Details for: CL0000913

Cell ID: CL0000913

Cell Name: effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T cell

Description: This cell type is compatible with the HIPC Lyoplate markers for 'effector memory CD8+ T cell', but includes additional markers known to be expressed on effector memory CD8+ T cells.

Synonyms: effector CD8-positive, alpha-beta memory T cell, effector CD8-positive, alpha-beta memory T lymphocyte, effector CD8-positive, alpha-beta memory T-cell, effector CD8-positive, alpha-beta memory T-lymphocyte, effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T lymphocyte, effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T-cell, effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T-lymphocyte, effector memory CD8+ T cell

Selected Context(s): Overall

Gene Significance Landscape

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Score:
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Genes

Contexts:

Cell Significance Index (CSI) is uniquely calculated to reveal cell-specific gene markers. More info here

Significant Genes List

Genes with the highest and lowest Percentile Rank Scores (PRS) for effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T cell within the selected context(s).

Gene ID: A unique numerical identifier for this specific gene.
Symbol: Shortened abbreviation or name that represents this gene.
Ensembl Gene ID: A unique identifier assigned by Ensembl for genomic data mapping.
CSI Score: A combined effect size and statistical significance measure for effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T cell. Higher scores indicate a stronger, more significant difference in expression.
(Previously described as "Fold Change", but now represents Cliff's Delta × –log10(p).)

Gene ID: A unique numerical identifier for this specific gene.
Symbol: Shortened abbreviation or name that represents this gene.
Ensembl Gene ID: A unique identifier assigned by Ensembl for genomic data mapping.
CSI Score: A combined effect size and statistical significance measure for effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T cell. Higher scores indicate a stronger, more significant difference in expression.
Average CSI: csi sum / gene count
Cell network configuration

This network visualizes key genes for effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T cell. It primarily includes:
1. Top genes highly significant for this cell (Num. Top Cell Genes - based on the 'Min. CSI' setting).
2. Any additional specific 'Context Genes' you add below.
The final network is a combined view. Choose an Interaction Source (pathways or protein interactions) and optionally compare CSI scores with a Baseline Cell Type.

Maximum number of selected genes.
Select a context for the baseline cell.
Select a context for the target cell.
Target Cell for CSI:  effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T cell (CL0000913)

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Nodes (Genes):
 Query Gene
Node size also reflects Target Cell CSI magnitude.
Node Color (Target Cell CSI in specific network):
 Very High
 High
 Medium
 Low
 Very Low
 N/A or Not Sig.
Edges (Interactions):
 STRING (Protein-Protein)
 ONTOLOGY (Shared Pathway)
 Colors vary by pathway category; default arrow applies.

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## Summary The [effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T cell](/details-cell/CL0000913) is a lineage of cytotoxic lymphocytes that combines the long-term persistence of memory cells with the immediate cytolytic potential of effector cells. The gene significance profile for this cell type in the **Overall** context underscores a state of high metabolic readiness and preparedness for cytotoxic function. The top markers are dominated by genes essential for antigen presentation ([B2M](/details-gene/567), [HLA E](/details-gene/3133)), high-energy metabolism via oxidative phosphorylation ([COX1](/details-gene/4512), [COX2](/details-gene/4513)), and the machinery for rapid protein synthesis ([TPT1](/details-gene/7178), [EEF1D](/details-gene/1936)). This signature is consistent with a cell poised for rapid deployment of its effector program, including cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion, upon re-encountering a specific antigen. ## Key Characteristics and Function Analysis of the top defining genes reveals several core functional clusters that characterize the [effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T cell](/details-cell/CL0000913). * **Cytotoxicity and Antigen Presentation:** The highest significance score for [B2M](/details-gene/567), a core component of all MHC class I molecules, highlights the central role of antigen interaction in this cell's identity. This is complemented by the high significance of [HLA E](/details-gene/3133), a non-classical MHC class I molecule involved in regulating the activity of [natural killer cells](/details-cell/CL0000623) and [T cells](/details-cell/CL0000084). The presence of [GNLY](/details-gene/10578) (Granulysin) as a top marker further confirms their direct cytotoxic capability, as this protein is a key component of cytotoxic granules that lyse target cells. * **High Metabolic Activity:** A prominent feature of this cell is the high significance of multiple genes involved in mitochondrial respiration. Key subunits of the cytochrome c oxidase complex, such as [COX1](/details-gene/4512) and [COX2](/details-gene/4513), are among the top five markers. This, along with [ATP5F1E](/details-gene/514), points to a high reliance on oxidative phosphorylation to meet the substantial energy demands required for surveillance, activation, and effector functions like killing target cells and producing cytokines. * **Translational Readiness:** A striking number of top markers are involved in protein synthesis, including translationally controlled tumor protein ([TPT1](/details-gene/7178)) and elongation factors [EEF1D](/details-gene/1936) and [EEF1B2](/details-gene/1933). This suggests that these cells are maintained in a state of high translational preparedness, enabling the rapid synthesis of effector proteins upon activation without the delay of full de novo transcription and translation initiation. * **Inflammatory Signaling and Motility:** The high significance of the chemokine [CCL5](/details-gene/6352) indicates that these cells not only respond to inflammatory signals but also actively participate in shaping the immune microenvironment by recruiting other immune cells. Furthermore, markers like [CFL1](/details-gene/1072) (cofilin 1) and [MYL6](/details-gene/4637), which regulate actin cytoskeleton dynamics, are consistent with the migratory and cell-cell interaction capabilities essential for immune surveillance. * **Defining Negative Markers:** The anti-marker profile helps refine the cell's functional identity. The negative significance scores for several other mitochondrial respiratory chain subunits, such as [NDUFA4](/details-gene/4697), [COX5B](/details-gene/1329), and [COX6C](/details-gene/1345), contrast with the high positive scores for [COX1](/details-gene/4512) and [COX2](/details-gene/4513). This may suggest a specific stoichiometry or configuration of the respiratory supercomplexes optimized for the cell's particular metabolic needs. Additionally, the low significance of genes like [GSTP1](/details-gene/2950) (glutathione S-transferase) suggests a functional specialization away from generalized detoxification pathways. ## Clinical Significance and Contextual Roles **Overall**, the [effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T cell](/details-cell/CL0000913) is a critical component of long-term immunity against intracellular pathogens and tumors. The presented data highlights the fundamental molecular machinery that underpins this role. The high significance of [B2M](/details-gene/567) is clinically relevant, as loss of [B2M](/details-gene/567) expression is a known mechanism of tumor immune escape, preventing cancer cells from being recognized and eliminated by cytotoxic T cells ([Link](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3312414/)). The prominence of [HLA E](/details-gene/3133) is also notable; its interaction with inhibitory receptors on NK cells and other T cells is a key checkpoint in immune regulation, and its expression levels can influence outcomes in transplantation and viral infections ([Link](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3260916/)). The chemokine [CCL5](/details-gene/6352) is a potent chemoattractant whose expression by these T cells is crucial for orchestrating inflammatory responses. However, its dysregulation is implicated in various chronic inflammatory diseases and has been shown to play a role in tumor progression by recruiting regulatory T cells. The cell's pronounced metabolic signature, driven by high expression of mitochondrial genes like [COX1](/details-gene/4512) and [COX2](/details-gene/4513), points to metabolic programming as a key determinant of its function. This has therapeutic implications, as targeting metabolic pathways is an emerging strategy to enhance the efficacy of T-cell-based immunotherapies for cancer. The unique profile of both positive and negative markers within the same respiratory complex might offer avenues for more selective metabolic modulation. ## Potential Mechanisms and Research Directions 1. **Hypothesis:** The distinct pattern of highly significant mitochondrial respiratory chain subunits ([COX1](/details-gene/4512), [COX2](/details-gene/4513)) coexisting with negatively significant subunits ([COX5B](/details-gene/1329), [COX6C](/details-gene/1345), [NDUFA4](/details-gene/4697)) suggests that [effector memory CD8-positive, alpha-beta T cells](/details-cell/CL0000913) assemble specialized respiratory supercomplexes. This specific configuration may be optimized to balance high ATP output with the controlled production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for signaling, a metabolic state tailored for sustained surveillance and rapid effector function. * **Surprising Findings:** The observation that different subunits of the same essential enzyme complex (cytochrome c oxidase) have opposite significance scores is highly unexpected. It challenges the view of the complex as a single, uniformly regulated unit and points toward a more nuanced, subunit-dependent regulation that defines this cell's metabolic identity. * **Testable Questions:** Can proteomic analysis of isolated mitochondria from these cells confirm the existence of respiratory supercomplexes with a distinct subunit stoichiometry compared to naive or central memory T cells? Furthermore, how does knockdown of a negatively-scored subunit like [COX5B](/details-gene/1329) impact the cell's metabolic flux, longevity, and cytotoxic capacity upon antigen stimulation? 2. **Hypothesis:** The high significance of multiple translational elongation factors ([EEF1D](/details-gene/1936), [EEF1B2](/details-gene/1933)) and the translationally-controlled protein [TPT1](/details-gene/7178) indicates that these cells are maintained in a state of "translational readiness." This allows them to bypass transcriptional bottlenecks and rapidly synthesize large quantities of effector proteins (e.g., granzymes, perforin, cytokines) from pre-existing mRNA templates immediately upon activation. * **Surprising Findings:** It is notable that general translational machinery components rank as more specific markers for this cell type than many canonical immune molecules. This suggests that the *capacity* for rapid protein synthesis is a more defining feature of this cell's memory-effector state than the mere presence of specific immune gene transcripts. * **Testable Questions:** Using techniques like Ribosome Profiling (Ribo-Seq), can it be demonstrated that mRNAs for key effector molecules are pre-loaded onto ribosomes in a quiescent state in these cells? Moreover, does pharmacological inhibition of translational elongation, for instance targeting EEF1, disproportionately block the immediate cytotoxic response of these cells compared to later, transcription-dependent functions?