The lymphoid past of mouse plasmacytoid cells and thymic dendritic cells

J Immunol. 2003 May 15;170(10):4926-32. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.170.10.4926.

Abstract

There has been controversy over the possible lymphoid origin of certain dendritic cell (DC) subtypes. To resolve this issue, DC and plasmacytoid pre-DC isolated from normal mouse tissues were analyzed for transient (mRNA) and permanent (DNA rearrangement) markers of early stages of lymphoid development. About 27% of the DNA of CD8(+) DC from thymus, and 22-35% of the DNA of plasmacytoid pre-DC from spleen and thymus, was found to contain IgH gene D-J rearrangements, compared with 40% for T cells. However, the DC DNA did not contain IgH gene V-D-J rearrangements nor T cell Ag receptor beta gene D-J rearrangements. The same DC lineage populations containing IgH D-J rearrangements expressed mRNA for CD3 chains, and for pre-T alpha. In contrast, little of the DNA of the conventional DC derived from spleen, lymph nodes, or skin, whether CD8(+) or CD8(-), contained IgH D-J rearrangements and splenic conventional DC expressed very little CD3 epsilon or pre-T alpha mRNA. Therefore, many plasmacytoid pre-DC and thymic CD8(+) DC have shared early steps of development with the lymphoid lineages, and differ in origin from conventional peripheral DC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Cells / immunology
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation
  • CD3 Complex*
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Cell Lineage / genetics
  • Cell Lineage / immunology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Complementarity Determining Regions / biosynthesis
  • Complementarity Determining Regions / genetics
  • Dendritic Cells / cytology*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain
  • Genes, T-Cell Receptor alpha
  • Lymphoid Tissue / cytology*
  • Lymphoid Tissue / immunology
  • Lymphoid Tissue / metabolism
  • Male
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / biosynthesis
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Phagocytosis / genetics
  • Phagocytosis / immunology
  • Plasma Cells / cytology*
  • Plasma Cells / immunology
  • Plasma Cells / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / biosynthesis
  • Radiation Chimera / immunology
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / biosynthesis
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta
  • Stem Cells / cytology
  • Stem Cells / immunology
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Thymus Gland / cytology*
  • Thymus Gland / immunology
  • Thymus Gland / metabolism

Substances

  • CD3 Complex
  • CD3E protein, human
  • Complementarity Determining Regions
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta
  • pre-T cell receptor alpha