Epigenetic regulation of telomerase expression in HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells

• DOI: 10.1097/qad.0b013e32833c7170
• Publication Date: 2010-06-26T08:52:33Z
• Authors: Katie Williams; Katherine Seiss; Jill Beamon; Florencia Pereyra; Eric S Rosenberg; Bruce D Walker; Xu G Yu; Mathias Lichterfeld
• Keywords: Male; 0301 basic medicine; 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; Gene Expression Regulation; HIV-1; Humans; Female; HIV Infections; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Viral Load; Telomerase; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic

Telomerase activity in HIV-1-specific CD8(+) T cells from controllers contributes to the maintenance of highly functional cytotoxic cell responses against HIV-1. Here, we show that high expression telomerase is associated with hypermethylation at distal and hypomethylation proximal human catalytic subunit promoter, whereas progressors showed an inverse pattern promoter hypermethylation. These data suggest distinct epigenetic signatures controllers.