Critical role for all-trans retinoic acid for optimal effector and effector memory CD8 T cell differentiation

J Immunol. 2013 Mar 1;190(5):2178-87. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1201945. Epub 2013 Jan 21.

Abstract

A plethora of work implicates important effects of the vitamin A derivative retinoic acid (RA) in myeloid differentiation, whereas fewer studies explore the role of RA in lymphoid cells. Most work on lymphoid cells has focused on the influence of RA on CD4 T cells. Little information about the role of RA in CD8 T cell differentiation is available, and even less on cell-intrinsic effects in the CD8 T cell. This study explores the role of RA in effector and memory differentiation in a cell-intrinsic manner in the context of vaccinia virus infection. We observed the loss of the short-lived effector cell phenotype (reduced KLRG1(+), T-bet(hi), granzyme B(hi)), accompanied by an enhanced memory precursor phenotype at the effector (increased CD127(hi), IL-2(+)) and contraction phases (increased CD127(hi), IL-2(+), eomesodermin(hi)) of the CD8 response in the absence of RA signaling. The lack of RA also increased the proportion of central memory CD8s. Collectively, these results introduce a new role for RA in CD8 T cell activation and differentiation. This new role may have significant implications for optimal vaccine design in which vitamin A supplementation is used to augment effector responses, but it may be to the detriment of the long-term central memory response.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / virology
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects*
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Granzymes / genetics
  • Granzymes / immunology
  • Immunologic Memory / drug effects*
  • Interleukin-2 / genetics
  • Interleukin-2 / immunology
  • Interleukin-7 Receptor alpha Subunit / genetics
  • Interleukin-7 Receptor alpha Subunit / immunology
  • Lectins, C-Type
  • Lymphocyte Activation / drug effects
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Receptors, Immunologic / genetics
  • Receptors, Immunologic / immunology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • T-Box Domain Proteins / genetics
  • T-Box Domain Proteins / immunology
  • Tretinoin / pharmacology*
  • Vaccinia / immunology*
  • Vaccinia / virology
  • Vaccinia virus / immunology

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Interleukin-2
  • Interleukin-7 Receptor alpha Subunit
  • Klrg1 protein, mouse
  • Lectins, C-Type
  • Receptors, Immunologic
  • T-Box Domain Proteins
  • T-box transcription factor TBX21
  • Tretinoin
  • Granzymes