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Acquired immunity to an intracellular pathogen:immunologic recognition of L. monocytogenes ‐infected cells
Author(s) -
Bouwer H. G. A.,
Barry Ronald A.,
Hinrichs David J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
immunological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.839
H-Index - 223
eISSN - 1600-065X
pISSN - 0105-2896
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1997.tb01000.x
Subject(s) - biology , listeria monocytogenes , listeriolysin o , microbiology and biotechnology , immune system , intracellular parasite , mhc class i , cd8 , ctl* , hemolysin , cytotoxic t cell , population , antigen , cellular immunity , virology , immunology , virulence , bacteria , listeria , genetics , in vitro , gene , demography , sociology
Summary: Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a pathogenic bacterium, and subclinical infection in mice is utilized as a prototypic model to investigate the development and expression of acquired resistance to facultative intracellular organisms. A key virulence factor of L. monocytogenes is the hemolysin listeriolysin O (LLO), and BALB/c mice immunized with hemolysin‐secreting strains of L. monocytogenes develop specific acquired resistance, while mice immunized with hemolysin‐negative strains or non‐viable preparations of L. monocytogenes do not develop a protective immune response. Adoptive transfer studies show that L. monocytogenes‐Immune CD8+ T cells mediate acquired resistance. The L. monocytogenes‐immune CD8+ population is cytotoxic, and target cells infected with hemolysin‐secreting strains of L. monocytogenes are lysed, while target cells infected with hemolysin‐negative strains or non‐viable preparations of L. monocytogenes are not lysed. MHC dass la and Ib molecules present I. monocytogenes‐derived peptides, and we have identified Qa‐1 b , a T‐region‐encoded MHC class Ib molecule, as a restriction element for L, monocytogenes‐specific CD8+ CTL. MHC class Ib‐restricted CTL are stimulated following infection with L. monocytogenes and are a significant component of the total MHC class I‐restricted CTL population. These findings support the observation that cytoplasmic L. monocytogenes‐derived antigens are endogenously processed and presented in association with MHC class Ia and Ib molecules to CD8+ effector cells, and that both populations of effector cells contribute to the immune response to this intracellular pathogen.