Antigen affinity and antigen dose exert distinct influences on CD4 T-cell differentiation.
Keck SLaboratory of Transplantation Immunology, and.
Schmaler MLaboratory of Immunoregulation, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland;
Ganter SLaboratory of Transplantation Immunology, and.
Wyss LLaboratory of Transplantation Immunology, and.
Oberle SSwiss Vaccine Research Institute, and Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; and.
Huseby ESDepartment of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655.
Zehn DSwiss Vaccine Research Institute, and Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; and.
King CGLaboratory of Transplantation Immunology, and carolyn.king@unibas.ch.
English
Cumulative T-cell receptor signal strength and ensuing T-cell responses are affected by both antigen affinity and antigen dose. Here we examined the distinct contributions of these parameters to CD4 T-cell differentiation during infection. We found that high antigen affinity positively correlates with T helper (Th)1 differentiation at both high and low doses of antigen. In contrast, follicular helper T cell (TFH) effectors are generated after priming with high, intermediate, and low affinity ligand. Unexpectedly, memory T cells generated after priming with very low affinity antigen remain impaired in their ability to generate secondary Th1 effectors, despite being recalled with high affinity antigen. These data challenge the view that only strongly stimulated CD4 T cells are capable of differentiating into the TFH and memory T-cell compartments and reveal that differential strength of stimulation during primary T-cell activation imprints unique and long lasting T-cell differentiation programs.