Reply to Bauer et al.: Murine pDC recognition of vaccinia viral DNA is mediated by TLR8
Year: 2010
Type: letter
Abstract: Using a range of different experimental approaches, we showed that murine plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) sensing of vaccinia virus or its DNA is mediated by Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) but not TLR9, and TLR8-dependent pDC activation plays an important role in the control of vaccinia viral infection in vivo (1). Bauer et al. (2) now question that our conclusions contradict their observations that DC recognition of mousepox (ectromelia) virus is dependent on TLR9 and that TLR9-deficient mice showed increased susceptibility to mousepox viral infection (3). Although both vaccinia virus and mousepox virus belong to the orthopoxvirus family and share some genetic similarity and immunological cross-reactivity, they differ in host species, route of infection, and genetic composition, as well as immune responses by the host. Thus, our results simply reveal a different TLR in the recognition of vaccinia virus by pDCs and do not contradict the observation that innate immune recognition of mousepox virus is mediated by TLR9 (3). In line with our observation, a recent study has shown that innate immune recognition of modified vaccinia virus Ankara is also independent of TLR9 (4). Next, we respond to their specific queries.
Authors: Jennifer Martinez, Yiping Yang
Institutions: Duke University, Duke Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2079232015