| First Author | Quinn KM | Year | 2020 |
| Journal | Nat Commun | Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 2857 |
| PubMed ID | 32504069 | Mgi Jnum | J:292191 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6447542 | Doi | 10.1038/s41467-020-16633-7 |
| Citation | Quinn KM, et al. (2020) Metabolic characteristics of CD8(+) T cell subsets in young and aged individuals are not predictive of functionality. Nat Commun 11(1):2857 |
| abstractText | Virtual memory T (TVM) cells are antigen-naive CD8(+) T cells that exist in a semi-differentiated state and exhibit marked proliferative dysfunction in advanced age. High spare respiratory capacity (SRC) has been proposed as a defining metabolic characteristic of antigen-experienced memory T (TMEM) cells, facilitating rapid functionality and survival. Given the semi-differentiated state of TVM cells and their altered functionality with age, here we investigate TVM cell metabolism and its association with longevity and functionality. Elevated SRC is a feature of TVM, but not TMEM, cells and it increases with age in both subsets. The elevated SRC observed in aged mouse TVM cells and human CD8(+) T cells from older individuals is associated with a heightened sensitivity to IL-15. We conclude that elevated SRC is a feature of TVM, but not TMEM, cells, is driven by physiological levels of IL-15, and is not indicative of enhanced functionality in CD8(+) T cells. |
