Functional analysis of influenza-specific helper T cell clones in vivo: T cells specific for internal viral proteins provide cognate help for B cell responses to hemagglutinin

• Published in: The Journal of experimental medicine Vol. 164; no. 4; pp. 1114 - 1128
• Main Authors: SCHERLE, P. A, GERHARD, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Rockefeller University Press 01.10.1986; The Rockefeller University Press
• Subjects: Analysis of the immune response. Humoral and cellular immunity; Animals; Antibodies, Viral - analysis; Antibody Specificity; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Cell interactions; Clone Cells; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; H-2 Antigens - immunology; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; Hemagglutinins, Viral - immunology; Immunobiology; Immunoglobulin Isotypes - analysis; Membrane Proteins - immunology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Nucleoproteins - immunology; Orthomyxoviridae - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - immunology; Viral Matrix Proteins; Viral Proteins - immunology; B»-Lymphocyte; Virus; In vivo; Specificity; Immune response; Cell-cell interaction; Hemagglutinin; T-Lymphocyte; Orthomyxoviridae; Helper cell; Influenzavirus; Clone
• DOI: 10.1084/jem.164.4.1114
• ISSN: 0022-1007

We compared the effects of adoptively transferred Th cell clones specific for the influenza hemagglutinin (HA), matrix (M), or nucleoprotein (NP) on the antibody response of nude mice infected with A/PR/8/34 influenza virus. We show that the production of antibodies to the HA absolutely requires the presence of virus-specific Th cells. Further, transfer of a Th clone specific for the internal proteins, M or NP, was as effective as was transfer of an HA-specific clone in supporting an antibody response to the HA. With each of the clones, the kinetics of the response were accelerated by approximately 3 d compared with the antibody response of normal BALB/c mice. The HA- and M-specific clones supported an isotype switch from IgM to IgG and IgA similar to that which occurs during a normal antibody response. Finally, as shown by coinfection experiments, the response required a cognate T-B interaction whether the determinants recognized by the Th and B cell are located on the same viral protein or on different viral proteins within the same virus particle. The implications of these findings for understanding the T-B interactions that occur during an effective antiviral antibody response are discussed.