TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR9 and TLR11 expression on effector CD4 + T-cell subsets in Leishmania donovani infection

T-cells play a central role in cell-mediated immunity. While activation of T-cells is major histocompatibility-restricted, the Toll-like receptors (TLRs)- a family of proteins that recognize conserved molecular patterns present on the pathogens-are not well-studied for their expression and function in T-cells. As any association of TLR expression profiles with an effector T-cell subset is unknown, we analyze BALB/c mice-derived CD4 and CD8 T-cells' TLR expression profiles. We report: CD4 t-bet T-cells are frequent in TLR2 TLR3 TLR4 subpopulation, CD4 GATA3 T-cells are frequent within the cells with intermediate expression of TLR2, TLR3, TLR4 and TLR11, CD4 FoxP3 T-cells in TLR2 TLR3 cells whereas CD4 RORγt T-cells are frequent in TLR2 TLR3 TLR4 TLR11 cells. CD4 effector T-cell subsets may therefore show association with TLRs- TLR3, in particular-expression. In Leishmania donovani infection in BALB/c mice, TLR3 expression on both CD4 and CD8 T-cells is reduced. Poly-I:C, a TLR3 ligand, do not have any distinctive effects on the CD4 effector T-cell subsets. These data suggest that TLRs on T-cells may not function as a primary receptor that controls T-cell function but their distinctive expression profiles on different T-cell subsets suggest plausible immunomodulatory role.