The TCF1-Bcl6 axis counteracts type I interferon to repress exhaustion and maintain T cell stemness.

ABSTRACT: During chronic viral infections and in cancer, T cells become dysfunctional, a state known as T cell exhaustion. Although it is well recognized that memory CD8 T cells account for the persistence of CD8 T cell immunity after acute infection, how exhausted T cells persist remains less clear. Using chronic infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus clone 13 and tumor samples, we demonstrate that CD8 T cells differentiate into a less exhausted TCF1^high and a more exhausted TCF1^low population. Virus-specific TCF1^high CD8 T cells, which resemble T follicular helper (T_FH) cells, persist and recall better than do TCF1^low cells and act as progenitor cells to replenish TCF1^low cells. We show that TCF1 is both necessary and suf

SUBMITTER: Wu T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5179228 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature