Functional and Epigenetic Studies Reveal Multistep Differentiation and Plasticity of In Vitro-Generated and In Vivo-Derived Follicular T Helper Cells

Follicular T helper (Tfh) cells provide critical help to B cells for germinal center (GC) formation. Mutations affecting SLAM-associated protein (SAP) prevent GC formation because of defective T cell-B cell interactions, yet effects on Tfh cell differentiation remain unclear. We describe the in vitro differentiation of functionally competent “Tfh-like” cells that expressed interleukin-21, Tfh cell markers, and Bcl6 and rescued GC formation in SAP-deficient hosts better than other T helper (Th) cells. SAP-deficient Tfh-like cells appeared virtually indistinguishable from wild-type, yet failed to support GCs in vivo. Interestingly, both Tfh-like and in vivo-derived Tfh cells could produce effector cytokines in response to polarizing conditions. Moreover, Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells could be reprogrammed to obtain Tfh cell characteristics. ChIP-Seq analyses revealed positive epigenetic markings on Tbx21, Gata3, and Rorc in Tfh-like and ex vivo Tfh cells and on Bcl6 in non-Tfh cells, supporting the concept of plasticity between Tfh and other Th cell populations. [Display omitted] ► We describe the in vitro differentiation of functionally competent Tfh-like cells ► SAP deficiency does not prevent in vitro differentiation of Tfh-like cells ► Both Tfh-like and ex vivo Tfh cells exhibit plasticity in cytokine expression ► ChIP-Seq analyses of chromatin modifications support Tfh cell plasticity