Type I interferon signaling in fibroblastic reticular cells prevents exhaustive activation of antiviral CD8+ T cells

Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRC) shape the organization of secondary lymphoid organs and actively promote the induction of immune responses by coordinating the interaction of innate and adaptive immune cells. However, the mechanisms underlying FRC functions during viral infections have remained largely unexplored. In the study, we combined FRC-specific genetic ablation of the type 1 IFN-alpha receptor (IFNAR) with high-dimensional transcriptomics analyses to elaborate the phenotypical alterations and functional consequences of impaired innate immunological sensing in FRC during lymph node-restricted viral infection