title: Memory of Inflammation in Regulatory T Cells.
abstract: Eukaryotic cells can "remember" transient encounters with a wide range of stimuli, inducing lasting states of altered responsiveness. Regulatory T (Treg) cells are a specialized lineage of suppressive CD4 T cells that act as critical negative regulators of inflammation in various biological contexts. Treg cells exposed to inflammatory conditions acquire strongly enhanced suppressive function. Using inducible genetic tracing, we analyzed the long-term stability of activation-induced transcriptional, epigenomic, and functional changes in Treg cells. We found that the inflammation-experienced Treg cell population reversed many activation-induced changes and lost its enhanced suppressive function over time. The "memory-less" potentiation of Treg suppressor function may help avoid a state of generalized immunosuppression that could otherwise result from repeated activation.
authors: Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors: Joris
authors: J
authors: van der Veeken
authors: Computational Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors: Alvaro J
authors: AJ
authors: Gonzalez
authors: Computational Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors: Hyunwoo
authors: H
authors: Cho
authors: Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Arvey
authors: Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors: Saskia
authors: S
authors: Hemmers
authors: Computational Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA. Electronic address: cleslie@cbio.mskcc.org.
authors: Christina S
authors: CS
authors: Leslie
authors: Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Ludwig Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA. Electronic address: rudenska@mskcc.org.
authors: Alexander Y
authors: AY
authors: Rudensky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin