Requirements for Notch Signaling in Positive Selection and Effector Function of CD8 T Cells

The generation of the cytotoxic CD8 T cell response is dependent on the functional outcomes imposed by the intrathymic constraints of differentiation and self-tolerance. Although thymic function can be partly replicated in vitro using OP9-DL1 cell cultures to yield CD8 αβ T cell receptor (TCR)-bearing cells from hematopoietic progenitor cells, a comprehensive and functional assessment of entirely in-vitro generated CD8 T cells derived from bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (BM-HSCs) has not been established and remains controversial. Here we demonstrate that a phenotypic, molecular, and functional signature of in vitro-derived CD8 T cells is akin to that of ex vivo CD8 T cells. Transfer of in vitro-derived CD8 T cells into syngeneic and immunodeficient host mice showed no graft-versus-host response, while a robust homeostatic proliferation was observed, respectively. These findings, along with a diverse and broad TCR repertoire expressed by the in vitro-derived CD8 T cells, allowed for the successful generation of antigen (Ag)-specific T cells to be obtained from an entirely in vitro-generated CD8 T cell pool, which calls for further tailoring of their use against viral infections or malignancies. Furthermore, I demonstrate that Notch signaling regulates the expression of the cytolytic molecule Granzyme A in CD8+ T cells. This is supported by the inability of Notch-deprived TCR-signaled CD8 T cells to express Granzyme A, while CD8 T cells that received Notch signals readily expressed Granzyme A, suggesting that Notch signaling is a prerequisite for induction of this cytolytic molecule. We further demonstrate that Notch signaling by OP9 cells allows for efficient differentiation of conventional effector CD8 T cells from SAP-/- BM-derived HSCs and restricts differentiation of innate CD8 T cells while allowing for differentiation of IL17-producing CD8 T cells from BM-HSCs isolated from Itk-/-Rlk-/- (DKO) mice. Moreover, we reveal that the process of positive and negative selection in vitro is constrained by peptide-MHC (pMHC) class I expressed by the OP9 cells and disclose that the commitment of DP precursors to the CD8 T cell lineage is facilitated by Notch signaling. Our findings further establish the requirement for Notch receptor-ligand interactions throughout intrathymic T cell differentiation.Ph