title: Langerin-expressing dendritic cells in gut-associated lymphoid tissues.
abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) are key regulators of the immune system. They act as professional antigen-presenting cells and are capable of activating naive T cells and stimulating the growth and differentiation of B cells. According to their molecular expression, DCs can be divided into several subsets with different functions. We focus on DC subsets expressing langerin, a C-type lectin. Langerin expression is predominant in skin DCs, but langerin-expressing DCs also exist in mucosal tissue and can be induced by immunization and sometimes by nutrient deficiency. Topical transcutaneous immunization induces langerin(+)CD8 alpha(-) DCs in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs), which mediate the production of antigen-specific immunoglobulin A antibody in the intestine. Yet, in one recent study, langerin(+) DCs were generated in gut-associated lymphoid tissue and contributed to the suppressive intestinal immune environment in the absence of retinoic acid. In this review, we focus on the phenotypic and functional characteristics of langerin(+) DCs in the mucosal tissues, especially MLNs.
authors.affiliation: Mucosal Immunology Section, Laboratory Science Division, International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Mi-Na
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Kweon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000276:immunology; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000276:immunology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D010641:Phenotype; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000954:Antigens, Surface; C121916:CD207 protein, human; C498497:Cd207 protein, mouse; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D014212:Tretinoin