MicroRNAs are a major class of gene regulators in mammals.  While numerous aspects of the immune systems are controlled by miRNAs, their precise role in the CD8+ T cell response remains unclear.  In this report, we show that miR-150 is the most abundant miRNA expressed in CD8+ T cells and its expression is required for proper effector cell differentiation in response to acute and chronic pathogens.  In the absence of miR-150, CD8+ T cells failed to both undergo robust expansion and differentiate into short-lived terminal effector cells. The lack of miR-150 also altered the effector CD8+ T cell transcriptome such that, despite activation, genes associated with nave or memory cells were highly expressed.  The deletion of miR-150 also reduced killing efficiency of CD8+ T cells.  These results uncover a cell-intrinsic role for miR-150 in the regulation of CD8+ T cell effector fate and function. SOURCE: Andrew Grimson Cornell University

Pluto Bioinformatics

GSE64687: Differences in murine miR-150-/- CD8+ T cells