Virus-induced CD8(+) T cell clonal expansion is associated with telomeraseup-regulation and telomere length preservation: A mechanism for rescue from replicative senescence
Mk. Maini et al., Virus-induced CD8(+) T cell clonal expansion is associated with telomeraseup-regulation and telomere length preservation: A mechanism for rescue from replicative senescence, J IMMUNOL, 162(8), 1999, pp. 4521-4526
In acute infectious mononucleosis (AIR I), very large clones of Ag-specific
CD8(+) effector T cells are generated. Many clones persist as memory cells
, although the clone size is greatly reduced. It would be expected that the
large number of cell divisions occurring during clonal expansion would lea
d to shortening of telomeres, predisposing to replicative senescence. Inste
ad, we show that clonally expanded CD8(+) T cells in AIM have paradoxical p
reservation of telomere length in association, with marked up-regulation of
telomerase, We postulate that this allows a proportion of responding T cel
ls to enter the memory pool with a preserved capacity to continue dividing
so that long-term immunological memory can be maintained.