Mitochondrial ATP production promotes T cell differentiation and function by regulating chromatin accessibility.

Publication Type	Preprint
Authors	Ng C, Fung T, Li D, Kropp K, Somarribas Patterson L, Markovitz A, Weinberg D, Jones O, Kim J, Zhang G, Koche R, Monetti M, Tang H, He Y, Xu Z, Cai X, Yu Z, Bhagavatula G, Colgan S, Lin Y, Li Z, Steinert E, Klebanoff C, Vardhana S, Chandel N, Wu L, Thompson C
Journal	bioRxiv
Date Published	03/28/2026
ISSN	2692-8205
Abstract	Immune elimination of chronic infection or cancer requires cytotoxic CD8+ T cells that adopt and maintain an effector phenotype. Cytotoxic T cell function is a bioenergetically demanding process and T cells subjected to chronic antigen exposure have compromised effector function despite high rates of glycolysis. Here we report the ability of the short-chain α-hydroxy acid, D-α-hydroxybutyrate, to act as a signaling molecule that increases mitochondrial ATP production and drives the conversion of proliferating T cells into cytotoxic effector cells. DAHB signaling switches ATP production from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation supported by fatty acid oxidation, even in glucose-replete media. This conversion suppresses both AMPK phosphorylation and the integrated stress response (ISR) in activated T cells while significantly elevating the level of the phosphagen, phosphocreatine (PCr). Both the PCr bioenergetic reserve and oxidative phosphorylation were required for T cell effector differentiation. DAHB-induction of CD8-effector gene transcription was coupled to bioenergetics by enhanced ATP-dependent remodeling of chromatin accessibility at effector gene loci. DAHB enhanced CD8+ T cell antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo, and DAHB treatment of transferred T cells led to persistent in vivo antitumor effects. Together, these findings link cellular bioenergetics to the regulation of chromatin accessibility and gene expression required to support effector function.
DOI	10.64898/2026.03.27.714789
PubMed ID	41929082
PubMed Central ID	PMC13041975