Abstract: Thymocyte selection⁃associated high mobility group box group (TOX), a member of the high mobility group protein superfamily, plays an important role in T cell development, functional maintenance, and exhaustion. It has been recently found that TOX exerts critical immunoregulatory functions during pathogen infections, and TOX expression is strongly associated with the intensity and tolerance of host immune responses. This review systematically summarizes the structural and functional features of TOX and focuses on its expression dynamics, mechanisms of action, and immunomodulatory effects during viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections, which provides a theoretical support to better understanding of the role of TOX in infectious diseases and provides new insights into development of potential immunotherapeutic strategies targeting TOX.

Key words: Thymocyte selection?associated high mobility group box protein, Transcription factor, Pathogen infection, Mechanism

摘要： 胸腺细胞选择相关高迁移率族蛋白（thymocyte selection⁃associated high mobility group box，TOX）作为高迁移率蛋白超家族的一员，在T细胞发育、功能维持及耗竭过程中发挥关键作用。近年来研究发现，TOX在病原体感染中发挥关键免疫调节作用，其表达水平与宿主免疫应答的强度和耐受性密切相关。本文系统综述了TOX的结构与功能特性，重点探讨其在病毒、细菌和寄生虫感染中的表达变化、作用机制及免疫调节效应，旨在为深入理解其在感染性疾病中的作用提供理论支持，并为靶向TOX的免疫干预策略提供新思路。

关键词: 胸腺细胞选择相关高迁移率族蛋白, 转录因子, 病原体感染, 作用机制