Caspase-3 is transiently activated without cell death during early antigen driven expansion of CD8(+) T cells in vivo.

<h4>Background</h4>CD8(+) T cell responses develop rapidly during infection and are swiftly reduced during contraction, wherein >90% of primed CD8(+) T cells are eliminated. The role of apoptotic mechanisms in controlling this rapid proliferation and contraction of CD8(+) T cells rema...

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Main Authors: Scott McComb, Rebecca Mulligan, Subash Sad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2010-12-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015328&type=printable
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author Scott McComb
Rebecca Mulligan
Subash Sad
author_facet Scott McComb
Rebecca Mulligan
Subash Sad
author_sort Scott McComb
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>CD8(+) T cell responses develop rapidly during infection and are swiftly reduced during contraction, wherein >90% of primed CD8(+) T cells are eliminated. The role of apoptotic mechanisms in controlling this rapid proliferation and contraction of CD8(+) T cells remains unclear. Surprisingly, evidence has shown non-apoptotic activation of caspase-3 to occur during in vitro T-cell proliferation, but the relevance of these mechanisms to in vivo CD8(+) T cell responses has yet to be examined.<h4>Methods and findings</h4>We have evaluated the activity of caspase-3, a key downstream inducer of apoptosis, throughout the entirety of a CD8(+) T cell response. We utilized two infection models that differ in the intensity, onset and duration of antigen-presentation and inflammation. Expression of cleaved caspase-3 in antigen specific CD8(+) T cells was coupled to the timing and strength of antigen presentation in lymphoid organs. We also observed coordinated activation of additional canonical apoptotic markers, including phosphatidylserine exposure. Limiting dilution analysis directly showed that in the presence of IL7, very little cell death occurred in both caspase-3(hi) and caspase-3(low) CD8(+) T cells. The expression of active caspase-3 peaked before effector phenotype (CD62L(low)) CD8(+) T cells emerged, and was undetectable in effector-phenotype cells. In addition, OVA-specific CD8(+) cells remained active caspase-3(low) throughout the contraction phase.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Our results specifically implicate antigen and not inflammation in driving activation of apoptotic mechanisms without cell death in proliferating CD8(+) T cells. Furthermore, the contraction of CD8(+) T cell response following expansion is likely not mediated by the key downstream apoptosis inducer, caspase-3.
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spelling doaj-art-c339be62721f4f76a7c676e01e4e931e2025-08-20T02:01:55ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032010-12-01512e1532810.1371/journal.pone.0015328Caspase-3 is transiently activated without cell death during early antigen driven expansion of CD8(+) T cells in vivo.Scott McCombRebecca MulliganSubash Sad<h4>Background</h4>CD8(+) T cell responses develop rapidly during infection and are swiftly reduced during contraction, wherein >90% of primed CD8(+) T cells are eliminated. The role of apoptotic mechanisms in controlling this rapid proliferation and contraction of CD8(+) T cells remains unclear. Surprisingly, evidence has shown non-apoptotic activation of caspase-3 to occur during in vitro T-cell proliferation, but the relevance of these mechanisms to in vivo CD8(+) T cell responses has yet to be examined.<h4>Methods and findings</h4>We have evaluated the activity of caspase-3, a key downstream inducer of apoptosis, throughout the entirety of a CD8(+) T cell response. We utilized two infection models that differ in the intensity, onset and duration of antigen-presentation and inflammation. Expression of cleaved caspase-3 in antigen specific CD8(+) T cells was coupled to the timing and strength of antigen presentation in lymphoid organs. We also observed coordinated activation of additional canonical apoptotic markers, including phosphatidylserine exposure. Limiting dilution analysis directly showed that in the presence of IL7, very little cell death occurred in both caspase-3(hi) and caspase-3(low) CD8(+) T cells. The expression of active caspase-3 peaked before effector phenotype (CD62L(low)) CD8(+) T cells emerged, and was undetectable in effector-phenotype cells. In addition, OVA-specific CD8(+) cells remained active caspase-3(low) throughout the contraction phase.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Our results specifically implicate antigen and not inflammation in driving activation of apoptotic mechanisms without cell death in proliferating CD8(+) T cells. Furthermore, the contraction of CD8(+) T cell response following expansion is likely not mediated by the key downstream apoptosis inducer, caspase-3.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015328&type=printable
spellingShingle Scott McComb
Rebecca Mulligan
Subash Sad
Caspase-3 is transiently activated without cell death during early antigen driven expansion of CD8(+) T cells in vivo.
PLoS ONE
title Caspase-3 is transiently activated without cell death during early antigen driven expansion of CD8(+) T cells in vivo.
title_full Caspase-3 is transiently activated without cell death during early antigen driven expansion of CD8(+) T cells in vivo.
title_fullStr Caspase-3 is transiently activated without cell death during early antigen driven expansion of CD8(+) T cells in vivo.
title_full_unstemmed Caspase-3 is transiently activated without cell death during early antigen driven expansion of CD8(+) T cells in vivo.
title_short Caspase-3 is transiently activated without cell death during early antigen driven expansion of CD8(+) T cells in vivo.
title_sort caspase 3 is transiently activated without cell death during early antigen driven expansion of cd8 t cells in vivo
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015328&type=printable
work_keys_str_mv AT scottmccomb caspase3istransientlyactivatedwithoutcelldeathduringearlyantigendrivenexpansionofcd8tcellsinvivo
AT rebeccamulligan caspase3istransientlyactivatedwithoutcelldeathduringearlyantigendrivenexpansionofcd8tcellsinvivo
AT subashsad caspase3istransientlyactivatedwithoutcelldeathduringearlyantigendrivenexpansionofcd8tcellsinvivo