10 - T Cell Effector Responses Flashcards
T cell pathway
- T cell precursor rearranges its T cell receptor genes in the thymus
- Immature T cells that recognise self MHC receive signals for survival. Those that interact strongly with self antigen are killed
- Mature T cells encounter foreign antigens in the peripheral lymphoid organs and are activated
- Activated T cells proliferate and eliminate infection
Naive T cells
- T cell has not previously encountered its cognate antigen
- Antigen is brought to lymph node by dendritic cell that has sampled antigen in periphery
- Naïve T cell that encounters cognate antigen is activated
and undergoes clonal expansion, differentiates into effector or memory cells
Cognate antigen
Antigen that best fits the specific T cell receptor
Effector T cells
- Enter circulation and traffic to sites of infection in peripheral tissues
- Effector cells that encounter antigen in the periphery are further activated to mediate their effector functions
What is activation and movement of T cells mediated by
Cytokines and chemokines
3 major processes that must occur after antigen recognition
- Produce cytokines and cytokine receptors (e.g. IL-2) –> Proliferation
- Proliferate and undergo clonal (TCR with same specificity) expansion
- Differentiation into effector (short lived) or memory (long lived) cells
Lymphocytes in blood entering lymphoid tissue
- Cross walls of high endothelial venules (HEV)
- CCL21 is expressed by HEV and stromal cells of lymphoid tissues and binds CCR7 on naïve T cells
- Contact of naïve T cells with CCL21 in the HEV causes the integrin LFA-1 on the naïve T cell to become activated, increasing its affinity for ICAM-1
- Activated LFA-1 binds tightly to ICAM-1
- Lymphocyte migrates into lymph node by diapedesis
What cells stimulate naive T cells
B7 expressing DCs
What molecule indicates that a DC has seen an antigen
B7
Process of T cells encountering an antigen
- Naïve T cells enter lymph nodes from arterial blood via specialised endothelial cells called high endothelial venues (HEV)
- T cells migrate into paracortical areas where they encounter dendritic cells
- T cells that do not encounter cognate antigen leave node via lymphatics and return to circulation
- T cells that encounter cognate antigen become activated to proliferate into effector cells. They lose ability to exit lymph node
- After a few days effector cells regain ability to leave nodes and leave via efferent lymphatics and enter circulation
Naive T cells and dendritic cell interactions
- T cell initially binds DC through low affinity LFA-1 : ICAM-1 interactions
- Subsequent binding of T cell receptors sends signal to LFA-1
- Conformational change in LFA-1 increases affinity and prolongs cell to cell contact
Nursery
Satellite DC maintains contact with all clones
How long does it take for activated effector T cells to leave the lymph node after arrival of antigen
5 days and leave via efferent lymphatics
Trapping
All naïve T cells specific for a particular antigen can be trapped by that antigen (presented via DC) in node within 2 days
3 signals delivered by APCs to activate T cells
- Antigen presentation (MHC/peptide to TCR): activation
- Co-stimulatory molecules: Survival
- Cytokines: Differentiation
Antigen presentation signals
- MHC class 1/peptide to CD8+ T cell
- MHC class 2/peptide to CD4+ T cell
Co-stimulatory molecules
- CD28 on T cell to B7 (CD80/ CD86) on DC
- CTLA-4 on T cell to CD80/CD86 on DC for homeostasis
Cytokine signals in activation
- T cell proliferation (IL-2)
- T cell lineage differentiation (cytokines produced by APC, mostly DC)
Examples of cytokines involved in activation of naive T cells
- IL-4
- IL-6
- IL-12
- TGF-β
Variation in signal 3 (cytokines)
Causes naive T cells to acquire several distinct types of effector function