Distinct Heterogeneity in the Naive T cell Compartments of Children and Adults

Abstract: The naive T cell compartment undergoes multiple changes across age that associate with altered susceptibility to infection and autoimmunity. In addition to the acquisition of naive-like memory T cell subsets, mouse studies describe substantial molecular reprogramming of the naive compartment in adults compared with adolescents. However, these alterations are not well delineated in human aging. Using a new trimodal single cell technology (TEA-seq), we discovered that the composition and transcriptional and epigenetic programming of the naive T cell compartment in children (11-13 yrs) is distinct from that of older adults (55-65 yrs). Naive CD4 T cells, previously considered relatively resistant to aging, exhibited far more pronounced molecular reprogramming than naive CD8 T cells, in which alterations are preferentially driven by shifts in naive-like memory subsets. These data reveal the complex nature of the naive T cell compartment that may contribute to differential immune responses across the spectrum of human age. One Sentence Summary: The naive CD8 and CD4 T cell compartments in humans are heterogeneous and impacted differently with age, in which naive CD8 T cell subsets dramatically shift in composition and true naive CD4 T cells display significant molecular re-programming.