Bone marrow (BM)-derived professional antigen-presenting cells (pAPCs) are required for the generation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to vaccinia virus and poliovirus. Furthermore, these BM-derived pAPCs require a functional transporter associated with antigen presentation (TAP). In this report we analyze the requirements for BM-derived pAPCs and TAP in the initiation of CTL responses to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and influenza virus (Flu). Our results indicate a requirement for BM-derived pAPCs for the CTL responses to these viruses. However, we found that the generation of CTLs to one LCMV epitope (LCMV nucleoprotein 396-404) was dependent on BM-derived pAPCs but, surprisingly, TAP independent. The study of the CTL response to Flu confirmed the existence of this BM-derived pAPC-dependent/TAP-independent CTL response and indicated that the TAP-independent pathway is approximately 10-300-fold less efficient than the TAP-dependent pathway.

The role of B7-1 and B7-2 costimulatory molecules in the generation of Ag-specific CD8+ CTLs is not well understood. In this paper, we analyze the role of both B7-1 and B7-2 in the generation of CTLs to nonliving, exogenous Ag and to live virus. To analyze the role of B7 costimulation in the induction of CTLs, we blocked B7-1 and/or B7-2 in vivo by injecting C57BL/6 mice with anti-B7-1 and/or anti-B7-2 mAbs; the mice were subsequently immunized with either chicken OVA that had been cross-linked to beads as a model of exogenous Ags or with wild-type and recombinant vaccinia virus expressing different forms of chicken OVA as models of viral Ags. Our results indicate that B7 costimulation is necessary in the generation of CTLs for all of these Ags. Since the B7 molecules could be costimulating CD8+ and/or CD4+ T cells in wild-type animals, we also examined the role of costimulation in the generation of CTLs to exogenous and viral Ag in MHC class II-deficient mice lacking most CD4+ T cells. In these animals, a combination of both mAbs also blocked all CTL responses, indicating that the Th cell-independent activation of CTLs is dependent upon the B7-costimulatory signals supplied to the CD8+ cell. These findings contribute to the understanding of the role of costimulation for the generation of CTLs. We also discuss the implications of these findings on the role of professional APCs in the initiation of CTL responses.