Extrinsically derived TNF is primarily responsible for limiting antiviral CD8+ T cell response magnitude

Kylie M. Quinn, Wan-Ting Kan, Katherine A. Watson, Brian J. Liddicoat, Natasha G. Swan, Hayley McQuilten, Alice E. Denton, Jasmine Li, Weisan Chen, Lorena E. Brown, David C. Jackson, Patrick C. Reading, Peter C. Doherty, Katherine Kedzierska, Lukasz Kedzierski, Stephen J. Turner, Nicole L. La Gruta

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7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

TNF is a pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by both lymphoid and non-lymphoid cells. As a consequence of the widespread expression of its receptors (TNFR1 and 2), TNF plays a role in many important biological processes. In the context of influenza A virus (IAV) infection, TNF has variably been implicated in mediating immunopathology as well as suppression of the immune response. Although a number of cell types are able to produce TNF, the ability of CD8+ T cells to produce TNF following viral infection is a hallmark of their effector function. As such, the regulation and role of CD8+ T cell-derived TNF following viral infection is of great interest. Here, we show that the biphasic production of TNF by CD8+ T cells following in vitro stimulation corresponds to distinct patterns of epigenetic modifications. Further, we show that a global loss of TNF during IAV infection results in an augmentation of the peripheral virus-specific CD8+ T cell response. Subsequent adoptive transfer experiments demonstrated that this attenuation of the CD8+ T cell response was largely, but not exclusively, conferred by extrinsic TNF, with intrinsically-derived TNF making only modest contributions. In conclusion, TNF exerts an immunoregulatory role on CD8+ T cell responses following IAV infection, an effect that is largely mediated by extrinsically-derived TNF.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere0184732
Number of pages13
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume12
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Sept 2017

Keywords

  • T cells
  • cytotoxic T cells
  • cytokines
  • influenza A virus
  • cloning
  • spleen
  • cell staining
  • epigenetics
  • Limiting the impact of influenza

    Turner, S. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), La Gruta, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Chen, W. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Kedzierska, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Jackson, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Brown, L. E. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Doherty, P. C. (Chief Investigator (CI))

    1/01/1531/12/19

    Project: Research

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