Age-associated impairment of T cell immunity is linked to sex-dimorphic elevation of N-glycan branching.

ABSTRACT: Impaired T cell immunity with aging increases mortality from infectious disease. The branching of Asparagine-linked glycans is a critical negative regulator of T cell immunity. Here we show that branching increases with age in females more than males, in naïve more than memory T cells, and in CD4⁺ more than CD8⁺ T cells. Female sex hormones and thymic output of naïve T cells (T_N) decrease with age, however neither thymectomy nor ovariectomy altered branching. Interleukin-7 (IL-7) signaling was increased in old female more than male mouse T_N cells, and triggered increased branching. N-acetylglucosamine, a rate-limiting metabolite for branching, increased with age in humans and synergized with IL-7 to raise branching. Reversing elevated branching r

SUBMITTER: Mkhikian H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9075523 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature