Molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation and functional plasticity of FOXP3 regulatory T cells

Abstract

CD4 CD25 regulatory T (Treg) cells engage in the maintenance of immunological self-tolerance and homeostasis by limiting aberrant or excessive inflammation. The transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is critical for the development and function of Treg cells. The differentiation of the Treg cell lineage is not terminal, as developmental and functional plasticity occur through the sensing of inflammatory signals in the periphery. Here, we review the recent progress in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation and functional plasticity of CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ Treg cells, through the perturbation of FOXP3 and its complex at a transcriptional, translational and post-translational level. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.