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Updated: Jul 22, 2026

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
Published on: December 27, 2016
Apoptotic cells overexpress vinculin and induce vinculin-specific cytotoxic T-cell cross-priming
A Propato1, G Cutrona, V Francavilla
1Fondazione Andrea Cesalpino, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
Here we show that apoptotic cells overexpress vinculin and are ingested by dendritic cells, which subsequently cross-prime vinculin-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Successful cross-priming requires that the apoptotic cells provide maturation signals to dendritic cells through CD40-CD40 ligand (CD40L) interactions. If apoptotic cells are CD40L-, the help of a third T cell is needed for priming, indicating a regulatory role for apoptotic cells in determining priming or tolerance. Vinculin-specific CTL priming is also related to apoptosis in vivo, given that in HIV-seropositive individuals, the frequency of specific CTLs depends on the proportion of peripheral CD40L+ apoptotic cells.
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