Cytomegalovirus Infection Drives Avidity Selection of Natural Killer Cells.

Publication Type Academic Article
Authors Adams N, Geary C, Santosa E, Lumaquin D, Le Luduec J, Sottile R, van der Ploeg K, Hsu J, Whitlock B, Jackson B, Weizman O, Huse M, Hsu K, Sun J
Journal Immunity
Volume 50
Issue 6
Pagination 1381-1390.e5
Date Published 05/15/2019
ISSN 1097-4180
Keywords Cytomegalovirus, Cytomegalovirus Infections, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Killer Cells, Natural
Abstract The process of affinity maturation, whereby T and B cells bearing antigen receptors with optimal affinity to the relevant antigen undergo preferential expansion, is a key feature of adaptive immunity. Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes capable of "adaptive" responses after cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. However, whether NK cells are similarly selected on the basis of their avidity for cognate ligand is unknown. Here, we showed that NK cells with the highest avidity for the mouse CMV glycoprotein m157 were preferentially selected to expand and comprise the memory NK cell pool, whereas low-avidity NK cells possessed greater capacity for interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production. Moreover, we provide evidence for avidity selection occurring in human NK cells during human CMV infection. These results delineate how heterogeneity in NK cell avidity diversifies NK cell effector function during antiviral immunity, and how avidity selection might serve to produce the most potent memory NK cells.
DOI 10.1016/j.immuni.2019.04.009
PubMed ID 31103381
PubMed Central ID PMC6614060
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