CD4+ T cell help and innate-derived IL-27 induce Blimp-1-dependent IL-10 production by antiviral CTLs

Nat Immunol. 2011 Apr;12(4):327-34. doi: 10.1038/ni.1996. Epub 2011 Feb 6.

Abstract

Interleukin (IL)-10 is an important regulatory cytokine that can modulate excessive immune mediated injury. Several distinct cell types have been demonstrated to produce IL-10, including most recently CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) responding to respiratory virus infection. Here we report that CD4+ T cell help in the form of IL-2 is required for IL-10 production by CTLs, but not for the induction of CTL effector cytokines. We show that IL-2 derived from CD4+ helper T cells cooperates with innate immune cell-derived IL-27 to amplify IL-10 production by CTLs through a Blimp-1-dependent mechanism. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized pathway that coordinates signals derived from innate and helper T cells to control the production of a regulatory cytokine by CTLs during acute viral infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate / immunology
  • Interleukin-10 / genetics
  • Interleukin-10 / immunology*
  • Interleukin-10 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-17 / genetics
  • Interleukin-17 / immunology*
  • Interleukin-17 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-2 / genetics
  • Interleukin-2 / metabolism
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / immunology
  • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / metabolism
  • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / virology
  • Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1
  • Signal Transduction / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / virology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / immunology*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Interleukin-17
  • Interleukin-2
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Prdm1 protein, mouse
  • Transcription Factors
  • Interleukin-10
  • Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1