He who laughs last laughs best--innate immunity and viral selection.
In this issue of Immunity, the Jonjic and Yokoyama teams provide evidence that beta-herpesvirus mutants can emerge under the selective pressure of innate immunity during primary infections. These rare mutants that escape natural killer cell recognition cause disease and death in mice that lack sterilizing T cell immunity.
Colucci
Francesco
F
Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute, 25-28 rue Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France.
Vidal
Silvia M
SM
D000818:Animals; D018141:Betaherpesvirinae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology