Impairment of immunological memory in the absence of MHC despite survival of memory T cells.
The mechanisms by which immunological memory is maintained after infection or vaccination are still a matter of debate. Long-term survival of memory T cells does not require major histocompatibility complex (MHC) contact. We show here that compared with memory CD4+ T cells that maintain contact with MHC class II, memory CD4+ T cells deprived of MHC class II contact show distinct functional defects upon antigen re-encounter. Thus, in contrast to their survival, maintenance of the typical quality of memory T cells crucially depends on MHC-derived signals.
Kassiotis
George
G
Division of Molecular Immunology, The National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK.
Garcia
Sylvie
S
Simpson
Elizabeth
E
Stockinger
Brigitta
B
D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell; D007371:Interferon-gamma