Tcf1⁺ cells are required to maintain the inflationary T cell pool upon MCMV infection.

ABSTRACT: Cytomegalovirus-based vaccine vectors offer interesting opportunities for T cell-based vaccination purposes as CMV infection induces large numbers of functional effector-like cells that accumulate in peripheral tissues, a process termed memory inflation. Maintenance of high numbers of peripheral CD8 T cells requires continuous replenishment of the inflationary T cell pool. Here, we show that the inflationary T cell population contains a small subset of cells expressing the transcription factor Tcf1. These Tcf1⁺ cells resemble central memory T cells and are proliferation competent. Upon sensing viral reactivation events, Tcf1⁺ cells feed into the pool of peripheral Tcf1^- cells and depletion of Tcf1⁺ cells hampers memory inflation. TCR repertoires

SUBMITTER: Welten SPM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7211020 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature