title: Production of interferons by dendritic cells, plasmacytoid cells, natural killer cells, and interferon-producing killer dendritic cells.
abstract: The capacity of mouse spleen conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) to produce interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) or IFN-alpha was assessed, and compared with that of natural killer (NK) cells and the recently identified interferon-producing killer dendritic cells (IKDCs), both of which are frequent contaminants in DC preparations. Fully developed cDCs or pDCs, if free of NK cells or IKDCs, showed little capacity for IFN-gamma production. However, an early developmental form of the CD4-8+ cDC subtype, and the Ly6C- Ly49Q- pDC subtype, both were able to produce moderate amounts of IFN-gamma, although less than IKDCs. In response to toll-like receptor 9 stimuli, both the Ly6C+ Ly49Q+ and the Ly6C- Ly49Q- pDC subtypes were effective producers of IFN-alpha. However, IKDCs, which efficiently produced IFN-gamma and showed immediate cytotoxicity on NK target cells, did not produce IFN-alpha under these conditions.
authors.affiliation: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vremec
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Keeffe
authors.forename: Hubertus
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hochrein
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fuchsberger
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Caminschi
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lahoud
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shortman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007372:Interferons / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007372:Interferons