Accordingly, our findings that Batf3−/−-mice, which are deficient for CD8α+ DCs, cannot mount CD8+ T cell responses to neither HSV, HSVmut, mCMV, mCMVmut, underline that this DC-subpopulation is responsible for both – direct priming upon infection and cross-presentation of viral material from infected surrounding cells. Here, BATF3 is linked to infection.