Cutting edge: Lack of evidence for connexin-43 expression in human epidermal Langerhans cells.
A provocative study has shown that viral peptides may be transferred in vitro from epithelial cells to APC through connexin-43 gap junction channels. In support of this cross-presentation pathway, the study also reported that human dendritic cells, including Langerhans cells of skin, express connexin-43. In this report we show that if this was the case, the levels of connexin-43 are below those detectable by immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, quantitative PCR of purified CD1a+ cells, and electron microscopy, raising questions about the relevance of the connexin-43-dependent mechanism for Langerhans cells of noninflamed human skin.
Zimmerli
Simone C
SC
Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals and Medical School, Switzerland. Simone.Zimmerli@hcuge.ch
Masson
Florence
F
Cancela
José
J
Meda
Paolo
P
Hauser
Conrad
C
D002469:Cell Separation; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron
D018031:Connexin 43