Comparative Analysis of Activation Phenotype, Proliferation, and IFN-γ Production by Spleen NK1.1+ and NK1.1− T Cells During Plasmodium chabaudi AS Malaria

The NK1.1 molecule participates in NK, NKT, and T-cell activation, contributing to IFN-γ production and cytotoxicity. To characterize the early immune response to Plasmodium chabaudi AS, spleen NK1.1+ and NK1.1− T cells were compared in acutely infected C57BL/6 mice. The first parasitemia peak in C57BL/6 mice correlated with increase in CD4+NK1.1+TCR-αβ+, CD8+NK1.1+TCR-αβ+, and CD4+NK1.1−TCR-αβ+ cell numbers per spleen, where a higher increment was observed for NK1.1+ T cells compared to NK1.1− T cells. According to the ability to recognize the CD1d-α-GalCer tetramer, CD4+NK1.1+ cells in 7-day infected mice were not predominantly invariant NKT cells. At that time, nearly all NK1.1+ T cells and around 30% of NK1.1− T cells showed an experienced/activated (CD44HICD69HICD122HI) cell phenotype, with high expression of Fas and PD-L1 correlating with their low proliferative capacity. Moreover, whereas IFN-γ production by CD4+NK1.1+ cells peaked at day 4 p.i., the IFN-γ response of CD4+NK1.1− cells continued to ...