First Author | Li L | Year | 2011 |
Journal | J Exp Med | Volume | 208 |
Issue | 4 | Pages | 787-96 |
PubMed ID | 21402739 | Mgi Jnum | J:176834 |
Mgi Id | MGI:5292803 | Doi | 10.1084/jem.20091346 |
Citation | Li L, et al. (2011) Transcriptional regulation of the Th17 immune response by IKK(alpha). J Exp Med 208(4):787-96 |
abstractText | Th17 cells are a subset of T cells that play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases. We report here the identification of IKKalpha (inhibitor of NF-kappaB kinase-alpha) as a key transcriptional regulator of the Th17 lineage. T cells expressing a nonactivatable form of IKKalpha were significantly compromised in their ability to produce IL-17 and to initiate neural inflammation. IKKalpha is present in the nuclei of resting CD4(+) T cells. Upon Th17 differentiation, IKKalpha selectively associated with the Il17a locus, and promoted its histone H3 phosphorylation and transcriptional activation in a NF-kappaB-independent manner. These findings indicate that nuclear IKKalpha maintains the Th17 phenotype by activating the Il17a gene. |