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Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells restrict immune pathology in inflamed tissues; however, an inflammatory environment presents a threat to Treg cell identity and function. Here, we establish a transcriptional signature of central nervous system (CNS) Treg cells that accumulate during experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) and identify a pathway that maintains Treg cell function and identity during severe inflammation. This pathway is dependent on the transcriptional regulator Blimp1, which prevents downregulation of Foxp3 expression and “toxic” gain-of-function of Treg cells in the inflamed CNS. Blimp1 negatively regulates IL-6- and STAT3-dependent Dnmt3a expression and function restraining methylation of Treg cell-specific conserved non-coding sequence 2 (CNS2) in the Foxp3 locus. Consequently, CNS2 is heavily methylated when Blimp1 is ablated, leading to a loss of Foxp3 expression and severe disease. These findings identify a Blimp1-dependent pathway that preserves Treg cell stability in inflamed non-lymphoid tissues.
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•Most Foxp3+ Treg cells in the inflamed CNS express Blimp1•Blimp1 inhibits Dnmt3a and prevents methylation of the Foxp3 locus•IL-6 contributes to methylation of the Foxp3 locus in a Dnmt3a-dependent manner•Blimp1 counteracts the IL-6-driven destabilization of Treg cells
An inflammatory environment threatens the stability of Foxp3+ Treg cells. Garg et al. show that by expressing the transcriptional regulator Blimp1, Treg cells resist the IL-6-driven loss of Foxp3 in inflamed tissues. Blimp1 prevents the methylation and reduced expression of Foxp3 through inhibition of the methyltransferase Dnmt3a.