Transcriptional profiling of CD4+ T cells activated in murine malaria.

CD4+ T cells are critical for defense against the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. To better understand CD4+ T cell effector mechanisms during malaria, we performed microarray analysis of CD4+ T cells from naïve and infected mice. Comparison of activated (CD44 hi CD62L lo) CD4+ T cells from infected mice to bulk CD4+ T cells from naïve mice revealed a subset of genes that were upregulated by infection with Plasmodium chabaudi. These results help generate a more complete picture of CD4+ T cell function in malaria. Total CD4+ T cells were double-sorted from the blood of adult naïve female mice; activated (CD44 hi CD62L lo) CD4+ T cells were double-sorted from the blood of adult female mice 6 d post-infection with P. chabaudi. Four independent biological replicates were performed per condition.