Cao Xuetao's team found a new mechanism for the regulation of immune inflammation balance

Xuetao, director of the National Key Laboratory for Medical Immunology, found that DNA modifier Tet2 molecules can promote the body's ability to increase the number and function of natural immune cells in response to pathogen infections and their inflammatory responses by regulating new ways of RNA modification. The discovery not only puts forward a new view for the body's natural immune mechanism against pathogen infection from the immunological point of view, but also reveals the new mode of Tet2's participation in gene expression transcription regulation at the surface mechanism level, and provides new ideas and potential drug research and development targets for effective prevention and control of infectious diseases and control of inflammatory diseases. The paper was published January 25 in
Journal.
Once the natural immune system perceives a pathogen infection, it immediately induces the production of a large number of natural immune cells and promotes an inflammatory response in order to remove the invading pathogen, but the natural immune and inflammatory response is a double-edged sword, excessive activity will damage the body. How to effectively and moderately balance the occurrence and termination of natural immune and inflammatory response is a major scientific problem in the field of immunology.
Cao Xuetao's team studied the role of RNA modification in natural immunity and inflammation from the perspective of the ode transcription group, and found that DNA hydroxymethylase Tet2 can act as an RNA binding protein at the level of immune molecule mRNA, thus promoting the increase in the number of natural immune cells of the body's outer blood in the infected state, which is good for the removal of pathogens.
researchers used RNA-related histological techniques such as full transcriptional group RNA methylation sequencing combined with high-volume sequencing (CLIP-seq) and single nucleotide resolution to further reveal the molecular mechanism of Tet2's ability to bind directly to immunity Signal path negative regulation molecule Socs3 mRNA 3'-UTR, and inhibit the region's RNA cytosine methylation, promote the degradation of Socs3 mRNA, achieve negative positive effect, promote the body in the early stage of infection of natural immune cells and its function. (Source: Tang Feng, China Science Daily)