This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Guo, Y. Articles by Klimpel, G. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Guo, Y. Articles by Klimpel, G. R.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect. Immun., Jun 1995, 2288-2294, Vol 63, No. 6
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology

Human T-cell recognition of Listeria monocytogenes: recognition of listeriolysin O by TcR alpha beta + and TcR gamma delta + T cells

Y Guo, HK Ziegler, SA Safley, DW Niesel, S Vaidya and GR Klimpel
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-1019, USA.

The cell-mediated immune response to Listeria monocytogenes has been well characterized in the mouse. Listeriolysin O (LLO) is a major antigen in murine T-cell recognition of L. monocytogenes. In this study, we show that LLO is also recognized by human TcR alpha beta T cells and TcR gamma delta T cells. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultured in vitro with live listeriae and then expanded with interleukin 2 were shown to respond to purified LLO. The generation of LLO-responsive T cells was dependent on the use of live bacteria during the initial in vitro challenge. LLO-induced proliferation of T cells expanded by exposure of PBMC to live listeriae was major histocompatibility complex restricted. PBMC cultured with formalin-fixed listeriae and subsequently expanded by interleukin 2 gave high proliferative responses to fixed bacteria but failed to respond to LLO. PBMC stimulated in vitro with fixed listeriae contained predominantly TcR alpha beta + T cells. In contrast, PBMC obtained from 85% of the donors studied generated high numbers of TcR gamma delta + T cells following in vitro culture with live listeriae. Using a panel of synthetic amphipathic LLO peptides, we found that LLO-specific T cells from different individuals recognized both common and unique peptides. LLO 470-508 was recognized by three of five individuals, while LLO 203- 226 and LLO 107-126 were recognized by two of six individuals. A TcR gamma delta + T-cell line was established from PBMC stimulated with live listeriae and was shown to recognize LLO 470-508. Proliferative responses could be induced in this cell line by peptide-pulsed autologous PBMC but not by peptide-pulsed allogeneic PBMC. Our results establish the importance of LLO in human T-cell recognition of listeriae and show that both TcR alpha beta + T cells and TcR gamma delta + T cells recognize this antigen. Finally, since LLO 470-508 has a high degree of homology with other gram-positive bacterial toxins, the recognition of this peptide by TcR gamma delta + T cells suggests that an important role of these T cells in host defense is the recognition of bacterium-derived toxins.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Klimpel, G. R., Matthias, M. A., Vinetz, J. M. (2003). Leptospira interrogans Activation of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells: Preferential Expansion of TCR{gamma}{delta}+ T Cells vs TCR{alpha}{beta}+ T Cells. J. Immunol. 171: 1447-1455 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Walker, A M (2001). Unmodified and phosphorylated prolactin and gamma delta T cell development and function. Lupus 10: 735-741 [Abstract]  
• Daubenberger, C. A., Taracha, E. L. N., Gaidulis, L., Davis, W. C., McKeever, D. J. (1999). Bovine gamma delta T-Cell Responses to the Intracellular Protozoan Parasite Theileria parva. Infect. Immun. 67: 2241-2249 [Abstract] [Full Text]