Open AccessCritical roles of interferon regulatory factor 4 in CD11bhighCD8α–dendritic cell development
Author(s) -
Shingo Suzuki,
Kiyonobu Honma,
Tomohiro Matsuyama,
Kazuo Suzuki,
Kan Toriyama,
Akitada Ichinose,
Kazuo Yamamoto,
Takashi Suematsu,
Michio Nakamura,
Katsuyuki Yui,
Atsushi Kumatori
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.0402139101
Subject(s) - cd8 , irf8 , microbiology and biotechnology , spleen , immune system , biology , interferon regulatory factors , dendritic cell , transcription factor , immunology , integrin alpha m , innate immune system , genetics , gene
IFN regulatory factors (IRFs) are a family of transcription factors that play an essential role in the homeostasis and function of immune systems. Recent studies indicated that IRF-8 is critical for the development of CD11b(low)CD8alpha(+) conventional dendritic cells (DCs) and plasmacytoid DCs. Here we show that IRF-4 is important for CD11b(high)CD8alpha(-) conventional DCs. The development of CD11b(high) DCs from bone marrow of IRF-4(-/-) mice was severely impaired in two culture systems supplemented with either GM-CSF or Flt3-ligand. In the IRF-4(-/-) spleen, the number of CD4(+)CD8alpha(-) DCs, a major subset of CD11b(high) DCs, was severely reduced. IRF-4 and IRF-8 were expressed in the majority of CD11b(high)CD4(+)CD8alpha(-) DCs and CD11b(low)CD8alpha(+) DCs, respectively, in a mutually exclusive manner. These results imply that IRF-4 and IRF-8 selectively play critical roles in the development of the DC subsets that express them.