The correct and timely delivery of immune cells is critical for protection against foreign antigen. In order for cells to access most organs, there are requirements that must be met to facilitate exit from the blood into extravasculature. The initial requirement is selectin-selectin ligand interactions that mediate tethering and rolling to allow shear resistance. For proper selectin-selectin ligand interaction, glycoproteins must be modified by fucosyltransferases –IV and –VII, which adds fucose to an acceptor substrate to form the sialyl-LewisX moiety. Using fucosyltransferase –IV and –VII double knockout (FtDKO) mice, we made several novel observations. Our first observation showed increased numbers of naïve T cells in non-lymphoid organs. To support this observation, we blocked chemokine-mediated entry into lymph nodes (LNs) with pertussis toxin and L-selectin mediated entry with anti-CD62L antibody in WT mice. We also treated WT mice with the S1P1 agonist, FTY720, to retain lymphocytes in LNs. Our results suggested that when access to LN is perturbed, lymphocytes accumulate in non-lymphoid organs. Our second observation showed an enrichment of effector/memory T cells in FtDKO LNs. To determine if effector/memory CD8 T cells were retained in LNs, we transferred naïve and memory CD8 T cells into WT mice then treated the recipient mice with anti-CD62L. We found that LN exit rates of naïve and memory CD8 T cells were similar, but slowed as T cell density decreased. To understand if memory CD8 T cells were using selectin ligand independent mechanisms, we transferred naïve and memory CD8 T cells into WT or FtDKO mice. We found reduced numbers of memory CD8 T cells in LNs, however, their frequency was increased. We explored this result by transferring CFSE labeled memory CD8 T cells. We found that memory CD8 T cells divide more in FtDKO mice compared to WT. These experiments suggested that selectin ligand deficiencies cause increased frequency of effector/memory T cells in LNs due to low density and increased emptiness induced proliferation. Taken together, these findings reveal how selectin ligand deficiencies contribute to T cell accumulation in non-lymphoid organs and elucidate mechanisms of retention in LNs.

The correct and timely delivery of immune cells is critical for protection against foreign antigen. In order for cells to access most organs, there are requirements that must be met to facilitate exit from the blood into extravasculature. The initial requirement is selectin-selectin ligand interactions that mediate tethering and rolling to allow shear resistance. For proper selectin-selectin ligand interaction, glycoproteins must be modified by fucosyltransferases –IV and –VII, which adds fucose to an acceptor substrate to form the sialyl-LewisX moiety. Using fucosyltransferase –IV and –VII double knockout (FtDKO) mice, we made several novel observations. Our first observation showed increased numbers of naïve T cells in non-lymphoid organs. To support this observation, we blocked chemokine-mediated entry into lymph nodes (LNs) with pertussis toxin and L-selectin mediated entry with anti-CD62L antibody in WT mice. We also treated WT mice with the S1P1 agonist, FTY720, to retain lymphocytes in LNs. Our results suggested that when access to LN is perturbed, lymphocytes accumulate in non-lymphoid organs. Our second observation showed an enrichment of effector/memory T cells in FtDKO LNs. To determine if effector/memory CD8 T cells were retained in LNs, we transferred naïve and memory CD8 T cells into WT mice then treated the recipient mice with anti-CD62L. We found that LN exit rates of naïve and memory CD8 T cells were similar, but slowed as T cell density decreased. To understand if memory CD8 T cells were using selectin ligand independent mechanisms, we transferred naïve and memory CD8 T cells into WT or FtDKO mice. We found reduced numbers of memory CD8 T cells in LNs, however, their frequency was increased. We explored this result by transferring CFSE labeled memory CD8 T cells. We found that memory CD8 T cells divide more in FtDKO mice compared to WT. These experiments suggested that selectin ligand deficiencies cause increased frequency of effector/memory T cells in LNs due to low density and increased emptiness induced proliferation. Taken together, these findings reveal how selectin ligand deficiencies contribute to T cell accumulation in non-lymphoid organs and elucidate mechanisms of retention in LNs.

Une résidence à long terme de lymphocytes T (LTs) au sein de la plupart des tissus non lymphoïdes a été récemment décrite, notamment à la suite d’infections. Ces cellules confèreraient à l’hôte une meilleure protection en cas de réinfection. À l'aide de deux approches expérimentales différentes, l'injection d'anticorps bloquant l’entrée des LTs dans les ganglions lymphatiques (LNs) et la génération de parabioses par chirurgie, nous avons pu mettre en évidence, à l’état basal, la résidence d’une proportion significative des LTs αβ mémoires CD4+, des LTs αβ régulateurs CD4+ et d’une sous-population des LTs γδ dans les organes lymphoïdes secondaires. Les LTs CD4+ régulateurs et mémoires résidents ont en commun de nombreuses caractéristiques phénotypiques et fonctionnelles, et partagent avec leurs homologues issus de tissus non lymphoïdes une signature transcriptionnelle commune de résidence. Les LTs γδ résidents, quant à eux, arborent des caractéristiques phénotypiques et fonctionnelles proches de celles des cellules du système immunitaire inné. Si le microbiote semble jouer un rôle important dans la résidence des LTs αβ CD4+ des plaques de Peyer (PPs), son rôle ne semble pas être prépondérant dans la résidence de ces cellules au sein des LNs. Comme dans de nombreux tissus non lymphoïdes, la sous-expression de S1PR1 pourrait en partie expliquer la résidence des LTs αβ CD4+. Par contre, les LTs γδ seraient, eux, retenus dans les tissus lymphoïdes de par des interactions étroites avec les macrophages. Enfin, la résidence des LTs αβ augmente avec l'âge au point que la majorité des LTs CD4+ régulateurs et mémoires des LNs et des PPs sont en fait résidents chez des souris âgées. Nos résultats montrent que la résidence des cellules T n'est pas seulement une caractéristique des tissus non lymphoïdes mais qu’elle peut être étendue aux organes lymphoïdes secondaires. Le rôle respectif de ces différentes populations de LTs devra être exploré. / In the last decade, numerous data have demonstrated the existence of T cells residing in non-lymphoid tissues, mostly after infectious diseases. These resident memory T cells may represent a first line of defense against pathogens at front-line sites of microbial exposure upon reinfection. Using two different experimental approaches such as the injection of integrin-neutralizing antibodies that inhibits the entry of circulating lymphocytes into lymph nodes and long-term parabiosis experiments, we have highlighted the long-term residence of a substantial proportion of regulatory and memory CD4 αβ T cells and γδ T cells within the secondary lymphoid organs of specific pathogen free mice. Resident γδ T cells display innate-like characteristics. Lymph node-resident regulatory and memory CD4 αβ T cells share many phenotypic and functional characteristics, including a core transcriptional profile, with their cell-counterparts from non-lymphoid tissues. Microbiota plays an important role in αβ T-cell residence in Peyer’s patches but only a small one if any in lymph nodes. Like in many non-lymphoid tissues, S1PR1 down-regulation may account forαβ T-cell residency within secondary lymphoid organs although other mechanisms may account for this especially in the case of lymph node memory CD4 T cells. Specific in vivo cell-depletion strategies have allowed us to demonstrate that macrophages are the main actors involved in the long-term retention of γδ T cells in secondary lymphoid organs. Strikingly, T-cell residence increases with age to the point that the majority of regulatory and memory CD4 αβ T cells from LNs and Peyer’s patches are in fact resident T cells in old mice. Altogether, our results show that T-cell residence is not only a hallmark of non-lymphoid tissues but can be extended to secondary lymphoid organs.