c-Myb, Menin, GATA-3, and MLL form a dynamic transcription complex that plays a pivotal role in human T helper type 2 cell development

Blood. 2010 Aug 26;116(8):1280-90. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-05-223255. Epub 2010 May 18.

Abstract

GATA-3 and c-Myb are core elements of a transcriptionally active complex essential for human Th2 cell development and maintenance. We report herein mechanistic details concerning the role of these transcription factors in human peripheral blood Th2 cell development. Silencing c-Myb in normal human naive CD4(+) cells under Th2 cell-promoting conditions blocked up-regulation of GATA-3 and interleukin-4, and in effector/memory CD4(+) T cells, decreased expression of GATA-3 and Th2 cytokines. In primary T cells, c-Myb allows GATA-3 to autoactivate its own expression, an event that requires the direct interaction of c-Myb and GATA-3 on their respective binding sites in promoter of GATA-3. Immunoprecipitation revealed that the c-Myb/GATA-3 complex contained Menin and mixed lineage leukemia (MLL). MLL recruitment into the c-Myb-GATA-3-Menin complex was associated with the formation Th2 memory cells. That MLL-driven epigenetic changes were mechanistically important for this transition was suggested by the fact that silencing c-Myb significantly decreased the methylation of histone H3K4 and the acetylation of histone H3K9 at the GATA-3 locus in developing Th2 and CD4(+) effector/memory cells. Therefore, c-Myb, GATA-3, and Menin form a core transcription complex that regulates GATA-3 expression and, with the recruitment of MLL, Th2 cell maturation in primary human peripheral blood T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylation
  • Blotting, Western
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • DNA Methylation
  • GATA3 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • GATA3 Transcription Factor / metabolism*
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Luciferases / metabolism
  • Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein / genetics
  • Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein / metabolism*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / metabolism*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Th1 Cells / cytology
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Th1 Cells / metabolism
  • Th2 Cells / cytology*
  • Th2 Cells / immunology
  • Th2 Cells / metabolism
  • Transcription, Genetic*
  • Transcriptional Activation

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • GATA3 Transcription Factor
  • GATA3 protein, human
  • KMT2A protein, human
  • MEN1 protein, human
  • MYC protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein
  • Luciferases
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase