Lymph node germinal centers form in the absence of follicular dendritic cell networks.
(1/5750)
Follicular dendritic cell networks are said to be pivotal to both the formation of germinal centers (GCs) and their functions in generating antigen-specific antibody affinity maturation and B cell memory. We report that lymphotoxin beta-deficient mice form GC cell clusters in the gross anatomical location expected of GCs, despite the complete absence of follicular dendritic cell networks. Furthermore, antigen-specific GC generation was at first relatively normal, but these GCs then rapidly regressed and GC-phase antibody affinity maturation was reduced. Lymphotoxin beta-deficient mice also showed substantial B cell memory in their mesenteric lymph nodes. This memory antibody response was of relatively low affinity for antigen at week 4 after challenge, but by week 10 after challenge was comparable to wild-type, indicating that affinity maturation had failed in the GC phase but developed later. (+info)
Selective recruitment of CCR4-bearing Th2 cells toward antigen-presenting cells by the CC chemokines thymus and activation-regulated chemokine and macrophage-derived chemokine.
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Helper T cells are classified into Th1 and Th2 subsets based on their profiles of cytokine production. Th1 cells are involved in cell-mediated immunity, whereas Th2 cells induce humoral responses. Selective recruitment of these two subsets depends on specific adhesion molecules and specific chemoattractants. Here, we demonstrate that the T cell-directed CC chemokine thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) was abundantly produced by monocytes treated with granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or IL-3, especially in the presence of IL-4 and by dendritic cells derived from monocytes cultured with GM-CSF + IL-4. The receptor for TARC and another macrophage/dendritic cell-derived CC chemokine macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) is CCR4, a G protein-coupled receptor. CCR4 was found to be expressed on approximately 20% of adult peripheral blood effector/memory CD4+ T cells. T cells attracted by TARC and MDC generated cell lines predominantly producing Th2-type cytokines, IL-4 and IL-5. Fractionated CCR4+ cells but not CCR4- cells also selectively gave rise to Th2-type cell lines. When naive CD4+ T cells from adult peripheral blood were polarized in vitro, Th2-type cells selectively expressed CCR4 and vigorously migrated toward TARC and MDC. Taken together, CCR4 is selectively expressed on Th2-type T cells and antigen-presenting cells may recruit Th2 cells expressing CCR4 by producing TARC and MDC in Th2-dominant conditions. (+info)
Cytotoxic T-cell responses in mice infected with influenza and vaccinia viruses vary in magnitude with H-2 genotype.
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Secondary effector T-cell populations generated by cross-priming with heterologous influenza A viruses operate only in H-2K or H-2D compatible situations, when assayed on SV40-transformed target cells infected with a range of influenza A viruses. The H2-Kb allele is associated with a total failure in the generation of influenza-immune cytotoxic T cells, though this is not seen for the primary response to vaccinia virus. In both influenza and vaccinia development of effector T cells operating at H-2Db is greatly depressed in B10.A(2R) (kkkddb) and B10.A(4R) (kkbbbb), but not in B10 (bbbbbb), mice. However, there is no defect in viral antigen expression at either H-2Kk or H-2Db in B10.A(2R) target cells. This apparently reflects some inadequacy in the stimulator environment, as (A/J X B6) F1 T cells can be induced to respond at H-2Db when exposed to vaccinia virus in an irradiated B6 but not in a B10.A(4R) recipient. The present report, together with the accompanying paper by Zinkernagel and colleagues, records the first rigorous demonstration of both a nonresponder situation and a probable Ir-gene effect for conventional infectious viruses. Possible implications for the evolution of H-2 polymorphism and mechanisms of Ir gene function are discussed. (+info)
Core 2-containing O-glycans on CD43 are preferentially expressed in the memory subset of human CD4 T cells.
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Human CD4 T cells can be divided into two functionally distinct subsets: a CD45RO+ memory subset and a CD45RA+ naive subset. In an attempt to identify novel cell surface molecules on these cells, we have developed a mAb, anti-1D4. The antigen defined by anti-1D4 was preferentially expressed on the memory subset of freshly isolated peripheral CD4 T cells and 1D4+ CD4 T cells functionally corresponded to memory T cells. Retrovirus-mediated expression cloning revealed that the 1 D4 antigen is human CD43. Transfection of CHO-leu cells, which stably express human CD43, with core 2 beta-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (C2GnT) conferred expression of the 1D4 antigen and mRNA of C2GnT was detected by RT-PCR only in 1D4+ T cells but not in 1D4- T cells, implying that the 1 D4 antigen is composed of core 2-containing O-glycans on CD43. Reactivity with anti-1 D4 was completely abolished when cells were treated with neuraminidase, while them remained weak binding of anti-T305, a previously described mAb which also reacts with CD43 modified with core 2-containing O-glycans. Moreover, anti-1D4 markedly reacted with NIH-3T3 cells expressing human CD43 and low levels of endogenous C2GnT, whereas anti-T305 reacted slightly. These results indicate that the 1D4 antigen is distinct from the epitope defined by anti-T305 and anti-1D4 is a more sensitive probe to detect core 2-containing O-glycans than anti-T305. Taken together, our results indicate that core 2-containing O-glycans, whose expression can easily be detected with anti-1D4, are preferentially expressed in the CD45RO+ memory subset of CD4 T cells. (+info)
Enhanced cytotoxic T cell activity in IL-4-deficient mice.
(5/5750)
CD8+ effectors are critical components of type 1 responses against viral infections as well as for antiviral vaccines. IL-4 plays a clear role as an inhibitor of CD4+ Th1 cells; however, its role in CD8+ T cell regulation appears to be more complex. Thus, IL-4 may augment CD8+ T cell growth, but also limit effector function. Moreover, abundant IL-4 is inhibitory for viral clearance, but the lack of IL-4 appears not to affect CTL-mediated immunity. This report investigates these disparate roles of IL-4 in CD8+ T lymphocyte regulation by comparing T cell responses specific for a single HIV-IIIIB gp120-derived epitope in BALB/c mice deficient in IL-4 to those in wild-type controls. CTL activation was monitored during the acute and memory phases following immunization with recombinant vaccinia virus. Similar frequencies of gp120-specific CTL precursors in splenocytes from both groups indicated that IL-4 plays no significant role in either CTL priming or the establishment of memory. However, cytolytic activity in cultures derived from IL-4-deficient mice developed earlier and was strikingly enhanced following in vitro restimulation, an effect exhibited by both primary and memory T cells. Secretion of IL-2 and IFN-gamma by CD8+ T cells from IL-4-deficient mice was also elevated, reflecting their enhanced activation. Thus, IL-4 appears to limit the activation, expansion, and differentiation of CD8+ T cells with high cytolytic potential. (+info)
Linear differentiation of cytotoxic effectors into memory T lymphocytes.
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A central question in immunology is the origin of long-lived T cell memory that confers protection against recurrent infection. The differentiation of naive T cell receptor transgenic CD8+ cells into effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and memory CD8+ cells was studied. Memory CD8+ cells that were generated after strong antigenic stimulation were the progeny of cytotoxic effectors and retained antigen-specific cytolytic activity 10 weeks after adoptive transfer to antigen-free recipient mice. Thus, potential vaccines based on CTL memory will require the differentiation of naive cells into post-effector memory T cells. (+info)
Functional differences between memory and naive CD8 T cells.
(7/5750)
To determine how murine memory and naive T cells differ, we generated large numbers of long-lived memory CD8(+) T cells and compared them to naive cells expressing the same antigen-specific receptor (T cell receptor; TCR). Although both populations expressed similar levels of TCR and CD8, on antigen stimulation in vitro memory T cells down-regulated their TCR faster and more extensively and secreted IFN-gamma and IL-2 faster than naive T cells. Memory cells were also larger, and when freshly isolated from mice they contained perforin and killed target cells without having to be restimulated. They further differed from naive cells in requiring IL-15 for proliferation and in having a greater tendency to undergo apoptosis in vitro. On antigen stimulation in vivo, however, they proliferated more rapidly than naive cells. These findings suggest that, unlike naive T cells, CD8 memory T cells are intrinsically programmed to rapidly express their effector functions in vivo without having to undergo clonal expansion and differentiation. (+info)
Postthymic development of CD28-CD8+ T cell subset: age-associated expansion and shift from memory to naive phenotype.
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During human aging, one of the major changes in the T cell repertoire is a dramatic expansion of T cells with the atypical CD28-CD8+ phenotype. In this study, we show that this increase is a consequence not only of an expansion in the CD28-CD8+ population but also of a decrease in the number of CD28+CD8+ T cells. The decrease in circulating CD28+CD8+ T cells is dramatically accelerated after the age of 50 and is not accompanied by an equivalent reduction in the CD28+CD8+ subset. Our findings confirm that aging leads to an accumulation of CD45RO+ T cells within the CD28+CD8+ subset as previously observed. Surprisingly, we found an increase in CD45RA+ expression with age in the CD28-CD8+ subset. Immune-phenotyping for activation markers, measurement of telomere DNA content, and cytokine production analysis indicate that the large majority of CD28-CD8+ T cells are Ag-experienced, despite their CD45RA+ phenotype. Our study further demonstrates that the poor proliferative response displayed by CD28-CD8+ T cells is not a consequence of telomere shortening. Also, analysis of cytokine production at the single cell level revealed that the proportions of IFN-gamma +, IL-4+, and IL-10+ T cells are considerably higher among the CD28-CD8+ than the CD28+CD8+ subset. In summary, these data explain the presence of CD45RA+ T cells in the elderly, shed light on the phylogenetic origin of CD28-CD8+ T cells, and suggest a role for these cells in the immune senescence process. (+info)