Direct interferon-gamma signaling dramatically enhances CD4+ and CD8+ T cell memory.
Studies in IFN-gamma-deficient mice suggest that the delivery of IFN-gamma to CD8(+) T cells early in virus infection programs their eventual contraction, thereby reducing the abundance of CD8(+) memory T cells. In this study, we show that such mice fail to completely eliminate virus infection and that, when evaluated without the confounding factor of persisting Ag, both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells undergo profound contraction when they are unable to receive IFN-gamma signals. Furthermore, the abundance of CD4(+) and CD8(+) memory cells that express the IFN-gamma receptor is approximately 100-fold higher than cells lacking this molecule. Thus, direct IFN-gamma signaling is not required for T cell contraction during virus infection, and it enhances, rather than suppresses, the development of virus-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell memory.
Whitmire
Jason K
JK
The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Eam
Boreth
B
Benning
Nicola
N
Whitton
J Lindsay
JL
D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D001117:Arenaviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology*; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor
D007371:Interferon-gamma; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor