Summary The study of T cell memory and the target of vaccine design has focused on memory subsumed by T cells bearing the αβ T cell receptor. Alternatively, γδ T cells are thought to provide rapid immunity particularly at mucosal borders. Here we have shown that a distinct subset of mucosal γδ T cells mounts an immune response to oral Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) infection leading to the development of multifunctional memory T cells in the murine intestinal mucosa that is capable of simultaneously producing interferon-γ and interleukin-17A. Challenge infection with oral Lm, but not oral Salmonella or intravenous Lm, induced rapid expansion of memory γδ T cells suggesting contextual specificity to the priming pathogen. Importantly, memory γδ T cells were able to provide enhanced protection against infection. These findings illustrate a previously unrecognized role for γδ T cells with hallmarks of adaptive immunity in the intestinal mucosa.

The spleen is an important site for generating protective immune responses against pathogens. After infection, immune cells undergo rapid reorganization to initiate and maintain localized inflammatory responses; however, the mechanisms governing this spatial and temporal cellular reorganization remain unclear. We show that the strategic position of splenic marginal zone CD169+ macrophages is vital for rapid initiation of antibacterial responses. In addition to controlling initial bacterial growth, CD169+ macrophages orchestrate a second phase of innate protection by mediating the transport of bacteria to splenic T cell zones. This compartmentalization of bacteria within the spleen was essential for driving the reorganization of innate immune cells into hierarchical clusters and for local interferon-γ production near sites of bacterial replication foci. Our results show that both phases of the antimicrobial innate immune response were dependent on CD169+ macrophages, and, in their absence, the series of events needed for pathogen clearance and subsequent survival of the host was disrupted. Our study provides insight into how lymphoid organ structure and function are related at a fundamental level.

Memory γδ T cells are important for the clearance of Listeria monocytogenes infection in the intestinal mucosa. However, the mechanisms by which memory γδ T cells provide protection against secondary oral infection are poorly understood. Here we used a recombinant strain of L. monocytogenes that efficiently invades the intestinal epithelium to show that Vγ4 + memory γδ T cells represent a resident memory (Trm) population in the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs). The γδ Trm exhibited a remarkably static pattern of migration that radically changed following secondary oral L. monocytogenes infection. The γδ Trms produced IL-17A early after rechallenge and formed organized clusters with myeloid cells surrounding L. monocytogenes replication foci only after a secondary oral infection. Antibody blocking studies showed that in addition to IL-17A, the chemokine receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) is also important to enable the local redistribution of γδ Trm cells and myeloid cells specifically near the sites of L. monocytogenes replication within the MLN to restrict bacterial growth and spread. Our findings support a role for γδ Trms in orchestrating protective immune responses against intestinal pathogens.

Mucosal antigen-specific CD4 T cell responses to intestinal pathogens remain incompletely understood. Here we examined the CD4 T cell response after oral infection with an internalin A ‘murinized’ Listeria monocytogenes (Lm). Oral Lm infection induced a robust endogenous listeriolysin O (LLO)-specific CD4 T cell response with distinct phenotypic and functional characteristics in the intestine. Circulating LLO-specific CD4 T cells transiently expressed the ‘gut-homing’ integrin α4β7 and accumulated in the intestinal lamina propria and epithelium where they were maintained independent of IL-15. The majority of intestinal LLO-specific CD4 T cells were CD27− Ly6C− and CD69+ CD103− while the lymphoid LLO-specific CD4 T cells were heterogeneous based on CD27 and Ly6C expression and predominately CD69−. LLO-specific effector CD4 T cells transitioned into a long-lived memory population that phenotypically resembled their parent effectors and displayed hallmarks of residency. In addition, intestinal effector and memory CD4 T cells showed a predominant polyfunctional Th1 profile producing IFNγ, TNFα and IL-2 at high levels with minimal but detectable levels of IL-17A. Depletion of CD4 T cells in immunized mice led to elevated bacterial burden after challenge infection highlighting a critical role for memory CD4 T cells in controlling intestinal intracellular pathogens.

Direct identification and isolation of Ag-specific T cells became possible with the development of MHC tetramers, based on fluorescent avidins displaying biotinylated peptide-MHC complexes. This approach, extensively used for MHC class I-restricted T cells, has met very limited success with class II peptide-MHC complex tetramers (pMHCT-2) for the detection of CD4+-specific T cells. In addition, a very large number of these reagents, although capable of specifically activating T cells after being coated on solid support, is still unable to stain. To try to understand this puzzle and design usable tetramers, we examined each parameter critical for the production of pMHCT-2 using the I-Ad-OVA system as a model. Through this process, the geometry of peptide-MHC display by avidin tetramers was examined, as well as the stability of rMHC molecules. However, we discovered that the most important factor limiting the reactivity of pMHCT-2 was the display of peptides. Indeed, long peptides, as presented by MHC class II molecules, can be bound to I-A/HLA-DQ molecules in more than one register, as suggested by structural studies. This mode of anchorless peptide binding allows the selection of a broader repertoire on single peptides and should favor anti-infectious immune responses. Thus, beyond the technical improvements that we propose, the redesign of pMHCT-2 will give us the tools to evaluate the real size of the CD4 T cell repertoire and help us in the production and testing of new vaccines.