Picking up speed: cell cycle regulation during effector CD8(+) T cell differentiation

Clonal expansion and development of immunological memory are two hallmarks of adaptive immune responses. Resolving the intricate pathways that regulate cell cycle activity and lead to the generation of diverse effector and memory T cell subsets is essential for improving our understanding of protective T cell immunity. A deeper knowledge of cell cycle regulation in T cells also has translational implications for adoptive cell therapies and vaccinations against infectious diseases. Here, we summarize recent evidence for an early diversification of effector and memory CD8(+) T cell fates and discuss how this process is coupled to discrete changes in division speed. We further review technical advances in lineage tracing and cell cycle analysis and outline how these techniques have shed new light on the population dynamics of CD8(+) T cell responses, thereby refining our current understanding of the developmental organization of the memory T cell pool.