Critical Role of an MHC Class I-Like/Innate-Like T Cell Immune Surveillance System in Host Defense against Ranavirus (Frog Virus 3) Infection

Abstract

Besides the central role of classical Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class Ia-restricted conventional Cluster of Differentiation 8 (CD8) T cells in antiviral host immune response, the amphibian <i>Xenopus laevis</i> critically rely on MHC class I-like (mhc1b10.1.L or XNC10)-restricted innate-like (i)T cells (iVα6 T cells) to control infection by the ranavirus Frog virus 3 (FV3). To complement and extend our previous reverse genetic studies showing that iVα6 T cells are required for tadpole survival, as well as for timely and effective adult viral clearance, we examined the conditions and kinetics of iVα6 T cell response against FV3. Using a FV3 knock-out (KO) growth-defective mutant, we found that upregulation of the XNC10 restricting class I-like gene and the rapid recruitment of iVα6 T cells depend on detectable viral replication and productive FV3 infection. In addition, by in vivo depletion with XNC10 tetramers, we demonstrated the direct antiviral effector function of iVα6 T cells. Notably, the transitory iVα6 T cell defect delayed innate interferon and cytokine gene response, resulting in long-lasting negative inability to control FV3 infection. These findings suggest that in <i>Xenopus</i> and likely other amphibians, an immune surveillance system based on the early activation of iT cells by non-polymorphic MHC class-I like molecules is important for efficient antiviral immune response.