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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
10:21
In Vitro Functional Analysis of Regulatory T cells: Focus On Proliferation And Differentiation
Published on: June 9, 2026
SAGE analysis of cell types involved in tolerance induction
Kathleen F Nolan1, Stephen P Cobbold, Herman Waldmann
1Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, UK.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|September 19, 2007
Summary
Identifying novel molecular markers for immunological tolerance is crucial. Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) can reveal gene signatures associated with tolerance by comparing immune cell populations.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Current immunological tolerance research lacks convenient markers for identifying and isolating tolerant cells.
- While central tolerance deletes autoreactive T cells, peripheral tolerance mechanisms involving dendritic cells (DC) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify novel molecular markers for immunological tolerance using transcript profiling.
- To gain unbiased insights into tolerogenic mechanisms and correlate gene expression with functional phenotypes.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing the Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) approach for transcript profiling.
- Comparing gene expression profiles of functionally distinct immune populations, including effector T cells, natural Tregs (CD4+CD25+), adaptive Tregs (Tr1), and tolerogenic/immunogenic dendritic cells (DC).
Main Results:
- SAGE provides quantitative and qualitative transcript data, generating electronic databases for cross-dataset comparison.
- This method allows for the identification of individual genes and gene signatures associated with protolerogenic phenotypes.
Conclusions:
- Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) is a powerful tool for discovering novel molecular markers of immunological tolerance.
- SAGE facilitates the correlation of gene expression with functional phenotypes, advancing our understanding of tolerance mechanisms.
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