Dectin-1 diversifies Aspergillus fumigatus-specific T cell responses by inhibiting T helper type 1 CD4 T cell differentiation. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Pulmonary infection of mice with Aspergillus fumigatus induces concurrent T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 responses that depend on Toll-like receptor/MyD88 and Dectin-1, respectively. However, the mechanisms balancing Th1 and Th17 CD4 T cell populations during infection remain incompletely defined. In this study, we show that Dectin-1 deficiency disproportionally increases Th1 responses and decreases Th17 differentiation after A. fumigatus infection. Dectin-1 signaling in A. fumigatus-infected wild-type mice reduces IFN-γ and IL-12p40 expression in the lung, thereby decreasing T-bet expression in responding CD4 T cells and enhancing Th17 responses. Absence of IFN-γ or IL-12p35 in infected mice or T-bet in responding CD4 T cells enhances Th17 differentiation, independent of Dectin-1 expression, in A. fumigatus-infected mice. Transient deletion of monocyte-derived dendritic cells also reduces Th1 and boosts Th17 differentiation of A. fumigatus-specific CD4 T cells. Our findings indicate that Dectin-1-mediated signals alter CD4 T cell responses to fungal infection by decreasing the production of IL-12 and IFN-γ in innate cells, thereby decreasing T-bet expression in A. fumigatus-specific CD4 T cells and enabling Th17 differentiation.

publication date

  • January 17, 2011

Research

keywords

  • Aspergillosis
  • Aspergillus fumigatus
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Th1 Cells

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC3039849

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 79951707725

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1146/annurev-immunol-030409-101212

PubMed ID

  • 21242294

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 208

issue

  • 2