DGKZ and ME

ME patients have two hypermeyhylated sites in the gene DGKZ. They are associated with quality of life (1). Hypermethylation can result in suppressed transcription of the gene.

The enzyme diacylglycerol kinase zeta (DGKZ) catalyzes diacylglycerol (DAG) to phosphatidic acid (PA).

DGKZ controls DAG metabolism at the immonological synapse between the T cell and a target cell.

Disruption of DAG metabolism impairs the induction of T cell anergy, which is a process important to maintain peripheral T cell totelance.

DGKZ deficiency is associated with enhanced T cell response (2).

References:

1. Vega et al: Epigenetic modifications and glucocorticoid sensitivity in ME/CFS. BMC Medical Genomics, 2017, 10, 11
2. Gharbi et al: DGKZ controls diacylglycerol metabolism at the immunological synapse. Mol Biol Cell, 2011, 22, 15.