Single-cell RNA-seq reveals TOX as a key regulator of CD8⁺ T cell persistence in chronic infection.

ABSTRACT: Progenitor-like CD8⁺ T cells mediate long-term immunity to chronic infection and cancer and respond potently to immune checkpoint blockade. These cells share transcriptional regulators with memory precursor cells, including T cell-specific transcription factor 1 (TCF1), but it is unclear whether they adopt distinct programs to adapt to the immunosuppressive environment. By comparing the single-cell transcriptomes and epigenetic profiles of CD8⁺ T cells responding to acute and chronic viral infections, we found that progenitor-like CD8⁺ T cells became distinct from memory precursor cells before the peak of the T cell response. We discovered a coexpression gene module containing Tox that exhibited higher transcriptional activity associated with more abundant

SUBMITTER: Yao C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6588409 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature