title: Characterization of an early dendritic cell precursor derived from murine lineage-negative hematopoietic progenitor cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We define characteristics of a dendritic cell (DC) precursor generated from murine lineage-negative (Lin(-)) Sca1(+) hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Lin(-)Sca1(+) HPC cultured 9 days in 100 ng/mL stem cell factor (SCF), 20 ng/mL interleukin-3 (IL-3), 50 ng/mL monocyte colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), 5 ng/mL granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and 25 ng/mL FLT3-ligand (FLT3-L) proliferate 387-fold and differentiate into DC precursors. Switch to > or =100 ng/mL GM-CSF + 1500 U/mL IL-4 or 500 U/mL tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) for 3 days induces development into immature DC that are responsive to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced maturation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lin(-)Sca1(+) HPC in the first 9 days of culture differentiate into DC precursors expressing surface CD11b(bright), CD11c(mod), CD86(low-mod), major histocompatibility class II antigen (MHC) II(low), DEC 205(low), but are surface CD40(-) and contain high levels of intracellular MHC II. Unlike immature DC described by others, these DC precursors are refractory to maturation with LPS and minimally stimulate allogeneic T lymphocytes in mixed leukocyte reactions (MLR). Switch to high-dose GM-CSF alone with IL-4 or TNF-alpha differentiates these DC precursors into immature DC. LPS treatment of the immature DC results in mature DC that express surface CD40(high) and CD86(high), secrete IL-1beta and IL-12, and strongly stimulate MLR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These studies define a distinct DC precursor derived from murine HPC that precedes development of immature and mature DC.
authors.affiliation: The Laboratory of Host Defenses, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892-1886, USA. sjackson@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: Sharon H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Candido
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alicea
authors.forename: Jennie W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.forename: Calvin L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Eigsti
authors.forename: Harry L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Malech
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D015847:Interleukin-4; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor