Long noncoding RNA Malat1 is not essential for T cell development and response to LCMV infection

• Published in: RNA biology Vol. 15; no. 12; pp. 1477 - 1486
• Main Authors: Yao, Yingpeng, Guo, Wenhui, Chen, Jingjing, Guo, Pingting, Yu, Guotao, Liu, Juanjuan, Wang, Fang, Liu, Jingjing, You, Menghao, Zhao, Tianyan, Kang, Youmin, Ma, Xi, Yu, Shuyang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 02.12.2018
• Subjects: Animals; Biomarkers; Cell Differentiation; cells; effector CD8; Humans; Immunophenotyping; lncRNA; Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis - immunology; Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis - virology; Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus - immunology; Malat1; memory CD8; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Research Paper; RNA, Long Noncoding - genetics; T cell development; T cells; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - metabolism; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; T cell development; Malat1; effector CD8 T cells; lncRNA; T cells; memory CD8 T cells
• ISSN: 1547-6286; 1555-8584
• DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2018.1551705

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as critical mediators of various biological processes in the immune system. The current data showed that the lncRNA Malat1 is highly expressed in T cell subsets, but the function of Malat1 in T cell remains unclear. In this study, we detected the T cell development and both CD8 + and CD4 + T cell response to LCMV infection using Malat1 −/- mice model. To our surprise, there were no significant defects in thymocytes at different developmental stages and the peripheral T cell pool with ablation of Malat1. During LCMV infection, Malat1 −/- mice exhibited normal effector and memory CD8 + T cells as well as T FH cells differentiation. Our results indicated that Malat1 is not essential for T cell development and T cell-mediated antiviral response though it expresses at very high level in different T cell populations.