Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (TR) are an immunosuppressive subset of CD4+ T cells that maintain homeostasis of the immune system. They are sustained by the interaction between the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules present on antigen presenting dendritic cells and the T Cell Receptor (TCR) expressed on TR cells that is specific for the MHC loaded with an antigenic peptide. Here, we show that in addition to MHC/TCR interaction, Connexin-43 (Cx43) expression by dendritic cells is required to maintain the TR cell population. CD11c+ dendritic cells represent a major subset of antigen presenting cells. Using flow cytometry, we have observed that mice which lack Cx43 expression in CD11c+ dendritic cells (Cx43DC-), have a lower percentage of TR cells which express lower levels of Foxp3. These mice showed increased incidence of dermatitis as they age, even though we show that their dendritic cells can efficiently present antigen to naive T cells using proliferation inhibition assay. The decrease in the proportion of TR cells were associated with an altered phenotype of these cells, demonstrated by lower expression of CD39 and higher expression of CD73, ectonucleotidases mediating TR cell immunosuppressive function. We propose that the presence of Cx43 on the surface of dendritic cells is required for effective communication between TR cells and dendritic cells so as to sustain TR cell homeostatic expansion and Foxp3 expression.
","abstract_html":"<p>Foxp3<sup>+</sup> regulatory T cells (T<sub>R</sub>) are an immunosuppressive subset of CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells that maintain homeostasis of the immune system. They are sustained by the interaction between the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules present on antigen presenting dendritic cells and the T Cell Receptor (TCR) expressed on T<sub>R</sub> cells that is specific for the MHC loaded with an antigenic peptide. Here, we show that in addition to MHC/TCR interaction, Connexin-43 (Cx43) expression by dendritic cells is required to maintain the TR cell population. CD11c<sup>+</sup> dendritic cells represent a major subset of antigen presenting cells. Using flow cytometry, we have observed that mice which lack Cx43 expression in CD11c<sup>+</sup> dendritic cells (Cx43<sup>DC-</sup>), have a lower percentage of T<sub>R</sub> cells which express lower levels of Foxp3. These mice showed increased incidence of dermatitis as they age, even though we show that their dendritic cells can efficiently present antigen to naive T cells using proliferation inhibition assay. The decrease in the proportion of T<sub>R</sub> cells were associated with an altered phenotype of these cells, demonstrated by lower expression of CD39 and higher expression of CD73, ectonucleotidases mediating T<sub>R</sub> cell immunosuppressive function. We propose that the presence of Cx43 on the surface of dendritic cells is required for effective communication between T<sub>R</sub> cells and dendritic cells so as to sustain T<sub>R</sub> cell homeostatic expansion and Foxp3 expression.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Miller, Caroline Titus"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biological Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Piotr Kraj","Emilia Oleszak","Robert Ratzlaff"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019-07-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2019-07-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:35:08Z","subjects":["Connexin","Cx43","Dendritic cells","Foxp3","Immunosuppressive","Regulatory T cells","Cell Biology","Medical Immunology","Molecular Biology"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["9781687937308"],"render_values":[{"text":"9781687937308","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds/94","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Piotr Kraj","Emilia Oleszak","Robert Ratzlaff"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Miller, Caroline Titus"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-09-10T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Connexin","Cx43","Dendritic cells","Foxp3","Immunosuppressive","Regulatory T cells","Cell Biology","Medical Immunology","Molecular Biology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["9781687937308","https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds/94"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (TR) are an immunosuppressive subset of CD4+ T cells that maintain homeostasis of the immune system. They are sustained by the interaction between the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules present on antigen presenting dendritic cells and the T Cell Receptor (TCR) expressed on TR cells that is specific for the MHC loaded with an antigenic peptide. Here, we show that in addition to MHC/TCR interaction, Connexin-43 (Cx43) expression by dendritic cells is required to maintain the TR cell population. CD11c+ dendritic cells represent a major subset of antigen presenting cells. Using flow cytometry, we have observed that mice which lack Cx43 expression in CD11c+ dendritic cells (Cx43DC-), have a lower percentage of TR cells which express lower levels of Foxp3. These mice showed increased incidence of dermatitis as they age, even though we show that their dendritic cells can efficiently present antigen to naive T cells using proliferation inhibition assay. The decrease in the proportion of TR cells were associated with an altered phenotype of these cells, demonstrated by lower expression of CD39 and higher expression of CD73, ectonucleotidases mediating TR cell immunosuppressive function. We propose that the presence of Cx43 on the surface of dendritic cells is required for effective communication between TR cells and dendritic cells so as to sustain TR cell homeostatic expansion and Foxp3 expression.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Expression Of Connexin-43 By CD11c+ Dendritic Cells Is Required to Maintain CD4+ Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cell Population in Peripheral Lymphoid Organs"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Piotr Kraj","Emilia Oleszak","Robert Ratzlaff"],"dc:creator":["Miller, Caroline Titus"],"dc:date.available":["2019-09-10T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (TR) are an immunosuppressive subset of CD4+ T cells that maintain homeostasis of the immune system. They are sustained by the interaction between the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules present on antigen presenting dendritic cells and the T Cell Receptor (TCR) expressed on TR cells that is specific for the MHC loaded with an antigenic peptide. Here, we show that in addition to MHC/TCR interaction, Connexin-43 (Cx43) expression by dendritic cells is required to maintain the TR cell population. CD11c+ dendritic cells represent a major subset of antigen presenting cells. Using flow cytometry, we have observed that mice which lack Cx43 expression in CD11c+ dendritic cells (Cx43DC-), have a lower percentage of TR cells which express lower levels of Foxp3. These mice showed increased incidence of dermatitis as they age, even though we show that their dendritic cells can efficiently present antigen to naive T cells using proliferation inhibition assay. The decrease in the proportion of TR cells were associated with an altered phenotype of these cells, demonstrated by lower expression of CD39 and higher expression of CD73, ectonucleotidases mediating TR cell immunosuppressive function. We propose that the presence of Cx43 on the surface of dendritic cells is required for effective communication between TR cells and dendritic cells so as to sustain TR cell homeostatic expansion and Foxp3 expression.
"],"dc:identifier":["9781687937308","https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds/94"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
"],"dc:subject":["Connexin","Cx43","Dendritic cells","Foxp3","Immunosuppressive","Regulatory T cells","Cell Biology","Medical Immunology","Molecular Biology"],"dc:title":["The Expression Of Connexin-43 By CD11c+ Dendritic Cells Is Required to Maintain CD4+ Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cell Population in Peripheral Lymphoid Organs"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biological Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:35:08Z"}