# Regulation of CD8+ T cell responses to chronic virus infection

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $500,892

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Virus-specific CD8+ T cells are essential for immune defenses against many viruses. However, during
chronic infections in mice and humans, CD8+ T cells undergo excessive apoptosis or become functionally
inactive and unable to resolve infection. T cells fail to eliminate infection due to their sustained expression of
inhibitory receptors that actively suppress their antiviral activity. Despite evidence that therapeutic
interference with inhibitory receptor signaling can allow some T cells to recover function and reduce viral
loads, there continues to be a need for improved methods to prevent T cell exhaustion from occuring or to
reverse T cell exhaustion once it sets in. It is now understood that virus-specific T cell senescence and T
cell exhaustion are programmed epigenetically and guided by specific sets of transcription factors. Distinct
epigenetic processes, including changes in the methylation status of histone-3 lysine-27 (H3K27) in CD8+ T
cells, contribute to the formation of memory T cells, as well as functionally inactive subsets during chronic
infection. The role of specific enzymes in this process is poorly understood. We recently identified a critical
link between CD8+ T cell expression of UTX, an H3K27 demethylase, and impaired CD8+ T cell responses
to chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection in mice. Virus-specific CD8+ T cells lacking
UTX showed improved accumulation and maintenace over time, reduced expression of the inhibitory
receptors, and were resistant to apoptosis. Our data suggest that UTX restricts virus-specific CD8+ T cell
responses by increasing T cell expression of inhibitory receptors, perhaps converting cells with memory
potential into functionally exhausted or senescent cells. Our central hypothesis is that UTX controls T cell
differentiation through a mixture of demethylase-dependent and demethylase-independent mechanisms that
promote gene expression, including at inhibitory receptor loci. In Aim1 we determine the temporal
relationship between UTX and CD8+ T cell differentiation into functional or dysfunctional T cell subsets. In
Aim2, we investigate the role of UTX-mediated demethylase activity in regulating gene expression and T
cell effector functions and maintenance during infection. In Aim3, we explore the role of UTX interacting
partners, including T cell-relevant transcription factors and an H3K4 methyltransferase, in guiding T cell
differentiation and antiviral functions. Information from this project will be useful for comprehending how
epigenetic changes due to histone methylation guide CD8+ T cell exhaustion. Long-term, our research may
implicate the use of pharmacologic inhibitors of UTX to improve CD8+ T cell-mediated immune defenses.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9852987
- **Project number:** 5R01AI143894-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** JASON Kyle WHITMIRE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $500,892
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-02-01 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9852987

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9852987, Regulation of CD8+ T cell responses to chronic virus infection (5R01AI143894-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9852987. Licensed CC0.

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