Altered peptide ligands (APLs) and their antagonistic or partial agonistic character–influencing T cell activation have mainly been studied in vitro Some studies have shown APLs as a viral escape mechanism from cytotoxic CD8+ T cell responses in vivo. However, whether infection or superinfection with a virus displaying an antagonistic T cell epitope can alter virus–host relationships via inhibiting T cell–mediated immunopathology is unclear. Here, we evaluated a recently described CD4+ T cell escape lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) variant that in vitro displayed antagonistic characteristics for the major histocompatibility complex class II–restricted mutated epitope. Mice transgenic for the immunodominant LCMV-specific T helper epitope that usually succumb to wild-type LCMV-induced immunopathology, survived if they were simultaneously coinfected with antagonistic variant but not with control virus. The results illustrate that a coinfecting APL-expressing virus can shift an immunopathological virus–host relationships in favor of host survival. This may play a role in poorly cytopathic long-lasting virus carrier states in humans.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
21 October 2002
Article|
October 21 2002
Antagonistic Variant Virus Prevents Wild-type Virus-induced Lethal Immunopathology
Lukas Hunziker,
Lukas Hunziker
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Search for other works by this author on:
Mike Recher,
Mike Recher
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Search for other works by this author on:
Adrian Ciurea,
Adrian Ciurea
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Search for other works by this author on:
Marianne M.A. Martinic,
Marianne M.A. Martinic
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Search for other works by this author on:
Bernhard Odermatt,
Bernhard Odermatt
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Search for other works by this author on:
Hans Hengartner,
Hans Hengartner
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Search for other works by this author on:
Rolf M. Zinkernagel
Rolf M. Zinkernagel
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Search for other works by this author on:
Lukas Hunziker
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Mike Recher
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Adrian Ciurea
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Marianne M.A. Martinic
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Bernhard Odermatt
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Hans Hengartner
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Rolf M. Zinkernagel
Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Address correspondence to Lukas Hunziker, Institute for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland. Phone: 41-1-255-2989; Fax: 41-1-255-44-20; E-mail: [email protected]
L. Hunziker and M. Recher contributed equally to this work.
*
Abbreviations used in this paper: APL, altered peptide ligand; LCMV, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus; tg, transgenic.
Received:
December 10 2001
Revision Received:
July 29 2002
Accepted:
August 20 2002
Online ISSN: 1540-9538
Print ISSN: 0022-1007
The Rockefeller University Press
2002
J Exp Med (2002) 196 (8): 1039–1046.
Article history
Received:
December 10 2001
Revision Received:
July 29 2002
Accepted:
August 20 2002
Citation
Lukas Hunziker, Mike Recher, Adrian Ciurea, Marianne M.A. Martinic, Bernhard Odermatt, Hans Hengartner, Rolf M. Zinkernagel; Antagonistic Variant Virus Prevents Wild-type Virus-induced Lethal Immunopathology . J Exp Med 21 October 2002; 196 (8): 1039–1046. doi: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20012045
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionSuggested Content
Email alerts
Advertisement