Recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) are the youngest T cells in the lymphoid periphery, and are crucial for seeding the neonatal lymphoid periphery and for reconstituting the nave T cell pool in adults receiving umbilical cord blood or recovering frm lymphoablative viral infection or therapy. By identifying RTEs as GFP+ peripheral T cells in RAG2p-GFP transgenic mice, we have shown that RTEs undergo phenotypic and functional maturation for the first 3 weeks of residence in the periphery. During this transitional period, RTEs in both mice and humans exhibit diminished proliferation and altered cytokine secretion upon stimulation with antigen. The goal of the proposed experiments is to understand the basis for this evolutionarily conserved and developmentally regulated period of depressed immune function. We will test the hypothesis, based on strong preliminary data, that RTEs respond to low affinity ligands by acquiring both the capacity to invade tissues (thereby gaining exposure to self-antigens) and a heightened sensitivity to tolerance induction. We will use diabetes induction and allogeneic pregnancy to understand the benefits of post-thymic maturation in enforcing T cell tolerance to extrathymic antigens, and tumor eradication to explore its risks. Experiments proposed in this competitive renewal are encompassed by the following specific aims:
Specific Aim 1 : To compare the response of RTEs and mature T cells encountering peripheral self- antigen. These experiments will test the hypothesis that, compared to mature T cells, RTEs are invasive yet prone to tolerance upon recognition of self-antigens of varying affinities in a diabetes model system.
Specific Aim 2 : To compare the response of RTEs and mature T cells encountering tumor antigens of varying affinity. These experiments will test the hypothesis that, compared to mature T cells, RTEs are invasive yet prone to tolerance upon recognition of ligands of varying affinity in transplantable and spontaneous tumor model systems.
Specific Aim 3 : To explore regulatory T cell (Treg) induction and Treg sensitivity of RTEs. These experiments will determine whether enhanced induction of Tregs and/or sensitivity to Treg-mediated suppression impact RTE function. Enhancing our understanding of post-thymic maturation will help us anticipate the downstream impact, both positive and negative, of boosting immune function at this stage of T cell development, a worthy goal for improving vaccination strategies in neonates, enhancing anti-tumor responses following radio- or chemo- therapy, and promoting the recovery of T cell function in HIV infected individuals post-retroviral therapy.

Public Health Relevance

Throughout life, the steady export of newly differentiated T cells (or recent thymic emigrants) is essential to maintain the nave T cell compartment. Both murine and human recent thymic emigrants are functionally distinct from their mature T counterparts, and a goal of the proposed experiments is to understand why this is. We propose to test the hypothesis that RTEs respond to low affinity ligands by acquiring both the capacity to invade tissues (thereby gaining exposure to self ligands) and a heightened sensitivity to tolerance induction.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI064318-12
Application #
9221974
Study Section
Cellular and Molecular Immunology - B Study Section (CMIB)
Program Officer
Prabhudas, Mercy R
Project Start
2005-04-01
Project End
2020-02-28
Budget Start
2017-03-01
Budget End
2018-02-28
Support Year
12
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
$428,102
Indirect Cost
$178,102
Name
University of Washington
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
605799469
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Cunningham, Cody A; Hoppins, Suzanne; Fink, Pamela J (2018) Cutting Edge: Glycolytic Metabolism and Mitochondrial Metabolism Are Uncoupled in Antigen-Activated CD8+ Recent Thymic Emigrants. J Immunol 201:1627-1632
Cunningham, Cody A; Helm, Eric Y; Fink, Pamela J (2018) Reinterpreting recent thymic emigrant function: defective or adaptive? Curr Opin Immunol 51:1-6
Cunningham, Cody A; Bergsbaken, Tessa; Fink, Pamela J (2017) Cutting Edge: Defective Aerobic Glycolysis Defines the Distinct Effector Function in Antigen-Activated CD8+ Recent Thymic Emigrants. J Immunol 198:4575-4580
Bergsbaken, Tessa; Bevan, Michael J; Fink, Pamela J (2017) Local Inflammatory Cues Regulate Differentiation and Persistence of CD8+ Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells. Cell Rep 19:114-124
Friesen, Travis J; Ji, Qingyong; Fink, Pamela J (2016) Recent thymic emigrants are tolerized in the absence of inflammation. J Exp Med 213:913-20
Deets, Katherine A; Berkley, Amy M; Bergsbaken, Tessa et al. (2016) Cutting Edge: Enhanced Clonal Burst Size Corrects an Otherwise Defective Memory Response by CD8+ Recent Thymic Emigrants. J Immunol 196:2450-5
Moguche, Albanus O; Shafiani, Shahin; Clemons, Corey et al. (2015) ICOS and Bcl6-dependent pathways maintain a CD4 T cell population with memory-like properties during tuberculosis. J Exp Med 212:715-28
Philip, Mary; Funkhouser, Scott A; Chiu, Edison Y et al. (2015) Heme exporter FLVCR is required for T cell development and peripheral survival. J Immunol 194:1677-85
Berkley, Amy M; Fink, Pamela J (2014) Cutting edge: CD8+ recent thymic emigrants exhibit increased responses to low-affinity ligands and improved access to peripheral sites of inflammation. J Immunol 193:3262-6
Fink, Pamela J (2013) The biology of recent thymic emigrants. Annu Rev Immunol 31:31-50

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