IL-7 Promotes Naïve T Cell Motility to Enable T Cell Scanning of Dendritic Cells in the LN

Authors

• Janie R. Byrum, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, MSC 08 4660, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
• Kimberly A. Morrissey, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, MSC 08 4660, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
• David J. Torres, Department of Mathematics and Physical Science, Northern New Mexico College, 921 N. Paseo de Oñate, Espanola, NM 87532, USA.
• Sreenivasa Rao Oruganti, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, MSC 08 4660, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
• Judy L. Cannon, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, MSC 08 4660, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; Autophagy, Inflammation, and Metabolism Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. Electronic address: jucannon@salud.unm.edu.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-1-2026

Abstract

IL-7 is a key regulator of naïve T cell homeostasis including T cell development, survival, and proliferation. IL-7 is highly expressed in lymph nodes (LNs), and we investigated the potential for IL-7 to drive naïve T cell movement in LNs. We show that IL-7 can mediate high speed T cell movement in vitro and in LNs. Downstream of IL-7R, T cell motility requires JAK1/3 and STAT5 activation, but mTOR signaling is not required. Using computational modeling and imaging of T cell motion in lymph nodes through two photon microscopy, we find that IL-7R-mediated motility accounts for T cell localization near DCs in the LN, suggesting that IL-7 can regulate naive T cell contacts with DCs. These data demonstrate a novel role for the IL-7/IL-7R pathway in controlling rapid T cell motility, showing that IL-7/IL-7R mediated T cell motion can facilitate efficient T cell-DC interactions in the LN.

Recommended Citation

Byrum JR, Morrissey KA, Torres DJ, Oruganti SR, Cannon JL. IL-7 promotes naïve T cell motility to enable T cell scanning of dendritic cells in the LN. Cytokine. 2026 Feb;198:157105. doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2025.157105. Epub 2025 Dec 29. PMID: 41468648; PMCID: PMC12922518.