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Usage Information

NR4A family members regulate T cell tolerance to preserve immune homeostasis and suppress autoimmunity
Ryosuke Hiwa, Hailyn V. Nielsen, James L. Mueller, Ravi Mandla, Julie Zikherman
Ryosuke Hiwa, Hailyn V. Nielsen, James L. Mueller, Ravi Mandla, Julie Zikherman
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Research Article Immunology

NR4A family members regulate T cell tolerance to preserve immune homeostasis and suppress autoimmunity

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Abstract

The NR4A family of orphan nuclear receptors (Nr4a1–3) plays redundant roles to establish and maintain Treg identity; deletion of multiple family members in the thymus results in Treg deficiency and a severe inflammatory disease. Consequently, it has been challenging to unmask redundant functions of the NR4A family in other immune cells. Here we use a competitive bone marrow chimera strategy, coupled with conditional genetic tools, to rescue Treg homeostasis and unmask such functions. Unexpectedly, chimeras harboring Nr4a1–/– Nr4a3–/– (double-knockout, DKO) bone marrow developed autoantibodies and a systemic inflammatory disease despite a replete Treg compartment of largely WT origin. This disease differs qualitatively from that seen with Treg deficiency and is B cell extrinsic. Negative selection of DKO thymocytes is profoundly impaired in a cell-intrinsic manner. Consistent with escape of self-reactive T cells into the periphery, DKO T cells with functional, phenotypic, and transcriptional features of anergy accumulated in chimeric mice. Nevertheless, we observed upregulation of genes encoding inflammatory mediators in anergic DKO T cells, and DKO T cells exhibited enhanced capacity for IL-2 production. These studies reveal cell-intrinsic roles for the NR4A family in both central and peripheral T cell tolerance and demonstrate that each is essential to preserve immune homeostasis.

Authors

Ryosuke Hiwa, Hailyn V. Nielsen, James L. Mueller, Ravi Mandla, Julie Zikherman

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Usage data is cumulative from March 2025 through March 2026.

Usage JCI PMC
Text version 1,402 262
PDF 279 45
Figure 541 7
Supplemental data 138 7
Citation downloads 112 0
Totals 2,472 321
Total Views 2,793
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Usage information is collected from two different sources: this site (JCI) and Pubmed Central (PMC). JCI information (compiled daily) shows human readership based on methods we employ to screen out robotic usage. PMC information (aggregated monthly) is also similarly screened of robotic usage.

Various methods are used to distinguish robotic usage. For example, Google automatically scans articles to add to its search index and identifies itself as robotic; other services might not clearly identify themselves as robotic, or they are new or unknown as robotic. Because this activity can be misinterpreted as human readership, data may be re-processed periodically to reflect an improved understanding of robotic activity. Because of these factors, readers should consider usage information illustrative but subject to change.

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