When killer T cells of our immune system divide, they normally undergo asymmetric cell division (ACD): Each daughter cell inherits different cellular components, which drive the cells toward divergent fates – one cell becomes a short-lived fighter called an effector T cell, the other cell becomes a long-lived memory T cell.
Research by Dr. Mariana Borsa and Prof. Katja Simon, with important contributions from members of several labs at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology and other collaborators across Europe, has shown for the first time that cellular autophagy – a 'housekeeping' mechanism by which cells degrade and recycle cell cargo – plays a critical role in this decision process.
'Our study provides the first causal evidence that autophagy plays a central role in ensuring that T cells go through ACD normally. We found that when T stem cells divide, daughter cells inherit different mitochondria, which influences T cell fate decisions,' says Mariana. 'By understanding this process, we can start to think about ways to intervene to preserve the function of immune memory cells as we age.'
Read the full paper in Nature Cell Biology.
Read the News & Views in Nature Cell Biology.
Find out more about the research on the Max Delbrück Center website.