Extensive and preferential Fas/Fas ligand-dependent death of gammadelta T cells following infection with Listeria monocytogenes.
In the spleens of mice infected intraperitoneally with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, both alphabeta and gammadelta T cells became rapidly activated, followed by a massive apoptotic death response predominantly within the gammadelta population. The death response involved two major splenic gammadelta T-cell subsets and was Fas/Fas ligand (Fas-L)-dependent. Among T cells isolated from the Listeria-infected spleen, Fas-L was almost exclusively expressed in gammadelta T cells. gammadelta T cells coexpressed Fas and Fas-L, suggesting activation-induced suicide as a mechanism of their death. In vivo treatment with an antibody specific for CD3epsilon induced activation, preferential Fas-L expression and apoptosis of gammadelta T cells, resembling the response pattern in listeriosis, whereas antibodies specific for T-cell receptor-beta (TCR-beta) or TCR-delta did not, suggesting that the complete response seen in listeriosis requires both gammadelta TCR engagement and additional stimuli. L. monocytogenes causes early nonspecific, Fas-independent lymphocyte death in heavily infected tissues. In contrast, the death response described here is selective, Fas-dependent and triggered at low local levels of bacteria, suggesting that it is controlled by interactions with other infection-activated host cells, and perhaps part of a regulatory circuit specifically curtailing gammadelta T cells.
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Center for Neurologic Diseases, Boston, MA, USA.
A
A
Mukasa
M
M
Lahn
S
S
Fleming
B
B
Freiberg
E
E
Pflum
M
M
Vollmer
A
A
Kupfer
R
R
O'Brien
W
W
Born
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D007700:Kinetics; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000502:physiology*
D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; C505658:Fasl protein, mouse; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D019014:fas Receptor