Transcriptional control of influenza-specific CD4+ tissue-resident memory T cell generation

Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) are a non-circulating subset of memory that are maintained at sites of pathogen entry and mediate optimal protection against reinfection. Lung TRM can be generated in response to respiratory infection or vaccination, however, the molecular pathways involved in CD4+TRM establishment have not been defined. Here, we performed transcriptional profiling of influenza-specific lung CD4+TRM following influenza infection to identify pathways implicated in CD4+TRM generation and homeostasis. Lung CD4+TRM displayed a unique transcriptional profile distinct from spleen memory, including up-regulation of a gene network induced by the transcription factor IRF4, a known regulator of effector T cell differentiation. Transcriptional profiling by RNA-Seq of lung-resident and spleen influenza-specific mouse CD4+ T cells. Project includes four and five biological replicates of each sample type, respectively.