Role for Bcl-6 in the generation and maintenance of memory CD8+ T cells.
Naïve T cells proliferate and differentiate into memory cells after antigenic stimulation or in a lymphopenic environment. We showed here transient increases in memory phenotype CD8+ T cell numbers in the lymphopenic environment of spleens of very young mice. The magnitude of the increase correlated with Bcl-6 expression in the T cells. Bcl-6 controlled the generation and maintenance of antigen-specific memory phenotype CD8+ T cells in the spleens of immunized mice. These data suggest that Bcl-6, which is essential for memory B cell development in germinal centers, is a key molecule for the establishment not only of memory T cells but also of the peripheral T cell compartment in infancy.
Ichii
Hirohito
H
Department of Developmental Genetics (H2), Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
Sakamoto
Akemi
A
Hatano
Masahiko
M
Okada
Seiji
S
Toyama
Hirochika
H
Taki
Shinsuke
S
Arima
Masafumi
M
Kuroda
Yoshikazu
Y
Tokuhisa
Takeshi
T
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000941:Antigens; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D010641:Phenotype; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D000941:Antigens; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D014157:Transcription Factors; D010047:Ovalbumin