title: Visualizing priming of virus-specific CD8+ T cells by infected dendritic cells in vivo.
abstract: The rational design of vaccines that elicit CD8+ T cell responses requires knowledge of the identity of the antigen-presenting cell (APC), the location and time of presentation and the nature of the antigen presented by the APC. Here we address these questions for an antigen encoded by a recombinant vaccinia virus. We found that, following local infection, vaccinia virus infected macrophages and dendritic cells in draining lymph nodes. However, only the dendritic cells presented antigen to naïve CD8+ T cells, as determined by direct visualization of sectioned nodes by confocal microscopy. Presentation occurred as rapidly as 6 h after inoculation and quickly declined in parallel with the number of infected cells present in the nodes. These data provide direct evidence that virus-infected APCs prime naïve CD8+ T cells in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Present address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Norbury
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malide
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.forename: Jack R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bennink
authors.forename: Jonathan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yewdell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000276:immunology*