ATG5 but not ATG7 in Dendritic Cells Enhances IL-2 and IFN-γ Production by TOXOPLASMA GONDII-Reactive CD4+ T Cells

Microbes Infect. 2015 Jan 8. pii: S1286-4579(14)00330-X. doi: 10.1016/j.micinf.2014.12.008. [Epub ahead of print]

 

Liu E¹, Van Grol J², Subauste CS³.

 

The autophagy proteins (Atg) modulate not only innate but also adaptive immunity against pathogens. We examined the role of dendritic cell Atg5 and Atg7 in the production of IL-2 and IFN-γ by Toxoplasma gondii-reactive CD4⁺ T cells. T. gondii-reactive mouse CD4⁺ T cells exhibited unimpaired production of IL-2 and IFN-γ when stimulated with Atg7-deficient mouse dendritic cells that were infected with T. gondii or pulsed with T. gondii lysate antigens. In marked contrast, dendritic cells deficient in Atg5 induced diminished CD4⁺ T cell production of IL-2 and IFN-γ. This defect was not accompanied by changes in costimulatory ligand expression on dendritic cells or impaired production of IL-12 p70, IL-1β or TNF-α. Knockdown of Irg6a in dendritic cells did not affect CD4⁺ T cell cytokine production. These results indicate that Atg5 and Atg7 in dendritic cells play differential roles in the modulation of IL-2 and IFN-γ production by T. gondii-reactive CD4⁺ T cells.
Copyright © 2015 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

KEYWORDS:

T cells; autophagy; cytokine; dendritic cells; toxoplasma

PMID:

25578385