Innate immunity defines the capacity of antiviral T cells to limit persistent infection.

Effective immunity requires the coordinated activation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Natural killer (NK) cells are central innate immune effectors, but can also affect the generation of acquired immune responses to viruses and malignancies. How NK cells influence the efficacy of adaptive immunity, however, is poorly understood. Here, we show that NK cells negatively regulate the duration and effectiveness of virus-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses by limiting exposure of T cells to infected antigen-presenting cells. This impacts the quality of T cell responses and the ability to limit viral persistence. Our studies provide unexpected insights into novel interplays between innate and adaptive immune effectors, and define the critical requirements for efficient control of viral persistence.

Interleukin 15-mediated survival of natural killer cells is determined by interactions among Bim, Noxa and Mcl-1.

Interleukin 15 (IL-15) promotes the survival of natural killer (NK) cells by preventing apoptosis through mechanisms unknown at present. Here we identify Bim, Noxa and Mcl-1 as key regulators of IL-15-dependent survival of NK cells. IL-15 suppressed apoptosis by limiting Bim expression through the kinases Erk1 and Erk2 and mechanisms dependent on the transcription factor Foxo3a, while promoting expression of Mcl-1, which was necessary and sufficient for the survival of NK cells. Withdrawal of IL-15 led to upregulation of Bim and, accordingly, both Bim-deficient and Foxo3a-/- NK cells were resistant to cytokine deprivation. Finally, IL-15-mediated inactivation of Foxo3a and cell survival were dependent on phosphotidylinositol-3-OH kinase. Thus, IL-15 regulates the survival of NK cells at multiple steps, with Bim and Noxa being key antagonists of Mcl-1, the critical survivor factor in this process.

Activation of natural killer (NK) T cells during murine cytomegalovirus infection enhances the antiviral response mediated by NK cells.

NK1.1+ T (NKT) cells are efficient regulators of early host responses which have been shown to play a role in tumor surveillance. The relevance of NKT cells in immune surveillance of viral infections, however, is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the functional relevance of NKT cells in controlling herpesvirus infections by using challenge with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) as the study model. This model has proven to be one of the best systems for evaluating the role of NK cells during virus infection. Using gene-targeted mice and alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) as an exogenous stimulator of NKT cells, we have analyzed the role of these cells in the immune surveillance of MCMV infection. Our studies in NKT-cell-deficient, T-cell receptor Jalpha281 gene-targeted mice have established that classical NKT cells do not play a critical role in the early clearance of MCMV infection. Importantly, however, activation of NKT cells by alpha-GalCer resulted in reduced viral replication in visceral organs. Depletion studies, coupled with analysis of gene-targeted mice lacking perforin and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), have revealed that the antiviral effects of alpha-GalCer involve NK cells and have clearly demonstrated that the antiviral activity of alpha-GalCer, unlike the antitumor one, is critically dependent on both perforin and IFN-gamma.