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Journal of Virology, October 1999, p. 8403-8410, Vol. 73, No. 10
Institute of Microbiology,
Received 4 March 1999/Accepted 9 July 1999
After mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) infection, B lymphocytes
present a superantigen (Sag) and receive help from the unlimited number
of CD4+ T cells expressing Sag-specific T-cell receptor
V
0022-538X/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Role of Dendritic Cells in the Immune Response
Induced by Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Superantigen
elements. The infected B cells divide and differentiate, similarly
to what occurs in classical B-cell responses. The amplification of
Sag-reactive T cells can be considered a primary immune response. Since
B cells are usually not efficient in the activation of naive T cells, we addressed the question of whether professional antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells (DCs) are responsible for T-cell priming.
We show here, using MMTV(SIM), a viral isolate which requires major
histocompatibility complex class II I-E expression to induce a strong
Sag response in vivo, that transgenic mice expressing I-E exclusively
on DCs (I-E
DC tg) reveal a strong Sag response. This Sag response
was dependent on the presence of B cells, as indicated by the absence
of stimulation in I-E
DC tg mice lacking B cells (I-E
DC tg
µMT
/
), even if these B cells lack I-E expression.
Furthermore, the involvement of either residual transgene expression by
B cells or transfer of I-E from DCs to B cells was excluded by the use of mixed bone marrow chimeras. Our results indicate that after priming
by DCs in the context of I-E, the MMTV(SIM) Sag can be recognized on
the surface of B cells in the context of I-A. The most likely
physiological relevance of the lowering of the antigen threshold
required for T-cell/B-cell collaboration after DC priming is to allow B
cells with a low affinity for antigen to receive T-cell help in a
primary immune response.
*
Corresponding author. Present address: Department of
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 806 Abramson, 34th and Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA
19104. Phone: (215) 573-7532. Fax: (215) 573-2883. E-mail: fbaribau{at}mail.med.upenn.edu.
Journal of Virology, October 1999, p. 8403-8410, Vol. 73, No. 10
0022-538X/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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