Forkhead Box Protein 3 (
FOXP3) is a member of the
Forkhead transcription factor family. It is highly expressed in regulatory T (Treg) cells, a subset of CD4
+ T cells that play a critical role in suppressing immune responses, especially those mediated by autoreactive T cells.
[1] A number of mutations to FOXP3 are known to result in a severe autoimmune disease known as IPEX (immune dysregulation, polyendocriopthy, enteropathy, X-linked). As FOXP3 is found on the X-chromosome, mutations to FOXP3 typically only display deleterious phenotypic traits in males, resulting in lymphocyte infiltration and wide spread inflammation in inphants.
[2] A similar pathology is also found in mice who carry nonsense mutations in the FOXP3 locus. These mutant mice are known as
scurfy mice. The targeted elimination of FOXP3
+ CD4
+ Tregs in adult mice has similar autoimmune dysfunction.
[3] Further, ectopic expression of FOXP3 in peripheral CD4
+CD25
- T cells equips these T cells with the ability to suppress the proliferation and effector functions of autoreactive T cells
in vivo.
[4] %%%%%
As with most
Talk about alignment with FOXP2 and fix the morph.
