Differential Requirements for Survival and Proliferation of CD8 Naïve or Memory T Cells

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1997-06, Vol.276 (5321), p.2057-2062
• Main Authors: Tanchot, Corinne, Lemonnier, François A., Pérarnau, Beatrice, Freitas, Antonio A., Rocha, Benedita
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adoptive Transfer; AIDS/HIV; Animals; Antigen receptors, T cell; Antigens; Biological and medical sciences; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - cytology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - transplantation; Cell differentiation; Cell Division; Cell lines; Cell Survival; Cellular biology; Chimeras; Differentiation; Female; Females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; H-2 Antigens; H-2 Antigens - immunology; H-Y Antigen; H-Y Antigen - immunology; Histocompatibility Antigen H-2D; Immunobiology; Immunologic Memory; Immunology; Life Sciences; Lymph nodes; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoid cells: ontogeny, maturation, markers, receptors, circulation and recirculation; Male; Males; Memory; Messenger RNA; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Organ donation; Persistence; Receptors; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta - immunology; Spleen cells; Studies; T cell antigen receptors; T cells; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - cytology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - transplantation
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.276.5321.2057

The requisite molecular interactions for CD8 T cell memory were determined by comparison of monoclonal naive and memory CD8$^+$ T cells bearing the T cell receptor (TCR) for the HY antigen. Naive T cells required only the right major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricting molecule to survive; to expand, they also needed antigen. In contrast, for survival, memory cells did not require the restricting MHC allele, but needed only a nonspecific class I; for expansion the correct class I, but not antigen, was required. Thus, maintenance of CD8 T cell memory still required TCR-MHC class I interactions, but memory T cells may have a lower functional activation threshold that facilitates secondary responses.