SATB1 regulates expression of multiple genes involved in human T helper cell differentiation (47.23)

Abstract

Abstract Naïve CD4+ Th progenitors (Thp) differentiate to functionally distinct effector T cell subsets including Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells which while being responsible for specific immune functions have also been implicated in pathological responses, such as autoimmunity, asthma and allergy. Special AT-rich binding protein 1 (SATB1) is a global chromatin organizer and a transcription factor induced by interleukin-4 (IL-4) during the early T helper 2 (Th2) cell differentiation. Having established that this upregulation of SATB1 is mediated by STAT6 transcription factor, we became interested in identifying SATB1 target genes to understand its role in human Th cell differentiation. Our results from genome wide transcriptomics analysis after SATB1 knockdown and ChIP-chip studies indicate that SATB1 regulates multiple genes important for Th cell polarization or function. Moreover, several genes are regulated by SATB1 in a Th cell subset specific fashion. Candidate genes of interest have been selected for further studies. The integration of these multiple datasets is in progress and aims at providing a basis for understanding SATB1 regulatory network during the early stages of human Th cell differentiation. This study was supported by grants from the Academy of Finland, the Sigrid Juselius Foundation and Turku University Hospital Fund.