Ikaros regulates gene expression downstream of TCR signaling

The transcription factor Ikaros plays a critical role during lymphocyte differentiation, proliferation and activation. The deletion of Ikaros zinc finger 4 (Ikaros-Zn4-/-) results in the lowering of activation threshold and increased proliferation of mature T cells. Here we used CD8+ T cells from homozygous Ikaros-Zn4-/- mice to investigate its role in regulating gene expression downstream of T-cell receptor signaling. Overall design: Naïve CD8+ T cells from WT or homozygous IkarosZn4-/- mice were stimulated with plate-bound anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies. Cells were used immediately (0 hour) or harvested 12 and 24 hours after stimulation and used for expression profiling.