Transcriptional control of effector and memory CD8+ T cell differentiation

This Review describes how CD8+T cells coordinate signals mediated by antigens, co-stimulatory molecules, pro-inflammatory cytokines and metabolic state to regulate the transcriptional programmes that determine differentiation to diverse effector and memory cell fates. During an infection, T cells can differentiate into multiple types of effector and memory T cells, which help to mediate pathogen clearance and provide long-term protective immunity. These cells can vary in their phenotype, function and location, and in their long-term fate in terms of their ability to populate the memory T cell pool. Over the past decade, the signalling pathways and transcriptional programmes that regulate the formation of heterogeneous populations of effector and memory CD8+ T cells have started to be characterized, and this Review discusses the major advances in these areas.