Severe malaria enforces short-lived effector cell differentiation but does not prevent effective secondary responses by memory CD8 T cells.

Parasitic infections are a major worldwide health burden, yet most studies of CD8 T cell differentiation focus on acute viral and bacterial infections. To understand effector and memory CD8 T cell responses during erythrocytic malaria infection in mice, we utilized transgenic OT-I T cells and compar...

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Main Authors: Jacob A Hildebrand, Noah R Daniels, Emma M Dehm, Benjamin D Fisher, Joseph K Guter, Chris J Janse, Erin D Lucas, Jules A Sangala, Trevor N Tankersley, Geoffrey T Hart, Sara E Hamilton
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-03-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1012993
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author Jacob A Hildebrand
Noah R Daniels
Emma M Dehm
Benjamin D Fisher
Joseph K Guter
Chris J Janse
Erin D Lucas
Jules A Sangala
Trevor N Tankersley
Geoffrey T Hart
Sara E Hamilton
author_facet Jacob A Hildebrand
Noah R Daniels
Emma M Dehm
Benjamin D Fisher
Joseph K Guter
Chris J Janse
Erin D Lucas
Jules A Sangala
Trevor N Tankersley
Geoffrey T Hart
Sara E Hamilton
author_sort Jacob A Hildebrand
collection DOAJ
description Parasitic infections are a major worldwide health burden, yet most studies of CD8 T cell differentiation focus on acute viral and bacterial infections. To understand effector and memory CD8 T cell responses during erythrocytic malaria infection in mice, we utilized transgenic OT-I T cells and compared CD8 T cell responses between infection with OVA-expressing strains of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) and Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA). We find that CD8 T cells expand vigorously during both infections. However, in contrast to Lm infection, PbA infection induces T cells that are heavily biased toward an IL-7Ra-deficient and KLRG1+ short-lived effector cell (SLEC) phenotype at the expense of memory precursor effector cell (MPECs) formation. PbA-induced inflammation, including IFNγ, is partially responsible for this outcome. Following treatment with antimalarial drugs and T cell contraction, PbA-primed memory T cells are rarely found in the blood and peripheral tissues but do maintain a low presence in the spleen and bone marrow. Despite these poor numbers, PbA memory T cells robustly expand upon vaccination or viral infection, control pathogen burden, and form secondary memory pools. Thus, despite PbA enforced SLEC formation and limited memory, effective secondary responses can still proceed.
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spelling doaj-art-eaf5897f2c7a4aae94475dc513fa58b12025-08-20T02:16:21ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742025-03-01213e101299310.1371/journal.ppat.1012993Severe malaria enforces short-lived effector cell differentiation but does not prevent effective secondary responses by memory CD8 T cells.Jacob A HildebrandNoah R DanielsEmma M DehmBenjamin D FisherJoseph K GuterChris J JanseErin D LucasJules A SangalaTrevor N TankersleyGeoffrey T HartSara E HamiltonParasitic infections are a major worldwide health burden, yet most studies of CD8 T cell differentiation focus on acute viral and bacterial infections. To understand effector and memory CD8 T cell responses during erythrocytic malaria infection in mice, we utilized transgenic OT-I T cells and compared CD8 T cell responses between infection with OVA-expressing strains of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) and Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA). We find that CD8 T cells expand vigorously during both infections. However, in contrast to Lm infection, PbA infection induces T cells that are heavily biased toward an IL-7Ra-deficient and KLRG1+ short-lived effector cell (SLEC) phenotype at the expense of memory precursor effector cell (MPECs) formation. PbA-induced inflammation, including IFNγ, is partially responsible for this outcome. Following treatment with antimalarial drugs and T cell contraction, PbA-primed memory T cells are rarely found in the blood and peripheral tissues but do maintain a low presence in the spleen and bone marrow. Despite these poor numbers, PbA memory T cells robustly expand upon vaccination or viral infection, control pathogen burden, and form secondary memory pools. Thus, despite PbA enforced SLEC formation and limited memory, effective secondary responses can still proceed.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1012993
spellingShingle Jacob A Hildebrand
Noah R Daniels
Emma M Dehm
Benjamin D Fisher
Joseph K Guter
Chris J Janse
Erin D Lucas
Jules A Sangala
Trevor N Tankersley
Geoffrey T Hart
Sara E Hamilton
Severe malaria enforces short-lived effector cell differentiation but does not prevent effective secondary responses by memory CD8 T cells.
PLoS Pathogens
title Severe malaria enforces short-lived effector cell differentiation but does not prevent effective secondary responses by memory CD8 T cells.
title_full Severe malaria enforces short-lived effector cell differentiation but does not prevent effective secondary responses by memory CD8 T cells.
title_fullStr Severe malaria enforces short-lived effector cell differentiation but does not prevent effective secondary responses by memory CD8 T cells.
title_full_unstemmed Severe malaria enforces short-lived effector cell differentiation but does not prevent effective secondary responses by memory CD8 T cells.
title_short Severe malaria enforces short-lived effector cell differentiation but does not prevent effective secondary responses by memory CD8 T cells.
title_sort severe malaria enforces short lived effector cell differentiation but does not prevent effective secondary responses by memory cd8 t cells
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1012993
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