E2F1 and E2F2 Are Differentially Required for Homeostasis-Driven and Antigen-Induced T Cell Proliferation In Vivo

Homeostasis-driven T cell proliferation occurs in response to a lymphopenic environment and is mediated by TCR and IL-7 signaling. In this report, we demonstrate a defect in the proliferation of murine naive and memory T cells lacking both E2F1 and E2F2 in response to lymphopenic conditions, suggesting that E2F1 and E2F2 function redundantly downstream of TCR and/or IL-7 signaling during homeostasis-driven proliferation. In contrast, T cell proliferation in response to antigenic stimulation is either unaffected (in vivo) or potentiated (ex vivo) by loss of E2F1 and E2F2, indicating divergent requirements for these E2F factors in T cell proliferation mediated by distinct stimuli. E2F1/E2F2 double knockout (DKO) T cells enter S phase in response to homeostatic signaling, but fail to divide, suggesting that S phase progression is either incomplete or defective. In addition, E2F1/E2F2 DKO mice do not recover normal T cell numbers following exposure to a sublethal dose of radiation, indicating that this defect in homeostasis-driven proliferation is physiologically relevant. Consistent with their failure in cell cycle progression, the differentiation of DKO T cells into memory T cells in response to homeostatic signals is significantly reduced. These observations support the idea that proliferation is required for memory T cell formation and also have implications for the development of clinical strategies to minimize the occurrence of lymphopenia-induced autoimmunity.