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The role of γδ T cells in induction of bacterial antigen‐specific protective CD8 + cytotoxic T cells in immune response against the intracellular bacteria Listeria monocytogenes
Author(s) -
Akihiko Nomura,
Goro Matsuzaki,
Hidetoshi Takada,
Kenji Hiromatsu,
Shigeki Nabeshima,
Takahiko Nakamura,
Kenji Kishihara,
Kikuo Nomoto
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2567.1998.00593.x
Subject(s) - cytotoxic t cell , biology , listeria monocytogenes , t cell , cd8 , interleukin 21 , il 2 receptor , immune system , microbiology and biotechnology , t cell receptor , antigen , immunology , in vitro , bacteria , biochemistry , genetics
The role of T‐cell receptor (TCR) γδ T cells in the induction of protective TCR αβ T cells against infection by the intracellular bacteria Listeria monocytogenes was analysed. We found that depletion of γδ T cells by anti‐TCR δ monoclonal antibody treatment before intravenous immunization of mice with a sublethal dose of viable L. monocytogenes resulted in reduction of protection against secondary challenge infection in the immunized mice. The γδ T‐cell depletion also reduced induction of protective αβ T cells capable of transferring the protection against challenge infection of L. monocytogenes into naive mice. Furthermore, the protective T cells that were affected by the γδ T‐cell depletion were suggested to be CD8 + cytotoxic T cells rather than CD4 + T cells by the following observations. First, induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific to a L. monocytogenes ‐derived H‐2K d ‐restricted peptide (listeriolysin O 91–99) was significantly suppressed by γδ T‐cell depletion before immunization. Second, γδ T‐cell depletion did not affect cytokine production and proliferation of T cells from immunized mice in response to in vitro stimulation with heat‐killed Listeria which preferentially stimulates CD4 + T cells. Third, CD8 + αβ T cells from control immunized mice transferred protection against infection of L. monocytogenes into naive mice but only a limited degree of protection was transferred by CD8 + T cells from the γδ T‐cell‐depleted immunized mice; and fourth, CD4 + αβ T cells from the γδ T‐cell‐depleted mice transferred a similar level of protection as those from the control immunized mice. All these results suggest that γδ T cells participate in establishment of protective immunity against intracellular bacteria by supporting priming of bacterial antigen‐specific CD8 + cytotoxic T cells.