Cross-presenting CD103⁺ dendritic cells are protected from influenza virus infection

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Abstract

CD8+ cytotoxic T cells are critical for viral clearance from the lungs upon influenza virus infection. The contribution of antigen cross-presentation by DCs to the induction of anti-viral cytotoxic T cells remains controversial. Here, we used a recombinant influenza virus expressing a nonstructural 1–GFP (NS1-GFP) reporter gene to visualize the route of antigen presentation by lung DCs upon viral infection in mice. We found that lung CD103+ DCs were the only subset of cells that carried intact GFP protein to the draining LNs. Strikingly, lung migratory CD103+ DCs were not productively infected by influenza virus and thus were able to induce virus-specific CD8+ T cells through the cross-presentation of antigens from virally infected cells. We also observed that CD103+ DC resistance to infection correlates with an increased anti-viral state in these cells that is dependent on the expression of type I IFN receptor. These results show that efficient cross-priming by migratory lung DCs is coupled to the acquisition of an anti-viral status, which is dependent on the type I IFN signaling pathway.

Authors

Julie Helft, Balaji Manicassamy, Pierre Guermonprez, Daigo Hashimoto, Aymeric Silvin, Judith Agudo, Brian D. Brown, Mirco Schmolke, Jennifer C. Miller, Marylene Leboeuf, Kenneth M. Murphy, Adolfo García-Sastre, Miriam Merad