Microarray expression analysis depicting MHCII-dependent features of FOXP3-expressing CD4 T regulatory cells

Analysis comparing K14 and MCHII+/- Tregs. The hypothesis was that the lack of MHCII+/- in the spleen and intestine would result in a large shift in K14 Treg gene expression away from an activated and effector phenotype. Results demonstrate how a lack of MHCII-antigen presentation in the small intestine, where Tregs exhibit an effector penotype, does not greatly reduce effector features of T regulatory cells in K14 mice. RNA was isolated from splenic and intestinal FOXP3 Tregs and conventional T cells from control MHCII+/-, FOXP3GFP mice and experimental K14Aβb, FOXP3GFP mice which lack expression of MHCII outside of the thymus. Mice were pooled for each condition.