Central memory CD8+ T cells become CD69+ tissue-residents during viral skin infection independent of CD62L-mediated lymph node surveillance.

ABSTRACT: Memory CD8+ T cells in the circulation rapidly infiltrate non-lymphoid tissues following infection and provide protective immunity in an antigen-specific manner. However, the subsequent fate of memory CD8+ T cells after entering non-lymphoid tissues such as the skin during a secondary infection is largely unknown. Furthermore, because expression of CD62L is often used to identify the central memory (TCM) CD8+ T cell subset, uncoupling the physical requirement for CD62L-mediated lymph node homing versus other functional attributes of TCM CD8+ T cells remains unresolved. Here, we show that in contrast to naïve CD8+ T cells, memory CD8+ T cells traffic into the skin independent of CD62L-mediated lymph node re-activation and provide robust protective immunity against Vaccinia virus (VacV) infe

SUBMITTER: Osborn JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6420010 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature