GSE211023
Multi-scale epigenomic priming of inflammatory genes enables rapid recall in human memory T helper cells [ChIP-seq]
Memory T cells provide long-lasting defense responses through their ability to rapidly reactivate. How memory T cells efficiently 'recall' an inflammatory transcriptional program remains unclear. Here, we show that primary human CD4+ memory T helper (Th) cells carry three distinct activation-inducible recall gene modules that drive metabolic adaptation, T cell activation and inflammatory cytokine production. Enhancer elements controlling recall genes were epigenetically primed through the local maintenance of transcription-permissive chromatin in resting memory Th cells. At the three-dimensional level, recall genes clustered in transcriptionally permissive subnuclear compartments and resided in topologically associating domains ('memory TADs'), in which activation-associated promoter-enhancer interactions were pre-formed. This primed epigenomic landscape was exploited by AP-1 transcription factors - including MAF - to promote rapid transcriptional activation. Finally, recall genes and their enhancers were linked to memory Th cell dysfunction in chronic inflammatory disease. Together, our results implicate multi-scale epigenomic priming - comprising a specialized three-dimensional chromatin organization - as a key mechanism underlying immunological memory. Overall design: ChIP-Seq (n=2-3 biological replicates, independent donors) was performed on primary human naive or memory T helper cells.