| First Author | Mayer KD | Year | 2005 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 174 |
| Issue | 12 | Pages | 7732-9 |
| PubMed ID | 15944275 | Mgi Jnum | J:100882 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3589857 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.174.12.7732 |
| Citation | Mayer KD, et al. (2005) The functional heterogeneity of type 1 effector T cells in response to infection is related to the potential for IFN-gamma production. J Immunol 174(12):7732-9 |
| abstractText | The expression of IFN-gamma is a hallmark of Th1 cells and CD8(+) effector T cells and is the signature cytokine of type 1 responses. However, it is not known whether T cells are homogeneous in their capacity to produce IFN-gamma, whether this potential varies between tissues, and how it relates to the production of other effector molecules. In the present study we used bicistronic IFN-gamma-enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (IFN-gamma-eYFP) reporter mice (Yeti) and MHC class I tetramers to directly quantify IFN-gamma expression at the single cell level. The eYFP fluorescence of Th1 cells and CD8(+) effector T cells was broadly heterogeneous even before cell division and correlated with both the abundance of IFN-gamma transcripts and the secretion of IFN-gamma upon stimulation. CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells of influenza-infected mice revealed a similarly heterogeneous IFN-gamma expression, and eYFP(high) cells were only found in the infected lung. Ag-specific T cells were in all examined tissues eYFP(+), but also heterogeneous in their reporter fluorescence, and eYFP(high) cells were also restricted to the infected lung. A similar heterogeneity was observed in Toxoplasma gondii-infected animals, but eYFP(high) cells were restricted to different tissues. Highly eYFP fluorescent cells produced elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in addition to IFN-gamma, suggesting their coregulated expression as a functional unit in highly differentiated effector T cells. |
