0000000000139679
AUTHOR
Kathy D. Mccoy
Antigens expressed by myelinating glia cells induce peripheral cross‐tolerance of endogenous CD8+T cells
Auto-reactivity of T cells is largely prevented by central and peripheral tolerance. Nevertheless, immunization with certain self-antigens emulsified in CFA induces autoimmunity in rodents, suggesting that tolerance to some self-antigens is not robust. To investigate the fate of nervous system-specific CD8(+) T cells, which only recently came up as being important contributors for MS pathogenesis, we developed a mouse model that allows inducible expression of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-derived CD8(+) T-cell epitopes specifically in oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells, the myelinating glia of the nervous system. These transgenic CD8(+) T-cell epitopes induced robust tolerance of endog…
Host microbiota constantly control maturation and function of microglia in the CNS.
As the tissue macrophages of the CNS, microglia are critically involved in diseases of the CNS. However, it remains unknown what controls their maturation and activation under homeostatic conditions. We observed substantial contributions of the host microbiota to microglia homeostasis, as germ-free (GF) mice displayed global defects in microglia with altered cell proportions and an immature phenotype, leading to impaired innate immune responses. Temporal eradication of host microbiota severely changed microglia properties. Limited microbiota complexity also resulted in defective microglia. In contrast, recolonization with a complex microbiota partially restored microglia features. We determ…