Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Inappropriate activation or inadequate regulation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells may contribute to the initiation and progression of multiple autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Studies on disease-associated genetic polymorphisms have highlighted the importance of biological context for many regulatory variants, which is particularly relevant in understanding the genetic regulation of the immune system and its cellular phenotypes. Here we show cell type-specific regulation of transcript levels of genes associated with several autoimmune diseases in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells including a trans-acting regulatory locus at chr12q13.2 containing the rs1131017 SNP in the RPS26 gene. Most remarkably, we identify a common missense variant in IL27, associated with type 1 diabetes that results in decreased functional activity of the protein and reduced expression levels of downstream IRF1 and STAT1 in CD4+ T cells only. Altogether, our results indicate that eQTL mapping in purified T cells provides novel functional insights into polymorphisms and pathways associated with autoimmune diseases.

Original publication

DOI

10.1371/journal.pgen.1006643

Type

Journal article

Journal

PLoS Genet

Publication Date

03/2017

Volume

13

Keywords

Autoimmune Diseases, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Chromosome Mapping, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1, Gene Expression Regulation, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome-Wide Association Study, Genotype, HEK293 Cells, Humans, Interferon Regulatory Factor-1, Interleukin-27, Mutation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Quantitative Trait Loci, Ribosomal Proteins, STAT1 Transcription Factor