# Role of nuclear factor TOX in lymphocyte development

> **NIH NIH R01** · CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · $437,500

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 Only recently has the extent of the diversity of innate immune effector functions become apparent, with
the discovery of multiple novel subtypes of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), beyond long recognized natural
killer cells. ILCs derive from common lymphoid progenitors (CLP) in the bone marrow, and a number of
transcriptional regulators that are involved in ILC development also play roles in the development of T cells
in the thymus. Among these is TOX (thymocyte-selection associated HMG-box protein), a nuclear DNA
binding protein and member of the HMG-box superfamily of proteins.
 Our previous work has shown that TOX is required for CD4 T cell lineage development in the thymus,
and for early ILC lineage specification. Using a TOX reporter strain of mouse we have now identified bone
marrow progenitor cells that may be in transition from CLP to the common progenitor to all helper-like innate
lymphoid cells (CHILP). CHILP highly express the transcriptional regulator Id2, but we have identified
Tox+Id2lo putative precursor cells, suggesting that upregulation of TOX likely precedes the formation of
CHILP. We propose to test the cell fate potential of these cells in vitro and in vivo, to determine what ILC
lineages they can form and if they have lost T cell potential. Similarly, we will ask if ILC lineage
specification even precedes Tox upregulation. Armed with this knowledge, we then propose to determine
the transcriptome in these cell types, at the single cell level, and to determine the influence of TOX on gene
expression. Notch signaling is also thought to play a role in early ILC lineage specification. We propose
that transient Notch signaling is key to distinguish ILC from T cell lineage commitment. Using an in vitro
model system that allows differentiation of CLP to multiple ILC subtypes, we will study the cell fate and
transcriptional consequences of a temporally limited Notch signal. As Tcf7 (encoding TCF-1), a key Notch
signaling target gene, is likely downstream of TOX, we ask if expression of Tcf7 can compensate for loss of
TOX. Finally, we address the underlying mechanism of action of TOX, using in vitro and in vivo approaches
to ask if TOX functions as part of a novel RSF ISWI chromatin-remodeling complex, and propose to
produce a novel mouse strain to aid in identification of gene targets and protein binding partners of TOX in
multiple cell contexts.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10218019
- **Project number:** 5R01AI054977-15
- **Recipient organization:** CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** JONATHAN G KAYE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $437,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2003-12-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10218019

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10218019, Role of nuclear factor TOX in lymphocyte development (5R01AI054977-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10218019. Licensed CC0.

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