Transcriptional regulation in the immune system: a status report

•Identification of many transcription factors relevant to immune development and function.•Identification of regulatory signaling pathways, coregulators, and relevant chromatin modifiers.•Progress necessary in elucidation of gene regulation networks and cell type-specific regulation.•The complexity of gene regulation circuitry and current technical limitations present barriers.•Inroads into understanding gene-specific and global logic provided by new technologies.

Regulated changes in transcription play a central role in virtually all events that accompany the development of the immune system and its response to microbial and environmental cues. Over the past 30 years, a large number of proteins that regulate transcription in the immune system have been discovered and much has been learned about their mechanisms of action. However, the field remains in its infancy, with technical challenges and the complexity of gene regulation circuitry limiting our current knowledge and providing formidable barriers to further advancement. Despite these barriers, the development of new and increasingly sophisticated technologies is speeding progress towards an understanding of the gene-specific and global logic through which transcription is regulated in key immunological settings.