Identification of age-related changes in gene expression and chromatin accessibility in T cells from thymus to periphery (44K)

ABSTRACT: Aging of immune system is characterized by progressive decline of physiological and cellular function of T cells. Recent studies of naïve T cells from young and old mice have identified age-related altered gene expressions but the mechanisms underlying age associated changes of naïve T cells remain poorly understood. Here we compared the transcriptome and chromatin accessibility in mature CD4 and CD8 thymocytes and in naïve CD4 and CD8 T cells of spleen between young (6-8 weeks) and old (79-121 weeks) C57Bl/6 mice. We used Agilent microarray method and identified the age-related altering gene expressions 1) only in mature CD4 and CD8 T cell from thymus, 2) shared by both thymus and spleen naïve T cells, and 3) only in naïve T cells from spleen. The shared changes include increased chemokine and chemokine receptor expressions and decreased cell cycle regulator expression. We further analyzed the chromatin basis of altered gene expression using Assaying Transposase Accessible Chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) between young and old mice. We have identified age-related changes of chromatin accessibility in T cells from thymus and spleen, and some correlated changes between gene expression and chromatin accessibility. Overall, we observedmore age-related alterations of gene expression and chromatin accessibility inthymus than in spleen, suggesting some age-related changes of T cells in thymus did not retain in periphery. Together, our findings have identified tissue specific altered gene expressions and chromatin status in T cells during aging and further study of these altered genes will shed new insights into the mechanisms underlying these age-related changes.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE112390 | GEO | 2021/03/19

REPOSITORIES: GEO