TY - JOUR T1 - Egr2 and 3 control inflammation, but maintain homeostasis, of PD-1<sup>high</sup> memory phenotype CD4 T cells JF - Life Science Alliance JO - Life Sci. Alliance DO - 10.26508/lsa.202000766 VL - 3 IS - 9 SP - e202000766 AU - Alistair LJ Symonds AU - Wei Zheng AU - Tizong Miao AU - Haiyu Wang AU - TieShang Wang AU - Ruth Kiome AU - Xiujuan Hou AU - Suling Li AU - Ping Wang Y1 - 2020/09/01 UR - https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/3/9/e202000766.abstract N2 - The transcription factors Egr2 and 3 are essential for controlling inflammatory autoimmune responses of memory phenotype (MP) CD4 T cells. However, the mechanism is still unclear. We have now found that the Egr2+ subset (PD-1high MP) of MP CD4 T cells expresses high levels of checkpoint molecules (PD-1 and Lag3) and also markers of effector T cells (CXCR3 and ICAM-1). Egr2/3 are not required for PD-1high MP CD4 cell development but mediate a unique transcriptional programme that effectively controls their inflammatory responses, while promoting homeostatic proliferation and adaptive responses. Egr2 negative PD-1high MP CD4 T cells are impaired in homeostatic proliferation and adaptive responses against viral infection but display inflammatory responses to innate stimulation such as IL-12. PD-1high MP CD4 T cells have recently been implicated in rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis, and we have now found that Egr2 expression is reduced in PD-1high MP CD4 T cells from patients with active rheumatoid arthritis compared with healthy controls. These findings demonstrate that Egr2/3 control the inflammatory responses of PD-1high MP CD4 T cells and maintain their adaptive immune fitness. ER -