The BTB-ZF Family of Transcription Factors: Key Regulators of Lineage
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The BTB-ZF Family of Transcription Factors: Key Regulators of Lineage Commitment and Effector Function Development in the Immune System This information is current as of September 27, 2021. Aimee M. Beaulieu and Derek B. Sant'Angelo J Immunol 2011; 187:2841-2847; ; doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1004006 http://www.jimmunol.org/content/187/6/2841 Downloaded from References This article cites 103 articles, 44 of which you can access for free at: http://www.jimmunol.org/content/187/6/2841.full#ref-list-1 http://www.jimmunol.org/ Why The JI? Submit online. • Rapid Reviews! 30 days* from submission to initial decision • No Triage! Every submission reviewed by practicing scientists • Fast Publication! 4 weeks from acceptance to publication by guest on September 27, 2021 *average Subscription Information about subscribing to The Journal of Immunology is online at: http://jimmunol.org/subscription Permissions Submit copyright permission requests at: http://www.aai.org/About/Publications/JI/copyright.html Email Alerts Receive free email-alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up at: http://jimmunol.org/alerts The Journal of Immunology is published twice each month by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc., 1451 Rockville Pike, Suite 650, Rockville, MD 20852 Copyright © 2011 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc. All rights reserved. Print ISSN: 0022-1767 Online ISSN: 1550-6606. The BTB-ZF Family of Transcription Factors: Key Regulators of Lineage Commitment and Effector Function Development in the Immune System Aimee M. Beaulieu* and Derek B. Sant’Angelo*,†,‡ Successful immunity depends upon the activity of mul- 1, -2, -4, -5, and -7 (1–11). Although most of these interac- tiple cell types. Commitment of pluripotent precursor tions were described in nonhematopoietic cells or transformed cells to specific lineages, such as T or B cells, is obviously cell lines, BTB-ZF proteins likely regulate gene expression in fundamental to this process. However, it is also becom- primary lymphocytes via a similar mechanism. For example, ing clear that continued differentiation and specializa- the BTB-ZF protein PLZP has been shown to associate with HDAC-2 in Th2-skewed CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and these tion of lymphoid cells is equally important for immune Downloaded from system integrity. Several members of the BTB-ZF family two proteins colocalize at regulatory elements in the IL-13 gene have emerged as critical factors that control development where they likely act in concert to modulate transcription (12). of specific lineages and also of specific effector subsets In addition to corepressor recruitment, the BTB domain, within these lineages. For example, BTB-ZF genes have and in some cases the ZF domain, also facilitate hetero- been shown to control T cell versus B cell commitment dimerization and homodimerization among the different gene family members. For example, the BTB-ZF protein Bcl-6 can andCD4versusCD8lineagecommitment.Others, http://www.jimmunol.org/ exist as a homodimer (13) but may also form heterodimers such as PLZF for NKT cells and Bcl-6 for T follicular with other BTB-ZF proteins, including NAC-1, PLZF, LRF, helper cells, are necessary for the acquisition of effec- BAZF, and Miz-1 (14–18). Similarly, overexpression and tor functions. In this review, we summarize current find- cotransfection systems have demonstrated an interaction be- ings concerning the BTB-ZF family members with a tween PLZF and PLZP, although PLZF can also exist as reported role in the immune system. The Journal of a homodimer (1, 19, 20). Like the cofactor studies, nearly Immunology, 2011, 187: 2841–2847. all of this work has been done in nonhematopoietic cells or cell lines; nevertheless, the finding that Miz-1 and Bcl-6 physically interact in primary germinal center B cells (18) by guest on September 27, 2021 road complex, tramtrack, bric-a-brac, and zinc finger suggests that heterodimerization may be physiologically rele- (BTB-ZF) proteins are an evolutionarily conserved vant to BTB-ZF protein function in primary cells of the B family of transcriptional regulators. Members of this immune system, and further studies are needed to shed light group, of which there are .45 in human and mice, are char- on this topic. acterized as having one or more C-terminal C2H2 Kru¨ppel- type zinc finger DNA binding domains in combination with BTB-ZF proteins control lineage commitment, development, and an N-terminal BTB domain that mediates protein–protein function in lymphocytes interactions. Transcriptional regulation, most often repres- As powerful regulators of gene expression, BTB-ZF proteins sion, is achieved by sequence-specific binding by the ZF do- are critical players in a wide variety of biological processes, main to regulatory regions in target genes, coupled with the re- including developmental events such as gastrulation and limb cruitment of cofactors involved in chromatin remodeling and formation, control of DNA damage and cell cycle progression transcriptional silencing/activation. in normal and oncogenic tissues, maintenance of the stem cell Cofactor complex formation is largely mediated by the BTB pool, and gamete formation (21). Moreover, recent studies domain, which has been shown to interact directly with core- have highlighted a fundamental and nonredundant role for pressors and histone modification enzymes, including SMRT, many BTB-ZF factors in the development and function of ETO,N-Cor,B-Cor, CtBP,Sin3A, DRAL/FHL2,andHDAC- cells in the immune system. This review will summarize *Immunology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Abbreviations used in this article: BAZF, Bcl-6–associated zinc finger; BTB-ZF, broad Center, New York, NY 10065; †Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical complex, tramtrack, bric-a-brac, and zinc finger; CSR, class switch recombination; GC, Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065; and ‡Weill germinal center; iNKT, invariant NKT; LRF, leukemia/lymphoma related factor; Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY, MAZR, Myc-associated zinc-finger protein-related factor; Miz-1, Myc-interacting zinc 10065 finger protein-1; PLZF, promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger; PLZP, PLZF-like zinc finger protein; SHM, somatic hypermutation; Tfh, T follicular helper; ThPOK, Th- Received for publication May 13, 2011. Accepted for publication June 22, 2011. inducing POZ/Kru¨ppel-like factor. This work was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Grants R01 AI083988 and R01 AI059739). A.M.B. was supported by a National Copyright Ó 2011 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc. 0022-1767/11/$16.00 Institutes of Health National Service Research award (Grant T32 CA009149). Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Derek B. Sant’Angelo, Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Box 492, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021. E-mail address: [email protected] www.jimmunol.org/cgi/doi/10.4049/jimmunol.1004006 2842 BRIEF REVIEWS: BTB-ZF GENES IN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM current findings on the eight family members with known cellular senescence in response to RAG-induced DNA lesions. roles in orchestrating lymphocyte development: Bcl-6, PLZF, Consequently, Bcl-6–deficient mice have an immature B cell Th inducing POZ/Kru¨ppel-like factor (ThPOK), PLZP, pool that is reduced in both size and clonal diversity (34). MAZR, BAZF, LRF, and Miz-1 (Fig. 1). Hints at a role for Bcl-6 in T cell function originated from Bcl-6. The BTB-ZF protein Bcl-6 was first identified as an early studies in which Bcl-6–deficient mice were found to oncogene in diffuse large B cell lymphoma, the most com- develop spontaneous Th2 inflammation, characterized by mon form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The transformative enhanced IgE production and severe eosinophilia (27, 28). properties of Bcl-6 stem largely from its ability to repress Upon stimulation in vitro, T cells from Bcl-6–deficient mice transcription of tumor suppressor and cell cycle arrest genes, produce elevated levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, a phenotype including p53, ATR, CHEK1, and CDKN1A/p21 (18, that has been linked to direct binding by Bcl-6 in regulatory 22–26). Bcl-6 is normally expressed at high levels in ger- regions of genes for IL-5, Ig«, and IL-4 (27, 35, 36). minal center (GC) B cells. Early studies showed that mice More recently, Bcl-6 was shown to be necessary and suf- lacking Bcl-6 were unable to form GCs after immunization ficient for the development of CD4+ T follicular helper (Tfh) with T cell-dependent Ags. Moreover, Ag-specific B cells in cells, which provide critical help to GC B cells undergoing these mice were impaired for affinity maturation and class SHM and CSR (37–39). Constitutive Bcl-6 expression in switch recombination (CSR) to IgG subtypes (27, 28). Re- CD4+ T cells in vivo drives nearly complete commitment to constitution of RAG1-knockout mice with Bcl-6–deficient the Tfh lineage, and these helper cells are highly effective bone marrow showed that Bcl-6 was required in the hema- inducers of GC formation and Ab production by B cells. Downloaded from topoietic compartment for GC formation and somatic Conversely, Bcl-6 deficiency abrogates Tfh cell differentia- hypermutation (SHM) but not for primary IgG responses tion, and CD4+ T cells from these mice fail to mediate GC (29, 30). Bcl-6 also represses expression of Blimp-1, a formation (38, 39). At a mechanistic level, Bcl-6 is induced in transcription factor that promotes plasma cell differentiation CD4+ T cells by IL-6 and IL-21, although neither cytokine is (31, 32). Given that Blimp-1 represses Bcl-6, the reciprocal independently required for Tfh cell differentiation (40). Bcl-6 antagonism of these two genes has been proposed to serve as drives expression of molecules involved in Tfh cell homing http://www.jimmunol.org/ a bimodal “switch,” by which B cell fate, as either a GC B cell and function, including CXCR5, CXCR4, IL-21R, IL-6R, or an Ab-secreting plasma cell, is established and maintained PD-1, and IL-21, and is required to maintain Tfh identity (33).