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Original Article

Kristen M. Kerksiek^a, Dirk H. Busch^a, Ingrid M. Pilip^a, S. Elise Allen^a, and Eric G. Pamer^a

^a From the Section of Infectious Diseases and Section of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
Sections of Infectious Diseases and Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520.203-785-3864203-785-3561

eric.pamer{at}yale.edu

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ib molecules have been implicated in CD8⁺ T cell–mediated defenses against intracellular bacterial infection, but the relative importance of MHC class Ib–restricted T cells in antimicrobial immunity is unknown. In this report, we use MHC tetramers to characterize T cell responses restricted by H2-M3, an MHC class Ib molecule that selectively presents N-formyl peptides. We find that sizeable H2-M3–restricted T cell responses, occurring earlier than MHC class Ia–restricted T cell responses, are mounted after primary infection with the intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. These H2-M3–restricted T cells are cytolytic and produce interferon . However, after a second L. monocytogenes infection, H2-M3–restricted memory T cell responses are minor in comparison to the much larger MHC class Ia–restricted responses. This first direct characterization of an MHC class Ib–restricted T cell response indicates that CD8⁺ T cells responding to L. monocytogenes infection can be divided into two groups: H2-M3–restricted responses, which provide rapid and quantitatively substantial effector function during primary infections but contribute relatively little to memory responses, and MHC class Ia–restricted responses, which expand later during primary infection but form memory T cells that respond rapidly and dramatically in response to subsequent infections by the same pathogen.

Key Words: H2-M3 • major histocompatibility complex class Ib molecules • cytotoxic T lymphocytes • Listeria monocytogenes • bacterial infection

K.M. Kerksiek is supported by National Institutes of Health Training Grant 5T32-AI07019. D.H. Busch is a recipient of a Howard Hughes Fellowship for Physicians. This work was supported by Public Health Service Grant 1RO1 AI-42135.

© 1999 The Rockefeller University Press

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Lauvau, G., Pamer, E. G. (2001). Cd8 T Cell Detection of Bacterial Infection: Sniffing for Formyl Peptides Derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. JEM 193: f35-f40 [Full Text]  

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