The relationship of T follicular helper (TFH) cells to other T helper (Th) subsets is controversial. We find that after helminth infection, or immunization with helminth antigens, reactive lymphoid organs of 4get IL-4/GFP reporter mice contain populations of IL-4/GFP-expressing CD4+ T cells that display the TFH markers CXCR5, PD-1, and ICOS. These TFH cells express the canonical TFH markers BCL6 and IL-21, but also GATA3, the master regulator of Th2 cell differentiation. Consistent with a relationship between Th2 and TFH cells, IL-4 protein production, reported by expression of huCD2 in IL-4 dual reporter (4get/KN2) mice, was a robust marker of TFH cells in LNs responding to helminth antigens. Moreover, the majority of huCD2/IL-4–producing Th cells were found within B cell follicles, consistent with their definition as TFH cells. TFH cell development after immunization failed to occur in mice lacking B cells or CD154. The relationship of TFH cells to the Th2 lineage was confirmed when TFH cells were found to develop from CXCR5− PD-1− IL-4/GFP+ CD4+ T cells after their transfer into naive mice and antigen challenge in vivo.

White adipose tissue bridges body organs and plays a fundamental role in host metabolism. To what extent adipose tissue also contributes to immune surveillance and long-term protective defense remains largely unknown. Here, we have shown that at steady state, white adipose tissue contained abundant memory lymphocyte populations. After infection, white adipose tissue accumulated large numbers of pathogen-specific memory T cells, including tissue-resident cells. Memory T cells in white adipose tissue expressed a distinct metabolic profile, and white adipose tissue from previously infected mice was sufficient to protect uninfected mice from lethal pathogen challenge. Induction of recall responses within white adipose tissue was associated with the collapse of lipid metabolism in favor of antimicrobial responses. Our results suggest that white adipose tissue represents a memory T cell reservoir that provides potent and rapid effector memory responses, positioning this compartment as a potential major contributor to immunological memory.

Summary Infections have been proposed as initiating factors for inflammatory disorders, however, identifying associations between defined infectious agents and the initiation of chronic disease has remained elusive. Here, we report that a single acute infection can have dramatic and long-term consequences for tissue-specific immunity. Following clearance of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, sustained inflammation and associated lymphatic leakage in the mesenteric adipose tissue deviates migratory dendritic cells to the adipose compartment, thereby preventing their accumulation in the mesenteric lymph node. As a consequence, canonical mucosal immune functions, including tolerance and protective immunity, are persistently compromised. Post-resolution of infection, signals derived from the microbiota maintain inflammatory mesentery remodeling and consequently, transient ablation of the microbiota restores mucosal immunity. Our results indicate that persistent disruption of communication between tissues and the immune system following clearance of an acute infection represents an inflection point beyond which tissue homeostasis and immunity is compromised for the long-term.

The bone marrow is an important site for the interrelated processes of hematopoiesis, granulopoiesis, erythropoiesis and lymphopoiesis. A wide variety of microbial challenges are associated with profound changes in this compartment that impact on hematopoietic differentiation and mobilization of a variety of cell types. This article reviews some of the key pathways that control BM homeostasis, the infectious and inflammatory processes that affect the BM, and how addressing the knowledge gaps in this area has the potential to widen our comprehension of immune homeostasis.

Long-lived plasma cells (PC) in the bone marrow (BM) are a critical source of antibodies after infection or vaccination, but questions remain about the factors that control PCs. We found that systemic infection alters the BM, greatly reducing PCs and regulatory T (Treg) cells, a population that contributes to immune privilege in the BM. The use of intravital imaging revealed that BM Treg cells display a distinct behavior characterized by sustained co-localization with PCs and CD11c-YFP+ cells. Gene expression profiling indicated that BM Treg cells express high levels of Treg effector molecules, and CTLA-4 deletion in these cells resulted in elevated PCs. Furthermore, preservation of Treg cells during systemic infection prevents PC loss, while Treg cell depletion in uninfected mice reduced PC populations. These studies suggest a role for Treg cells in PC biology and provide a potential target for the modulation of PCs during vaccine-induced humoral responses or autoimmunity.

Phenotypic and transcriptional profiling of Treg cells at homeostasis reveals that TCR activation promotes Treg cells with an effector phenotype (eTreg) characterized by the production of IL-10 and expression of the inhibitory receptor PD-1. At homeostasis, blockade of the PD-1 pathway results in enhanced eTreg cell activity while during infection with T. gondii early IFN-γ upregulates myeloid cell expression of PD-L1 associated with reduced Treg cell populations. In infected mice, the blockade of PD-L1, complete deletion of PD-1, or lineage-specific deletion of PD-1 in Treg cells prevents loss of eTreg cells. These interventions resulted in a reduced ratio of pathogen-specific effector T cells : eTregs and increased levels of IL-10 that mitigated the development of immunopathology, but which could compromise parasite control. Thus, eTreg cell expression of PD-1 acts as a sensor to rapidly tune the pool of eTreg cells at homeostasis and during inflammatory processes.

The transcription factor T-bet has been most prominently linked to natural killer (NK) and T cell production of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), a cytokine required for the control of a diverse array of intracellular pathogens. Indeed, in mice challenged with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, NK and T cell responses are characterized by marked increases of T-bet expression. Unexpectedly, T-bet−/− mice infected with T. gondii develop a strong NK cell IFN-γ response that controls parasite replication at the challenge site, but display high parasite burdens at secondary sites colonized by T. gondii and succumb to infection. The loss of T-bet had a modest effect on T cell production of IFN-γ but did not impact on the generation of parasite-specific T cells. However, the absence of T-bet resulted in lower T cell expression of CD11a, Ly6C, KLRG-1, and CXCR3 and fewer parasite-specific T cells at secondary sites of infection, associated with a defect in parasite control at these sites. Together, these data highlight T-bet independent pathways to IFN-γ production, and reveal a novel role for this transcription factor in coordinating the T cell responses necessary to control this infection in peripheral tissues.

c B cell responses are required for resistance to Toxoplasma gondii; however, the events that lead to production of class-switched antibodies during T. gondii infection have not been defined. Indeed, mice challenged with the parasite exhibited an expansion of T follicular helper cells and germinal center B cells in the spleen. Unexpectedly, this was not associated with germinal center formation and was instead accompanied by profound changes in splenic organization. This phenomenon was transient and was correlated with a decrease in expression of effector proteins that contribute to splenic organization, including lymphotoxins ␣ and ␤. The importance of lymphotoxin was confirmed, as the use of a lymphotoxin ␤ receptor agonist results in partial restoration of splenic structure. Splenectomized mice were used to test the splenic contribution to the antibody response during T. gondii infection. Analysis of splenectomized mice revealed delayed kinetics in the production of parasite-specific antibody, but the mice did eventually develop normal levels of parasite-specific antibody. Together, these studies provide a better understanding of how infection with T. gondii impacts the customized structures required for the optimal humoral responses to the parasite and the role of lymphotoxin in these events. The intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, an important opportunistic infection of humans and livestock (20,38). In mice, the acute stage of infection with T. gondii is characterized by systemic parasite dissemination and significant T and B cell activation. Control of parasite replication and transition to the chronic phase of infection are dependent on T and B cells. Although this infection has been used as a model to study cell-mediated immunity, antibodies are also critical for resistance to T. gondii; B cell-deficient mice succumb to T. gondii during the chronic phase of infection but can be rescued by passive antibody transfer (25,39). Despite these initial studies, many questions remain about the T and B cell interactions that promote antibody responses during infection.It has long been established that antigen-specific antibody responses develop within germinal centers (GCs), specialized regions within the lymphoid follicle that promote the T cell-B cell interactions that are crucial for isotype switching and affinity maturation. Recent work has demonstrated that the T cells involved in these events are T follicular helper (TFH) cells, a T helper cell subset defined by expression of the transcription factor Bcl6 and the chemokine receptor CXCR5, which promotes entry into the GC (5, 23, 34, 41, 51; for a review, see references 9 and 27.) This has led to the idea that the TFH cell subset is defined, at least in part, by location; although TFH cells have been found both within and outside the GC, it is unclear whether TFH cells outside GCs retain their antibody-promoting function (52).The organization of secondary lymphoid organs is configured to facilitate the v...