Viral infection triggers rapid differentiation of human blood monocytes into dendritic cells.
Surprisingly little is known about the interaction of human blood mononuclear cells with viruses. Here, we show that monocytes are the predominant cell type infected when peripheral blood mononuclear cells are exposed to viruses ex vivo. Remarkably, infection with vesicular stomatitis virus, vaccinia virus, and a variety of influenza A viruses (including circulating swine-origin virus) induces monocytes to differentiate within 18 hours into CD16(-)CD83(+) mature dendritic cells with enhanced capacity to activate T cells. Differentiation into dendritic cells does not require cell division and occurs despite the synthesis of viral proteins, which demonstrates that monocytes counteract the capacity of these highly lytic viruses to hijack host cell biosynthetic capacity. Indeed, differentiation requires infectious virus and viral protein synthesis. These findings demonstrate that monocytes are uniquely susceptible to viral infection among blood mononuclear cells, with the likely purpose of generating cells with enhanced capacity to activate innate and acquired antiviral immunity.
Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Wanqiu
W
Hou
James S
JS
Gibbs
Xiuju
X
Lu
Christopher B
CB
Brooke
Devika
D
Roy
Robert L
RL
Modlin
Jack R
JR
Bennink
Jonathan W
JW
Yewdell
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology; D013997:Time Factors; D014615:Vaccinia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D054243:Vesicular Stomatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D018116:Vesiculovirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology