Jagged-1 regulates Foxp3 expression and cytokine production in CD4+ T cells

Notch ligands are present during the interactions between T cells and dendritic cells (DC) and induce a myriad of effects that facilitate the activation of T cells, including the induction of T cell regulation, survival, and cytokine production. Although the ligands Delta-like 4 and Delta-like 1 are expressed as a function of DC activation, the notch ligand Jagged-1 is constitutively expressed on DC. We sought to determine the role of Jagged-1 in the interactions between CD4+ T cells and DC. We observed that Jagged-1 regulates Foxp3 expression, and Cd11cCre+Jaggedff mice have an altered expression of Foxp3 in effector cells that arise as a result of infection with the mycobacterium Bacille Calmette-Guerin. The observed changes in Foxp3 expression were correlated with an increase in cytokine production from cultures of antigen-stimulated draining lymph nodes.