title: Epigenetic control of immunity.
abstract: Immunity relies on the heterogeneity of immune cells and their ability to respond to pathogen challenges. In the adaptive immune system, lymphocytes display a highly diverse antigen receptor repertoire that matches the vast diversity of pathogens. In the innate immune system, the cell's heterogeneity and phenotypic plasticity enable flexible responses to changes in tissue homeostasis caused by infection or damage. The immune responses are calibrated by the graded activity of immune cells that can vary from yeast-like proliferation to lifetime dormancy. This article describes key epigenetic processes that contribute to the function of immune cells during health and disease.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna Biocenter, A-1030 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Meinrad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Busslinger
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Lymphocyte Signaling, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tarakhovsky
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D019070:Cell Lineage; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000235:genetics*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology