Interaction between dendritic cells and T cells during peripheral virus infections: a role for antigen presentation beyond lymphoid organs?

Effective viral immunity depends on the activation of T cells by professional antigen presenting cells, such as dendritic cells (DC). The remarkable heterogeneity of the DC network allows the immune system to respond specifically to various infection strategies by different viruses. As a consequence, DC-T cell interactions resulting in optimal virus-specific T cell priming are highly flexible and involve different types of DC. Further highlighting this complexity, recent lines of evidence suggest that presentation of viral antigen by DC is not only restricted to lymphoid organs, but instead also occurs at peripheral sites of infection. Here we discuss the multifaceted interactions between DC and T cells during peripheral virus infections in both lymphoid organs and the periphery.