title: Activated CD8 T cells redistribute to antigen-free lymph nodes and exhibit effector and memory characteristics.
abstract: Exogenous dendritic cells display restricted trafficking when injected in vivo and stimulate CD8 T cell responses that are localized to a small number of lymphoid compartments. By examining these responses in the presence and absence of FTY720, a drug that causes sequestration of T cells in lymph nodes, we demonstrate that a significant fraction of divided CD8 T cells redistribute into Ag-free lymph nodes within 3 days of activation. Despite variation in the level of expression of CD62L, redistribution of these cells is CD62L-dependent. Redistributed CD8 T cells exhibit characteristics of differentiated effectors. However, when re-isolated from Ag-free lymph nodes 3 days after activation and transferred into naive mice, they persist for at least 3 wk and expand upon Ag challenge. Thus, CD8 T cells that redistribute to Ag-free lymph nodes 3 days after immunization contain memory precursors. We suggest that this redistribution process represents an important mechanism for establishment of lymph node resident central memory, and that redistribution to Ag-free nodes is an additional characteristic to be added to those that distinguish memory precursors from terminal effectors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Carter Immunology Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
authors.forename: C Colin
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Brinkman
authors.forename: Stacey L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Sheasley-O'Neill
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Victor H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Engelhard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens