Project description:The transcription factor ThPOK (encoded by Zbtb7b) is well known for its role as a master regulator of CD4 lineage commitment in the thymus. Here, we report a novel role for ThPOK as a critical and multifaceted regulator of myeloid lineage commitment, differentiation and maturation. Using reporter and knockout mouse models combined with CITE-Seq, Smart-Seq2, progenitor transfer and clonogenic assays and we show that ThPOK controls monocyte-DC versus granulocyte lineage production during homeostatic differentiation, and serves as a brake for neutrophil maturation in granulocyte lineage-specified cells through transcriptional regulation of lineage-specific transcription factors and RNA via altered mRNA splicing to reprogram intron retention.
Project description:The transcription factor ThPOK (encoded by Zbtb7b) is well known for its role as a master regulator of CD4 lineage commitment in the thymus. Here, we report a novel role for ThPOK as a critical and multifaceted regulator of myeloid lineage commitment, differentiation and maturation. Using reporter and knockout mouse models combined with CITE-Seq, Smart-Seq2, progenitor transfer and clonogenic assays and we show that ThPOK controls monocyte-DC versus granulocyte lineage production during homeostatic differentiation, and serves as a brake for neutrophil maturation in granulocyte lineage-specified cells through transcriptional regulation of lineage-specific transcription factors and RNA via altered mRNA splicing to reprogram intron retention.
Project description:Although BTB-zinc finger (BTB-ZF) transcription factors control the differentiation of multiple hematopoietic and immune lineages, how they function is poorly understood. The BTB-ZF factor Thpok controls intrathymic CD4+ T cell development and expression of most CD4+- and CD8+-lineage genes. Here, we identify the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex as a novel Thpok cofactor. We locate three amino-acid residues within the Thpok BTB domain that are required for both NuRD binding and Thpok functions, and show that NuRD recruitment recapitulates the functions of the Thpok BTB domain. NuRD mediates Thpok repression of CD8+-lineage genes, including the transcription factor Runx3, but is dispensable for Cd4 expression. We show that these functions cannot be performed by the BTB domain of the Thpok-related factor Bcl6, which fails to bind NuRD. Thus, cofactor binding critically contributes to the functional specificity of BTB-zinc finger factors, which control the differentiation of most hematopoietic subsets.
Project description:The transcription factor Thpok is essential for CD4 T cell development in the thymus and remains expressed in post-thymic CD4 T cells. We post-thymically inactivated Thpok and compared microarray gene expression in Thpok-deficient CD4 T cells to that in their wildtype CD4 or CD8 counterparts We show that Thpok constrains the transcriptional circuitry to maintain CD4+-lineage integrity in naM-CM-/ve cells and to couple effector differentiation to environmental cues after antigenic stimulation. Redundantly with the related factor LRF, Thpok is continuously needed to prevent the trans-differentiation of mature CD4+ into -CD8+ T cells. We activated naM-CM-/ve CD4 T cells (either wild-type or Thpok-deficient) and CD8 T cells (wild-type) in vitro under Th1 conditions. Differentiated effectors were sorted 4 days after activation into CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+ (wild-type) and CD4+CD8- and CD4+CD8+ (Thpok-deficient) subsets. Total RNA was extracted from sorted subsets and processed for microarray analyses (Affymetrix Mouse Exon 1.0 ST array) at the NCI microarray facility, following the manufacturerM-bM-^@M-^Ys recommendation. Data is from 3 replicates (except wild-type CD4-CD8+ cells, for which two samples only were processed), generated from two distinct cell preparations.
Project description:To investigate the role of ThPOK in the regulation of ILC3 development and function, we established conventional ThPOK knockout mice.
Project description:To investigate the role of ThPOK in the regulation of ILC3 development and function, we established conventional ThPOK knockout mice and carried out single-cell RNA sequencing (BD Rhapsody) on intestinal ILC3s.