Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Interview: Glycolipid Antigen Presentation by CD1d and the Therapeutic Potential of NKT cell Activation
18:08

Interview: Glycolipid Antigen Presentation by CD1d and the Therapeutic Potential of NKT cell Activation

Published on: December 31, 2007

Viral danger signals control CD1d de novo synthesis and NKT cell activation

Martin J Raftery1, Florian Winau, Thomas Giese

  • 1Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

European Journal of Immunology
|February 7, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Viral danger signals activate NKT cells by boosting CD1d molecule production in myeloid dendritic cells (DC). This enhances T cell responses crucial for controlling viral infections.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Virology

Background:

  • CD1 molecules present lipid antigens to T cells, with CD1d-restricted NKT cells playing a role in viral infection control.
  • The precise mechanisms of NKT cell activation during viral infections remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how myeloid dendritic cells (DC) regulate CD1 antigen presentation in response to viral danger signals.
  • To elucidate the role of specific CD1 molecules and dendritic cell subsets in NKT cell activation during viral infections.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of CD1 gene (CD1A-E) and protein (CD1a-e) expression in human myeloid DC upon stimulation with type I IFN, viral TLR ligands, or viruses.
  • Assessment of NKT cell activation and cytokine production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) exposed to viral stimuli.
  • Investigation of the role of plasmacytoid DC and IFN-alpha in NKT cell activation.

Main Results:

  • Viral danger signals significantly increased CD1D mRNA transcripts while decreasing CD1A, CD1B, and CD1E mRNA in myeloid DC.
  • These transcriptional changes correlated with increased surface expression of CD1d, leading to NKT cell activation and a Th1-like response.
  • NKT cell activation in response to viral danger signals was dependent on plasmacytoid DC-derived IFN-alpha.

Conclusions:

  • Viral danger signals promote NKT cell activation by upregulating CD1D mRNA in myeloid DC, thereby enhancing CD1d de novo synthesis.
  • This mechanism highlights a critical pathway for initiating adaptive immune responses against viral pathogens.

More Related Videos

Assessing the Innate Sensing of HIV-1 Infected CD4+ T Cells by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Using an Ex vivo Co-culture System.08:11

Assessing the Innate Sensing of HIV-1 Infected CD4+ T Cells by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Using an Ex vivo Co-culture System.

Published on: September 1, 2015

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production08:32

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production

Published on: March 2, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens01:29

Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens

The immune system's response to viral infections is a complex and coordinated process involving natural killer (NK) cells, T cell-mediated responses, and antibody-mediated responses.
NK Cells
NK cells are a crucial part of our innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against viral infections. These cells can recognize and kill infected cells without prior exposure to the virus, effectively slowing down the spread of infection. Additionally, NK cells produce proinflammatory...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Cells of the Innate Immune Response01:28

Cells of the Innate Immune Response

The innate immune response is an immediate and non-specific response against pathogens, acting swiftly to prevent the spread of infections. The primary cells involved in this response are phagocytes and natural killer (NK) cells.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...
Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes01:25

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

Immune surveillance is an integral part of the innate immune system, involving the continuous monitoring of peripheral tissues to detect and respond to pathogens, infected cells, or cancerous cells. This surveillance is conducted primarily by natural killer (NK) cells and phagocytes, which employ distinct but complementary mechanisms to identify and eliminate threats.
Natural Killer Cells: The Fast Responders
NK cells are large granular lymphocytes found in the blood and lymphatic system. These...
Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview