AUTHOR=Nguyen Michelle L. T. , Jones Sarah A. , Prier Julia E. , Russ Brendan E. 

TITLE=Transcriptional Enhancers in the Regulation of T Cell Differentiation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2015

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2015.00462

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2015.00462

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>The changes in phenotype and function that characterize the differentiation of naïve T cells to effector and memory states are underscored by large-scale, coordinated, and stable changes in gene expression. In turn, these changes are choreographed by the interplay between transcription factors and epigenetic regulators that act to restructure the genome, ultimately ensuring lineage-appropriate gene expression. Here, we focus on the mechanisms that control T cell differentiation, with a particular focus on the role of regulatory elements encoded within the genome, known as transcriptional enhancers (TEs). We discuss the central role of TEs in regulating T cell differentiation, both in health and disease.</p>