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Functional CD40 ligand is expressed on epidermal Langerhans cells
Author(s) -
Salgado Claudio Guedes,
Nakamura Koichiro,
Sugaya Makoto,
Tada Yayoi,
Asahina Akihiko,
Koyama Yohichi,
Irie Shinkichi,
Tamaki Kunihiko
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1002/jlb.66.2.281
Subject(s) - cd40 , biology , major histocompatibility complex , microbiology and biotechnology , mhc class ii , tumor necrosis factor alpha , cell culture , antigen , antigen presentation , t cell , immunology , cytotoxic t cell , immune system , biochemistry , in vitro , genetics
Epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) are bone‐marrow‐derived major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen‐expressing antigen‐presenting cells (APC) that comprise 1–3% of total epidermal cells (EC). LC express high levels of MHC class II antigen and augment costimulatory molecules such as B7‐1, B7‐2 during culture. In a previous report, using purified murine LC, we showed that freshly prepared LC (fLC) do not express CD40, whereas cLC express CD40. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) enhanced CD40 expression on LC during culture. We examined the expression of CD40L on LC and found that both fLC and cLC expressed mRNA for CD40L. FACS analysis revealed that cLC cultured for 36 h expressed CD40L but fLC did not. When we examined the cytoplasmic CD40L, however, both fLC and cLC expressed cytoplasmic CD40L. TNF‐α, which up‐regulated CD40 expression on LC during culture, did not modulate CD40L. Co‐culture of purified LC with anti‐CD40L markedly inhibited the up‐regulation of B7‐1 expression on LC and caused partial inhibition of B7‐2 expression during culture. These results indicate that CD40L is expressed on cLC, and that CD40L on LC modulates the expression of costimulatory molecules such as B7‐1 and B7‐2 on LC. J. Leukoc. Biol. 66: 281–285; 1999.