Through CD8 T cell subsets profiling of lncRNAs, this study found a key lncRNA-Snhg1 with the conserved naive<sup>hi</sup>-effector<sup>lo</sup>-memory<sup>hi</sup> expression pattern in CD8 T cells of both mice and human, that can promote memory formation while impeding effector CD8 in acute viral infection. This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and viral infectious disease.