Batf3-Dependent Dendritic Cells Promote Optimal CD8 T Cell Responses against Respiratory Poxvirus Infection

Abstract

During respiratory infection with vaccinia virus (VacV), a member of Poxviridae family, CD8 + T cells play important role in resolving the primary infection. Effector CD8 + T cells clear the virus by accumulating in the infected lungs in large numbers and secreting molecules such as IFN-γ that kill virally infected cells. However, precise cell types that regulate the generation of effector CD8 + T cells in the lungs are not well defined. Dendritic cells (DCs) are a heterogeneous population of immune cells that are recognized as key initiators and regulators of T-cell-mediated immunity. In this study, we reveal that a specific subset of DCs that are dependent on the transcription factor Batf3 for their development regulate the magnitude of CD8 + T cell effector responses in the lungs, thereby providing protection during pulmonary VacV infection.