A potential new pathway for PD-L1 costimulation of the CD8-T cell response to Listeria monocytogenes infection

Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is an important negative regulator of T cell immune responses via interactions with PD-1 and CD80. However, PD-L1 can also act as a positive costimulator, but the relevant counterreceptor is not known. We analyzed the role of PD-L1 in CD8-T cell responses to infection with Listeria monocytogenes (LM) or vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). PD-L1 blockade impaired antigen-specific CD8 effector T cell expansion in response to LM, but not to VSV infection, particularly limiting short-lived effector cell differentiation. Simultaneous CD4-T cell depletion and anti-PD-L1 blockade revealed that PD-L1 provided costimulation even in the absence of CD4-T cells. Most importantly, specific blockade of PD-L1 binding to CD80 or to PD-1 did not recapitulate PDL-1 blockade. The results suggested that PD-L1 plays an important costimulatory role for antigen-specific CD8 T cells during LM infection perhaps through a distinct receptor or interaction epitope.