title: Dendritic cell development in culture from thymic precursor cells in the absence of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
abstract: The earliest lymphoid precursor population in the adult mouse thymus had previously been shown to produce not only T cells, but also dendritic cell (DC) progeny on transfer to irradiated recipients. In this study, culture of these isolated thymic precursors with a mixture of cytokines induced them to proliferate and to differentiate to DC, but not to T lineage cells. At least 70% of the individual precursors had the capacity to form DC. The resultant DC were as effective as normal thymic DC in the functional test of T cell stimulation in mixed leukocyte cultures. The cultured DC also expressed high levels of class I and class II major histocompatibility complex, together with CD11c, DEC-205, CD80, and CD86, markers characteristic of mature DC in general. However, they did not express CD8 alpha or BP-1, markers characteristic of normal thymic DC. The optimized mixture of five to seven cytokines required for DC development from these thymic precursors did not include granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), usually required for DC development in culture. The addition of anti-GM-CSF antibody or the use of precursors from GM-CSF-deficient mice did not prevent DC development. Addition of GM-CSF was without effect on DC yield when interleukin (IL) 3 and IL-7 were present, although some stimulation by GM-CSF was noted in their absence. In contrast, DC development was enhanced by addition of the Flt3/Flk2 ligand, in line with the effects of the administration of this cytokine in vivo. The results indicate that the development of a particular lineage of DC, probably those of lymphoid precursor origin, may be independent of the myeloid hormone GM-CSF.
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ismaili
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maraskovsky
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shortman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007378:Interleukins / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016207:Cytokines; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007378:Interleukins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor