Conversion of effector CD4⁺ T cells to a CD8⁺ MHC II-recognizing lineage.

ABSTRACT: CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells are dichotomous lineages in adaptive immunity. While conventionally viewed as distinct fates that are fixed after thymic development, accumulating evidence indicates that these two populations can exhibit significant lineage plasticity, particularly upon TCR-mediated activation. We define a novel CD4^-CD8αβ⁺ MHC II-recognizing population generated by lineage conversion from effector CD4⁺ T cells. CD4^-CD8αβ⁺ effector T cells downregulated the expression of T helper cell-associated costimulatory molecules and increased the expression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated cytotoxic molecules. This shift in functional potential corresponded with a CD8⁺-lineage skewed transcriptional prof

SUBMITTER: Robins E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7853072 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature