Cutting edge: an IL-17F-CreEYFP reporter mouse allows fate mapping of Th17 cells

J Immunol. 2009 Feb 1;182(3):1237-41. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.182.3.1237.

Abstract

The need for reporter lines able to faithfully track Th17 cells in vivo has become an issue of exceptional importance. To address this, we generated a mouse strain in which Cre recombinase is expressed from the IL-17F promoter. Crossing the IL-17F-Cre allele to a conditional enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) reporter mouse yielded the IL-17F-Cre(EYFP) strain, in which IL-17F expression is twinned with EYFP in live IL-17F-expressing cells. Although we demonstrate that IL-17F expression is restricted to CD4(+) T cells during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, IL-17F-Cre(EYFP) CD8 T cells robustly expressed IL-17F in response to TGF-beta, IL-6, and IL-23. Fate mapping of IL-17F-expressing reporter T cells revealed a significant down-regulation of Th17 cytokines after homeostatic expansion in RAG1-deficient animals. Despite this loss of effector phenotype, committed Th17 cells were resistant to Foxp3 expression in vitro or in vivo. Thus, the IL-17F-Cre strain furthers our understanding of Th17 biology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics*
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / immunology
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / metabolism
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / pathology
  • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology
  • Genes, Reporter / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Integrases / genetics*
  • Interleukin-17 / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-17 / genetics*
  • Interleukin-17 / physiology
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred DBA
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Proteins / genetics
  • RNA, Untranslated
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / pathology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / transplantation

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Gt(ROSA)26Sor non-coding RNA, mouse
  • Interleukin-17
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Proteins
  • RNA, Untranslated
  • yellow fluorescent protein, Bacteria
  • Cre recombinase
  • Integrases