Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Mar 6;14(2):67-74.
doi: 10.1556/1886.2024.00017. Print 2024 May 14.

Impact of vitamin C on the development, differentiation and functional properties of T cells

Varun Sasidharan Nair  1   2 , Jochen Huehn  1
Affiliations
Review

Impact of vitamin C on the development, differentiation and functional properties of T cells

Varun Sasidharan Nair et al. Eur J Microbiol Immunol (Bp). .

Abstract

Vitamin C plays a multifaceted role in various biological processes and is well-known to facilitate pleiotropic activities in both innate and adaptive immune responses, where the antioxidant capacity of vitamin C is most likely highly relevant since immune responses mainly occur in reducing environments. Beyond its antioxidant properties, vitamin C can enhance the transcription potential of genes by promoting DNA demethylation through ten-eleven-translocation (Tet) methylcytosine dioxygenases, which have been recently demonstrated to be critical for the development and differentiation of T cells. In this minireview, we will provide a broader overview on the impact of vitamin C on signaling and regulatory activities in both innate and adaptive immune cells. Particularly, we will summarize recent findings on the decisive role of finely tuned vitamin C concentrations for T cell development, T helper cell differentiation, and optimal T cell-mediated immune responses.

Keywords: T cell development; T cell differentiation; epigenetics; immune-mediated diseases; vitamin C.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Tet enzymes influence the DNA methylation landscape by supporting the active demethylation of 5-methylcytosine to cytosine. Ten-eleven translocation (Tet) enzymes first convert 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. Next, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine is further oxidized to 5-formylcytosine and 5-carboxylcytosine. Finally, 5-formylcytosine and 5-carboxylcytosine are converted to cytosine by the base excision repair pathway enzyme, thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG). Created with BioRender.com
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Direct and indirect impact of vitamin C on Th cell differentiation. A) Upon antigen-specific activation via antigen-presenting cells (APCs), naïve CD4+ T cells can differentiate into various Th cell subsets. Vitamin C is directly impacting Th cell differentiation as summarized in the text boxes. B) Vitamin C can also indirectly affect Th1 cell differentiation by modulating cytokine expression of dendritic cells as indicated in the text box. Created with BioRender.com
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

  • Editorial: Vitamin C from bench to bedside.
    Mititelu-Tartau L, Bogdan M, Ciocoiu M. Mititelu-Tartau L, et al. Front Nutr. 2024 Apr 29;11:1406342. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1406342. eCollection 2024. Front Nutr. 2024. PMID: 38742025 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

References

    1. Siracusa F, Tintelnot J, Cortesi F, Gagliani N. Diet and immune response: how today's plate shapes tomorrow's health. Trends Immunol. 2024;45(1):4–10. - PubMed
    1. Frei B, England L, Ames BN. Ascorbate is an outstanding antioxidant in human blood plasma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989;86(16):6377–81. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Burns JJ. Missing step in man, monkey and Guinea pig required for the biosynthesis of L-ascorbic acid. Nature. 1957;180(4585):553. - PubMed
    1. Nishikimi M, Fukuyama R, Minoshima S, Shimizu N, Yagi K. Cloning and chromosomal mapping of the human nonfunctional gene for L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase, the enzyme for L-ascorbic acid biosynthesis missing in man. J Biol Chem. 1994;269(18):13685–8. - PubMed
    1. Padayatty SJ, Sun AY, Chen Q, Espey MG, Drisko J, Levine M. Vitamin C: intravenous use by complementary and alternative medicine practitioners and adverse effects. PLoS One. 2010;5(7):e11414. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources