Frontiers in Immunology (Sep 2015)

Transcriptional Enhancers In The Regulation Of T Cell Differentiation

  • Michelle L. T. Nguyen,
  • Sarah A. Jones,
  • Julia E. Prier,
  • Brendan Edward Russ

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2015.00462
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6

Abstract

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The changes in phenotype and function that characterise the differentiation of naïve T cells to effector and memory states are underscored by large-scale, coordinated, and stable changes in gene expression. In turn, these changes are choreographed by the interplay between transcription factors and epigenetic regulators that act to restructure the genome, ultimately ensuring lineage-appropriate gene expression. Here, we focus on the mechanisms that control T cell differentiation, with a particular focus on the role of regulatory elements encoded within the genome, known as transcriptional enhancers. We discuss the central role of transcriptional enhancers in regulating T cell differentiation, both in health and disease.

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