Impaired Macrophage Function and Enhanced T Cell-Dependent Immune Response in Mice Lacking CCR5, the Mouse Homologue of the Major HIV-1 Coreceptor

Abstract

The CC-chemokine receptor CCR5 has been shown to be the major coreceptor for HIV-1 entry into cells, and humans with homozygous mutation in the ccr5 gene are highly resistant to HIV-1 infection, despite the existence of many other HIV-1 coreceptors. To investigate the physiologic function of CCR5 and to understand the cellular mechanisms of these clinical observations, we generated a CCR5-deficient mouse model (ccr5[-/-]) by targeted deletion of the ccr5 gene. We found that although developed normally in a pathogen-free environment, CCR5-deficient mice showed reduced efficiency in clearance of Listeria infection and exert a protective effect against LPS-induced endotoxemia, reflecting a partial defect in macrophage function. In addition, CCR5-deficient mice had an enhanced delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction and increased humoral responses to T cell-dependent antigenic challenge, indicating a novel role of CCR5 in down-modulating T cell-dependent immune response.