Immunity
Volume 53, Issue 1, 14 July 2020, Pages 158-171.e6
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Article
Sensing of ATP via the Purinergic Receptor P2RX7 Promotes CD8+ Trm Cell Generation by Enhancing Their Sensitivity to the Cytokine TGF-β

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2020.06.010Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Generation of long-lived CD103+CD69+ Trm cells requires P2RX7 expression

  • P2RX7 controls Trm cell generation through induction of the TGF-β signaling pathway

  • Trm cell long-term maintenance requires continuous expression of P2RX7

Summary

Tissue-resident memory (Trm) CD8+ T cells mediate protective immunity in barrier tissues, but the cues promoting Trm cell generation are poorly understood. Sensing of extracellular adenosine triphosphate (eATP) by the purinergic receptor P2RX7 is needed for recirculating CD8+ T cell memory, but its role for Trm cells is unclear. Here we showed that P2RX7 supported Trm cell generation by enhancing CD8+ T cell sensing of TGF-β, which was necessary for tissue residency. P2RX7-deficient Trm cells progressively decayed in non-lymphoid tissues and expressed dysregulated Trm-specific markers. P2RX7 was required for efficient re-expression of the receptor TGF-βRII through calcineurin signaling. Forced Tgfbr2 expression rescued P2RX7-deficient Trm cell generation, and TGF-β sensitivity was dictated by P2RX7 agonists and antagonists. Forced Tgfbr2 also rescued P2RX7-deficient Trm cell mitochondrial function. Sustained P2RX7 signaling was required for long-term Trm cell maintenance, indicating that P2RX7 signaling drives induction and CD8+ T cell durability in barrier sites.

Keywords

memory CD8+ T cells
eATP
P2RX7
non-lymphoid tissue
TGF-β

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