Araki Yasuto
Department of Rheumatology and Applied Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan.
Nihon Rinsho Meneki Gakkai Kaishi. 2011;34(3):131-7. doi: 10.2177/jsci.34.131.
Evidence including genome-wide analyses have uncovered that epigenetic mechanisms regulate differentiation and effector functions in CD8 T cells. Gene expression profiles change when CD8 T cells differentiate from naïve T cells to memory T cells. It has been shown that this programmed differentiation is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. Upon antigen stimulation, CD8 T cells activate and acquire effector functions to target cells. Effector molecule gene expressions are upregulated by epigenetic mechanisms in CD8 T cells. It is suggested that memory T cells respond more rapidly to antigens because chromatin structures of effector molecule genes are open and their gene transcriptions are poised for activation.
包括全基因组分析在内的证据表明，表观遗传机制可调节CD8 T细胞的分化和效应功能。当CD8 T细胞从初始T细胞分化为记忆T细胞时，基因表达谱会发生变化。研究表明，这种程序性分化受表观遗传机制调控。在抗原刺激下，CD8 T细胞被激活并获得针对靶细胞的效应功能。效应分子基因的表达在CD8 T细胞中通过表观遗传机制上调。有研究表明，记忆T细胞对抗原的反应更快，因为效应分子基因的染色质结构是开放的，其基因转录随时准备被激活。
