Maturation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells studied by microarray hybridization

We compared the transcript profiles of human myeloid immature dendritic (IDC) cells and mature dendritic cells (MDC) by hybridization of cell-derived cDNA to DNA probes immobilized on microarrays. The microarrays contained probes for 4110 known genes. We report maturation-dependent changes in transcription of clusters of differentiation, cytokines, cytokine receptors, chemokines, chemokine receptors, neuropeptides, adhesion molecules, and other genes. We identified 1124 transcripts expressed in IDC and 1556 transcripts expressed in MDC. Maturation increased the levels of 291 transcripts twofold or more and reduced the levels of 78 transcripts to one-half or less than in IDC. We identified a concerted maturation-stage-dependent transcription of the variable chains of the members of the gamma-chain-cytokine receptor family IL-4R, IL-7R, and IL-15R. Also, we found the reversal of the ratio of transcripts for galectin-3 and galectin-9 upon maturation. We identified maturation-dependent changes in the levels of transcripts for numerous genes encoding proteins previously undetected in dendritic cells such as indoleamine 2,3-deoxygenase, Epstein-Barr virus induced protein 3 and kinesin-2. Moreover, MDC transcribed and translated insulin like growth factor-1 receptor, transforming growth factor alpha, and neuropeptide Y.