Figure 2:

Summary of T cell differentiation control through transcription factor interplay. The extracellular environment is sensed by the cell through antigens and cytokines (1). TCR signalling leads to activation of general acting pioneer (GP) transcription factors, such as NFAT and AP-1 (2). In addition, the cytokine milieu causes activation of cytokine-specific pioneers (CSP), such as STATs (3). Together, these pioneers influence genome-wide enhancer competency (4) and the expression of a lineage-specifying factor (LSF1) (5). Interplay between the lineage-specifying transcription factor, co-factors and the pre-existing chromatin landscape results in a lineage-specific gene expression program (6). Transcription factors associated with other lineages (LSF2) may also be expressed (7), allowing modulation of the cell phenotype and cell plasticity.