Memory T cell rapid recall is driven by memory-specific AP-1 recruitment determined by epigenome and co-factor interactions

CD4 T cell memory is essential for long-lasting protective immunity to repeat infections. Unlike naïve T cells, memory cells possess rapid recall ability to quickly produce effector molecules in response to antigen re-exposure. This ability was shown to be associated with epigenetic gene poising. Here, we examine how the activation-inducible transcription factors, AP 1 and NF κB, regulate rapid recall gene expression. We found that AP-1 is required for their induction and that the enhanced induction of rapid recall genes in memory cells is associated with memory-specific binding of AP 1. Memory-specific AP 1 binding, in turn, is enabled by enhanced chromatin accessibility and reduced DNA methylation at regulatory elements. As the AP-1 DNA-binding motif itself does not contain methylatable CpGs, methylation likely affects the binding of AP-1 co-factors, such as ETS proteins, or accessibility of the region in general. Finally, both common and memory-specific AP 1/NF κB binding sites show strong overlap with autoimmune and inflammatory disease risk variants, highlighting the clinical relevance of memory T cell epigenetic regulation.