Transcriptional regulation of FOXP3 requires integrated activation of both promoter and CNS regions in tumor-induced CD8+ Treg cells

Sci Rep. 2017 May 9;7(1):1628. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-01788-z.

Abstract

T-regulatory cells are an upsurge in the tumor microenvironment and induce immune-evasion. CD4+ Treg cells are well characterized whereas the role of CD8+ Tregs in cancer has recently started to crease attention. Here, we report an augmentation CD8+FOXP3+ Tregs in breast tumor microenvironment. FOXP3, the lineage-specific transcription factor, is a dominant regulator of Treg cell development and function. FOXP3 is induced preferentially by divergent signaling in CD4+ Treg cells. But how FOXP3 is induced and maintained in tumor-CD8+ Tregs is the Cinderella of the investigation. We observed that RUNX3, a CD8+ lineage-specific transcription factor, binds at the FOXP3-promoter to induce its transcription. In addition to promoter activation, involvement of cis-elements CNS1 and CNS2 in the transcriptional regulation of FOXP3 was also evident in these cells. SMAD3 binds to CNS1 region and acts as transcription inducer, whereas GATA3 plays a temporal role in the FOXP3 transcription by differential chromatin modification in CNS regions. In CNS1 region, GATA3 acts as a repressor for FOXP3 in naïve CD8+ T cells. Whereas in CD8+ Tregs, GATA3 binds directly at CNS2 region and persuaded the maintenance of FOXP3. Therefore, the intervention of these concerted transcriptional machinery may have a therapeutic potential in immunotherapy of cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Breast Neoplasms / immunology
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Conserved Sequence / genetics
  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 3 Subunit / metabolism
  • DNA, Intergenic / genetics*
  • Female
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • GATA3 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppression Therapy
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / metabolism
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Genetic
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic*
  • Smad3 Protein / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism*
  • Transcription, Genetic*
  • Tumor Microenvironment
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 3 Subunit
  • DNA, Intergenic
  • FOXP3 protein, human
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • GATA3 Transcription Factor
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
  • Smad3 Protein