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Concerted antigen presentation by dendritic cells and B cells is necessary for optimal CD4 T‐cell immunity in vivo
Author(s) -
Kleindienst Petra,
Brocker Thomas
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2005.02196.x
Subject(s) - antigen presenting cell , cd40 , antigen presentation , microbiology and biotechnology , germinal center , biology , cytotoxic t cell , antigen , t cell , interleukin 21 , dendritic cell , follicular dendritic cells , interleukin 12 , natural killer t cell , b cell , immunology , immune system , in vitro , antibody , biochemistry
Summary The relative contributions of different types of antigen presenting cells to T‐cell activation, expansion and induction of effector functions are still not fully understood. In order to evaluate the roles of dendritic versus B cells during these phases of a CD4 T‐cell response in vivo , we adoptively transferred major histocompatibility complex class II restricted, T‐cell receptor‐transgenic CD4 + T cells into transgenic mice expressing selectively the T‐cell restricting class II molecules on either dendritic cells, B cells or both. Upon immunization with peptide antigen, we observed that dendritic cells were sufficient to induce activation, expansion, interleukin‐2 production and germinal centre migration of antigen‐specific T cells, independently of other antigen‐presenting cells. In contrast, neither resting nor activated B cells had similar antigen‐presenting capacities in vivo . However, in double transgenic mice where both B cells and dendritic cells were capable of presenting antigen, T cells showed increased proliferation, expansion and cytokine production in vivo . Moreover, higher antigen‐specific CD4 T‐cell numbers accumulated in germinal centres. Our data demonstrate that dendritic cells are sufficient to activate naive CD4 T cells in vivo , but B cells subsequently can enhance CD4 T‐cell expansion further.