Antigen-specific memory and naïve CD4+ T cells following secondary Chlamydia trachomatis infection

PLoS One. 2020 Oct 22;15(10):e0240670. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240670. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Memory antigen-specific CD4+ T cells against Chlamydia trachomatis are necessary for protection against secondary genital tract infection. While it is known that naïve antigen-specific CD4+ T cells can traffic to the genital tract in an antigen-specific manner, these T cells are not protective during primary infection. Here, we sought to compare the differences between memory and naïve antigen-specific CD4+ T cells in the same mouse following secondary infection using transgenic CD4+ T cells (NR1 T cells). Using RNA sequencing, we found that there were subtle but distinct differences between these two T cell populations. Naïve NR1 T cells significantly upregulated cell cycle genes and were more proliferative than memory NR1 T cells in the draining lymph node. In contrast, memory NR1 T cells were more activated than naïve NR1 T cells and were enriched in the genital tract. Together, our data provide insight into the differences between memory and naïve antigen-specific CD4+ T cells during C. trachomatis infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Chlamydia Infections / immunology*
  • Chlamydia trachomatis
  • Coinfection / immunology*
  • Coinfection / microbiology
  • Female
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / cytology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*