Essential role of the Wnt pathway effector Tcf-1 for the establishment of functional CD8 T cell memory
G Jeannet, C Boudousquié, N Gardiol… - Proceedings of the …, 2010 - National Acad Sciences
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010•National Acad Sciences
Immune protection from intracellular pathogens depends on the generation of terminally
differentiated effector and of multipotent memory precursor CD8 T cells, which rapidly
regenerate effector and memory cells during recurrent infection. The identification of factors
and pathways involved in CD8 T cell differentiation is of obvious importance to improve
vaccination strategies. Here, we show that mice lacking T cell factor 1 (Tcf-1), a nuclear
effector of the canonical Wingless/Integration 1 (Wnt) signaling pathway, mount normal …
differentiated effector and of multipotent memory precursor CD8 T cells, which rapidly
regenerate effector and memory cells during recurrent infection. The identification of factors
and pathways involved in CD8 T cell differentiation is of obvious importance to improve
vaccination strategies. Here, we show that mice lacking T cell factor 1 (Tcf-1), a nuclear
effector of the canonical Wingless/Integration 1 (Wnt) signaling pathway, mount normal …
Immune protection from intracellular pathogens depends on the generation of terminally differentiated effector and of multipotent memory precursor CD8 T cells, which rapidly regenerate effector and memory cells during recurrent infection. The identification of factors and pathways involved in CD8 T cell differentiation is of obvious importance to improve vaccination strategies. Here, we show that mice lacking T cell factor 1 (Tcf-1), a nuclear effector of the canonical Wingless/Integration 1 (Wnt) signaling pathway, mount normal effector and effector memory CD8 T cell responses to infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). However, Tcf-1–deficient CD8 T cells are selectively impaired in their ability to expand upon secondary challenge and to protect from recurrent virus infection. Tcf-1–deficient mice essentially lack CD8 memory precursor T cells, which is evident already at the peak of the primary response, suggesting that Tcf-1 programs CD8 memory cell fate. The function of Tcf-1 to establish CD8 T cell memory is dependent on the catenin-binding domain in Tcf-1 and requires the Tcf-1 coactivators and Wnt signaling intermediates β-catenin and γ-catenin. These findings demonstrate that the canonical Wnt signaling pathway plays an essential role for CD8 central memory T cell differentiation under physiological conditions in vivo. They raise the possibility that modulation of Wnt signaling may be exploited to improve the generation of CD8 memory T cells during vaccination or for therapies designed to promote sustained cytotoxic CD8 T cell responses against tumors.
National Acad Sciences