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Updated: Jul 31, 2026
Culture of myeloid dendritic cells from bone marrow precursors
Published on: July 26, 2008
Transdifferentiation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils: acquisition of CD83 and other functional characteristics of
C Iking-Konert1, C Csekö, C Wagner
1Institute for Immunology and Department of Nephrology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 305, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Abstract:
Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) are in the first line of defense against bacterial infections. They are considered to be end-differentiated cells undergoing constitutive apoptosis within hours after release from the bone marrow. During pathological events, however, their life span is extended in conjunction with morphological and functional alterations indicative of a transdifferentiation of mature PMN. To further characterize differentiated PMN, the alterations seen in vivo were reproduced by cultivating PMN of healthy donors with either gamma-interferon, granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor, or a combination thereof. Thus cultivated cells escaped from apoptosis, and protein synthesis was induced, notably of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens, CD80 and CD86. Moreover, CD83, thought to be specific for dendritic cells was synthesized, while typical markers of PMN, including CD66b, CD11a/CD11b/CD11c, CD15, CD18 were preserved. A profound alteration of both cellular morphology and of function was seen: the cultivated PMN lost their chemotactic activity but had acquired the ability to present to T-cells a peptide antigen in a MHC class II restricted manner. The data lead to the conclusion that mature PMN can differentiate further to cells with characteristics of DCs, thereby connecting PMN to the specific T-cell response.
Insights
Mature polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) can transform into dendritic cell-like cells. This discovery reveals a new link between PMN and T-cell immune responses, impacting bacterial infection defense.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) are key immune cells in bacterial infections.
- Typically, PMNs are short-lived, terminally differentiated cells.
- Pathological conditions can alter PMN lifespan and function, suggesting transdifferentiation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential for mature PMN to differentiate into other cell types.
- To characterize the morphological and functional changes in PMN under specific culture conditions.
Main Methods:
- PMN from healthy donors were cultured with gamma-interferon and/or granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
- Cellular changes were analyzed by examining protein synthesis, cell surface markers, morphology, and function.
- The ability of cultivated PMN to present antigens to T-cells was assessed.
Main Results:
- Cultivated PMN survived longer and synthesized new proteins, including MHC class II, CD80, and CD86.
- These cells also expressed CD83, a marker typically found on dendritic cells.
- While retaining some PMN markers, cultivated PMN lost chemotaxis but gained antigen-presenting capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Mature PMN can differentiate into cells with characteristics of dendritic cells (DCs).
- This finding establishes a link between PMN and adaptive T-cell immunity.
- Differentiated PMN may play a role in initiating specific T-cell responses during infections.
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