAC, HDAC9, activity in Tregs affects the pathogenesis of colitis in mice. Methods We tested the effects of various HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) in models of colitis using wild-type mice. We also transferred Tregs and non-Treg cells from HDAC9−/− or wild-type mice to immunodeficient mice. HDAC9 contributions to the functions of Tregs were determined during development and progression of colitis. Results Pan-HDACi, but not class I-specific HDACi, increased the functions of Foxp3+ Tregs, prevented colitis, and reduced established colitis in mice, indicating the role of class II HDACs in controlling Treg function. The abilities of pan-HDACi to prevent/reduce colitis were associated with increased numbers of Foxp3+ Tregs and their suppressive functions. Colitis was associated with increased local expression of HDAC9; HDAC9−/− mice resistant to development of colitis. HDAC9−/− Tregs expressed increased levels of the heat shock protein (HSP) 70, compared with controls. Immunoprecipitation experiments indicated an interaction between HSP70 and Foxp3. Inhibition of HSP70 reduced the suppressive functions of HDAC9−/− Tregs; Tregs that overexpressed HSP70 had increased suppressive functions. Conclusions Strategies to decrease HDAC9 expression or function in Tregs or to increase expression of HSP70 might be used to treat colitis and other autoimmune disorders.