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Chen, Zuojia

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Chen

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Zuojia

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Chen, Zuojia

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2015 - 20182

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Author's Publications: search.filters.isAuthorOfPublication.dd844dab-19ff-4d96-aec5-ec2be6ccc6a7

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    SGK1 Governs the Reciprocal Development of Th17 and Regulatory T Cells
    (2018) Wu, Chuan; Chen, Zuojia; Xiao, Sheng; Thalhamer, Theresa; Madi, Asaf; Han, Timothy; Kuchroo, Vijay
    SUMMARY A balance between Th17 and regulatory T (Treg) cells is critical for immune homeostasis and tolerance. Our previous work has shown Serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase 1 (SGK1) is critical for the development and function of Th17 cells. Here, we show that SGK1 restrains the function of Treg cells and reciprocally regulates development of Th17/Treg balance. SGK1 deficiency leads to protection against autoimmunity and enhances self-tolerance by promoting Treg cell development and disarming Th17 cells. Treg cell-specific deletion of SGK1 results in enhanced Treg cell-suppressive function through preventing Foxo1 out of the nucleus, thereby promoting Foxp3 expression by binding to Foxp3 CNS1 region. Furthermore, our data suggest that SGK1 also plays a critical role in IL-23R-mediated inhibition of Treg and development of Th17 cells. Therefore, we demonstrate that SGK1 functions as a pivotal node in regulating the reciprocal development of pro-inflammatory Th17 and Foxp3+ Treg cells during autoimmune tissue inflammation.
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    Autophagy enforces functional integrity of regulatory T cells by coupling environmental cues and metabolic homeostasis
    (2015) Wei, Jun; Long, Lingyun; Yang, Kai; Guy, Cliff; Shrestha, Sharad; Chen, Zuojia; Wu, Chuan; Vogel, Peter; Neale, Geoffrey; Green, Douglas R; Chi, Hongbo
    Regulatory T (Treg) cells respond to immune and inflammatory signals to mediate immunosuppression, but how functional integrity of Treg cells is maintained under activating environments remains elusive. Here we found that autophagy was active in Treg cells and supported their lineage stability and survival fitness. Treg cell-specific deletion of the essential autophagy gene Atg7 or Atg5 led to loss of Treg cells, increased tumor resistance, and development of inflammatory disorders. Atg7-deficient Treg cells had increased apoptosis and readily lost Foxp3 expression, especially after activation. Mechanistically, autophagy deficiency upregulated mTORC1 and c-Myc function and glycolytic metabolism that contributed to defective Treg function. Therefore, autophagy couples environmental signals and metabolic homeostasis to protect lineage and survival integrity of Treg cells in activating contexts.