Sustained interactions between T cell receptors and antigens promote the differentiation of CD4⁺ memory T cells.
During CD4⁺ T cell activation, T cell receptor (TCR) signals impact T cell fate, including recruitment, expansion, differentiation, trafficking, and survival. To determine the impact of TCR signals on the fate decision of activated CD4⁺ T cells to become end-stage effector or long-lived memory T helper 1 (Th1) cells, we devised a deep-sequencing-based approach that allowed us to track the evolution of TCR repertoires after acute infection. The transition of effector Th1 cells into the memory pool was associated with a significant decrease in repertoire diversity, and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II tetramer off rate, but not tetramer avidity, was a key predictive factor in the representation of individual clonal T cell populations at the memory stage. We conclude that stable and sustained interactions with antigens during the development of Th1 responses to acute infection are a determinative factor in promoting the differentiation of Th1 memory cells.
Department of Pathology, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84121, USA.
Chulwoo
C
Kim
Theodore
T
Wilson
Kael F
KF
Fischer
Matthew A
MA
Williams
D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell