Characterization of OCA-B induction in naive CD4+ T cells

Oct1 and its transcriptional cofactor OCA-B are required for memory CD4+ T cell development. This study describes OCA-B induction patterns in naïve CD4+ T cells. Naïve CD4+ T cells have no endogenous expression of OCA-B. After 6 hours of in vitro stimulation, by plate bound CD3ε antibodies and CD28 antibodies in media, T cells begin expression of OCA-B. OCA-B expression increases gradually over time with continued stimulation. Maintenance of OCA-B expression is influenced by Oct1 activity: in the absence of Oct1, OCA-B levels are reduced at long time points following stimulation. Additionally, a novel function of OCA-B positively influencing surface expression of CD44, a surface receptor required for memory T cell survival, has been discovered. A floxed, conditional cre-driven knockout allele of OCA-B has been generated in C57/BL6 mice. This allele will prove to be an invaluable tool for researching further in vivo functions of OCA-B.