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Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Measuring Mitochondrial Function of Naïve and Effector CD8 T Cells
Published on: March 28, 2025
Diverse Microbial Exposure Enhances CD8+ T Cell Effector Memory Output and Function
Claire E Thefaine1, Erin D Lucas1, Katharine E Block1
1Center for Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
None:
Mice with normalized microbial exposure (NME) harbor an immune system that more accurately reflects that of humans compared to mice maintained as specific pathogen-free (SPF). An explanation for the observed alterations in the composition of the T cell compartment in NME mice has not been reported. We compared the T cell landscape in NME versus SPF mice at baseline and after acute LCMV infection. Using the immgenT dataset, we found no unique T cell populations in NME, but the landscape shifted towards activated T cells with increased propensity for effector functions and improved pathogen clearance. CD8+ KLRG1+ cells (immgenT CD8_cl12) are significantly expanded in NME mice. Their predominance was a result of both increased formation and the conversion of other memory populations to a KLRG1+ phenotype. Thus, NME mice provide insight into a diverse T cell compartment rich with cells previously found to be limited in SPF mice.
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