Cell state · L2
T.CD8_transitional.stress
355 cells in the full atlas (not the displayed sample).
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Marker genes
BAG3, DNAJB4, EMP1, FKBP4, HSPA1A, HSPA1B, HSPA6, HSPE1, HSPH1, LMNA, MT1E, MT1F, MT1G, MT1X, MT2A, NR4A1, SLC30A1, ZFAND2A
Annotation genes
HSPA1A, MT2A, NR4A1
Annotation rationales
Heat shock proteins (HSPA1A/B, HSPA6, HSPH1) and chaperones (BAG3, DNAJB4, FKBP4) highlight proteostasis and stress-buffering after TCR triggering. Metallothioneins (MT1/2 family) suggest oxidative stress response and zinc/metal detoxification. NR4A1 indicates strong but transient TCR signaling, often linked to exhaustion bias if chronic. LMNA reflects nuclear architecture remodeling under stress. This defines a transitional state that prioritizes survival during inflammatory/metabolic stress.
Functional implications
Operates as a stress-adapted transitional CD8 subset, buffering oxidative, proteotoxic, and metabolic loads encountered during strong activation. These cells maintain viability long enough to transition into effector or resident lineages, despite adverse environments. Functionally, they protect the memory-to-effector continuum by absorbing stress, preventing premature death, and ensuring sufficient effector generation. In chronic contexts, they may skew toward exhaustion but still represent a necessary checkpoint for sustaining cytotoxic output under stress.
Marker and functional descriptions are atlas annotations. Explore gene expression, trait associations and regulatory elements in the interactive browsers; see the browser guide.