Publication: Broad and Largely Concordant Molecular Changes Characterize Tolerogenic and Immunogenic Dendritic Cell Maturation in Thymus and Periphery.

Published in: Immunity 2016 Aug; 45(2): 305-18

Authors: Ardouin L, Luche H, Chelbi R, Carpentier S, Shawket A, Montanana Sanchis F, Santa Maria C, Grenot P, Alexandre Y, Grégoire C, Fries A, Vu Manh TP, Tamoutounour S, Crozat K, Tomasello E, Jorquera A, Fossum E, Bogen B, Azukizawa H, Bajenoff M, Henri S, Dalod M, Malissen B

Summary

Dendritic cells (DCs) are instrumental in the initiation of T cell responses, but how thymic and peripheral tolerogenic DCs differ globally from Toll-like receptor (TLR)-induced immunogenic DCs remains unclear. Here, we show that thymic XCR1(+) DCs undergo a high rate of maturation, accompanied by profound gene-expression changes that are essential for central tolerance and also happen in germ-free mice. Those changes largely overlap those occurring during tolerogenic and, more unexpectedly, TLR-induced maturation of peripheral XCR1(+) DCs, arguing against the commonly held view that tolerogenic DCs undergo incomplete maturation. Interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression was among the few discriminators of immunogenic and tolerogenic XCR1(+) DCs. Tolerogenic XCR1(+) thymic DCs were, however, unique in expressing ISGs known to restrain virus replication. Therefore, a broad functional convergence characterizes tolerogenic and immunogenic XCR1(+) DC maturation in the thymus and periphery, maximizing antigen presentation and signal delivery to developing and to conventional and regulatory mature T cells.

Link to Pubmed [PMID] – 27533013

Link to HAL – inserm-01376180

Link to DOI – 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.07.019