Innate phase production of IFN-γ by memory and effector T cells expressing early activation marker CD69 during infection with Cryptococcus deneoformans in the lungs.

Cryptococcus deneoformans is a yeast-type fungus that causes fatal meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised patients and evades phagocytic cell elimination through an escape mechanism. Memory T (Tm) cells play a central role in preventing the reactivation of this fungal pathogen. Among these cells, tissue-resident memory T (T(RM)) cells quickly respond to locally invaded pathogens. This study analyzes the kinetics of effector T (Teff) cells and Tm cells in the lungs after cryptococcal infection. Emphasis is placed on the kinetics and cytokine expression of T(RM) cells in the early phase of infection. CD4(+) Tm cells exhibited a rapid increase by day 3, peaked at day 7, and then either maintained their levels or exhibited a slight decrease until day 56. In contrast, CD8(+) Tm cells reached their peak on day 3 and thereafter decreased up to day 56 post-infection. These Tm cells were predominantly composed of CD69(+) T(RM) cells and CD69(+) CD103(+) T(RM) cells. Disruption of the CARD9 gene resulted in reduced accumulation of these T(RM) cells and diminished interferon (IFN) -γ expression in T(RM) cells. T(RM) cells were derived from T cells with T cell receptors non-specific to ovalbumin in OT-II mice during cryptococcal infection. In addition, T(RM) cells exhibited varied behavior in different tissues. These results underscore the importance of T cells, which produce IFN-γ in the lungs during the early stage of infection, in providing early protection against cryptococcal infection through CARD9 signaling.