Visualizing the Functional Diversification of CD8 super(+) T Cell Responses in Lymph Nodes

• Published in: Immunity (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 33; no. 3; pp. 412 - 423
• Main Authors: Beuneu, H, Lemaitre, F, Deguine, J, Moreau, H D, Bouvier, I, Garcia, Z, Albert, M L, Bousso, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 24.09.2010
• ISSN: 1074-7613

CD8 super(+) T cell responses generate effector cells endowed with distinct functional potentials but the contribution of early events in this process is unclear. Here, we have imaged T cells expressing a fluorescent reporter for the activation of the interferon- gamma (IFN- gamma ) locus during priming in lymph nodes. We have demonstrated marked differences in the efficiency of gene activation during stable T cell-dentritic cell (DC) contacts, influenced in part by signal strength. Imaging the first cell division, we have demonstrated that heterogeneity in T cell functional potential was largely apparent as T cells initiated clonal expansion. Moreover, by analyzing the fate of single activated T cells ex vivo, we have provided evidence that these early differences resulted in clonal progenies with distinct functional properties. Thus, the early set of T cell-DC interactions in lymph nodes largely contribute to the heterogeneity of T cell responses through the generation of functionally divergent clonal progenies.