Affinity for self drives the preferential accumulation of promiscuous CD4+ T cells over the lifespan. (LYM2P.726)

Abstract

Abstract T cells discriminate self from foreign peptides presented in the context of self-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) molecules via clonotypic T cell receptors (TCRs). CD8+ T cell recognition and responsiveness to foreign pMHC is known to diminish over the lifespan, which is consistent with gradual thymic involution over time. How the affinity of the CD4+ T cell compartment for self-pMHC, and its capacity to bind foreign-pMHC change over the lifespan are basic aspects of T cell biology that remain largely unexplored. Experimentally restricting thymic selection is known to allow degenerate CD4+ T cells to develop. This suggests that they might accumulate in the CD4+ T cell compartment over time. We report that, while old mice (18-22 months) contain fewer CD4+ T cells than adults (8-12 weeks), those that remain have a higher intrinsic affinity for self-pMHC. Old mice also have more cells that bind distinct foreign-pMHCs, either alone or in combination. The numerical increase of these subsets with age directly correlates with their affinity for self-pMHC. However, no relationship was observed between affinity for self-pMHC and responsiveness to foreign-pMHC. These data demonstrate that the CD4+ T cell compartment preferentially accumulates promiscuous constituents with age as a consequence of higher affinity T cell receptor interactions with self-pMHC. These results have important implications for the design of immunotherapeutics targeting CD4+ T cells for long-term efficacy.