N-linked glycans: an underappreciated key determinant of T cell development, activation, and function

N-linked glycosylation is a post-translational modification that results in the decoration of newly synthesized proteins with diverse types of oligosaccharides that originate from the amide group of the amino acid asparagine. The sequential and collective action of multiple glycosidases and glycosyltransferases are responsible for determining the overall size, composition, and location of N-linked glycans that become covalently linked to an asparagine during and after protein translation. A growing body of evidence supports the critical role of N-linked glycan synthesis in regulating many features of T cell biology, including thymocyte development and tolerance, as well as T cell activation and differentiation. Here, we provide an overview of how specific glycosidases and glycosyltransferases contribute to the generation of different types of N-linked glycans and how these post-translational modifications ultimately regulate multiple facets of T cell biology.