Interferon regulatory factor 3 controls interleukin-17 expression in CD8 T lymphocytes

Interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 3 is one of the key transcription factors implicated in innate antiviral responses. In recent years its role in shaping adaptive immune responses through activation of a specific transcriptional program in antigen-presenting cells has been appreciated. In this work we show that within CD8 T cells, IRF3 interacts with the transcriptional network that controls their polarization, thereby limiting the capacity of these cells to produce IL-17. These findings shed light on the functions of IRF3 in adaptive immune responses.