DNA Replication Speed controls Epigenome Integrity and T Cell Fate

Epigenetic mechanisms maintain cellular identities by enforcing stable, cell type-specific transcriptional programs while also allowing regulated plasticity for adaptations to environmental cues like differentiation signals. Dysregulation of this dual capacity has been linked to cancer and chronic inflammation, with the regulatory mechanisms remaining poorly understood. Here, we identify DNA replication speed as a physiological regulator controlling epigenome stability and plasticity. Using T-lymphocytes as a model, we demonstrate that fast DNA replication speed impaired epigenome stability, causing DNA methylation maintenance errors at cell type-specific enhancers and heterochromatin, ultimately leading to compromised cell function. However, accelerated DNA replication speed supported epigenome plasticity during differentiation, promoting successful cell-type transitions

• Type: Epigenetics
• Archiver: European Genome-Phenome Archive (EGA)