Abstract
We have identified a simple epigenetic mechanism underlying the establishment and maintenance of immunological memory in T cells. By studying the transcriptional regulation of inducible genes we found that a single cycle of activation of inducible factors is sufficient to initiate stable binding of pre-existing transcription factors to thousands of newly activated distal regulatory elements within inducible genes. These events lead to the creation of islands of active chromatin encompassing nearby enhancers, thereby supporting the accelerated activation of inducible genes, without changing steady state levels of transcription in memory T cells. These studies also highlighted the need for more sophisticated definitions of gene regulatory elements. The chromatin priming elements defined here are distinct from classical enhancers because they function by maintaining chromatin accessibility rather than directly activating transcription. We propose that these priming elements are members of a wider class of genomic elements that support correct developmentally regulated gene expression.
Highlights
University of BirminghamSarah L.; Cauchy, Pierre; Cockerill, Peter N
A defining hallmark of the mammalian immune system is the capacity to develop life-long immunity to infectious agents following episodes of infection
The known mechanisms controlling locus activation are becoming increasingly complex, but it is still accepted that active genes lie within active chromatin domains established by interacting cis-regulatory elements, which in some cases are defined as locus control region (LCR) [72, 73]
Summary
Sarah L.; Cauchy, Pierre; Cockerill, Peter N.
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