Transcriptomic analysis of antigen-specific CD4 T cells infiltrating the liver (Figure 6)

Antigen-specific CD4 T cells immuno-exhausted transcriptional profile after local antigen reactivity in the liver. we designed a non-TCR-transgenic mouse model that allows the analysis of the emergence and modulation of CD4 T cell responses against a model antigen expressed by hepatocytes. We used a model of Balb/c mice in which the hemagglutinin (HA) expression was restricted to hepatocytes, by an inducible Cre recombinase under the control of hepatocyte-specific mTTR (transthyretin) promotor (HA/iCre). Experimental Design: HA-specific CD4 T cells were isolated from the spleen and/or the liver: Group1 (HA i.m /Spleen): Mice immunized against HA (intra muscular immunization with Adenovirus-Cre; HA i.m); cells from spleen (n=4). Group2 (i HA i.m + Tamoxifen /Spleen): Mice expressing HA in the liver (Tamoxifen) and immunized against HA (AdCre i.m); cells from spleen (n=5). Group3 (HA i.m + Tamoxifen + Tamox/Liver): Mice expressing HA in the liver (Tamoxifen) and immunized against HA (Ad cre i.m and Plasmid HA); cells from liver (n=7)