Bacterial CpG-DNA activates dendritic cells in vivo: T helper cell-independent cytotoxic T cell responses to soluble proteins.

Receptors for conserved molecular patterns associated with microbial pathogens induce synthesis of co-stimulatory molecules and cytokines in immature dendritic cells (DC), as do antigen-reactive CD4 T helper cells via CD40 signaling. Once activated, antigen-presenting DC may activate CD8 T cell responses in a T helper cell-independent fashion. Using immunostimulatory CpG-oligonucleotides (ODN) mimicking bacterial CpG-DNA, we tested whether CpG-DNA bypasses the need for T helper cells in CTL responses towards proteins by directly activating antigen-presenting DC to transit into professional APC. We describe that immature DC in situ constitutively process soluble proteins and generate CD8 T cell determinants yet CD8 T cell responses remain abortive. Induction of primary antigen-specific CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated responses becomes initiated in wild-type as well as T helper cell-deficient mice, provided soluble protein and CpG-ODN are draining into the same lymph node. Specifically we show that CpG-ODN trigger antigen-presenting immature DC within the draining lymph node to acutely up-regulate co-stimulatory molecules and produce IL-12. These results provide new insights for generating in vivo efficient CTL responses to soluble proteins which may influence vaccination strategies.