CD8(+) T cells are essential for long-term, vaccine-induced resistance against intracellular pathogens. Here we show that natural antibodies, acting in concert with complement, are endogenous adjuvants for the generation of protective CD8(+) T cells after vaccination against visceral leishmaniasis. IL-4 was crucial for the priming of vaccine-specific CD8(+) T cells, and we defined the primary source of IL-4 as a CD11b(+)CD11c(lo) phagocyte. IL-4 secretion was not observed in antibody-deficient mice and could be reconstituted with serum from normal, but not Btk immune-deficient, mice. Similarly, no IL-4 response or CD8(+) T-cell priming was seen in C1qa(-/-) mice. These results identify a new pathway by which immune complex-mediated complement activation can regulate T-cell-mediated immunity. We propose that this function of natural antibodies could be exploited when developing new vaccines for infectious diseases.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity globally, and the leading cause of death in under-five year olds. The pneumococcal cytolysin pneumolysin (PLY) is a major virulence determinant, known to induce pore-dependent pro-inflammatory responses. These inflammatory responses are driven by PLY-host cell membrane cholesterol interactions, with binding to a host cell receptor not previously demonstrated. However, here we discovered a receptor for PLY, whereby pro-inflammatory cytokine responses and TLR signaling are inhibited upon PLY binding to the Mannose-Receptor C type 1 (MRC-1) in human dendritic cells (DCs) and murine alveolar macrophages, along with upregulation of the cytokine suppressor SOCS1. Moreover, PLY-MRC-1 interaction mediates pneumococcal internalization into non-lysosomal compartments and polarizes naive T cells into an IFN-γ low , IL-4 high and FoxP3 + immunoregulatory phenotype. In mice, PLY-expressing pneumococci co-localize with MRC-1 in alveolar macrophages, and induce lower pro-inflammatory cytokine responses and reduced neutrophil infiltration, compared to a PLY-mutant. In vivo , MRC-1-inhibition using blocking antibodies or MRC-1 deficient mice, show reduced bacterial loads in the airways. In conclusion, we show that pneumococci use PLY-MRC-1 interactions to downregulate inflammation and enhance bacterial survival in the airways. This has important implications for future vaccine design.

Kupffer cells (KCs) represent the major phagocytic population within the liver and provide an intracellular niche for the survival of a number of important human pathogens. Although KCs have been extensively studied in vitro, little is known of their in vivo response to infection and their capacity to directly interact with antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. Here, using a combination of approaches including whole mount and thin section confocal microscopy, adoptive cell transfer and intra-vital 2-photon microscopy, we demonstrate that KCs represent the only detectable population of mononuclear phagocytes within granulomas induced by Leishmania donovani infection that are capable of presenting parasite-derived peptide to effector CD8+ T cells. This restriction of antigen presentation to KCs within the Leishmania granuloma has important implications for the identification of new candidate vaccine antigens and for the design of novel immuno-therapeutic interventions.