INVESTIGATION THE FUNCTIONAL ROLES OF REGNASE-1 AND ROQUIN IN T CELLS

Regnase-1 and Roquin are RNA binding proteins essential for degradation of inflammatory mRNAs and the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Recent researches have showed that Regnase-1 and Roquin target overlapping sets of mRNAs with common stem-loop structures but localize in different structures within the cell, controlling immune-related RNAs in distinct spatiotemporal processes. Regnase-1 and Roquin are expressed in T cells, and mutations of both Regnase-1 and Roquin in T cells leads to massive lymphocyte activation. Furthermore, mutation of both Regnase-1 and Roquin leads to a huge increase in the Th1, but not Th2 or Th17 population in spleens compared to T cells with either a single Regnase-1 or Roquin deficiency. To investigate Regnase-1- and Roquin-regulated genes, transcriptome analysis was conducted using CD4 T cells lacking Regnase-1 and Roquin.