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Immunity & Ageing
Published in: Immunity & Ageing 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research

Decline of FOXN1 gene expression in human thymus correlates with age: possible epigenetic regulation

Authors: Maria Danielma dos Santos Reis, Krisztian Csomos, Luciene Paschoal Braga Dias, Zsolt Prodan, Tamas Szerafin, Wilson Savino, Laszlo Takacs

Published in: Immunity & Ageing | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

Thymic involution is thought to be an important factor of age related immunodeficiency. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of human thymic senescence may lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches aimed at the reestablishment of central and peripheral T cell repertoire.

Results

As an initial approach, here we report that the decline of human thymic FOXN1 transcription correlates with age, while other genes, DLL1, DLL4 and WNT4, essential for thymopoiesis, are constitutively transcribed. Using a human thymic epithelial cell line (hTEC), we show that FOXN1 expression is refractory to signals that induce FOXN1 transcription in primary 3D culture conditions and by stimulation of the canonical WNT signaling pathway. Blockage of FOXN1 induceability in the hTEC line may be mediated by an epigenetic mechanism, the CpG methylation of the FOXN1 gene.

Conclusion

We showed a suppression of FOXN1 transcription both in cultured human thymic epithelial cells and in the aging thymus. We hypothesize that the underlying mechanism may be associated with changes of the DNA methylation state of the FOXN1 gene.
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Metadata
Title
Decline of FOXN1 gene expression in human thymus correlates with age: possible epigenetic regulation
Authors
Maria Danielma dos Santos Reis
Krisztian Csomos
Luciene Paschoal Braga Dias
Zsolt Prodan
Tamas Szerafin
Wilson Savino
Laszlo Takacs
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Immunity & Ageing / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1742-4933
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12979-015-0045-9

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