Interstitial Migration of CD8αβ T Cells in the Small Intestine Is Dynamic and Is Dictated by Environmental Cues

The migratory capacity of adaptive CD8 alpha beta T cells dictates their ability to locate target cells and exert cytotoxicity, which is the basis of immune surveillance for the containment of microbes and disease. The small intestine (SI) is the largest mucosal surface and is a primary site of pathogen entrance. Using two-photon laser scanning microscopy, we found that motility of antigen (Ag)-specific CD8 alpha beta T cells in the SI is dynamic and varies with the environmental milieu. Pathogen-specific CD8 alpha beta T cell movement differed throughout infection, becoming locally confined at memory. Motility was not dependent on CD103 but was influenced by micro-anatomical locations within the SI and by inflammation. CD8 T cells responding to self-protein were initially affected by the presence of self-Ag, but this was altered after complete tolerance induction. These studies identify multiple factors that affect CD8 alpha beta T cell movement in the intestinal mucosa and show the adaptability of CD8 alpha beta T cell motility.