The transcriptional repressor Bcl-6 is linked to the development of both CD4+ T follicular helper (TFH) and central memory T (TCM) cells. Here, we demonstrate that in response to decreased IL-2 signalling, T helper 1 (TH1) cells upregulate Bcl-6 and co-initiate TFH- and TCM-like gene programs, including expression of the cytokine receptors IL-6Rα and IL-7R. Exposure of this potentially bi-potent cell population to IL-6 favours the TFH gene program, whereas IL-7 signalling represses TFH-associated genes including Bcl6 and Cxcr5, but not the TCM-related genes Klf2 and Sell. Mechanistically, IL-7-dependent activation of STAT5 contributes to Bcl-6 repression. Importantly, antigen-specific IL-6Rα+IL-7R+ CD4+ T cells emerge from the effector population at late time points post influenza infection. These data support a novel role for IL-7 in the repression of the TFH gene program and evoke a divergent regulatory mechanism by which post-effector TH1 cells may contribute to long-term cell-mediated and humoral immunity.

Over the last few decades, there has been a shift in the classroom from lecturebased to active learning settings with the argument that students retain more information when they are involved in the learning process. This correlation is even stronger when the active learning setting incorporates a real-world or personal connection. Using active learning activities that develop students' ability to comprehend primary scientific literature is particularly important in the field of immunology, due to the rapid expansion of information in the field, which has been further accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By nature, immunology is interdisciplinary, requiring an integrated knowledge of concepts from several scientific disciplines to understand complex immune processes. Engaging undergraduate students through the use of primary literature can improve scientific literacy, develop critical thinking, and enhance understanding of complex topics. To explore this, we utilized a group learning activity in an introductory immunology course that incorporated both a coronavirus-related review and COVID-19 clinical research article. We found that this learning activity significantly enhanced student confidence in key scientific literacy skills: reading scientific literature, clearly explaining relevant points, and describing conclusions generated from the data. Moreover, all students reported that they enjoyed the activity and that it helped them understand more about the current COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the immune response.

College students are a vulnerable population to food insecurity (FI), which has significant implications for academic and health outcomes. The aims of this study were to explore the meaning of FI and its impact on students’ lived experiences and food decisions, facilitators and barriers to food access as a student, and students’ proposed solutions to address FI. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with thirty students from a large, public land grant university in the Southeast United States. Grounded theory methodology was utilized with a constant comparative coding strategy to guide thematic analysis. Nine main themes emerged. Themes included the perceived meaning of FI, students’ lived experience with FI, and food related coping strategies and decisions. Facilitators to food access were found to be social-networks and on-campus resources, while barriers to food access included financial burden of higher education, and stigma and social comparison. Proposed solutions to FI aligned with two main themes: food access solutions and information access solutions. Both of these themes included multiple subthemes that provided specific suggestions to address food insecurity for students. The findings aid in understanding the complex lived experience of FI and can inform future efforts to center student experiences, perceptions, and feedback into institutional frameworks to best meet student needs.

Populations of both CD4 and CD8 T cells with stem-like properties have been documented in the setting of autoimmunity, chronic infection, and cancer. These cells exhibit the capacity to self renew, as well as serve as progenitors to more differentiated T cell phenotypes, but the cell intrinsic factors that promote the development and maintenance of T cell stemness are not well known. In a mouse model of chronic intestinal inflammation, we observed that a subset of effector CD4 T cells displayed many of the attributes consistent with T cell stemness; these cells expressed the key stemness transcription factor TCF1, could persist long term in vivo, and further transitioned into terminal effector cells. Importantly, these stem-like effector CD4 T cells were able to both sustain and confer intestinal inflammation. To discern molecules that contribute to the stemness phenotype, we employed gene set enrichment analyses with multiple data sets and identified the glycosyltransferase ST6Gal-I, which facilitates the addition of a2,6-linked sialic acid moieties to surface N-glycans. We found that this sialyltransferase was preferentially expressed in stem-like CD4 T cells during colitis and CD8 T cells during chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection, and that these cell populations displayed a2,6-linked sialic acids on the cell surface. Moreover, in the colitis model, we observed that genetic deletion of ST6Gal-I in T cells correlated with diminished TCF1 expression and reduced inflammation. Furthermore, constitutive expression of ST6Gal-I by T cells was associated with the ability to promote intestinal inflammation. Together, these data highlight ST6Gal-I as a potential regulator of the T cell stemness phenotype.