Transcriptomics coupled proteomics reveals the critical signaling pathways regulating OVA antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in mouse spleen and liver

Background: Antigen-specific T cells are particularly important for eliminating bacterial infection, and the dynamics in this process help uncover the mechanisms by which bacteria are eliminated.Results: In this study, we sorted the antigen-specific CD8+ T cell in the mouse liver and spleen at 5, 7, and 14 days after infection of Listeria monocytogenes expressing the OVA protein, finding that antigen-specific CD8+ T cell expansion after infection peaked on Day 7. Through the RNAseq analysis, we identified 355 genes whose expression peaked on 7 days post-infection shared in both of spleen and liver. For these shared genes, the KEGG pathway analysis showed a notable enrichment in the metabolic pathway. We also discovered 1621 proteins shared in the mouse liver and spleen that peaked seven days after infection by the LC-MS/MS analysis. The KEGG pathway analysis for these proteins revealed a significant enrichment in Splicesome, RNA transport, Ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, and Huntington disease. Transcriptomics coupled proteomics reveals 45 genes/proteins that were elevated on day 7 post listeria infection both in the spleen and liver. These 45 molecules were enriched in Human T-cell leukemia virus 1 infection and T cell activation, which played an important role in the activation of T cells and the anti-infection process.Conclusion: Transcriptomics coupled proteomics reveals the key signaling pathways to regulate antigen-specific CD8+ T cells by infection of Listeria monocytogenes expressing the OVA protein in mouse spleen and liver. This study used MHC class I tetramers to recognize the antigen OVA antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in mouse spleen and liver. Then combined the RNAseq and LC-MS/MS analysis to track the changes of the OVA antigen-specific CD8+ T cells at different time points (5 days,7 days, and 14 days post listeria infection).