Persistence of Memory CD8 T Cells in MHC Class I-Deficient Mice
Kaja Murali-Krishna,
1
Lisa L. Lau,
1*
Suryaprakash Sambhara,
2
Francois Lemonnier,
3
John Altman,
1
Rafi Ahmed
1
An understanding of how T cell memory is maintained is crucial for
the rational design of vaccines. Memory T cells were shown to persist
indefinitely in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class
I-deficient mice and retained the ability to make rapid cytokine
responses upon reencounter with antigen. In addition, memory CD8 T
cells, unlike naïve cells, divided without MHC-T cell receptor
interactions. This "homeostatic" proliferation is likely to be
important in maintaining memory T cell numbers in the periphery. Thus,
after naïve CD8 T cells differentiate into memory cells, they
evolve an MHC class I-independent "life-style" and do not require
further stimulation with specific or cross-reactive antigen for their
maintenance.
1 Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology
and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
2 Pasteur Merieux Connaught Canada, North York,
Ontario M2R 3TA, Canada.
3 Departement du SIDA et
des Retrovirus, Institut Pasteur, Paris 75724, France.
*
Present address: Department of Microbiology, University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
ra{at}microbio.emory.edu
