Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1999
Keywords
cd40 antigen, tumor necrosis factor, dendritic cell, ligand binding, immune response, receptor upregulation, t lymphocyte activation, virus cell interaction, spleen
Abstract
CD40 ligand (CD40L), a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family member, plays a critical role in antigen-specific T cell responses in vivo. CD40L expressed on activated CD4+ T cells stimulates antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells, resulting in the upregulation of costimulatory molecules and the production of various inflammatory cytokines required for CD4+ T cell priming in vivo. However, CD40L- or CD40-deficient mice challenged with viruses mount protective CD4+ T cell responses that produce normal levels of interferon γ, suggesting a CD40L/CD40-independent mechanism of CD4+ T cell priming that to date has not been elucidated. Here we show that CD4+ T cell responses to viral infection were greatly diminished in CD40-deficient mice by administration of a soluble form of TNF-related activation-induced cytokine receptor (TRANCE-R) to inhibit the function of another TNF family member, TRANCE. Thus, the TRANCE/TRANCE-R interaction provides costimulation required for efficient CD4+ T cell priming during viral infection in the absence of CD40L/CD40. These results also indicate that not even the potent inflammatory microenvironment induced by viral infections is sufficient to elicit efficient CD4+ T cell priming without proper costimulation provided by the TNF family (CD40L or TRANCE). Moreover, the data suggest that TRANCE/TRANCE-R may be a novel and important target for immune intervention.
Recommended Citation
Bachmann, M. F., B. R. Wong, R. Josien, R. M. Steinman, A. Oxenius, and Y. Choi. 1999. "TRANCE, a Tumor Necrosis Factor Family Member Critical for CD40 Ligand- Independent T Helper Cell Activation." Journal of Experimental Medicine 189 (7): 1025-1031
Comments
Open Access