T-cell activation induces selective changes of cellular lipidome.

Activation of naïve T helper cells by presentation of cognate antigen initiates a complex intracellular signaling process leading to development of functionally active effector cell population. The switch from quiescent naïve state to activated state involves a profound change of cellular metabolism, required for completion of multiple rounds of proliferation. Using ultra performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, we analyzed how this change is reflected on the cellular lipid composition in human umbilical cord blood T-cells. We found that considerable concentration changes take place during the first 72 hours after T-cell receptor activation, correlating with first rounds of activation-induced cell division. Most importantly, composition of phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines exhibited consistent trend towards shorter and more saturated molecular species. Together with related transcriptomics data, the results clearly suggested induction of de novofatty acid synthesis and accumulation of endogenously synthesized fatty acids into the cellular membranes, leading to partial remodeling of the cellular lipidome in the newly developed effector cell population.