Asymmetric T Lymphocyte Division in the Initiation of Adaptive Immune Responses

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 315; no. 5819; pp. 1687 - 1691
• Main Authors: Chang, John T, Palanivel, Vikram R, Kinjyo, Ichiko, Schambach, Felix, Intlekofer, Andrew M, Banerjee, Arnob, Longworth, Sarah A, Vinup, Kristine E, Mrass, Paul, Oliaro, Jane, Killeen, Nigel, Orange, Jordan S, Russell, Sarah M, Weninger, Wolfgang, Reiner, Steven L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 23.03.2007; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Adoptive Transfer; Animals; Antigen Presentation; Antigen presenting cells; Antigens, CD - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical research; Blasts; CD8 Antigens - analysis; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - cytology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cell Differentiation; Cell differentiation, maturation, development, hematopoiesis; Cell Division; Cell Lineage; Cell physiology; Cell Polarity; Cell separation; Cellular biology; Daughter cells; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Immune response; Immunologic Memory; Immunology; Infections; Interferon gamma Receptor; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism; Listeria monocytogenes - immunology; Listeriosis - immunology; Lymphocyte Activation; Mammals; Membrane Proteins - analysis; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Mitosis; Molecular and cellular biology; Nerve Tissue Proteins - analysis; Protein Kinase C - metabolism; Receptors; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - immunology; Receptors, Interferon - analysis; Research Article; Signal Transduction; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - cytology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - immunology; Immune response; Asymmetry; Cell fate; T-Lymphocyte; Adaptive response; Cell division; Initiation
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1139393

A hallmark of mammalian immunity is the heterogeneity of cell fate that exists among pathogen-experienced lymphocytes. We show that a dividing T lymphocyte initially responding to a microbe exhibits unequal partitioning of proteins that mediate signaling, cell fate specification, and asymmetric cell division. Asymmetric segregation of determinants appears to be coordinated by prolonged interaction between the T cell and its antigen-presenting cell before division. Additionally, the first two daughter T cells displayed phenotypic and functional indicators of being differentially fated toward effector and memory lineages. These results suggest a mechanism by which a single lymphocyte can apportion diverse cell fates necessary for adaptive immunity.