Antigen-specific B cells reactivate an effective cytotoxic T cell response against phagocytosed Salmonella through cross-presentation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The eradication of facultative intracellular bacterial pathogens, like Salmonella typhi, requires the concerted action of both the humoral immune response and the cytotoxic CD8(+) T cell response. Dendritic cells (DCs) are considered to orchestrate the cytotoxic CD8(+) T cell response via cross-presentation of bacterial antigens onto MHC class I molecules. Cross-presentation of Salmonella by DCs however, is accompanied by the induction of apoptosis in the DCs. Besides antibody production, B cells are required to clear Salmonella infection for other unknown reasons.

Methodology/principal findings

Here we show that Salmonella-specific B cells that phagocytose Salmonella upon BCR-ligation reactivate human memory CD8(+) T cells via cross-presentation yielding a Salmon

SUBMITTER: de Wit J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2946406 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature