Sox12 enhances Fbw7-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of GATA3 in Th2 cells

KI Suehiro, A Suto, K Suga, H Furuya, A Iwata… - Cellular & Molecular …, 2021 - nature.com
KI Suehiro, A Suto, K Suga, H Furuya, A Iwata, T Iwamoto, S Tanaka, T Kageyama, K Suzuki…
Cellular & Molecular Immunology, 2021nature.com
Allergic asthma that is caused by inhalation of house dust mites (HDMs) is mainly mediated
by Th2 cells. Recently, the roles of Sox (SRY-related high-mobility-group (HMG)-box) family
members in various immune responses have been investigated. However, the roles of
Sox12, a member of the SoxC group, in Th2 cell differentiation and allergic airway
inflammation, remain unknown. We showed that Sox12 mRNA was significantly increased
during Th2 cell differentiation. In vivo, HDM-induced eosinophil infiltration into the lung and …
Abstract
Allergic asthma that is caused by inhalation of house dust mites (HDMs) is mainly mediated by Th2 cells. Recently, the roles of Sox (SRY-related high-mobility-group (HMG)-box) family members in various immune responses have been investigated. However, the roles of Sox12, a member of the SoxC group, in Th2 cell differentiation and allergic airway inflammation, remain unknown. We showed that Sox12 mRNA was significantly increased during Th2 cell differentiation. In vivo, HDM-induced eosinophil infiltration into the lung and Th2 cell differentiation were exacerbated in Sox12−/− mice compared with those in control Sox12+/− mice. In vitro, Sox12−/− CD4+ T cells that were cultured under Th2 conditions had increased production of Th2 cytokines and GATA3 protein compared with those of control Sox12+/− CD4+ T cells. Importantly, forced expression of Sox12 decreased the protein levels of GATA3 in CD4+ T cells under Th2 conditions without affecting mRNA expression. Furthermore, Sox12 induced degradation of GATA3 through the proteasome pathway in CD4+ T cells. Consistently, Sox12 enhanced ubiquitination of GATA3, which was mediated by the E3 ligase Fbw7. Finally, we found that Fbw7 knockdown partly abrogated Sox12-mediated GATA3 suppression in CD4+ T cells. Taken together, these results suggest that Sox12 suppresses Th2 cell differentiation by accelerating Fbw7-mediated GATA3 degradation, and attenuates HDM-induced allergic inflammation.
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