Westerhof LM, Noonan J, Hargrave KE, Chimbayo ET, Cheng Z, Purnell T, Jackson MR, Borcherding N, MacLeod MKL. Multifunctional cytokine production marks influenza A virus-specific CD4 T cells with high expression of survival molecules.
Eur J Immunol 2023;
53:e2350559. [PMID:
37490492 PMCID:
PMC10947402 DOI:
10.1002/eji.202350559]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Cytokine production by memory T cells is a key mechanism of T cell mediated protection. However, we have limited understanding of the persistence of cytokine producing T cells during memory cell maintenance and secondary responses. We interrogated antigen-specific CD4 T cells using a mouse influenza A virus infection model. Although CD4 T cells detected using MHCII tetramers declined in lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs, we found similar numbers of cytokine+ CD4 T cells at days 9 and 30 in the lymphoid organs. CD4 T cells with the capacity to produce cytokines expressed higher levels of pro-survival molecules, CD127 and Bcl2, than non-cytokine+ cells. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a heterogeneous population of memory CD4 T cells with three clusters of cytokine+ cells. These clusters match flow cytometry data and reveal an enhanced survival signature in cells capable of producing multiple cytokines. Following re-infection, multifunctional T cells expressed low levels of the proliferation marker, Ki67, whereas cells that only produce the anti-viral cytokine, interferon-γ, were more likely to be Ki67+ . Despite this, multifunctional memory T cells formed a substantial fraction of the secondary memory pool. Together these data indicate that survival rather than proliferation may dictate which populations persist within the memory pool.
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