Rna flow cytometry for the study of t cell metabolism

Abstract

T cells undergo activation and differentiation programs along a continuum of states that can be tracked through flow cytometry using a combination of surface and intracellular markers. Such dynamic behavior is the result of transcriptional and post‐transcriptional events, initiated and sustained by the activation of specific transcription factors and by epigenetic remodeling. These signaling pathways are tightly integrated with metabolic routes in a bidirectional manner: on the one hand, T cell receptors and costimulatory molecules activate metabolic reprogramming; on the other hand, metabolites modify T cell transcriptional programs and functions. Flow cytometry represents an invaluable tool to analyze the integration of phenotypical, functional, metabolic and transcriptional features, at the single cell level in heterogeneous T cell populations, and from complex microenvironments, with potential clinical application in monitoring the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Here, we review the most recent advances in flow cytometry‐based analysis of gene expression, in combination with indicators of mitochondrial activity, with the aim of revealing and characterizing major metabolic pathways in T cells.