Mus musculus Targeted RNA-Seq

To determine the impact of TCR signals on the effector versus memory fate decision, we devised a deep sequencing-based approach that allowed us to track the evolution of TCR repertoires during the transition of activated CD4+ T cells from effector to memory following acute viral or bacterial infection. We report that the memory transition is associated with a significant decrease in repertoire diversity, and that MHC Class II tetramer off-rate, but not tetramer avidity, is a significant predictive factor in the ability of T cell clones to populate the memory pool. We conclude that stable and sustained interactions with antigen during the activation and differentiation of Th1 responses to acute infection are a determinative factor in promoting Th1 memory differentiation.