Glycoprotein 96-activated dendritic cells induce a CD8-biased T cell response

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are able to induce protective immune responses against pathogens and tumors after injection into immunocompetent hosts. The activation of components of the adaptive immune system, including cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for pathogen- or tumor-derived peptides, is crucial for the establishment of immunoprotection. Hsps acquire these peptides during intracellular protein degradation and when released during necrotic cell death, facilitate their uptake and Minor Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)-restricted representation by professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In addition, the interaction of Hsps with APCs, including the Endoplasmatic Reticulum (ER)-resident chaperone glycoprotein 96 (Gp96), induces the maturation of these cells by Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated signaling events. We now provide evidence that in contrast to lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-mediated dendritic cell (DC) maturation, the interaction of Gp96 with DCs leads to the preferential expansion of antigen-specific CD8-positive T cells in vitro and in vivo. This CD8 preference induced by mouse and human DCs did not correlate with enhanced levels of interleukin-12 secretion. Thus, despite the fact that both LPS and Gp96 activate DCs in a TLR4-dependent manner, the experiments of this study clearly demonstrate qualitative differences in the outcome of this maturation process, which preferentially favors the expansion of CD8-positive T cells.