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Xie W, Bruce K, Belz GT, Farrell HE, Stevenson PG. Indirect CD4 + T cell protection against mouse gamma-herpesvirus infection via interferon gamma. J Virol 2024; 98:e0049324. [PMID: 38578092 PMCID: PMC11092340 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00493-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
CD4+ T cells play a key role in γ-herpesvirus infection control. However, the mechanisms involved are unclear. Murine herpesvirus type 4 (MuHV-4) allows relevant immune pathways to be dissected experimentally in mice. In the lungs, it colonizes myeloid cells, which can express MHC class II (MHCII), and type 1 alveolar epithelial cells (AEC1), which lack it. Nevertheless, CD4+ T cells can control AEC1 infection, and this control depends on MHCII expression in myeloid cells. Interferon-gamma (IFNγ) is a major component of CD4+ T cell-dependent MuHV-4 control. Here, we show that the action of IFNγ is also indirect, as CD4+ T cell-mediated control of AEC1 infection depended on IFNγ receptor (IFNγR1) expression in CD11c+ cells. Indirect control also depended on natural killer (NK) cells. Together, the data suggest that the activation of MHCII+ CD11c+ antigen-presenting cells is key to the CD4+ T cell/NK cell protection axis. By contrast, CD8+ T cell control of AEC1 infection appeared to operate independently. IMPORTANCE CD4+ T cells are critical for the control of gamma-herpesvirus infection; they act indirectly, by recruiting natural killer (NK) cells to attack infected target cells. Here, we report that the CD4+ T cell/NK cell axis of gamma-herpesvirus control requires interferon-γ engagement of CD11c+ dendritic cells. This mechanism of CD4+ T cell control releases the need for the direct engagement of CD4+ T cells with virus-infected cells and may be a common strategy for host control of immune-evasive pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanxiaojie Xie
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kimberley Bruce
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Gabrielle T. Belz
- The University of Queensland Frazer Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Helen E. Farrell
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Philip G. Stevenson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Yao Y, Kong W, Yang L, Ding Y, Cui H. Immunity and Immune Evasion Mechanisms of Epstein-Barr Virus. Viral Immunol 2023; 36:303-317. [PMID: 37285188 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2022.0200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the first human oncogenic virus to be identified, which evades the body's immune surveillance through multiple mechanisms that allow long-term latent infection. Under certain pathological conditions, EBVs undergo a transition from the latent phase to the lytic phase and cause targeted dysregulation of the host immune system, leading to the development of EBV-related diseases. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of developing an immune response to EBV and the evasion of immune recognition by EBV is important for the understanding of the pathogenesis of EBV, which is of great significance for finding strategies to prevent EBV infection, and developing a therapy to treat EBV-associated diseases. In this review, we will discuss the molecular mechanisms of host immunological responses to EBV infection and the mechanisms of EBV-mediated immune evasion during chronic active infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqing Yao
- Department of Pediatrics, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Weijing Kong
- Department of Pediatrics, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lijun Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingxue Ding
- Department of Pediatrics, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Cui
- Department of Pediatrics, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Rex V, Zargari R, Stempel M, Halle S, Brinkmann MM. The innate and T-cell mediated immune response during acute and chronic gammaherpesvirus infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1146381. [PMID: 37065193 PMCID: PMC10102517 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1146381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Immediately after entry into host cells, viruses are sensed by the innate immune system, leading to the activation of innate antiviral effector mechanisms including the type I interferon (IFN) response and natural killer (NK) cells. This innate immune response helps to shape an effective adaptive T cell immune response mediated by cytotoxic T cells and CD4+ T helper cells and is also critical for the maintenance of protective T cells during chronic infection. The human gammaherpesvirus Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a highly prevalent lymphotropic oncovirus that establishes chronic lifelong infections in the vast majority of the adult population. Although acute EBV infection is controlled in an immunocompetent host, chronic EBV infection can lead to severe complications in immunosuppressed patients. Given that EBV is strictly host-specific, its murine homolog murid herpesvirus 4 or MHV68 is a widely used model to obtain in vivo insights into the interaction between gammaherpesviruses and their host. Despite the fact that EBV and MHV68 have developed strategies to evade the innate and adaptive immune response, innate antiviral effector mechanisms still play a vital role in not only controlling the acute infection but also shaping an efficient long-lasting adaptive immune response. Here, we summarize the current knowledge about the innate immune response mediated by the type I IFN system and NK cells, and the adaptive T cell-mediated response during EBV and MHV68 infection. Investigating the fine-tuned interplay between the innate immune and T cell response will provide valuable insights which may be exploited to design better therapeutic strategies to vanquish chronic herpesviral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Rex
- Institute of Genetics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Razieh Zargari
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Markus Stempel
- Institute of Genetics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Virology and Innate Immunity Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stephan Halle
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- *Correspondence: Stephan Halle, ; Melanie M. Brinkmann,
| | - Melanie M. Brinkmann
- Institute of Genetics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Virology and Innate Immunity Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Stephan Halle, ; Melanie M. Brinkmann,
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Abstract
CD4+ T cells are key to controlling cytomegalovirus infections. Salivary gland infection by murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) provides a way to identify mechanisms. CD11c+ dendritic cells (DC) disseminate MCMV to the salivary glands, where they transfer infection to acinar cells. Antiviral CD4+ T cells are often considered to be directly cytotoxic for cells expressing major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII). However, persistently infected salivary gland acinar cells are MHCII- and are presumably inaccessible to direct CD4 T cell recognition. Here, we show that CD4+ T cell depletion amplified infection of MHCII- acinar cells but not MHCII+ cells. MCMV-infected mice with disrupted MHCII on CD11c+ cells showed increased MHCII- acinar infection; antiviral CD4+ T cells were still primed, but their recruitment to the salivary glands was reduced, suggesting that engagement with local MHCII+ DC is important for antiviral protection. As MCMV downregulates MHCII on infected DC, the DC participating in CD4 protection may thus be uninfected. NK cells and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) may also contribute to CD4+ T cell-dependent virus control: CD4 T cell depletion reduced NK cell recruitment to the salivary glands, and both NK cell and IFN-γ depletion equalized infection between MHCII-disrupted and control mice. Taken together, these results suggest that CD4+ T cells protect indirectly against infected acinar cells in the salivary gland via DC engagement, requiring the recruitment of NK cells and the action of IFN-γ. Congruence of these results with an established CD4+ T cell/NK cell axis of gammaherpesvirus infection control suggests a common mode of defense against evasive viruses. IMPORTANCE Cytomegalovirus infections commonly cause problems in immunocompromised patients and in pregnancy. We lack effective vaccines. CD4+ T cells play an important role in normal infection control, yet how they act has been unknown. Using murine cytomegalovirus as an accessible model, we show that CD4+ T cells are unlikely to recognize infected cells directly. We propose that CD4+ T cells interact with uninfected cells that present viral antigens and recruit other immune cells to attack infected targets. These data present a new outlook on understanding how CD4+ T cell-directed control protects against persistent cytomegalovirus infection.
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Wang Y, Tibbetts SA, Krug LT. Conquering the Host: Determinants of Pathogenesis Learned from Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68. Annu Rev Virol 2021; 8:349-371. [PMID: 34586873 PMCID: PMC9153731 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-virology-011921-082615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Gammaherpesviruses are an important class of oncogenic pathogens that are exquisitely evolved to their respective hosts. As such, the human gammaherpesviruses Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) do not naturally infect nonhuman primates or rodents. There is a clear need to fully explore mechanisms of gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis, host control, and immune evasion in the host. A gammaherpesvirus pathogen isolated from murid rodents was first reported in 1980; 40 years later, murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68, MuHV-4, γHV68) infection of laboratory mice is a well-established pathogenesis system recognized for its utility in applying state-of-the-art approaches to investigate virus-host interactions ranging from the whole host to the individual cell. Here, we highlight recent advancements in our understanding of the processes by which MHV68 colonizes the host and drives disease. Lessons that inform KSHV and EBV pathogenesis and provide future avenues for novel interventions against infection and virus-associated cancers are emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiping Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, UF Health Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Scott A Tibbetts
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, UF Health Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Laurie T Krug
- HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA;
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Yunis J, Redwood AJ, Belz GT, Stevenson PG. Membrane association of a model CD4 + T-cell vaccine antigen confers enhanced yet incomplete protection against murid herpesvirus-4 infection. Immunol Cell Biol 2020; 98:332-343. [PMID: 31997396 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination against γ-herpesviruses has proved difficult. CD4+ T cells are essential to contain infection, but how best to prime them and whether this can reduce viral loads remain unclear. To address these questions, we used ovalbumin (OVA) as a model antigen, delivering it with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) to protect mice against OVA-expressing murine herpesvirus-4 (MuHV-4). Membrane-associated OVA (mOVA) was more effective than soluble OVA, both to prime CD4+ T cells and as an effector target. It was also a better target than an OVA epitope limited to infected cells, suggesting that protective CD4+ T cells recognize infected cell debris rather than infected cells themselves. While MCMV-mOVA protected acutely against MuHV-4-mOVA, long-term protection was incomplete, even when OVA-specific CD8+ T cells and B cells were also primed. Thus, even optimized single-target vaccines may poorly reduce long-term γ-herpesvirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Yunis
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Alec J Redwood
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Gabrielle T Belz
- Molecular Immunology, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Philip G Stevenson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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