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Follicular helper T cells (TFH cells) are the prototypic helper T cell subset specialized to enable B cells to form germinal centers (GCs) and produce high-affinity antibodies. We found that expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) by T cells was essential for TFH cell differentiation. More specifically, we show that after immunization of mice with protein, the miRNA cluster miR-17∼92 was critical for robust differentiation and function of TFH cells in a cell-intrinsic manner that occurred regardless of changes in proliferation. In a viral infection model, miR-17∼92 restrained the expression of genes 'inappropriate' to the TFH cell subset, including the direct miR-17∼92 target Rora. Removal of one Rora allele partially 'rescued' the inappropriate gene signature in miR-17∼92-deficient TFH cells. Our results identify the miR-17∼92 cluster as a critical regulator of T cell-dependent antibody responses, TFH cell differentiation and the fidelity of the TFH cell gene-expression program.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/ni.2642

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nat Immunol

Publication Date

08/2013

Volume

14

Pages

840 - 848

Keywords

Adaptive Immunity, Animals, Arenaviridae Infections, Cell Differentiation, Flow Cytometry, Gene Expression Regulation, Immunohistochemistry, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, Mice, Transgenic, MicroRNAs, Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 1, Statistics, Nonparametric, T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer