O-GlcNAcylation and Immune Regulation

Protein O-GlcNAcylation has emerged as a key mechanism that regulates immune responses. Like other protein posttranslational modifications, for instance, phosphorylation, O-GlcNAcylation is a reversible covalent modification that regulates the stability, activity, and localization of target proteins. As such, O-GlcNAcylation regulates the development of the immune system and many phases of the immune response, including its initiation, propagation, and termination. Here, we focus on the effects of O-GlcNAcylation on innate and adaptive immunity, of which especially on those immune cells involved in pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses associated with immune regulation. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms by which O-GlcNAcylation regulates the development, differentiation, activation, and functions of immune cells will be highlighted in this chapter.