Epigenetic reprogramming involved in bronchial epithelial cells memory induced by flagellin stimulation

Innate immune memory is a new concept describing ability of innate myeloid and lymphoid cells to gain memory characteristics after transient stimulation, resulting in an nonspecific modified response upon secondary challenge. In recent work, we demonstrated that bronchial epithelial cells that are non immune cells, the first immune cells of the lower respiratory tract to encounter pathogens were capable of innate immune memory after pre-exposure to Pseudomonas aeruginosa flagellin. In the present study we identified chromatin modifications induced by flagellin pre-exposure that sustain reprogramming of transcriptional patterns. We researched chromatin structure modifications responsible for the modulation of gene expression and thus of innate memory induced by the exposure of cells to flagellin.