title: Antimicrobial activity of mucosal-associated invariant T cells.
abstract: Mucosal-associated invariant T lymphocytes (MAIT lymphocytes) are characterized by two evolutionarily conserved features: an invariant T cell antigen receptor (TCR) alpha-chain and restriction by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-related protein MR1. Here we show that MAIT cells were activated by cells infected with various strains of bacteria and yeast, but not cells infected with virus, in both humans and mice. This activation required cognate interaction between the invariant TCR and MR1, which can present a bacteria-derived ligand. In humans, we observed considerably fewer MAIT cells in blood from patients with bacterial infections such as tuberculosis. In the mouse, MAIT cells protected against infection by Mycobacterium abscessus or Escherichia coli. Thus, MAIT cells are evolutionarily conserved innate-like lymphocytes that sense and help fight off microbial infection.
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie des Tumeurs, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Le Bourhis
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Péguillet
authors.forename: Amélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guihot
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Froux
authors.forename: Maxime
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coré
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lévy
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dusseaux
authors.forename: Vanina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meyssonnier
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Premel
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ngo
authors.forename: Béatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Riteau
authors.forename: Livine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duban
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Shouxiong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rottman
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soudais
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lantz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; C094840:MR1 protein, human; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; C490628:Mr1 protein, mouse; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell