Neurons are MHC class I-dependent targets for CD8 T cells upon neurotropic viral infection.

ABSTRACT: Following infection of the central nervous system (CNS), the immune system is faced with the challenge of eliminating the pathogen without causing significant damage to neurons, which have limited capacities of renewal. In particular, it was thought that neurons were protected from direct attack by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) because they do not express major histocompatibility class I (MHC I) molecules, at least at steady state. To date, most of our current knowledge on the specifics of neuron-CTL interaction is based on studies artificially inducing MHC I expression on neurons, loading them with exogenous peptide and applying CTL clones or lines often differentiated in culture. Thus, much remains to be uncovered regarding the modalities of the interaction between infected neurons and a

SUBMITTER: Chevalier G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3219726 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature