Regulation of Adaptive Immunity by Lipid Post-translational Modifications.

The burgeoning field of immunometabolism highlights the interdependence between metabolic programs and efficacious immune responses. The current understanding that cellular metabolic remodeling is necessary for a competent adaptive immune response, along with acutely sensitive methodologies such as high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and advanced proteomics, have ushered in a renaissance of lipid- and metabolic-based scientific inquiries. One facet of recent interest examines how lipids function as post-translational modifications (PTMs) and their resulting effects on adaptive immune responses. The goal of this review is to establish a fundamental understanding of these protein modifications and highlight recent findings that underscore the importance of continued investigation into lipids as PTMs.