Identification of phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous mouse mucosal-associated invariant T cells using MR1 tetramers.

Studies on the biology of mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAIT cells) in mice have been hampered by a lack of specific reagents. Using MR1-antigen (Ag) tetramers that specifically bind to the MR1-restricted MAIT T cell receptors (TCRs), we demonstrate that MAIT cells are detectable in a broad range of tissues in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. These cells include CD4(-)CD8(-), CD4(-)CD8(+), and CD4(+)CD8(-) subsets, and their frequency varies in a tissue- and strain-specific manner. Mouse MAIT cells have a CD44(hi)CD62L(lo) memory phenotype and produce high levels of IL-17A, whereas other cytokines, including IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, and GM-CSF, are produced at low to moderate levels. Consistent with high IL-17A production, most MAIT cells express high levels of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt), whereas RORγt(lo) MAIT cells predominantly express T-bet and produce IFN-γ. Most MAIT cells express the promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) transcription factor, and their development is largely PLZF dependent. These observations contrast with previous reports that MAIT cells from Vα19 TCR transgenic mice are PLZF(-) and express a naive CD44(lo) phenotype. Accordingly, MAIT cells from normal mice more closely resemble human MAIT cells than previously appreciated, and this provides the foundation for further investigations of these cells in health and disease.

Persistence of skin-resident memory T cells within an epidermal niche.

Barrier tissues such as the skin contain various populations of immune cells that contribute to protection from infections. These include recently identified tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM). In the skin, these memory CD8(+) T cells reside in the epidermis after being recruited to this site by infection or inflammation. In this study, we demonstrate prolonged persistence of epidermal TRM preferentially at the site of prior infection despite sustained migration. Computational simulation of TRM migration within the skin over long periods revealed that the slow rate of random migration effectively constrains these memory cells within the region of skin in which they form. Notably, formation of TRM involved a concomitant local reduction in dendritic epidermal γδ T-cell numbers in the epidermis, indicating that these populations persist in mutual exclusion and may compete for local survival signals. Accordingly, we show that expression of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, a transcription factor important for dendritic epidermal γδ T-cell maintenance in skin, also contributes to the persistence of skin TRM. Together, these data suggest that skin tissue-resident memory T cells persist within a tightly regulated epidermal T-cell niche.

The developmental pathway for CD103(+)CD8+ tissue-resident memory T cells of skin.

Tissue-resident memory T cells (T(RM) cells) provide superior protection against infection in extralymphoid tissues. Here we found that CD103(+)CD8(+) T(RM) cells developed in the skin from epithelium-infiltrating precursor cells that lacked expression of the effector-cell marker KLRG1. A combination of entry into the epithelium plus local signaling by interleukin 15 (IL-15) and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) was required for the formation of these long-lived memory cells. Notably, differentiation into T(RM) cells resulted in the progressive acquisition of a unique transcriptional profile that differed from that of circulating memory cells and other types of T cells that permanently reside in skin epithelium. We provide a comprehensive molecular framework for the local differentiation of a distinct peripheral population of memory cells that forms a first-line immunological defense system in barrier tissues.

γδ T cells augment rejection of skin grafts by enhancing cross-priming of CD8 T cells to skin-derived antigen.

Gamma delta T cells (γδ T cells) possess innate-like properties and are proposed to bridge the gap between innate and adaptive immunity. In this study, we explored the role of γδ T cells in cutaneous immunity using a skin transplantation model. Following engraftment of skin expressing cell-associated model antigen (Ag) (ovalbumin) in epithelial keratinocytes, skin-resident γδ T cells enhanced graft rejection. Although the effector function of CD8 T cells was intact in the absence of γδ T cells, cross-priming of CD8 T cell to graft-derived Ag was impaired in the absence of γδ T cells. The reduced graft rejection and graft priming of γδ T-cell-deficient mice was evident in both acutely inflamed and well-healed grafting models. Furthermore, expression of the CD40 activation marker on migrating dendritic cells was lower in TCRδ(-/-) mice compared with wild-type mice, regardless of the presence or absence of inflammation associated with grafting. These results indicate that γδ T cells enhance graft priming and consequently the likelihood of a successful immune outcome in the context of skin graft rejection, suggesting that γδ T cells may be an important component of immunity to epithelial cancers or infection.

Invariant NKT cells in hyperplastic skin induce a local immune suppressive environment by IFN-gamma production.

NKT cells can promote or inhibit adaptive immune responses. Cutaneous immunity is tightly regulated by cooperation between innate and adaptive immune processes, but the role of NKT cells in regulating cutaneous immunity is largely unknown. In this study, we show, in a mouse model, that skin-infiltrating CD1d-restricted NKT cells in HPV16-E7 transgenic hyperplastic skin produce IFN-gamma, which can prevent rejection of HPV16-E7-expressing skin grafts. Suppression of graft rejection is associated with the accumulation of CD1d(hi)-expressing CD11c(+)F4/80(hi) myeloid cells in hyperplastic skin. Blockade of CD1d, removal of NKT cells, or local inhibition of IFN-gamma signaling is sufficient to restore immune-mediated graft rejection. Thus, inhibition of NKT cell recruitment or function may enable effective immunity against tumor and viral Ags expressed in epithelial cells.