Cytotoxic T-cell immunity to virus-infected non-haematopoietic cells requires presentation of exogenous antigen - PubMed (original) (raw)

. 1999 Mar 4;398(6722):77-80.

doi: 10.1038/18038.

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Cytotoxic T-cell immunity to virus-infected non-haematopoietic cells requires presentation of exogenous antigen

L J Sigal et al. Nature. 1999.

Abstract

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are thought to detect viral infections by monitoring the surface of all cells for the presence of viral peptides bound to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. In most cells, peptides presented by MHC class I molecules are derived exclusively from proteins synthesized by the antigen-bearing cells. Macrophages and dendritic cells also have an alternative MHC class I pathway that can present peptides derived from extracellular antigens; however, the physiological role of this process is unclear. Here we show that virally infected non-haematopoietic cells are unable to stimulate primary CTL-mediated immunity directly. Instead, bone-marrow-derived cells are required as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to initiate anti-viral CTL responses. In these APCs, the alternative (exogenous) MHC class I pathway is the obligatory mechanism for the initiation of CTL responses to viruses that infect only non-haematopoietic cells.

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