title: Interaction of mouse dendritic cells and malaria-infected erythrocytes: uptake, maturation, and antigen presentation.
abstract: Consistent with their seminal role in detecting infection, both mouse bone marrow-derived and splenic CD11c+ dendritic cells (DCs) exhibited higher levels of uptake of Plasmodium chabaudi-parasitized RBCs (pRBCs) than of noninfected RBCs (nRBCs) as determined by our newly developed flow cytometric technique using the dye CFSE to label RBCs before coculture with DCs. To confirm that expression of CFSE by CD11c+ cells following coculture with CFSE-labeled pRBCs represents internalization of pRBC by DCs, we showed colocalization of CFSE-labeled pRBCs and PE-labeled CD11c+ DCs by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Treatment of DCs with cytochalasin D significantly inhibited the uptake of pRBCs, demonstrating that uptake is an actin-dependent phagocytic process. The uptake of pRBCs by splenic CD11c+ DCs was significantly enhanced after infection in vivo and was associated with the induction of DC maturation, IL-12 production, and stimulation of CD4+ T cell proliferation and IFN-gamma production. These results suggest that DCs selectively phagocytose pRBCs and present pRBC-derived Ags to CD4+ T cells, thereby promoting development of protective Th1-dependent immune responses to blood-stage malaria infection.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of Host Resistance, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ing
authors.forename: Mariela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Segura
authors.forename: Neeta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thawani
authors.forename: Mifong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Mary M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000276:immunology; D039521:CD11c Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D016788:Plasmodium chabaudi; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D039521:CD11c Antigen; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D018664:Interleukin-12