Related Experiment Videos
Rapid and coordinated switch in chemokine receptor expression during dendritic cell maturation
F Sallusto1, P Schaerli, P Loetscher
1Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland. sallusto@bii.ch
European Journal of Immunology
|October 1, 1998
Summary
Dendritic cells (DCs) change chemokine receptor expression during maturation. This shift enables their migration from inflammatory sites to lymph nodes for T cell activation, highlighting distinct functional phases.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial immune cells that bridge innate and adaptive immunity.
- DCs migrate from peripheral tissues to lymph nodes to present antigens and activate T cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in chemokine receptor expression during dendritic cell maturation.
- To understand the functional implications of these receptor changes for DC migration and T cell stimulation.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of chemokine receptor mRNA and surface protein expression in immature and mature DCs.
- Stimulation of DCs with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), TNF-alpha, and CD40 ligand.
- Analysis of DC responsiveness to chemokine ligands.
Main Results:
- Immature DCs express receptors (CCR1, CCR2, CCR5, CXCR1) for inflammatory chemokines.
- Mature DCs up-regulate CCR7 and CXCR4, and down-regulate CXCR1, acquiring responsiveness to lymphoid chemokines.
- CCR1 and CCR5 surface expression is rapidly lost upon maturation, with mRNA down-regulation occurring later.
Conclusions:
- Maturation-dependent changes in chemokine receptor expression facilitate DC migration to distinct tissue environments.
- These distinct receptor profiles support the "inflammatory" and "primary response" phases of DC function.