Immunity
Volume 19, Issue 4, October 2003, Pages 561-569
Journal home page for Immunity

Article
Natural Killer Cells Activated by MHC Class ILow Targets Prime Dendritic Cells to Induce Protective CD8 T Cell Responses

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1074-7613(03)00264-4Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Abstract

Conserved molecular patterns derived from pathogenic microorganisms prime antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DC) to induce adaptive T cell responses. In contrast, virus-infected or tumor cells that express low levels of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I activate natural killer (NK) cells for direct killing. It is unknown whether NK cell recognition of MHC class Ilow targets can also induce adaptive T cell responses. Here, we show that MHC class Ilow targets initiate a cascade of immune responses, starting with the immediate activation of NK cells. The activated NK cells then prime DC to produce IL-12 and to induce highly protective CD8 T cell memory responses. Therefore, sensing of MHC class Ilow targets by NK cells can link innate and adaptive immunity to induce protective T cell responses and may alarm the immune system during early infection with noncytopathic viruses.

Cited by (0)