Lecture series Infection & Immunity: "MAPPING NUTRIENT UTILIZATION BY T CELLS IN VIVO: IMPLICATIONS FOR IMMUNITY" - Prof Russell Jones

Metabolic reprogramming is an essential part of the T cell activation program. Upon activation, T cells undergo dramatic rewiring of their metabolic pathways to promote ATP production and biosynthesis sufficient to support the rapid exponential growth of antigen-specific T cells. The metabolic profile of T cells is shaped by both cell-intrinsic factors, such as genetics and receptor-mediated signaling, and environmental conditions, such as nutrient availability. We have combined classical immunological modeling of T cell responses with metabolic analysis (i.e., bioenergetic profiling, stable isotope tracing) to study the impact of metabolic reprogramming on T cell function. Our results indicate that CD8+ T cells display unique patterns of nutrient utilization in response to bacterial and viral pathogens in vivo, and that T cell metabolism changes over the course of infection. I will discuss how different carbon sources (e.g. glucose and glutamine) and amino acids (e.g. serine and methionine) are used to fuel T cell proliferation and effector function, and will discuss their impact on T cell function and adaptive immunity.
Website: https://russelljoneslab.vai.org/

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