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NK cells provide helper signal for CD8+ T cells by inducing the expression of membrane-bound IL-15 on DCs

Barbara Morandi1, Lorenzo Mortara, Paolo Carrega

  • 1Laboratory of Immunology and Biotherapy, Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.

International Immunology
|March 28, 2009
PubMed

NK cell recognition of cells that do not express or express low amounts of MHC class I molecules results not only in direct killing of target cells but also in the generation of specific T cell responses consequent to the induction of dendritic cell (DC) activation. While IL-12 production by NK cell-activated DCs is generally thought to play a critical role, a similar DC-mediated NK cell help has been reported also in IL-12-knockout mice. Here, we show that human NK cells can induce on DC surface membrane, via IFN-gamma secretion, the expression of high levels of IL-15. Remarkably, we show that DC expression of this membrane-bound form of IL-15, which is only partially associated with IL-15R molecules, is essential to promote specific CD8(+) T lymphocyte response in the absence of DC-derived IL-12.

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