Background BALB/c mice control infection with the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii and develop a latent chronic infection in the brain, as do immunocompetent humans. IFN-γ producing CD8+ T cells provide essential protection against T. gondii, but the epitopes recognized have so far remained elusive. Methods We employed caged MHC molecules to generate ~ 250 H-2Ld tetramers and distinguish T. gondii-specific CD8+ T cells in BALB/c mice. Results We identify two T. gondii specific H-2Ld-restricted T cell epitopes, one from dense granule protein GRA4 and the other from rhoptry protein ROP7. H-2Ld/GRA4 reactive T cells from multiple organ sources predominate 2 weeks after infection, while the reactivity of the H-2Ld/ROP7 T cells peaks 6–8 weeks after infection. BALB/c animals infected with T. gondii mutants defective in establishing a chronic infection show altered levels of antigen-specific T cells, depending on the T. gondii mutant used. Conclusions Our results shed light on the identity and the parasite stage-specificity of two CD8+ T cell epitopes recognized in the acute and chronic phase of infection with T. gondii.

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