Macrophage C-type lectin on bone marrow-derived immature dendritic cells is involved in the internalization of glycosylated antigens.
Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) were examined for the expression of the murine macrophage C-type lectin specific for galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine (mMGL). Flow cytometric analysis after double staining for MHC class II and mMGL with specific monoclonal antibodies indicated that mMGL was expressed on immature DCs with low to moderate levels of MHC class II and down-regulated during maturation. Immature DCs bound and internalized alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminides conjugated to soluble polyacrylamide (alpha-GalNAc polymers), whereas mature DCs and bone marrow cells did not. The two-color flow cytometric profiles indicated that the degree of alpha-GalNAc polymer bindings exactly coincided with the intensity of the binding of a mMGL-specific monoclonal antibody LOM-14. The internalized alpha-GalNAc polymers seemed to be transported to MHC class II compartments. Thus, mMGL is transiently expressed on bone marrow-derived DCs during their development and maturation and suggested to be involved in the uptake of glycosylated antigens for presentation.
Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Molecular Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Kaori
K
Denda-Nagai
Nobuyoshi
N
Kubota
Makoto
M
Tsuiji
Mika
M
Kamata
Tatsuro
T
Irimura
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000378:metabolism*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010641:Phenotype; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D037181:Lectins, C-Type