Derivation and Utilization of Functional CD8(+) Dendritic Cell Lines

It is notoriously difficult to obtain large quantities of non-activated dendritic cells ex vivo. For this reason, we produced and characterized a mouse model expressing the large T oncogene under the CD11c promoter (Mushi mice), in which CD8α(+) dendritic cells transform after 4 months. We derived a variety of stable cell lines from these primary lines. These cell lines reproducibly share with freshly isolated dendritic cells most surface markers, mRNA and protein expression, and all tested biological functions. Cell lines can be derived from various strains and knockout mice and can be easily transduced with lentiviruses. In this article, we describe the derivation, culture, and lentiviral transduction of these dendritic cell lines.