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pubmed:abstractText |
Human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are major producers of IFNalpha, are activated by CpG motifs, and are believed to enter lymph nodes (LNs) via L-selectin dependent extravasation across high endothelial venules. To identify a similar murine DC type, CD11c(+) cells in the LNs of L-selectin-deficient and control BALB/c mice were compared, revealing a population of CD11c(+)CD11b(-) cells that is reduced 85% in the LNs of L-selectin-deficient mice. These cells are Gr-1(+)B220(+)CD19(-), either CD4(+) or CD8(+), and localize within T cell zones of LNs. Freshly isolated CD11c(+)Gr-1(+) cells express major histocompatibility complex class II at low levels, display a plasmacytoid morphology, and survive poorly in culture. Their survival is increased and they develop a DC-like morphology in interleukin 3 and CpG. Like human pDCs, CD11c(+)Gr-1(+) cells stimulate T cell proliferation after activation with CpG and produce IFNalpha after stimulation with influenza virus. These cells also display a strain-specific variation in frequency, being fivefold increased in the LNs of BALB/c relative to C57BL/6 mice. These CD11c(+)CD11b(-)B220(+)Gr-1(+) cells appear to be the murine equivalent of human pDCs.
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