Progression of armed CTL from draining lymph node to spleen shortly after localized infection with herpes simplex virus 1.

We have examined the generation of CTL immunity immediately after localized footpad infection with herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) using three coordinated in vivo T cell tracking methodologies. Tetrameric MHC class I containing the immunodominant peptide from HSV-1 glycoprotein B (gB) showed that after infection the proportion of Ag-specific T cells peaked at day 5 within draining popliteal lymph nodes and 2 days later in the spleen. Preferential expression of the activation marker CD25 by tetramer-positive cells in draining popliteal nodes but not spleen suggested that gB-specific T cells were initially activated within the lymph node. In vivo cytotoxicity assays showed that Ag-specific effector cells were present within the draining lymph nodes as early as day 2 after infection, with a further 2-day lag before detection in the spleen. Consistent with the very early arming of effector CTL in the draining lymph node, adoptive transfer of CFSE-labeled gB-specific transgenic T cells showed that they had undergone one to four rounds of cell division by day 2 after infection. In contrast, proliferating T cells were first detected in appreciable numbers in the spleen on day 4, at which time they had undergone extensive cell division. These data demonstrate that HSV-1-specific T cells are rapidly activated and armed within draining lymph nodes shortly after localized HSV-1 infection. This is followed by their dissemination to other compartments such as the spleen, where they further proliferate in an Ag-independent fashion.