T cells kill bacteria captured by transinfection from dendritic cells and confer protection in mice.
Dendritic cells (DCs) phagocytose, process, and present bacterial antigens to T lymphocytes to trigger adaptive immunity. In vivo, bacteria can also be found inside T lymphocytes. However, T cells are refractory to direct bacterial infection, leaving the mechanisms by which bacteria invade T cells unclear. We show that T cells take up bacteria from infected DCs by the process of transinfection, which requires direct contact between the two cells and is enhanced by antigen recognition. Prior to transfer, bacteria localize to the immunological synapse, an intimate DC/T cell contact structure that activates T cells. Strikingly, T cells efficiently eliminate the transinfecting bacteria within the first hours after infection. Transinfected T cells produced high levels of proinflammatory cytokines and were able to protect mice from bacterial challenge following adoptive transfer. Thus, T lymphocytes can capture and kill bacteria in a manner reminiscent of innate immunity.
Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Darwin, 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Hospital de Santa Cristina, 28009 Madrid, Spain.
Aránzazu
A
Cruz-Adalia
Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Darwin, 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Hospital de Santa Cristina, 28009 Madrid, Spain.
Guillermo
G
Ramirez-Santiago
Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Hospital de Santa Cristina, 28009 Madrid, Spain.
Carmen
C
Calabia-Linares
Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Darwin, 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Hospital de Santa Cristina, 28009 Madrid, Spain.
Mónica
M
Torres-Torresano
Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Hospital de Santa Cristina, 28009 Madrid, Spain.
Lidia
L
Feo
Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Hospital de la Princesa, 28006 Madrid, Spain; Microbiology and Immunology Department, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Marta
M
Galán-Díez
Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Hospital de la Princesa, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
Elena
E
Fernández-Ruiz
ALBA Synchrotron Light Source, MISTRAL Beamline-Experiments Division, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08290 Barcelona, Spain.
Eva
E
Pereiro
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Institute Soft Matters and Functional Materials, Electron Storage Ring BESSY II, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
Peter
P
Guttmann
Department Macromolecular, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Darwin, 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Michele
M
Chiappi
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Institute Soft Matters and Functional Materials, Electron Storage Ring BESSY II, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
Gerd
G
Schneider
Department Macromolecular, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Darwin, 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia (IMDEA Nanociencia), 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.
José López
JL
Carrascosa
Department Macromolecular, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Darwin, 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Francisco Javier
FJ
Chichón
Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Gloria
G
Martínez Del Hoyo
Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Hospital de la Princesa, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
Francisco
F
Sánchez-Madrid
Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Darwin, 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Hospital de Santa Cristina, 28009 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: eveiga@cnb.csic.es.
Esteban
E
Veiga
D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010587:Phagocytosis; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000276:immunology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
D016207:Cytokines