Cutting edge: increased expression of Bcl-2 in antigen-specific memory CD8+ T cells.
Bcl-2 plays a critical role in regulating cell survival and apoptosis. We examined Bcl-2 expression in virus-specific CD8 T cells during the expansion, death, and memory phases of the T cell response following infection of mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Naive CD8 T cells expressed a basal level of Bcl-2 that was down-regulated in effector CD8 T cells just before the death phase. Bcl-2 levels remained low during the death phase but surviving memory CD8 T cells expressed higher levels of Bcl-2 than naive cells. These changes were shown to occur in LCMV TCR transgenic cells as well as virus-specific CD8 T cells in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice identified by MHC class I tetramers. In all instances, memory CD8 T cells expressed higher levels of Bcl-2, suggesting that increased Bcl-2 expression plays a role in the long-term maintenance of memory CD8 T cells in vivo.
Grayson
J M
JM
Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Zajac
A J
AJ
Altman
J D
JD
Ahmed
R
R
D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; C094246:nucleoprotein peptide 118-126, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus