ABSTRACT
【Objective】 To evaluate the effect of Arntl on T cell development and T cell-mediated anti-viral immunity. 【Methods】 ArntlF/FCD4cre+(KO) in mice was constructed to delete Arntl gene specifically in T cells. We examined the percentage and number of T cell subsets in the thymus and spleen by flow cytometry (FCM). At day 8 after lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection, the proportions of T cell subsets, virus-specific CD8+ T cells and IFN-γ secreting T cells were analyzed. The viral load in the spleen was measured using qPCR. Naive CD4+ T cells (CD4+CD25-CD44-CD62L+) were sorted by flow cytometry to perform T helper cell differentiation in vitro. 【Results】 The percentage and number of T cells in the thymus and spleen of KO mice showed no significant change compared with those in the control group (ArntlF/FCD4cre- mice, WT) (P>0.05). Acute LCMV infection did not cause observable changes in effector T cell proportion in the spleen of KO mice compared to that in WT mice (P>0.05), but KO mice showed a higher proportion of IFN-γ secreting T cells (P<0.05) and better virus clearance (P<0.05). In addition, naive CD4+ T cells from KO mice were more prone to differentiate into Th1 cells in vitro (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 Arntl deletion in T cells does not affect T cell development, but enhances their ability to defend against viral infection by promoting Th1 cell differentiation and response.