T Cell-Derived Lymphotoxin Is Essential for the Anti-Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Humoral Immune Response

Abstract

B cell-derived lymphotoxin (LT) is required for the development of follicular dendritic cell clusters for the formation of primary and secondary lymphoid follicles, but the role of T cell-derived LT in antibody response has not been well demonstrated. We observed that lymphotoxin β-receptor (LTβR) signaling is essential for optimal humoral immune response and protection against an acute herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection. Blocking the LTβR pathway caused poor maintenance of germinal center B (GC-B) cells and follicular helper T (Tfh) cells. Using bone marrow chimeric mice and adoptive transplantation, we determined that T cell-derived LT played an indispensable role in the humoral immune response to HSV-1. Upregulation of gamma interferon by the LTβR-Ig blockade impairs the sustainability of Tfh-like cells, leading to an impaired humoral immune response. Our findings have identified a novel role of T cell-derived LT in the humoral immune response against HSV-1 infection.IMPORTANCE Immunocompromised people are susceptible to HSV-1 infection and lethal recurrence, which could be inhibited by anti-HSV-1 humoral immune response in the host. This study sought to explore the role of T cell-derived LT in the anti-HSV-1 humoral immune response using LT-LTβR signaling-deficient mice and the LTβR-Ig blockade. The data indicate that the T cell-derived LT may play an essential role in sustaining Tfh-like cells and ensure Tfh-like cells' migration into primary or secondary follicles for further maturation. This study provides insights for vaccine development against infectious diseases.

Keywords: HSV-1; LTβR; follicular helper T; humoral immune response; lymphotoxin.