Abstract
The clonal burst size of CD4 T cells is predicted to be less than that of CD8 T cells. In this study, we demonstrate that massive numbers of Ag-specific CD4 T cells respond during vaccination of mice with live attenuated Salmonella, reaching a peak frequency of ∼50% of CD4 T cells. Salmonella-specific T cells persisted at high frequency for several weeks and could be detected in the memory population for months after infection. Surprisingly, the expansion of endogenous Salmonella-specific CD4 T cells prevented the persistence of adoptively transferred Salmonella-specific T cells in vivo, demonstrating interclonal competition for access to the memory compartment.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 6884-6893 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Journal of Immunology |
Volume | 172 |
Issue number | 11 |
State | Published - Jun 1 2004 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology