Choline acetyltransferase–expressing T cells are required to control chronic viral infection

Publication Date

2019

Journal Title

Science

Abstract

© 2017 The Authors. Although widely studied as a neurotransmitter, T cell–derived acetylcholine (ACh) has recently been reported to play an important role in regulating immunity. However, the role of lymphocyte-derived ACh in viral infection is unknown. Here, we show that the enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), which catalyzes the rate-limiting step of ACh production, is robustly induced in both CD4 + and CD8 + T cells during lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection in an IL-21–dependent manner. Deletion of Chat within the T cell compartment in mice ablated vasodilation in response to infection, impaired the migration of antiviral T cells into infected tissues, and ultimately compromised the control of chronic LCMV clone 13 infection. Our results reveal a genetic proof of function for ChAT in T cells during viral infection and identify a pathway of T cell migration that sustains antiviral immunity.

Volume Number

363

Issue Number

6427

Pages

639-644

Document Type

Article

Status

Faculty

Facility

School of Medicine

Primary Department

Neurosurgery

Additional Departments

Molecular Medicine

PMID

30733420

DOI

10.1126/science.aau9072

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