The molecular basis of CD4 T-cell help for the cytotoxic T-cell response

CD4+ T cells optimize the cytotoxic T cell (CTL) response in magnitude and quality, by unknown molecular mechanisms. We here present the transcriptomic changes, resulting from CD4+ T-cell help during priming, as apparent in effector CTLs. This gene expression signature reveals that CD4+ T-cell help optimizes CTLs in the expression of cytotoxic effector molecules, but also in many other functions that ensure optimal efficacy of CTLs throughout their life cycle. Overall design: Whole transcriptome analysis of effector CD8 T cells primed in the presence or absence of CD4 T cell help after vaccination or virus infection, or treated with agonistic CD27 or blocking CD70 antibody after vaccination.