Characterization of miRNA regulation of T cell differentiation (136.18)

Abstract During an immune response, antigen-specific CD4 T cells proliferate greatly and differentiate into different sub-populations of effector T cells that act to coordinate the adaptive immune response by selective cytokine production. Major changes in gene expression characterize this transition, and the role that microRNAs play in this process of T cell differentiation remains largely undefined. Effector T cells exhibit decreased expression of numerous miRNAs, as compared to naïve T cells, which is in contrast to the global increase in gene expression that characterizes this differentiation. We have undertaken to investigate the regulation of this miRNA decrease. We have identified differential regulation between different miRNAs at several levels of miRNA biogenesis.