title: Role for TLR2 in NK cell-mediated control of murine cytomegalovirus in vivo.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells are essential for the early control of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection. Here, we demonstrate that toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) plays a role in the NK cell-mediated control of MCMV. TLR2 knockout (KO) mice had elevated levels of MCMV in the spleen and liver on day 4 postinfection compared to C57BL/6 mice. In vivo depletion of NK cells with anti-NK1.1 antibodies, however, eliminated the differences in viral titers between the two groups, suggesting that the effect of TLR2 on MCMV clearance on day 4 was NK cell mediated. The defect in early antiviral control was associated with a decreased NK cell population in the spleen and liver and reduced amounts of interleukin-18 and alpha/beta interferon secreted in the TLR2 KO mice. Our studies suggest that in addition to the reported involvement of TLR9 and TLR3, TLR2 is also involved in innate immune responses to MCMV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave. North, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655, USA. Eva.Szomolanyi-Tsuda@umassmed.edu
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szomolanyi-Tsuda
authors.forename: Xueya
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Raymond M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: Evelyn A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kurt-Jones
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Finberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000378:metabolism; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018146:Muromegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D020382:Interleukin-18; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D016899:Interferon-beta