Detection of the CD8(+) T cell immune response in mice infected with OVA-Listeriamonocytogenes

T cells are able to recognize and kill pathogens that infect host cells, including bacteria, viruses, and tumor cells. Here, we present a protocol to detect T cell function and bacterial load in OVA-Listeria monocytogenes-infected mice. We provide a detailed description of the steps for detecting OVA-specific CD8(+) T cells and their cytokine expression levels in splenocytes using flow cytometry on day 7 after infecting mice with OVA-Listeriamonocytogenes. Additionally, we describe the steps for detecting the OVA-Listeriamonocytogenes load in the mouse liver. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Chen et al.(1)