Unraveling the role of γδ T cells in the pathogenesis of an oncogenic avian herpesvirus

Abstract

ABSTRACT Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is an oncogenic alphaherpesvirus that causes deadly lymphomas in chickens. In chickens, up to 50% of all peripheral T cells are gamma delta (γδ) T cells. Until now, their role in MDV pathogenesis and tumor formation remains poorly understood. To investigate the role of γδ T cells in MDV pathogenesis, we infected recently generated γδ T cell knockout chickens with very virulent MDV. Strikingly, disease and tumor incidence were highly increased in the absence of γδ T cells, indicating that γδ T cells play an important role in the immune response against MDV. In the absence of γδ T cells, virus replication was drastically increased in the thymus and spleen, which are potential sites of T cell transformation. Taken together, our data provide the first evidence that γδ T cells play an important role in the pathogenesis and tumor formation of this highly oncogenic herpesvirus. IMPORTANCE Gamma delta (γδ) T cells are the most abundant T cells in chickens, but their role in fighting pathogens remains poorly understood. Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is an important veterinary pathogen, that causes one of the most frequent cancers in animals and is used as a model for virus-induced tumor formation. Our study revealed that γδ T cells play a crucial role in combating MDV, as disease and tumor incidence drastically increased in the absence of these cells. γδ T cells restricted virus replication in the key lymphoid organs, thereby decreasing the likelihood of causing tumors and disease. This study provides novel insights into the role of γδ T cells in the pathogenesis of this highly oncogenic virus.