Antibody responses initiated by Clec9A-bearing dendritic cells in normal and Batf3(-/-) mice.

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2012

Molecular immunology 2012 Feb;50(1-2):9-17. Epub 2011 Dec 29

Antibody responses initiated by Clec9A-bearing dendritic cells in normal and Batf3(-/-) mice.

I Caminschi;D Vremec;F Ahmet;MH Lahoud;JA Villadangos;KM Murphy;WR Heath;K Shortman

The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.

Service type: Knockout mice

Abstract

Injection of antigens coupled to antibodies against the dendritic cell (DC) surface molecule Clec9A has been shown to produce strongly enhanced antibody responses even without co-administration of adjuvants, via antigen presentation by DC on MHC class II and consequent production of follicular helper T cells. A series of mutant mice were tested to determine the DC subtypes responsible for this MHC II presentation of targeted antigen, compared to presentation of antigen on MHC I. A new clec9A null mouse was developed; these mice did not give enhanced antibody production, confirming the response was dependent on Clec9A-expressing DC. However targeting of antigen to Clec9A in batf3 null mice produced enhanced antibody responses despite the marked reduction in CD8(+) DC, the major Clec9A-expressing DC subtype. This was shown to be dependent on efficient MHC II presentation by minor Clec9A-expressing DC subtypes in the environment of the Batf3(-/-) mice, namely early cells of the CD8 DC lineage and the plasmacytoid-related CD8(+) DC subset, but not by plasmacytoid cells themselves. However in normal mice most MHC II presentation of the Clec9A-targeted antigen was by the major CD8(+) DC population, the DC also responsible for presentation on MHC I.

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