title: The influence of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor on dendritic cell levels in mouse lymphoid organs.
abstract: To ascertain whether the development of dendritic cells (DC) in mouse lymphoid organs is dependent on granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), we determined the number of DC in the thymus, spleen and lymph nodes of normal mice, of mice with the genes coding for GM-CSF or its receptor inactivated, and of transgenic mice with excessive levels of GM-CSE DC were extracted from the tissues and enriched prior to flow cytometric analysis. The total DC level and the incidence of DC expressing lymphoid-related markers (CD8(hi) CD11b(lo)) and myeloid-related markers (CD8(lo) CD11b(hi)) were monitored. Both in GM-CSF null mice, and GM-CSF receptor null mice, DC of all surface phenotypes were present in all lymphoid organs; only small decreases in DC levels were recorded, except for the lymph nodes of GM-CSF receptor null mice which showed a more pronounced (threefold) decrease in DC numbers. Since the GM-CSF receptor null mice lacked the beta chain common to the GM-CSF, interleukin (IL)-3 and IL-5 receptors, the development of DC in the absence of GM-CSF was not due to common beta chain mediated developmental signals elicited by IL-3 or IL-5. In GM-CSF transgenic mice, there was only a 50 % increase in DC numbers in thymus and spleen, paralleling an increase in overall cellularity, but a more pronounced (threefold) increase in DC numbers in lymph nodes. There was no evidence that GM-CSF had a selective effect on any particular DC subpopulation defined by CD8 or CD11b expression. We conclude that the development of most lymphoid tissue DC can proceed in the absence of GM-CSF, although this cytokine can produce some elevation of DC levels. It is not clear whether the enhancing effect of GM-CSF is direct or an indirect effect mediated by other cytokines.
authors.affiliation: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vremec
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Lieschke
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Robb
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Metcalf
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shortman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002470:Cell Survival; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D016187:Receptors, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D016827:CD8 Antigens; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen; D016187:Receptors, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor