REVIEW: T Lymphocyte Metabolic Features and Techniques to Modulate Them

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Violetta V. Vlasova^1,a*# and Konstantin V. Shmagel^1#

Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Perm Federal Research Center, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 614081, Perm, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

^# These authors contributed equally to this study.

Received April 28, 2023; Revised July 21, 2023; Accepted August 27, 2023

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T cells demonstrate high degree of complexity and broad range of functions, which distinguish them from other immune cells. Throughout their lifetime, T lymphocytes experience several functional states: quiescence, activation, proliferation, differentiation, performance of effector and regulatory functions, memory formation, and apoptosis. Metabolism supports all functions of T cells, providing lymphocytes with energy, biosynthetic substrates, and signaling molecules. Therefore, T cells usually restructure their metabolism as they transition from one functional state to another. Strong association between the metabolism and T cell functions implies that the immune response can be controlled by manipulating metabolic processes within T lymphocytes. This review aims to highlight the main metabolic adaptations necessary for the T cell function, as well as the recent progress in techniques to modulate metabolic features of lymphocytes.

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KEY WORDS: T lymphocytes, metabolism, glycolysis, TCA cycle, OXPHOS, mitochondria, proliferation, differentiation, immunological memory, exhaustion

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297923110159

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