Immunity to Listeria infection

Infection with Listeria monocytogenes is a well studied model for understanding host resistance to intracellular bacteria. Recent advances in the study of Listeria have carefully quantitated the response of CD8(+) T cells to infection and analyzed the effector functions of these cells in vivo. A surprising role for antibody in mediating resistance to Listeria has also recently emerged, providing new insight into the mechanisms of host defense.