Transcriptional profiling of OT-1 cells during in vitro memory formation after high- or low-affinity priming
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: To understand the impact of TCR affinity during priming on memory formation, we performed transcriptional profiling of OT-1 cells at different time points after stimulation with high- or low-affinity ligands. Our findings indicate that low-affinity stimulaation is associated with earlier memory formation.
Project description:Cognate antigen signals control CD8+ T cell priming, expansion size and effector versus memory cell fates, however, it is not clear whether they can also modulate the functional features of memory CD8+ T cells. We observed that OT-I cells that were primed with weak cognate antigen signals incorporate more cytokine signals, leading to a hypothesis that CD8+ T cells that receive weak TCR signals require cytokine signals to form functional memory. Using a previously described mouse model in which IL-2 signaling via its high affinity receptor CD25 is selectively impaired, the “Il2ramut/mut” mouse, we conducted a comparative analysis of gene expression and epigenetic landscape of Il2ramut/mut and WT OT-I memory cells that were primed with strong (Lm-Ova N4) versus weak (Lm-Ova T4). RNA seq data showed that both TCR and IL-2 priming signals have minimal effect on gene expression in resting memory CD8 T cells, but they significantly modify the epigenetic landscape of the memory CD8 T cells. These findings have important contributions to the current understanding of how priming signals program memory CD8 T cells in vivo.
Project description:Cognate antigen signals control CD8+ T cell priming, expansion size and effector versus memory cell fates, however, it is not clear whether they can also modulate the functional features of memory CD8+ T cells. We observed that OT-I cells that were primed with weak cognate antigen signals incorporate more cytokine signals, leading to a hypothesis that CD8+ T cells that receive weak TCR signals require cytokine signals to form functional memory. Using a previously described mouse model in which IL-2 signaling via its high affinity receptor CD25 is selectively impaired, the “Il2ramut/mut” mouse, we conducted a comparative analysis of gene expression and epigenetic landscape of Il2ramut/mut and WT OT-I memory cells that were primed with strong (Lm-Ova N4) versus weak (Lm-Ova T4). RNA seq data showed that both TCR and IL-2 priming signals have minimal effect on gene expression in resting memory CD8 T cells, but they significantly modify the epigenetic landscape of the memory CD8 T cells. These findings have important contributions to the current understanding of how priming signals program memory CD8 T cells in vivo.
Project description:Resident memory T (TRM) cells in the lung are vital for heterologous protection against influenza A virus (IAV). Environmental factors are necessary to establish lung TRM, however the role of T cell intrinsic factors like T cell receptor (TCR) signal strength have not been elucidated. Here we investigated the impact of TCR signal strength on the generation and maintenance of lung TRM cells after IAV infection. We inserted high and low affinity OT-I epitopes into IAV and infected mice after transfer of OT-I T cells. We uncovered a bias in TRM formation in the lung elicited by lower affinity TCR stimulation. TCR affinity did not impact the overall phenotype or long-term maintenance of lung TRM cells. Overall, these findings demonstrate that TRM formation is negatively correlated with increased TCR signal strength. Lower affinity cells may have an advantage in forming TRM to ensure diversity in the antigen-specific repertoire in tissues.
Project description:Activation of CD8+ T cells depends exquisitely on the affinity of the T cell receptor (TCR) for a peptide MHC (pMHC) ligand complex. Here, we activated OT-I transgenic CD8+ T cells with pure peptide and examined early activation responses by single-cell RNA-sequencing. T cells were activated with the high affinity OT-I cognate peptide (N4=SIINFEKL) for 1, 3 or 6 hours, or with reduced affinity peptides (T4=SIITFEKL and G4=SIIGFEKL) or the non-binding peptide (NP68=ASNENMDAM) for 6 hours. Cells were then sorted into 96-well plates by FACS and RNA was sequenced following an adapted Smart-Seq2 protocol.
Project description:To investigate if CD11b+ DCs contribute to OT-1 priming, genome transcriptome analysis was performed to compare the quality of OT-1 activation in WT or Batf3KO mice.
Project description:Purpose: RNA-seq analysis of three memory OT-I cell subsets (from a Klrg1-Cre fate reporter mouse model) isolated from the spleen of C57BL/6 mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes. The hypothesis tested in the present study was that KLRG1+ effector CD8 T lymphocytes differentiate into KLRG1- memory CD8 T lymphocytes and provide long-lasting immunity against infectious diseases and malignancies. Methods: Total RNA was obtained from FACS-purified OT-I cell subsets isolated from spleen 104 (experiment 1) and 110 days post infection (experiment 2) with ovalbumin-expressing Listeria monocytogenes (LM-OVA). Results: Using RNA-seq technology, we performed genome-wide transcriptional profiling of three memory OT-I cells (KLRG1+ Reporter+, KLRG1- Reporter+ (exKLRG1) and KLRG1- Reporter-) and identified 36 genes differentially expressed (> 1.5-fold) between exKLRG1 and KLRG1- Reporter- memory OT-I cells, and 132 differentially expressed genes between exKLRG1 and KLRG1+ Reporter+ memory OT-I cells. We then confirmed the expression of 15 genes/molecules by qRT-PCR and/or flow cytometry. Conclusions: Our study represents the first fate mapping analysis of KLRG1+ effector OT-I cells, demonstrates that KLRG1+ effector OT-I cells differentiate into all memory T cell lineages thereby promoting protective immunity. RNA-seq also identified CX3CR1 as a marker of circulating exKLRG1 early memory OT-I cells.
Project description:Purpose: RNA-seq analysis of three memory OT-I cell subsets (from a Klrg1-Cre fate reporter mouse model) isolated from the spleen of C57BL/6 mice infected with vesicular stomatitis virus. The hypothesis tested in the present study was that KLRG1+ effector CD8 T lymphocytes differentiate into KLRG1- memory CD8 T lymphocytes and provide long-lasting immunity against infectious diseases and malignancies. Methods: Total RNA was obtained from FACS-purified OT-I cell subsets isolated from spleen 70 days post infection with ovalbumin-expressing vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-OVA) (experiment 3). Results: Using RNA-seq technology, we performed genome-wide transcriptional profiling of three memory OT-I cells (KLRG1+ Reporter+, KLRG1- Reporter+ (exKLRG1) and KLRG1- Reporter-) and identified 36 genes differentially expressed (> 1.5-fold) between exKLRG1 and KLRG1- Reporter- memory OT-I cells, and 132 differentially expressed genes between exKLRG1 and KLRG1+ Reporter+ memory OT-I cells. We then confirmed the expression of 15 genes/molecules by qRT-PCR and/or flow cytometry. Conclusions: Our study represents the first fate mapping analysis of KLRG1+ effector OT-I cells, demonstrates that KLRG1+ effector OT-I cells differentiate into all memory T cell lineages thereby promoting protective immunity. RNA-seq also identified CX3CR1 as a marker of circulating exKLRG1 early memory OT-I cells.
Project description:The memory CD8 T cell pool must select for high-affinity clones to efficiently counter re-infection yet must retain a level of clonal diversity to allow recognition of pathogens with mutated immuno-dominant epitopes. How this is mediated is unclear, especially in the context of a selective drive for antigen-affinity. We find that low-affinity memory exclusively depends on the transcription factor Eomes in the first days after antigen encounter. Eomes is induced at low activating signal strength and directly drives transcription of the pro-survival protein Bcl-2. At higher signal intensity T-bet is induced which suppresses Bcl-2, generating a survival advantage for low-affinity cells. High-affinity cells form memory independent of Eomes and have a proliferative advantage over low-affinity cells, which compensates for their survival deficit. Thus, we demonstrate on a molecular level how sufficient diversity of the memory pool is established in an environment of affinity-based selection.