Priming of CTLs by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus depends on dendritic cells.
Appropriate activation of naive CD8(+) T cells depends on the coordinated interaction of these cells with professional APC that present antigenic peptides in the context of MHC class I molecules. It is accepted that dendritic cells (DC) are efficient in activating naive T cells and are unique in their capacity to prime CD8(+) T cell responses against exogenous cell-associated Ags. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether epitopes, derived from endogenously synthesized proteins and presented by MHC class I molecules on the surface of other APC including B cells and macrophages, can activate naive CD8(+) T cells in vivo. By infecting transgenic CD11c-DTR/GFP mice that allow conditional depletion of DC with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), which infects all types of APC and elicits a vigorous CTL response, we unambiguously show that priming of LCMV-specific CD8(+) T cells is crucially dependent on DC, despite ample presence of LCMV-infected macrophages and B cells in secondary lymphoid organs.
Probst
Hans Christian
HC
Institute of Experimental Immunology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
van den Broek
Maries
M
D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology*; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D008216:Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis / Q000276:immunology; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I