Chapter 8- Cell Mediated Immunity Flashcards
T-cell activation
Also called T-cell priming. It is the stimulation of mature naive T cells by an antigen, which is presented to them by professional antigen-presenting cells. It causes their proliferation and differentiation into effector T cells. T-cell activation is the first stage of a primary adaptive immune response
Activated CD8 cells
Always become cytotoxic T cells
Activated CD4 cells
Become effector cells- there are 5 different types
Where do adaptive immune responses occur?
The immune system captures some of the pathogen and sequesters it in secondary lymphoid tissue, which is dedicated to the generation of adaptive responses. These responses don’t just occur anywhere in the body. Myeloid dendritic cells are the main cells responsible for capturing the antigen at the site of infection and bringing it to the secondary lymphoid tissue (a draining lymph node)
How do dendritic cell functions change during the adaptive immune response?
Dendritic cells lose their capacity for phagocytosis and the processing of antigens when they move to secondary lymphoid tissues. There, they gain the ability to activate naive T cells
Immature dendritic cells
Dendritic cells that are present in peripheral tissues. They don’t express co-stimulatory molecules and don’t act as professional APCs to naive T cells. Dendritic cells mature once they are exposed to an antigen
Mature (activated) dendritic cells
Dendritic cells in secondary lymphoid tissues. They express co-stimulators and other cell-surface molecules that allow them to present antigens to naive T cells and activate them. Once the cells mature, their dendrites are highly elaborated, and they facilitate interactions with T cells in the cortex of the lymph node- this is where naive T cells congregate
Functions of macrophages in the lymph node
Macrophages are found in the cortex and medulla of the lymph node and complement dendritic cell functions. The macrophages extract pathogens and their breakdown products from the afferent lymph coming from the site of infection. They filter the lymph so the pathogens won’t leave the node through the efferent lymph and cause systemic infection
Which cells are responsible for activating CD4 and CD8 T cells?
CD8 cells can only be activated by dendritic cells. CD4 cells can be activated by dendritic cells or sometimes macrophages. Pathogens are presented to CD4 cells on MHC class 2 and presented to CD8 cells on MHC class 1
Micropinocytosis
A specific, receptor-mediated form of endocytosis conducted by dendritic cells. The cell internalizes small volumes of extracellular fluid and soluble macromolecules in membrane vesicles. Bacteria and viruses are captured using this mechanism so they can be processed in the lysosomes. Delivers the particles to MHC class 2
Macropinocytosis
The nonspecific endocytosis of larger volumes of extracellular fluid. Occurs in dendritic cells, used to capture pathogens that are not recognized by the endocytic receptors. Delivers the particles to MHC class 2
Pathways processing antigens delivered to MHC class 2
- Receptor-mediated endocytosis of bacteria
- Macropinocytosis of bacteria or viruses
Presented to CD4 cells
Pathways processing antigens delivered to MHC class 1
- Viral infection
- Cross-presentation of exogenous viral antigens
Presented to CD8 cells
Virus-infected dendritic cells
Viral proteins are processed in the cytosol and delivered to the endoplasmic reticulum, where they bind to MHC class 1. The MHC molecules are taken to the cell surface, where they are surveyed by the antigen receptors of CD8 T cells
Cross-presentation
Dendritic cells use the cross-presentation pathway to load MHC class 1 molecules with extracellular pathogen-derived peptides. Some peptides in the endosomes are transported into the cytosol and degraded to nonamers by the proteasome, then loaded on to MHC class 1. Peptide-MHC class 1 complexes are transported to the cell surface for presentation to naive CD8 T cells
Dendritic cell receptors
Toll-like receptors- signals from the toll-like receptors when they recognize a pathogen alter gene expression, leading to activation of the dendritic cell.
Effects of dendritic cell activation
Uptake, processing, and presentation of antigens to MHC molecules become more efficient. The receptor CCR7 also appears on the cell surface
CCR7
A cell surface receptor on dendritic cells, which CCL21 (a secondary lymphoid tissue cytokine) binds to. When the ligand and receptor interact, the pathogen-loaded dendritic cells leave the lymph and enter the tissue of the draining lymph node. The signals also cause the dendritic cells to mature and change their functions to present antigens to naive T cells
Expression of MHC molecules as dendritic cells mature
During maturation, the expression of MHC class 1 and class 2 increases, leading to an abundance of stable, long-lived peptide-MHC complexes on the dendritic cell surface
High endothelial venules (HEVs)
Specialized thin-walled capillaries in the lymph node. T cells enter the lymph node through the arterial blood. When T cells pass through an HEV, the T cells bind to the endothelial cells and then squeeze between them to leave the blood and enter the lymph node in the T-cell area
T-cell area
Also called the T-cell zone. It is the area where naive T cells enter the lymph node, in the outermost part of the cortex. The T-cell area is the part of secondary lymphoid tissue where the lymphocytes are predominantly T cells
What happens when naive T cells enter the lymph node?
The naive T cells encounter and interact with mature dendritic cells. The T-cell receptors probe the peptide-MHC complexes on the dendritic cell surface to find ones that contain a specific antigen. When the T cell antigen receptor binds to the peptide-MHC complex, the T cell is selected to be retained in the lymph node and is activated by the dendritic cell
Co-stimulatory signal
Any signal that is required for the activation of a naive lymphocyte in addition to the signal delivered via the antigen receptor (T cell with the peptide-MHC complex). The co-stimulatory signal is also necessary for the cell to survive and divide. It is delivered when CD28 on the T cell binds to the B7 molecule on the dendritic cell. In this context, B7 is a co-stimulator and CD28 acts as its co-stimulatory receptor
B7 and CD28 signaling
CD28 (on the T-cell) binds to B7 (on the dendritic cell). This allows the peptide-MHC complexes to engage both the T cell receptor and the co-receptor. The intracellular signals generated by the antigen receptor, co-receptor, and co-stimulatory receptor are necessary for the activation of the naive T-cell, as well as its proliferation and the differentiation of its progeny to become effector cells
CTLA4
An additional and complementary B7 receptor that is expressed when T cells are activated. CTLA4 is structurally similar to CD28 but it binds to B7 in a much stronger manner than CD28. When B7 interacts with CTLA4, it acts as a brake that inhibits both the activation and proliferation of T cells
What changes are observed in naive T cells when they differentiate into effector T cells? (4)
- Acquire ability to synthesize certain cytokines and
molecules to help eradicate different pathogens - Reduced requirement for co-stimulation
- Changes in adhesion molecules, chemokine receptors
- Also, increased expression of CTLA-4
Identification of TH1 and TH2 T cells
1986: Mosmann and Coffman observed that clones of helper T cells could be separated into
two classes based upon the cytokines they secreted. The subsets appeared to differ in the type of immune responses they produced