Control of Regulatory T Cell Lineage Commitment and Maintenance

Foxp3-expressing regulatory T (Treg) cells suppress pathology mediated by immune responses against self and foreign antigens and commensal microorganisms. Sustained expression of the transcription factor Foxp3, a key distinguishing feature of Treg cells, is required for their differentiation and suppressor function. In addition, Foxp3 expression prevents deviation of Treg cells into effector T cell lineages and confers dependence of Treg cell survival and expansion on growth factors, foremost interleukin-2, provided by activated effector T cells. In this review we discuss Treg cell differentiation and maintenance with a particular emphasis on molecular regulation of Foxp3 expression, arguably a key to mechanistic understanding of biology of regulatory T cells.