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Histone methyltransferase and histone methylation in inflammatory T-cell responses

    Shan He

    Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5942, USA

    ,
    Qing Tong

    Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5942, USA

    International Joint Cancer Institute, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China

    ,
    Dennis Keith Bishop

    Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    &
    Yi Zhang

    * Author for correspondence

    Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5942, USA.

    Published Online:https://doi.org/10.2217/imt.13.101

    During immune responses, T cells require tightly controlled expression of transcriptional programs to regulate the balance between beneficial and harmful immunity. These transcriptional programs are critical for the lineage specification of effector T cells, the production of effector cytokines and molecules, and the development and maintenance of memory T cells. An emerging theme is that post-translational modification of histones by methylation plays an important role in orchestrating the expression of transcriptional programs in T cells. In this article, we provide a broad overview of histone methylation signatures for effector molecules and transcription factors in T cells, and the functional importance of histone methyltransferases in regulating T-cell immune responses.

    Papers of special note have been highlighted as: ▪ of interest

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