Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Hobit and Blimp1 instruct a universal transcriptional program of tissue residency in lymphocytes

  • Laura K. Mackay
  • , Martina Minnich
  • , Natasja A.M. Kragten
  • , Yang Liao
  • , Benjamin Nota
  • , Cyril Seillet
  • , Ali Zaid
  • , Kevin Man
  • , Simon Preston
  • , David Freestone
  • , Asolina Braun
  • , Erica Wynne-Jones
  • , Felix M. Behr
  • , Regina Stark
  • , Daniel G. Pellicci
  • , Dale I. Godfrey
  • , Gabrielle T. Belz
  • , Marc Pellegrini
  • , Thomas Gebhardt
  • , Meinrad Busslinger
  • Wei Shi, Francis R. Carbone, René A.W. Van Lier, Axel Kallies, Klaas P.J.M. Van Gisbergen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells permanently localize to portals of pathogen entry, where they provide immediate protection against reinfection.To enforce tissue retention, Trm cells up-regulate CD69 and down-regulate molecules associated with tissue egress; however, a Trm-specific transcriptional regulator has not been identified. Here, we show that the transcription factor Hobit is specifically up-regulated in Trm cells and, together with related Blimp1, mediates the development of Trm cells in skin, gut, liver, and kidney in mice. The Hobit-Blimp1 transcriptional module is also required for other populations of tissue-resident lymphocytes, including natural killer T (NKT) cells and liver-resident NK cells, all of which share a common transcriptional program. Our results identify Hobit and Blimp1 as central regulators of this universal program that instructs tissue retention in diverse tissue-resident lymphocyte populations.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)459-463
Number of pages5
JournalScience
Volume352
Issue number6284
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Apr 2016
Externally publishedYes

Cite this