The UPR sensor IRE1? promotes dendritic cell responses to control Toxoplasma gondii infection.

The unfolded protein response (UPR) has emerged as a central regulator of immune cell responses in several pathologic contexts including infections. However, how intracellular residing pathogens modulate the UPR in dendritic cells (DCs) and thereby affect T cell-mediated immunity remains uncharacterized. Here, we demonstrate that infection of DCs with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) triggers a unique UPR signature hallmarked by the MyD88-dependent activation of the IRE1? pathway and the inhibition of the ATF6 pathway. Induction of XBP1s controls pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion in infected DCs while IRE1??promotes MHCI antigen presentation of secreted parasite antigens. In mice, infection leads to a specific activation of the IRE1? pathway, which is restricted to the cDC1 subset. Mice deficient for IRE1? and XBP1 in DCs display a severe susceptibility to T. gondii and succumb during the acute phase of the infection. This early mortality is correlated with increased parasite burden and a defect in splenic T cell responses. Thus, we identify the IRE1?/XBP1s branch of the UPR as a key regulator of host defense upon T. gondii infection.