title: Increased expression of the NK cell receptor KLRG1 by virus-specific CD8 T cells during persistent antigen stimulation.
abstract: The killer cell lectin-like receptor G1 (KLRG1) is a natural killer cell receptor expressed by T cells that exhibit impaired proliferative capacity. Here, we determined the KLRG1 expression by virus-specific T cells. We found that repetitive and persistent antigen stimulation leads to an increase in KLRG1 expression of virus-specific CD8+ T cells in mice and that virus-specific CD8+ T cells are mostly KLRG1+ in chronic human viral infections (human immunodeficiency virus, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus) but not in resolved infection (influenza virus). Thus, by using KLRG1 as a T-cell marker, our results suggest that the differentiation status and function of virus-specific CD8+ T cells are directly influenced by persistent antigen stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Department of Immunology, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thimme
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Appay
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koschella
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Panther
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Hislop
authors.forename: Alan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Rickinson
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rowland-Jones
authors.forename: Hubert E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: Hanspeter
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pircher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D019013:CD40 Antigens; C113413:KLRG1 protein, human; C451496:Klrg1 protein, mouse; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D015534:Trans-Activators