CMV infection has the extraordinary property to induce strong, long-lasting, protective inflationary effector memory CD8 T cell responses. The inflation of memory anti-MCMV CD8 T cell responses is driven by recurrent episodes of stochastic and transient viral reactivation in latently infected non-hematopoietic cells. Viral antigen presentation by DC is neither sufficient nor necessary for this response. The gene discussed is CD8A; the disease is cytomegalovirus infection.