Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026

Isolation and Characterization of Dendritic Cells and Macrophages from the Mouse Intestine
Published on: May 21, 2012
TH2 dominance and defective development of a CD8+ dendritic cell subset in Id2-deficient mice
Takashi Kusunoki1, Manabu Sugai, Tomoya Katakai
1Department of Pediatrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Background:
Although the TH1/TH2 balance is important in many clinical situations, the regulatory mechanisms in vivo have not been well elucidated.
Objective:
We sought to characterize the immunologic status of mice lacking Id2, an inhibitor of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors.
Methods:
We analyzed serum immunoglobulin levels, gene-expression profiles in the spleen, TH1/TH2 balance, and dendritic cell (DC) populations of Id2-/- mice.
Results:
Serum levels of TH2-mediated IgG1 and IgE were increased more than 10-fold in Id2-/- mice without antigenic stimulation. Gene-expression analysis in Id2-/- splenocytes revealed enhanced expression of TH2-related genes, such as IL-4, and reduced expression of TH1-related genes, including IFN-gamma and IL-12. Intracellular cytokine staining also confirmed that Id2-/- splenic CD4+ T cells are substantially skewed to TH2 cells. However, Id2-/- naive CD4+ T cells differentiated into TH1 cells comparably with wild-type T cells under the appropriate culture conditions. Id2-/- mice displayed a selective and remarkable reduction of the CD8+ DC subset, which is known to induce preferential TH1 differentiation.
Conclusion:
Id2 is an indispensable regulator of the TH1/TH2 balance, possibly through the proper development of CD8alpha+ DCs, and could be a novel target to treat allergic diseases.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Immunodeficiency Diseases
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency disorders...
Type I Diabetes II: Pathophysiology

