Usp18 promotes conventional CD11b+ dendritic cell development

Dendritic cells (DCs) represent the key cells linking innate and adaptive immune responses. It is critical to understand the molecular factors regulating DC differentiation. Usp18 is an IFN-inducible member of the ubiquitin-specific protease family, which deconjugates ubiquitin-like modifier ISG15 from target proteins and competitively inhibits IFN-α/β-induced JAK/STAT activation. This study demonstrates that the frequency of conventional CD11b(+) DCs in the spleen of Usp18(-/-) mice was significantly reduced, whereas the frequencies of conventional CD8(+) DCs and plasmacytoid DCs remained normal. In addition, Usp18(-/-) bone marrow (BM) cells generate DCs less efficiently in GM-CSF-supplemented culture, demonstrating a fundamental defect throughout the DC differentiation pathway. Usp18(-/-) BM cells were rescued by exogenous expression of either wild-type or deconjugation-inactive Usp18, and superimposition of an IFN-α/β receptor knockout returned in vivo DC populations to normal, clearly showing that the defect seen is due solely to Usp18's effect on IFN signaling. Finally, Usp18(-/-) BM-derived DCs expressed high levels of SOCS1/SOCS3, known inhibitors of GM-CSF signaling, providing a mechanistic explanation for the phenotype. In conclusion, we have identified a novel role of Usp18 in modulating conventional CD11b(+) DC development via its inhibitory effect on type I IFN signaling.