TY - JOUR
T1 - The antigen-specific CD8 + T cell repertoire in unimmunized mice includes memory phenotype cells bearing markers of homeostatic expansion
AU - Haluszczak, Catherine
AU - Akue, Adovi D.
AU - Hamilton, Sara E.
AU - Johnson, Lisa D.S.
AU - Pujanauski, Lindsey
AU - Teodorovic, Lenka
AU - Jameson, Stephen C.
AU - Kedl, Ross M.
PY - 2009/2/16
Y1 - 2009/2/16
N2 - Memory T cells exhibit superior responses to pathogens and tumors compared with their naive counterparts. Memory is typically generated via an immune response to a foreign antigen, but functional memory T cells can also be produced from naive cells by homeo- static mechanisms. Using a recently developed method, we studied CD8 T cells, which are specific for model (ovalbumin) and viral (HSV, vaccinia) antigens, in unimmunized mice and found a subpopulation bearing markers of memory cells. Based on their phenotypic markers and by their presence in germ-free mice, these preexisting memory-like CD44 hi CD8 T cells are likely to arise via physiological homeostatic proliferation rather than a response to environmental microbes. These antigen-inexperienced memory phenotype CD8 T cells display several functions that distinguish them from their CD44 lo counterparts, including a rapid initiation of proliferation after T cell stimulation and rapid IFN-γ production after exposure to proinflammatory cytokines. Collectively, these data indicate that the unprimed antigen-specific CD8 T cell repertoire contains antigen-inexperienced cells that display phenotypic and functional traits of memory cells.
AB - Memory T cells exhibit superior responses to pathogens and tumors compared with their naive counterparts. Memory is typically generated via an immune response to a foreign antigen, but functional memory T cells can also be produced from naive cells by homeo- static mechanisms. Using a recently developed method, we studied CD8 T cells, which are specific for model (ovalbumin) and viral (HSV, vaccinia) antigens, in unimmunized mice and found a subpopulation bearing markers of memory cells. Based on their phenotypic markers and by their presence in germ-free mice, these preexisting memory-like CD44 hi CD8 T cells are likely to arise via physiological homeostatic proliferation rather than a response to environmental microbes. These antigen-inexperienced memory phenotype CD8 T cells display several functions that distinguish them from their CD44 lo counterparts, including a rapid initiation of proliferation after T cell stimulation and rapid IFN-γ production after exposure to proinflammatory cytokines. Collectively, these data indicate that the unprimed antigen-specific CD8 T cell repertoire contains antigen-inexperienced cells that display phenotypic and functional traits of memory cells.
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U2 - 10.1084/jem.20081829
DO - 10.1084/jem.20081829
M3 - Article
C2 - 19188498
AN - SCOPUS:63049091860
SN - 0022-1007
VL - 206
SP - 435
EP - 448
JO - Journal of Experimental Medicine
JF - Journal of Experimental Medicine
IS - 2
ER -