FIGURE 8.

Deletion of T-bet from RORγt-deficient Tregs ameliorates colitis with low mortality. Sorted naive CD45RB^hi cells from Foxp3^WT and Foxp3^{ΔRORγtΔT-bet} mice were adoptively transferred to Rag1^−/− recipient mice for colitis induction. (A) Survival kinetics of the two indicated groups of Rag1^−/− recipients. (B and C) Representative histopathology of H&E-stained colonic sections (original magnification ×40) and inflammation score of colonic tissue sections at 6 wk post–adoptive transfer from two indicated groups of Rag1^−/− recipient mice. (D) Representative FACS plot showing Foxp3 and PD-1 expressions in colonic CD4⁺ LP cells obtained from the two indicated groups of Rag1^−/− recipients at 6 wk post-transfer. (E and F) Frequency of Foxp3⁺ cells in colonic CD4⁺ T cells (E) and frequency of PD-1–expressing cells in colonic Foxp3⁺ Tregs from the two indicated groups of Rag1^−/− mice (F) at 4 and 6 wk post-transfer. Data (C, E, and F) are shown as mean ± SEM. Data are representative of three or more independent experiments (n = 8–10 per group). For p values, Mann–Whitney U test was used in (C), and two-tailed unpaired Student t test was used in (E) and (F). *p < 0.05. n.s, not significant.