3.5 T-bet-dependent T-cell activation
was found in wild boar but not domestic
pigs
Expression of the T-box transcription factor TBX21 (T‑bet) in αβ and γδ
T cells was investigated as a marker for activation. Domestic pigs had
relatively high levels of T‑bet+ cells even before the
infection and thus, there was no further activation measurable over the
course of the study. In blood and spleen, T‑bet expression was decreased
below baseline levels (Supplemental figure 2). In contrast, we detected
increased frequencies of T‑bet+CD4–/CD8α+ αβ T cells in spleen,
lung, and liver of infected wild boar 10 dpi (Figure 6). Moreover, we
found heightened proportions of T‑bet+CD4+/CD8α– αβ T cells 10 dpi and of
all differentiation states of γδ T cells 7 and 10 dpi in the lung of
infected wild boar (Figure 6).