SUMMARY T cell receptor (TCR) signaling without CD28 can elicit primary effector T cells, but memory T cells generated during this process are anergic, failing to respond to secondary antigen exposure. We show that upon T cell activation, CD28 transiently promotes expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a (Cpt1a), an enzyme that facilitates mitochondrial FAO, before the first cell division, coinciding with mitochondrial elongation and enhanced spare respiratory capacity (SRC). microRNA-33 (miR33), a target of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), attenuates Cpt1a expression in the absence of CD28, resulting in cells that thereafter are metabolically compromised during reactivation or periods of increased bioenergetic demand. Early CD28-dependent mitochondrial engagement is needed for T cells to remodel cristae, develop SRC, and rapidly produce cytokines upon restimulation – cardinal features of protective memory T cells. Our data show that initial CD28 signals during T cell activation prime mitochondria with latent metabolic capacity essential for future T cell responses.

Genital human papillomaviruses (HPV

Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified human nucleosome assembly protein 1 (hNAP-1) as a protein interacting with the activation domain of the transcriptional activator encoded by papillomaviruses (PVs), the E2 protein. We show that the interaction between E2 and hNAP-1 is direct and not merely mediated by the transcriptional coactivator p300, which is bound by both proteins. Coexpression of hNAP-1 strongly enhances activation by E2, indicating a functional interaction as well. E2 binds to at least two separate domains within hNAP-1, one within the C terminus and an internal domain. The binding of E2 to hNAP-1 is necessary for cooperativity between the factors. Moreover, the N-terminal 91 amino acids are crucial for the transcriptional activity of hNAP-1, since deletion mutants lacking this N-terminal portion fail to cooperate with E2. We provide evidence that hNAP-1, E2, and p300 can form a ternary complex efficient in the activation of transcription. We also show that p53 directly interacts with hNAP-1, indicating that transcriptional activators in addition to PV E2 interact with hNAP-1. These results suggest that the binding of sequence-specific DNA binding proteins to hNAP-1 may be an important step contributing to the activation of transcription.