Abstract
T cells are a heterogeneous population of cells that differ in their differentiation stages. Functional states are reflected in the epigenome that confers stability in cellular identity and is therefore important for naïve as well as memory T cell function. In many cellular systems, changes in chromatin structure due to alterations in histone expression, histone modifications and DNA methylation are characteristic of the aging process and cause or at least contribute to cellular dysfunction in senescence. Here, we review the epigenetic changes in T cells that occur with age and discuss them in the context of canonical epigenetic marks in aging model systems as well as recent findings of chromatin accessibility changes in T cell differentiation. Remarkably, transcription factor networks driving T cell differentiation account for many of the age-associated modifications in chromatin structures suggesting that loss of quiescence and activation of differentiation pathways are major components of T cell aging.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 691-699 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Leukocyte Biology |
| Volume | 104 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 Oct |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01 AR042527, R01 HL117913, R01 AI108906, and P01 HL129941 to C.M.W. and R01 AI108891, R01 AG045779, U19 AI057266, R01 AI129191, and I01 BX001669 to J.J.G.). The authors declare no competing financial interests. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Publisher Copyright:
©2018 Society for Leukocyte Biology
Keywords
- DNA methylation
- T cell differentiation
- chromatin accessibility
- histone modification
- immunosenescence
- transcription factor
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology
- Cell Biology