High clonality of virus-specific T lymphocytes defined by TCR usage in the brains of mice infected with West Nile virus

J Immunol. 2011 Oct 15;187(8):3919-30. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1100442. Epub 2011 Sep 9.

Abstract

It has been reported that brain-infiltrating T lymphocytes play critical roles in the clearance of West Nile virus (WNV) from the brains of mice. We characterized brain-infiltrating T lymphocytes by analyzing the TCR α- and β-chain repertoires, T cell clonality, and CDR3 sequences. CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells were localized in the WNV-infected brains. The expression of CD3, CD8, CD25, CD69, perforin, and granzymes positively correlated with viral RNA levels, and high levels of expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2 were detected in the brains, suggesting that Th1-like cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells are expanded in the brains in response to WNV infection. The brain-infiltrating T lymphocytes dominantly used TCR genes, VA1-1, VA2-1, VB5-2, and VB8-2, and exhibited a highly oligoclonal TCR repertoire. Interestingly, the brain-infiltrating T lymphocytes had different patterns of TCR repertoire usages among WNV-, Japanese encephalitis virus-, and tick-borne encephalitis virus-infected mice. Moreover, CD8(+) T cells isolated from the brains of WNV-infected mice produced IFN-γ and TNF-α after in vitro stimulation with peritoneal cells infected with WNV, but not with Japanese encephalitis virus. The results suggest that the infiltrating CD8(+) T cells were WNV-specific, but not cross-reactive among flaviviruses. T cells from the WNV-infected brains exhibited identical or similar CDR3 sequences in TCRα among tested mice, but somewhat diverse sequences in TCRβ. The results indicate that WNV-specific CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells expanding in the infected brains are highly oligoclonal, and they suggest that TCR α-chains play a dominant and critical role in Ag specificity of WNV-specific T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / analysis
  • Antigens, CD / biosynthesis
  • Antigens, CD / immunology
  • Clone Cells
  • DNA, Viral / genetics
  • DNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Genes, T-Cell Receptor
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / immunology*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • West Nile Fever / genetics
  • West Nile Fever / immunology*
  • West Nile Fever / virology*
  • West Nile virus / genetics
  • West Nile virus / immunology*

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • DNA, Viral
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell