Project description:CD8 T cells normally differentiate from resting naïve T cells into function effector and then memory CD8 T cells following acute infections. During chronic viral infections, however, virus-specific CD8 T cells often become exhausted. We used microarrays to examine the gene expression differences between naive, effector, memory and exhausted virus-specific CD8 T cells following lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection. Experiment Overall Design: Three or four independent samples were sorted by flow cytometry for each cell type (naive, effector, memory and exhausted) virus-specific CD8 T cells. RNA was extracted and hybridized to Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:CD8 T cells normally differentiate from resting naïve T cells into function effector and then memory CD8 T cells following acute infections. During chronic viral infections, however, virus-specific CD8 T cells often become exhausted. We used microarrays to examine the gene expression differences between naive, effector, memory and exhausted virus-specific CD8 T cells following lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection. Keywords: infection response
Project description:At the peak of the CD8 T cell response to acture viral and bacterial infections, expression of the Interleukin-7 Receptor (IL-7R) marks Memory Precursor Effector CD8 T Cells (MPECs) from other Short-Lived Effector CD8 T cells (SLECs), which are IL-7Rlo. This study was designed to determine the gene expression differences between these two subsets of effector CD8 T cells. Experiment Overall Design: This study compared IL-7Rhi and IL-7Rlo LCMV-specific P14 Transgenic CD8 T cells, sorted from LCMV armstrong infected recipient mice 6/7 days after infection. Data includes 3 independent replicates for the IL-7Rhi and IL-7Rlo groups.
Project description:Acute viral infection typically generates functional effector CD8+ T cells that aid in pathogen clearance. However, during acute viral lower respiratory infection (LRI), lung CD8+ T cells are functionally impaired and do not optimally control viral replication, while spleen CD8+ T cells specific for the same viral epitopes remain fully functional. To better understand the mechanisms governing lung CD8+ T cell impairment, we used flow cytometry to sort anti-viral CD8+ T cells during viral LRI. Lung and spleen cells were stained with MHC-class I tetramers representing the immunodominant anti-viral CD8+ T cell epitope. We then sorted to high purity: naïve CD8+ T cells, spleen epitope-specific CD8+ T cells, lung epitope-specific CD8+ cells and secondary infection lung epitope-specific CD8+ T cells. We then performed a genome wide transcriptional analysis of these cells to characterize the gene expression profile of lung CD8+ T cell impairment.
Project description:During chronic viral infection, pathogen-specifc CD8+ T cells develop into three main phenotypically and functionally distinct subsets: TCF1hi progenitor, PD-1hi exhausted, and recently identied CX3CR1+ cytotoxic effector cells. Although genetic programs governing progenitor and exhausted subset formation have been well-studied, how CX3CR1+ effector CD8+ T cell differentiation is transcriptionally and epigentically regulated remains elusive. In this study, our single cell transcriptomics and epigenetic assays revealed that three subsets of virus-specific cells were governed by distinct gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and epigenetic landscapes. Computational analyses demonstrated a striking similarity between the CX3CR1+ subset and short-live effector cells (SLECs) from acute LCMV infection. Consistently, genetic deletion of T-bet (Tbx21) significantly diminished the formation and function of the CX3CR1+ subset. Importantly, we identify that the transcription factor (TF) BATF is required to maintain a permissive chromatin structure that allows differentiation transition from TCF1+ progenitor to CX3CR1+ effector cells. Intriguingly, haplodificiency of BATF in CD8+ T cells abolished CX3CR1+ effector subset formation. Lastly, we found that BATF directly bound to key genetic regions such as Tbx21 and modulated their enhancer accessibility to facilitate progenitor to CX3CR1+ effector cell transition. These mechanistic insights can be harnessed to overcome T cell exhaustion in treating chronic infections and cancer.
Project description:CD8+ T cells differentiate into two subpopulations in response to acute viral infection: memory precursor effector cells (MPECs) and short-lived effector cells (SLECs). MPECs and SLECs are epigenetically distinct; however, the epigenetic regulators required for formation of these subpopulations are mostly unknown. Here we performed an in vivo CRISPR screen in murine naive CD8+ T cells to identify the epigenetic regulators required for MPEC and SLEC formation, using the acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) Armstrong infection model. We identified the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding-protein-7 (CHD7) as a positive regulator of SLEC formation, as knockout (KO) of Chd7 reduced SLECs numerically. In contrast, KO of Chd7 increased the formation of central memory T cells following pathogen clearance yet attenuated memory cell expansion following a rechallenge. These findings establish CHD7 as a novel positive regulator of SLEC and negative regulator of central memory T cell formation.
Project description:During chronic viral infection, pathogen-specifc CD8+ T cells develop into three main phenotypically and functionally distinct subsets: TCF1hi progenitor, PD-1hi exhausted, and recently identied CX3CR1+ cytotoxic effector cells. Although genetic programs governing progenitor and exhausted subset formation have been well-studied, how CX3CR1+ effector CD8+ T cell differentiation is transcriptionally and epigentically regulated remains elusive. In this study, our single cell transcriptomics and epigenetic assays revealed that three subsets of virus-specific cells were governed by distinct gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and epigenetic landscapes. Computational analyses demonstrated a striking similarity between the CX3CR1+ subset and short-live effector cells (SLECs) from acute LCMV infection. Consistently, genetic deletion of T-bet (Tbx21) significantly diminished the formation and function of the CX3CR1+ subset. Importantly, we identify that the transcription factor (TF) BATF is required to maintain a permissive chromatin structure that allows differentiation transition from TCF1+ progenitor to CX3CR1+ effector cells. Intriguingly, haplodificiency of BATF in CD8+ T cells abolished CX3CR1+ effector subset formation. Lastly, we found that BATF directly bound to key genetic regions such as Tbx21 and modulated their enhancer accessibility to facilitate progenitor to CX3CR1+ effector cell transition. These mechanistic insights can be harnessed to overcome T cell exhaustion in treating chronic infections and cancer.
Project description:CD8+ T cells differentiate into two subpopulations in response to acute viral infection: memory precursor effector cells (MPECs) and short-lived effector cells (SLECs). MPECs and SLECs are epigenetically distinct; however, the epigenetic regulators required for formation of these subpopulations are mostly unknown. Here we performed an in vivo CRISPR screen in murine naive CD8+ T cells to identify the epigenetic regulators required for MPEC and SLEC formation, using the acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) Armstrong infection model. We identified the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding-protein-7 (CHD7) as a positive regulator of SLEC formation, as knockout (KO) of Chd7 reduced SLECs numerically. In contrast, KO of Chd7 increased the formation of central memory T cells following pathogen clearance yet attenuated memory cell expansion following a rechallenge. These findings establish CHD7 as a novel positive regulator of SLEC and negative regulator of central memory T cell formation.