• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.380-388
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• 2022

The B cell translocation gene 1 (BTG1) and BTG2 play a key role in a wide range of cellular activities including proliferation, apoptosis, and cell growth via modulating a variety of central biological steps such as transcription, post-transcriptional, and translation. BTG1 and BTG2 have been identified by genomic profiling of B-cell leukemia and diverse lymphoma types where both genes are commonly mutated, implying that they serve as tumor suppressors. Furthermore, a low expression level of BTG1 or BTG2 in solid tumors is frequently associated with malignant progression and poor treatment outcomes. As physiological aspects, BTG1 and BTG2 have been discovered to play a critical function in regulating quiescence in hematopoietic lineage such as Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and naive and memory T cells, highlighting their novel role in maintaining the quiescent state. Taken together, emerging evidence from the recent studies suggests that BTG1 and BTG2 play a central anti-proliferative role in various tissues and cells, indicating their potential as targets for innovative therapeutics.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.9
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• pp.472-477
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• 2017

The transcription repressor Bach2 has been proposed as a regulator of T cell quiescence, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Given the importance of interleukin-2 in T cell activation, we investigated whether Bach2 is a component of the network of factors that regulates interleukin-2 expression. In primary and transformed $CD4^+$ T cells, Bach2 overexpression counteracted T cell receptor/CD28- or PMA/ionomycin-driven induction of interleukin-2 expression, and silencing of Bach2 had the opposite effect. Luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that Bach2 binds to multiple Maf-recognition element-like sites on the interleukin-2 proximal promoter in a manner competitive with AP-1, and thereby represses AP-1-driven induction of interleukin-2 transcription. Thus, this study demonstrates that Bach2 is a direct repressor of the interleukin-2 gene in $CD4^+$ T cells during the immediate early phase of AP-driven activation, thereby playing an important role in the maintenance of immune quiescence in the steady state.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.39.1-39.18
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• 2022

RNA metabolism plays a central role in regulating of T cell-mediated immunity. RNA processing, modifications, and regulations of RNA decay influence the tight and rapid regulation of gene expression during T cell phase transition. Thymic selection, quiescence maintenance, activation, differentiation, and effector functions of T cells are dependent on selective RNA modulations. Recent technical improvements have unveiled the complex crosstalk between RNAs and T cells. Moreover, resting T cells contain large amounts of untranslated mRNAs, implying that the regulation of RNA metabolism might be a key step in controlling gene expression. Considering the immunological significance of T cells for disease treatment, an understanding of RNA metabolism in T cells could provide new directions in harnessing T cells for therapeutic implications.