title: Cutting edge: gut microenvironment promotes differentiation of a unique memory CD8 T cell population.
abstract: Whether tissue microenvironment influences memory CD8 T cell differentiation is unclear. We demonstrate that virus-specific intraepithelial lymphocytes in gut resemble neither central nor effector memory CD8 T cells isolated from spleen or blood. This unique phenotype arises in situ within the gut, suggesting that anatomic location plays an inductive role in the memory differentiation program. In support of this hypothesis, memory CD8 T cells changed phenotype upon change in location. After transfer and in vivo restimulation, gut or spleen memory cells proliferated, disseminated into spleen and gut, and adopted the memory T cell phenotype characteristic of their new environment. Our data suggests that anatomic location directly impacts the memory T cell differentiation program.
authors.affiliation: Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Masopust
authors.forename: Vaiva
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vezys
authors.forename: E John
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Wherry
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: Rafi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D006706:Homeostasis; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010641:Phenotype; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology