The Tec family kinase Itk is not required for Th17 responses during Hypersensitivity pneumonitis

IL-2 inducible tyrosine kinase (Itk) is a Tec family non-receptor tyrosine kinase that is known to regulate T-helper cell differentiation and function. It has been established that Itk postively regulates T helper 17 cells. However, in a model of hypersensitivity pneumonitis we found T helper 17 cells develop independently of Itk. Therefore, we compared the transcriptomes of WT and Itk-/- T helper 17 cells following exposure with Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula by RNA sequencing. Th17 cells were isolated from the lungs of 4-6 week old male and female WT and Itk-/- IL17-GFP/Foxp3-RFP mice using flow sorting.