Transcriptional regulators dictate innate lymphoid cell fates

Research on innate lymphoid cells (ILC) has recently been a fast paced topic of immunological research. As ILCs are able to produce signature Th cytokine, ILCs have garnered considerable attention and have been described to represent the innate counterpart of the CD4(+) T helper (Th) cells. The development and function of ILCs are precisely regulated by a network of crucial transcription factors, which are also involved in the development or differentiation of conventional natural killer (cNK) cells and T cells. In this review, we will summarize the key transcriptional regulators and their functions through each phases of ILC development. With the phase of ILC lineage commitment, we will focus in particular on the roles of the transcription regulators Id2 and GATA-3, which in collaboration with other transcriptional factors, are critically involved in the generation of ILC fate determined progenitors. Once an ILC lineage has been established, several other transcription factors are required for the specification and functional regulation of distinct mature ILC subsets. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the interactions and regulatory mechanisms mediated by these transcription factors will help us to further understand how ILCs exert their helper-like functions and bridge the innate and adaptive immunity.