Cell Reports (Nov 2017)

Slc3a2 Mediates Branched-Chain Amino-Acid-Dependent Maintenance of Regulatory T Cells

  • Kayo Ikeda,
  • Makoto Kinoshita,
  • Hisako Kayama,
  • Shushi Nagamori,
  • Pornparn Kongpracha,
  • Eiji Umemoto,
  • Ryu Okumura,
  • Takashi Kurakawa,
  • Mari Murakami,
  • Norihisa Mikami,
  • Yasunori Shintani,
  • Satoko Ueno,
  • Ayatoshi Andou,
  • Morihiro Ito,
  • Hideki Tsumura,
  • Koji Yasutomo,
  • Keiichi Ozono,
  • Seiji Takashima,
  • Shimon Sakaguchi,
  • Yoshikatsu Kanai,
  • Kiyoshi Takeda

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 21, no. 7
pp. 1824 – 1838

Abstract

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Summary: Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells, which suppress immune responses, are highly proliferative in vivo. However, it remains unclear how the active replication of Treg cells is maintained in vivo. Here, we show that branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including isoleucine, are required for maintenance of the proliferative state of Treg cells via the amino acid transporter Slc3a2-dependent metabolic reprogramming. Mice fed BCAA-reduced diets showed decreased numbers of Foxp3+ Treg cells with defective in vivo proliferative capacity. Mice lacking Slc3a2 specifically in Foxp3+ Treg cells showed impaired in vivo replication and decreased numbers of Treg cells. Slc3a2-deficient Treg cells showed impaired isoleucine-induced activation of the mTORC1 pathway and an altered metabolic state. Slc3a2 mutant mice did not show an isoleucine-induced increase of Treg cells in vivo and exhibited multi-organ inflammation. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that BCAA controls Treg cell maintenance via Slc3a2-dependent metabolic regulation. : Treg cells regulate excess immune responses and are highly proliferative in vivo. Ikeda et al. find that branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are essentially required to maintain expansion and the suppressive capacity of Treg cells via Slc3a2 and mTORC1. Keywords: Treg cells, amino acids, immunometabolism, immune regulation, transporter