Title |
Reduced Interleukin-4 Receptor α Expression on CD8+ T Cells Correlates with Higher Quality Anti-Viral Immunity
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Published in |
PLOS ONE, January 2013
|
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0055788 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Danushka K. Wijesundara, David C. Tscharke, Ronald J. Jackson, Charani Ranasinghe |
Abstract |
With the hope of understanding how interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 modulated quality of anti-viral CD8(+) T cells, we evaluated the expression of receptors for these cytokines following a range of viral infections (e.g. pox viruses and influenza virus). Results clearly indicated that unlike other IL-4/IL-13 receptor subunits, IL-4 receptor α (IL-4Rα) was significantly down-regulated on anti-viral CD8(+) T cells in a cognate antigen dependent manner. The infection of gene knockout mice and wild-type (WT) mice with vaccinia virus (VV) or VV expressing IL-4 confirmed that IL-4, IL-13 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) were required to increase IL-4Rα expression on CD8(+) T cells, but not interferon (IFN)-γ. STAT6 dependent elevation of IL-4Rα expression on CD8(+) T cells was a feature of poor quality anti-viral CD8(+) T cell immunity as measured by the production of IFN-γ and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in response to VV antigen stimulation in vitro. We propose that down-regulation of IL-4Rα, but not the other IL-4/IL-13 receptor subunits, is a mechanism by which CD8(+) T cells reduce responsiveness to IL-4 and IL-13. This can improve the quality of anti-viral CD8(+) T cell immunity. Our findings have important implications in understanding anti-viral CD8(+) T cell immunity and designing effective vaccines against chronic viral infections. |
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Germany | 1 | 3% |
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Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
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Student > Ph. D. Student | 5 | 15% |
Student > Bachelor | 3 | 9% |
Student > Master | 3 | 9% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 2 | 6% |
Other | 5 | 15% |
Unknown | 5 | 15% |
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Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 2 | 6% |
Other | 2 | 6% |
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