Antigen persistence and the control of local T cell memory by migrant respiratory dendritic cells after acute virus infection.
Acute viral infections induce robust adaptive immune responses resulting in virus clearance. Recent evidence suggests that there may be depots of viral antigen that persist in draining lymph nodes (DLNs) after virus clearance and could, therefore, affect the adaptive immune response and memory T cell formation. The nature of these residual antigen depots, the mechanism of antigen persistence, and the impact of the persistent antigen on memory T cells remain ill defined. Using a mouse model of influenza virus infection of the respiratory tract, we identified respiratory dendritic cells (RDCs) as essential for both sampling and presenting residual viral antigen. RDCs in the previously infected lung capture residual viral antigen deposited in an irradiation-resistant cell type. RDCs then transport the viral antigen to the LNs draining the site of infection, where they present the antigen to T cells. Lastly, we document preferential localization of memory T cells to the DLNs after virus clearance as a consequence of presentation of residual viral antigen by the migrant RDC.
Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, Department of Microbiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Taeg S
TS
Kim
Matthew M
MM
Hufford
Jie
J
Sun
Yang-Xin
YX
Fu
Thomas J
TJ
Braciale
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000528:radiation effects; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000821:virology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects
D000956:Antigens, Viral