Caspase-3 is transiently activated without cell death during early antigen driven expansion of CD8(+) T cells in vivo.

ABSTRACT:

Background

CD8(+) T cell responses develop rapidly during infection and are swiftly reduced during contraction, wherein >90% of primed CD8(+) T cells are eliminated. The role of apoptotic mechanisms in controlling this rapid proliferation and contraction of CD8(+) T cells remains unclear. Surprisingly, evidence has shown non-apoptotic activation of caspase-3 to occur during in vitro T-cell proliferation, but the relevance of these mechanisms to in vivo CD8(+) T cell responses has yet to be examined.

Methods and findings

We have evaluated the activity of caspase-3, a key downstream inducer of apoptosis, throughout the entirety of a CD8(+) T cell response. We utilized two infection models that differ in the intensity, onset and duration of antigen-presentation and inflammation

SUBMITTER: McComb S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3008739 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature