Splenic dendritic cell subsets prime and boost CD8 T cells and are involved in the generation of effector CD8 T cells.
The ability of the dendritic cell (DC) subsets, CD8alpha+ and CD8alpha- DCs, to initiate a CD8 T cell response or to activate memory CD8 T cells and generate effector CD8 T cells has been controversial. In this study, we analyse the capacity of splenic DC subsets to induce CD8 T cell responses to a CD8 T cell epitope (pb9) of a malaria antigen. The administration of peptide-pulsed CD8alpha- or CD8alpha+ DCs primes and boosts a primed CD8 T cell response against the malaria epitope. In vitro, depletion of CD11c(+) DCs from mouse splenocytes, immunised with recombinant vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) expressing pb9 epitope, significantly reduced the generation of pb9-specific IFNgamma producing effector CD8 T cells, indicating that splenic DCs are involved in the development of pb9-specific IFNgamma producing effector cells. Taken together, this result shows that both DC subsets have the ability to prime and boost CD8 T cell responses and are involved in the activation of memory CD8 T cells.
Behboudi
Shahriar
S
Molecular Immunology Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom. s.bedhoudi@ucl.ac.uk
Moore
Anne
A
Hill
Adrian V S
AV
D000818:Animals; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
D016827:CD8 Antigens; C431698:CD8alpha antigen; D007371:Interferon-gamma