PLZF promotes the development of asthma tolerance via affecting memory phenotypes of immune cells

•Promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) is upregulated in asthma tolerant lungs.•Memory cells are higher in asthmatic mice than asthma tolerant mice.•Overexpression or knock down of Zbtb16 (encoding PLZF) affects expressions of CD44 and levels of memory cells.•PLZF+ cells are downregulated after early respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection accompanied with increased memory cells. Clarifying the pathogenesis of asthma and/or identifying the specific pathway underlying oral asthma tolerance (OT) would be of great significance. In our previous study, promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF), which reportedly regulates memory phenotypes, was found to promote ovalbumin (OVA)-induced OT. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the regulatory effects of PLZF on memory phenotypes in asthma and OT mouse models. We found that Zbtb16 (encoding PLZF) and PLZF+ cells were highly increased in OT lungs compared with asthmatic lungs. PLZF was co-expressed with GATA3, and IL-4+PLZF+ cells were significantly lower in OT lungs than in asthmatic lungs. Notably, memory cells were decreased in OT mice, and these mice had PLZF+ cells that expressed lower levels of CD44 than those of asthmatic mice. When Zbtb16 was overexpressed in splenic lymphocytes, the number of CD44+ cells decreased. There were increased memory cells in splenic lymphocytes after treatment with the supernatant of OVA-treated airway epithelial cells; however, this was reversed by Zbtb16 overexpression. Early respiratory syncytial virus infection increased memory cells and reduced PLZF+ cells in the OT mice. Collectively, these results indicate that PLZF may reduce the proportion of memory cells, thereby, promoting the establishment of OT.