Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Infectious tolerance describes the process of CD4(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) converting naïve T cells to become additional Tregs. We show that antigen-specific Tregs induce, within skin grafts and dendritic cells, the expression of enzymes that consume at least 5 different essential amino acids (EAAs). T cells fail to proliferate in response to antigen when any 1, or more, of these EAAs are limiting, which is associated with a reduced mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Inhibition of the mTOR pathway by limiting EAAs, or by specific inhibitors, induces the Treg-specific transcription factor forkhead box P3, which depends on both T cell receptor activation and synergy with TGF-beta.

Original publication

DOI

10.1073/pnas.0903919106

Type

Journal article

Journal

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Publication Date

21/07/2009

Volume

106

Pages

12055 - 12060

Keywords

Adoptive Transfer, Amino Acids, Essential, Animals, Cell Proliferation, Cell Survival, Dendritic Cells, Epitopes, Forkhead Transcription Factors, Immune Tolerance, Lymphocyte Activation, Mice, Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases, Protein Kinases, Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases, Signal Transduction, Sirolimus, Skin Transplantation, T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory, TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases, Transforming Growth Factor beta