GSE75567
Transcriptome Profiles of Gag-Specific CD8+ T Cells Induced by Live Attenuated SIV Vaccine
SIVmac239?nef (SIV?nef) live attenuated vaccine (LAV) induces the best protection among all the vaccine modalities tested in rhesus macaque model of HIV-1 infection. Time-dependent protection is a unique feature of this vaccine: macaques are not protected at 3-5 weeks post vaccination (WPV), whereas immune protection emerges between 15 and 20 WPV. To elucidate the protection mechanisms induced by SIV?nef vaccine, we longitudinally compared the global gene expression profiles of SIV Gag-CM9+ CD8+ (Gag-specific CD8+) T cells from peripheral blood of Mamu-A*01 rhesus macaques at 3 and 20 WPV using rhesus microarray. We found that gene expression profiles of Gag-specific CD8+ T cells at 20 WPV are qualitatively different from those at 3 WPV. At 20 WPV, the most significant transcriptional changes of Gag-specific CD8+ T cells were genes involved in cell activation, differentiation and maturation toward central memory cells. Our study indicates that a higher quality of SIV-specific CD8+ T cells elicited by SIV?nef over time may contribute to the maturation of time dependent protection. Overall design: Female Mamu-A*01+ Indian rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were intravenously vaccinated with SIVmac239?nef. At 3 (n=5) and 20 WPV (n=3), SIV Gag-specific CD8+ T cells were isolated from peripheral blood samples using tetramer staining and flow cytometry. The RNAs were extracted and hybridized on Affymetrix Rhesus Macaque Genome Array.