SIGN-R1, a novel C-type lectin expressed by marginal zone macrophages in spleen, mediates uptake of the polysaccharide dextran

The marginal zone macrophages of the spleen are implicated in the clearance of polysaccharides, but underlying mechanisms need to be pinpointed. SIGN-R1 is one of five recently identified mouse genes that are homologous to human DC-SIGN and encode a single, external, C-terminal C-type lectin domain. We find that a polyclonal antibody to a specific SIGN-R1 peptide reacts primarily and strongly with a subset of macrophages in the marginal zone of spleen and lymph node medulla. In both sites, SIGN-R1 exists primarily in an aggregated form, resistant to dissociation into monomers upon boiling in SDS under reducing conditions. Upon transfection into three different cell lines, high-mol.-wt forms bearing SIGN-R1 are expressed, as well as reactivity with ER-TR9, a mAb previously described to react selectively with marginal zone macrophages. SIGN-R1-expressing macrophages preferentially sequester dextrans following i.v. injection. Likewise, when phagocytic cells are enriched from spleen and tested in culture, dextran is selectively endocytosed by a subset of very large SIGN-R1+ cells representing ∼5% of total released macrophages. Uptake of FITC-dextran by these macrophages in vivo and in vitro is blocked by ER-TR9 and polyclonal anti-SIGN-R1 antibodies. Following transfection with SIGN-R1, cell lines become competent to endocytose dextrans. The dextran localizes primarily to compartments lacking transferrin receptor and the LAMP-1 CD107a panlysosomal antigen. Therefore, SIGN-R1 mediates the uptake of dextran polysaccharides, and it is predominantly expressed in the macrophages of the splenic marginal zone and lymph node medulla

The CD8+ dendritic cell subset selectively endocytoses dying cells in culture and in vivo

Dendritic cells (DCs) are able in tissue culture to phagocytose and present antigens derived from infected, malignant, and allogeneic cells. Here we show directly that DCs in situ take up these types of cells after fluorescent labeling with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) and injection into mice. The injected cells include syngeneic splenocytes and tumor cell lines, induced to undergo apoptosis ex vivo by exposure to osmotic shock, and allogeneic B cells killed by NK cells in situ. The CFSE-labeled cells in each case are actively endocytosed by DCs in vivo, but only the CD8+ subset. After uptake, all of the phagocytic CD8+ DCs can form major histocompatibility complex class II-peptide complexes, as detected with a monoclonal antibody specific for these complexes. The CD8+ DCs also selectively present cell-associated antigens to both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Similar events take place with cultured DCs; CD8+ DCs again selectively take up and present dying cells. In contrast, both CD8+ and CD8- DCs phagocytose latex particles in culture, and both DC subsets present soluble ovalbumin captured in vivo. Therefore CD8+ DCs are specialized to capture dying cells, and this helps to explain their selective ability to cross present cellular antigens to both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells

Immune tolerance after delivery of dying cells to dendritic cells in situ

Peripheral immune tolerance is believed to be induced by the processing and presentation of self-tissues that die during physiologic tissue turnover. To examine the mechanism that mediates tolerance, we injected mice with dying syngeneic TAP-/- splenocytes loaded with small amounts of the protein antigen, ovalbumin (OVA). After ingestion and presentation of cell-associated OVA by the CD8+ subset of dendritic cells in situ, large numbers of antigen-reactive, CD8+ T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic T lymphocytes were driven into cell cycle, but then the T cells were deleted. The animals were also tolerant to challenge with OVA in complete Freund\u27s adjuvant. An agonistic anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody was then administered together with the OVA-loaded splenocytes, so that the dendritic cells in the recipient mice would mature. In contrast to observations made in the steady state, the antigen-reactive T cells expanded in numbers for 1-2 wk and produced large amounts of interleukin 2 and interferon γ, while the animals retained responsiveness to antigen rechallenge. The specific tolerance that develops when dendritic cells process self tissues in the steady state should prevent or reduce the development of autoimmunity when dying cells are subsequently processed during infection

The formation of immunogenic major histocompatibility complex class II-peptide ligands in lysosomal compartments of dendritic cells is regulated by inflammatory stimuli

During their final differentiation or maturation, dendritic cells (DCs) redistribute their major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II products from intracellular compartments to the plasma membrane. Using cells arrested in the immature state, we now find that DCs also regulate the initial intracellular formation of immunogenic MHC class II-peptide complexes. Immature DCs internalize the protein antigen, hen egg lysozyme (HEL), into late endosomes and lysosomes rich in MHC class II molecules. There, despite extensive colocalization of HEL protein and MHC class II products, MHC class II-peptide complexes do not form unless the DCs are exposed to inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor α, CD40 ligand, or lipoplolysaccharide. The control of T cell receptor (TCR) ligand formation was observed using the C4H3 monoclonal antibody to detect MHC class II-HEL peptide complexes by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, and with HEL-specific 3A9 transgenic T cells to detect downregulation of the TCR upon MHC-peptide encounter. Even the binding of preprocessed HEL peptide to MHC class II is blocked in immature DCs, including the formation of C4H3 epitope in MHC class II compartments, suggesting an arrest to antigen presentation at the peptide-loading step, rather than an enhanced degradation of MHC class II-peptide complexes at the cell surface, as described in previous work. Therefore, the capacity of late endosomes and lysosomes to produce MHC class II-peptide complexes can be strictly controlled during DC differentiation, helping to coordinate antigen acquisition and inflammatory stimuli with formation of TCR ligands. The increased ability of maturing DCs to load MHC class II molecules with antigenic cargo contributes to the \u3e100-fold enhancement of the subsequent primary immune response observed when immature and mature DCs are compared as immune adjuvants in culture and in mice

Direct expansion of functional CD25+ CD4+ regulatory T cells by antigen-processing dendritic cells

An important pathway for immune tolerance is provided by thymic-derived CD25+ CD4+ T cells that suppress other CD25- autoimmune disease-inducing T cells. The antigen-presenting cell (APC) requirements for the control of CD25+ CD4+ suppressor T cells remain to be identified, hampering their study in experimental and clinical situations. CD25+ CD4+ T cells are classically anergic, unable to proliferate in response to mitogenic antibodies to the T cell receptor complex. We now find that CD25+ CD4+ T cells can proliferate in the absence of added cytokines in culture and in vivo when stimulated by antigen-loaded dendritic cells (DCs), especially mature DCs. With high doses of DCs in culture, CD25+ CD4+ and CD25- CD4+ populations initially proliferate to a comparable extent. With current methods, one third of the antigen-reactive T cell receptor transgenic T cells enter into cycle for an average of three divisions in 3 d. The expansion of CD25+ CD4+ T cells stops by day 5, in the absence or presence of exogenous interleukin (IL)-2, whereas CD25- CD4+ T cells continue to grow. CD25 + CD4+ T cell growth requires DC-T cell contact and is partially dependent upon the production of small amounts of IL-2 by the T cells and B7 costimulation by the DCs. After antigen-specific expansion, the CD25 + CD4+ T cells retain their known surface features and actively suppress CD25- CD4+ T cell proliferation to splenic APCs. DCs also can expand CD25+ CD4+ T cells in the absence of specific antigen but in the presence of exogenous IL-2. In vivo, both steady state and mature antigen-processing DCs induce proliferation of adoptively transferred CD25+ CD4+ T cells. The capacity to expand CD25+ CD4+ T cells provides DCs with an additional mechanism to regulate autoimmunity and other immune responses

Immune Tolerance After Delivery of Dying Cells to Dendritic Cells In Situ

Peripheral immune tolerance is believed to be induced by the processing and presentation of self-tissues that die during physiologic tissue turnover. To examine the mechanism that mediates tolerance, we injected mice with dying syngeneic TAP−/− splenocytes loaded with small amounts of the protein antigen, ovalbumin (OVA). After ingestion and presentation of cell-associated OVA by the CD8+ subset of dendritic cells in situ, large numbers of antigen-reactive, CD8+ T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic T lymphocytes were driven into cell cycle, but then the T cells were deleted. The animals were also tolerant to challenge with OVA in complete Freund's adjuvant. An agonistic anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody was then administered together with the OVA-loaded splenocytes, so that the dendritic cells in the recipient mice would mature. In contrast to observations made in the steady state, the antigen-reactive T cells expanded in numbers for 1–2 wk and produced large amounts of interleukin 2 and interferon γ, while the animals retained responsiveness to antigen rechallenge. The specific tolerance that develops when dendritic cells process self tissues in the steady state should prevent or reduce the development of autoimmunity when dying cells are subsequently processed during infection

Direct Expansion of Functional CD25+ CD4+ Regulatory T Cells by Antigen-processing Dendritic Cells

An important pathway for immune tolerance is provided by thymic-derived CD25+ CD4+ T cells that suppress other CD25− autoimmune disease–inducing T cells. The antigen-presenting cell (APC) requirements for the control of CD25+ CD4+ suppressor T cells remain to be identified, hampering their study in experimental and clinical situations. CD25+ CD4+ T cells are classically anergic, unable to proliferate in response to mitogenic antibodies to the T cell receptor complex. We now find that CD25+ CD4+ T cells can proliferate in the absence of added cytokines in culture and in vivo when stimulated by antigen-loaded dendritic cells (DCs), especially mature DCs. With high doses of DCs in culture, CD25+ CD4+ and CD25− CD4+ populations initially proliferate to a comparable extent. With current methods, one third of the antigen-reactive T cell receptor transgenic T cells enter into cycle for an average of three divisions in 3 d. The expansion of CD25+ CD4+ T cells stops by day 5, in the absence or presence of exogenous interleukin (IL)-2, whereas CD25− CD4+ T cells continue to grow. CD25+ CD4+ T cell growth requires DC–T cell contact and is partially dependent upon the production of small amounts of IL-2 by the T cells and B7 costimulation by the DCs. After antigen-specific expansion, the CD25+ CD4+ T cells retain their known surface features and actively suppress CD25− CD4+ T cell proliferation to splenic APCs. DCs also can expand CD25+ CD4+ T cells in the absence of specific antigen but in the presence of exogenous IL-2. In vivo, both steady state and mature antigen-processing DCs induce proliferation of adoptively transferred CD25+ CD4+ T cells. The capacity to expand CD25+ CD4+ T cells provides DCs with an additional mechanism to regulate autoimmunity and other immune responses

The CD8+ Dendritic Cell Subset Selectively Endocytoses Dying Cells in Culture and In Vivo

Dendritic cells (DCs) are able in tissue culture to phagocytose and present antigens derived from infected, malignant, and allogeneic cells. Here we show directly that DCs in situ take up these types of cells after fluorescent labeling with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) and injection into mice. The injected cells include syngeneic splenocytes and tumor cell lines, induced to undergo apoptosis ex vivo by exposure to osmotic shock, and allogeneic B cells killed by NK cells in situ. The CFSE-labeled cells in each case are actively endocytosed by DCs in vivo, but only the CD8+ subset. After uptake, all of the phagocytic CD8+ DCs can form major histocompatibility complex class II–peptide complexes, as detected with a monoclonal antibody specific for these complexes. The CD8+ DCs also selectively present cell-associated antigens to both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Similar events take place with cultured DCs; CD8+ DCs again selectively take up and present dying cells. In contrast, both CD8+ and CD8− DCs phagocytose latex particles in culture, and both DC subsets present soluble ovalbumin captured in vivo. Therefore CD8+ DCs are specialized to capture dying cells, and this helps to explain their selective ability to cross present cellular antigens to both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells