Bim Mediates the Elimination of Functionally Unfit Th1 Responders from the Memory Pool

Selective clonal deletion in the CD4(+) T cell compartment during the transition from effector to memory is accompanied by enhanced expression of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bim. Here, we show that Bim deficiency enables the survival of poorly functional Th1 responders that are normally eliminated during contraction. However, rescued bim (−/−) CD4(+) “memory” T cells continued to demonstrate deficient effector functions, poor sensitivity to antigen and an inability to respond to secondary challenge. Our results demonstrate that Bim activity plays a key role in shaping the CD4(+) memory T cell repertoire, ensuring the emergence of highly functional CD4(+) memory T cells and the elimination of Th1 effector cells with sub-optimal function. We propose that Bim is a key mediator of T cell death in the absence of appropriate TCR-driven activation and differentiation.