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Contains fulltext : 300053.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access), This article is part of the Dendritic Cell Guidelines article series, which provides a collection of state-of-the-art protocols for the preparation, phenotype analysis by flow cytometry, generation, fluorescence microscopy, and functional characterization of mouse and human dendritic cells (DC) from lymphoid organs and various non-lymphoid tissues. This article provides protocols with top ticks and pitfalls for preparation and successful generation of mouse and human DC from different cellular sources, such as murine BM and HoxB8 cells, as well as human CD34(+) cells from cord blood, BM, and peripheral blood or peripheral blood monocytes. We describe murine cDC1, cDC2, and pDC generation with Flt3L and the generation of BM-derived DC with GM-CSF. Protocols for human DC generation focus on CD34(+) cell culture on OP9 cell layers for cDC1, cDC2, cDC3, and pDC subset generation and DC generation from peripheral blood monocytes (MoDC). Additional protocols include enrichment of murine DC subsets, CRISPR/Cas9 editing, and clinical grade human DC generation. While all protocols were written by experienced scientists who routinely use them in their work, this article was also peer-reviewed by leading experts and approved by all co-authors, making it an essential resource for basic and clinical DC immunologists., 01 november 2023

Item does not contain fulltext, Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) efficiently produce large amounts of type I IFN in response to TLR7 and TLR9 ligands, whereas conventional DCs (cDCs) predominantly secrete high levels of the cytokines IL-10 and IL-12. The molecular basis underlying this distinct phenotype is not well understood. In this study, we identified the MAPK phosphatase Dusp9/MKP-4 by transcriptome analysis as selectively expressed in pDCs, but not cDCs. We confirmed the constitutive expression of Dusp9 at the protein level in pDCs generated in vitro by culture with Flt3 ligand and ex vivo in sorted splenic pDCs. Dusp9 expression was low in B220(-) bone marrow precursors and was upregulated during pDC differentiation, concomitant with established pDC markers. Higher expression of Dusp9 in pDCs correlated with impaired phosphorylation of the MAPK ERK1/2 upon TLR9 stimulation. Notably, Dusp9 was not expressed at detectable levels in human pDCs, although these displayed similarly impaired activation of ERK1/2 MAPK compared with cDCs. Enforced retroviral expression of Dusp9 in mouse GM-CSF-induced cDCs increased the expression of TLR9-induced IL-12p40 and IFN-beta, but not of IL-10. Conditional deletion of Dusp9 in pDCs was effectively achieved in Dusp9(flox/flox); CD11c-Cre mice at the mRNA and protein levels. However, the lack of Dusp9 in pDC did not restore ERK1/2 activation after TLR9 stimulation and only weakly affected IFN-beta and IL-12p40 production. Taken together, our results suggest that expression of Dusp9 is sufficient to impair ERK1/2 activation and enhance IFN-beta expression. However, despite selective expression in pDCs, Dusp9 is not essential for high-level IFN-beta production by these cells.

Chronic helminth infections, such as schistosomes, are negatively associated with allergic disorders. Here, using B cell IL-10-deficient mice, Schistosoma mansoni-mediated protection against experimental ovalbumin-induced allergic airway inflammation (AAI) was shown to be specifically dependent on IL-10-producing B cells. To study the organs involved, we transferred B cells from lungs, mesenteric lymph nodes or spleen of OVA-infected mice to recipient OVA-sensitized mice, and showed that both lung and splenic B cells reduced AAI, but only splenic B cells in an IL-10-dependent manner. Although splenic B cell protection was accompanied by elevated levels of pulmonary FoxP3 + regulatory T cells, in vivo ablation of FoxP3 + T cells only moderately restored AAI, indicating an important role for the direct suppressory effect of regulatory B cells. Splenic marginal zone CD1d + B cells proved to be the responsible splenic B cell subset as they produced high levels of IL-10 and induced FoxP3 + T cells in vitro. Indeed, transfer of CD1d + MZ-depleted splenic B cells from infected mice restored AAI. Markedly, we found a similarly elevated population of CD1d hi B cells in peripheral blood of Schistosoma haematobium-infected Gabonese children compared to uninfected children and these cells produced elevated levels of IL-10. Importantly, the number of IL-10-producing CD1d hi B cells was reduced after anti-schistosome treatment. This study points out that in both mice and men schistosomes have the capacity to drive the development of IL-10-producing regulatory CD1d hi B cells and furthermore, these are instrumental in reducing experimental allergic inflammation in mice.

Item does not contain fulltext, Targeting antigens to dendritic cell (DC)-specific receptors, such as DC-SIGN, induces potent T cell-mediated immune responses. DC-SIGN is a transmembrane C-type lectin receptor with a long extracellular neck region and a carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). Thus far, only antibodies binding the CRD have been used to target antigens to DC-SIGN. We evaluated the endocytic pathway triggered by antineck antibodies as well as their intracellular routing and ability to induce CD8(+) T-cell activation. In contrast to anti-CRD antibodies, antineck antibodies induced a clathrin-independent mode of DC-SIGN internalization, as demonstrated by the lack of colocalization with clathrin and the observation that silencing clathrin did not affect antibody internalization in human DCs. Interestingly, we observed that anti-neck and anti-CRD antibodies were differentially routed within DCs. Whereas anti-CRD antibodies were mainly routed to late endosomal compartments, anti-neck antibodies remained associated with early endosomal compartments positive for EEA-1 and MHC class I for up to 2 hours after internalization. Finally, cross-presentation of protein antigen conjugated to antineck antibodies was approximately 1000-fold more effective than nonconjugated antigen. Our studies demonstrate that anti-neck antibodies trigger a distinct mode of DC-SIGN internalization that shows potential for targeted vaccination strategies.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:: Chronic infection with the bacterial pathogen Helicobacter pylori causes gastric disorders ranging from chronic gastritis to gastric adenocarcinoma. Only a subset of infected individuals will develop overt disease; the large majority remains asymptomatic despite lifelong colonization. This study aims to elucidate the differential susceptibility to H. pylori that is found both across and within populations. METHODS:: We have established a C57BL/6 mouse model of H. pylori infection with a strain that is capable of delivering the virulence factor CagA into host cells through the activity of a Cag-pathogenicity island-encoded type IV secretion system. RESULTS:: Mice infected at 5-6 weeks of age with CagA(+)H. pylori rapidly develop gastritis, gastric atrophy, epithelial hyperplasia and metaplasia in a type IV secretion system-dependent manner. In contrast, mice infected during the neonatal period with the same strain are protected from preneoplastic lesions. Their protection results from the development of H. pylori-specific peripheral immunological tolerance, which requires TGF-beta signalling and is mediated by long-lived, inducible regulatory T-cells, and which controls the local CD4(+) T-cell responses that trigger premalignant transformation. Tolerance to H. pylori develops in the neonatal period due to a biased Treg to T-effector cell ratio, and is favoured by prolonged low-dose exposure to antigen. CONCLUSIONS:: Using a novel CagA(+)H. pylori infection model, we report here that the development of tolerance to H. pylori protects from gastric cancer precursor lesions. The age at initial infection may thus account for the differential susceptibility of infected individuals to H. pylori-associated disease manifestations.

Studies in malaria patients indicate that higher frequencies of peripheral blood CD4(+) Foxp3(+) CD25(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells correlate with increased blood parasitemia. This observation implies that Treg cells impair pathogen clearance and thus may be detrimental to the host during infection. In C57BL/6 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA, depletion of Foxp3(+) cells did not improve parasite control or disease outcome. In contrast, elevating frequencies of natural Treg cells in vivo using IL-2/anti-IL-2 complexes resulted in complete protection against severe disease. This protection was entirely dependent upon Foxp3(+) cells and resulted in lower parasite biomass, impaired antigen-specific CD4(+) T and CD8(+) T cell responses that would normally promote parasite tissue sequestration in this model, and reduced recruitment of conventional T cells to the brain. Furthermore, Foxp3(+) cell-mediated protection was dependent upon CTLA-4 but not IL-10. These data show that T cell-mediated parasite tissue sequestration can be reduced by regulatory T cells in a mouse model of malaria, thereby limiting malaria-induced immune pathology.