Mitochodrial and metabolic alteration may influence CD4 T cell response during the acute phase of Trypanosoma cruzi infection

ANA, Y; ROJAS MARQUEZ, JD; FOZZATTI, L; CERBAN, FM; STEMPIN, CC

Buenos Aires

Conferencia; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencias; 2017

We have shown that decreased function of CD4 T cell during acute phase of Trypanosoma cruzi infection is related to increase of PD-1 and GRAIL expression, reduced IL-2 production and lower mTOR activation. It has been shown that upon activation T cells undergo metabolic reprogramming to glycolysis and mitochondrial biogenesis required to support their functions. Since mTOR is a central regulator of metabolism, we investigate the status of metabolic pathways in CD4 T cells during T. cruzi infection. BALB/c mice were infected i.p. with 500 trypomastigotes of Tulahuen strain and CD4 T cells were purified from spleen of uninfected (control) or infected mice at different days post infection (d.p.i.). We evaluated expression of nutrient transporters CD71 (transferrin), CD98 (aminoacids) and Glut1 (glucose) as well as uptake of a fluorescent glucose analog 2NBDG by FACS. We did not observed differences in CD71, CD98 and Glut1 expression in ex vivo CD4 T cells from infected animals compared with controls. After aCD3/aCD28 stimulation, CD4 T cells from control and 42 d.p.i animals were able to upregulate these transporters (p