Whole genome mRNA analysis of virus-specific CD8+ T cells expressing different levels of Id2-GFP following influenza virus infection. Mus musculus

We speculated that distinct levels of Id2 was deterministic in the transcriptional program of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. To test this hypothesis, we subjected DbNP366-specific effector CD8+ T cells purified according to their differential expression of Id2-GFP (Id2-GFPint and Id2-GFPhigh) to microarray analysis and compared their gene expression profiles to the differentially expressed genes identified by comparing Id2-deficient and wild-type DbNP366-specific CD8+ T cells. This analysis revealed that the transcriptional program of CD8+ T cell differentiation is exquisitely sensitive to the concentration of Id2. Overall design: PR8-primed Id2gfp/gfp mice were challenged after one month with influenza intranasally HKx31 virus and analysed on day 9 for the expression of Id2-GFP in DbNP366+CD44+ CD8+ T cells. DbNP366-specific CD8+ T cells were then separated into virus-specific CD8+ T cells that expressed intermediate or high levels of GFP. Purified Id2-GFPintermediate (int) and Id2-GFPhigh DbNP366-specific CD8+ T cells were analysed by mRNA whole genome microarray. Three replicates of each group (Id2-GFPint or Id2-GFPhigh) were analysed.