title: Absence of MHC class II on cDCs results in microbial-dependent intestinal inflammation.
abstract: Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) play an essential role in host immunity by initiating adaptive T cell responses and by serving as innate immune sensors. Although both innate and adaptive functions of cDCs are well documented, their relative importance in maintaining immune homeostasis is poorly understood. To examine the significance of cDC-initiated adaptive immunity in maintaining homeostasis, independent of their innate activities, we generated a cDC-specific Cre mouse and crossed it to a floxed MHC class II (MHCII) mouse. Absence of MHCII on cDCs resulted in chronic intestinal inflammation that was alleviated by antibiotic treatment and entirely averted under germ-free conditions. Uncoupling innate and adaptive functions of cDCs revealed that innate immune functions of cDCs are insufficient to maintain homeostasis and antigen presentation by cDCs is essential for a mutualistic relationship between the host and intestinal bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Loschko
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065.
authors.forename: Heidi A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065 Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Gereon J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Rieke
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065.
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Esterházy
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065.
authors.forename: Matthew M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Meredith
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065.
authors.forename: Virginia A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Pedicord
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065.
authors.forename: Kai-Hui
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute Infectious Diseases Service Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.affiliation: Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute Infectious Diseases Service Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065.
authors.forename: Eric G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Pamer
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mucida
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065 nussen@rockefeller.edu.
authors.forename: Michel C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nussenzweig
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003092:Colitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II