PLZF Controls the Development of Fetal-Derived IL-17+Vγ6+ γδ T Cells

Abstract

Expression of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) protein directs the effector differentiation of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells and IL-4+ γδ NKT cells. In this study, we show that PLZF is also required for the development and function of IL-17+ γδ T cells. We observed that PLZF is expressed in fetal-derived invariant Vγ5+ and Vγ6+ γδ T cells, which secrete IFN-γ and IL-17, respectively. PLZF deficiency specifically affected the effector differentiation of Vγ6+ cells, leading to reduced numbers of mature CD27−CD44+ phenotype capable of secreting IL-17. Although PLZF was not required for Vγ5+ γδ T cells to develop, when these cells were reprogrammed into IL-17–secreting cells in Skint-1 mutant mice, they required PLZF for their effector maturation, similarly to Vγ6+ γδ T cells. The impaired effector differentiation of PLZF-deficient Vγ6+ γδ T cells was not due to increased apoptosis and it was related to reduced proliferation of immature CD27+CD44− Vγ6+ γδ T cells, which was required for their differentiation into mature CD27−CD44+ IL-17–secreting cells. Thus, the present study identifies that PLZF function is not restricted to NKT or IL-4+ T cells, but it also controls the development of IL-17+ γδ T cells.