Development of murine plasmacytoid dendritic cell subsets

Plasmacytoid predendritic cells (pDC) are a haematopoietic cell population with a characteristic plasma cell-like morphology found in many tissues of the mouse, including blood, thymus, bone marrow, liver, and the T-cell areas of lymphoid organs. Recent studies of pDC have revealed them to be crucial mediators linking the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. In this review, rather than focus on pDC function, we focus on recent evidence regarding pDC development. We examine the requirements for pDC development from several perspectives, including organ localization, cytokine requirements, development from myeloid- and lymphoid-restricted bone marrow precursors, expression of lineage-restricted markers, transcription factor dependence, and markers that separate pDC into distinct subsets.