The dominant role of CD8 super(+) dendritic cells in cross-presentation is not dictated by antigen capture

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 103; no. 28; pp. 10729 - 10734
• Main Authors: Schnorrer, Petra, Behrens, Georg MN, Wilson, Nicholas S, Pooley, Joanne L, Smith, Christopher M, El-Sukkari, Dima, Davey, Gayle, Kupresanin, Fiona, Li, Ming, Maraskovsky, Eugene, Belz, Gabrielle T, Carbone, Francis R, Shortman, Ken, Heath, William R, Villadangos, Jose A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.07.2006
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490

Mouse spleens contain three populations of conventional (CD11c super(high)) dendritic cells (DCs) that play distinct functions. The CD8 super(+) DC are unique in that they can present exogenous antigens on their MHC class I molecules, a process known as cross-presentation. It is unclear whether this special ability is because only the CD8 super(+) DC can capture the antigens used in cross-presentation assays, or because this is the only DC population that possesses specialized machinery for cross-presentation. To solve this important question we examined the splenic DC subsets for their ability to both present via MHC class II molecules and cross-present via MHC class I using four different forms of the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA). These forms include a cell-associated form, a soluble form, OVA expressed in bacteria, or OVA bound to latex beads. With the exception of bacterial antigen, which was poorly cross-presented by all DC, all antigenic forms were cross-presented much more efficiently by the CD8 super(+) DC. This pattern could not be attributed simply to a difference in antigen capture because all DC subsets presented the antigen via MHC class II. Indeed, direct assessments of endocytosis showed that CD8 super(+) and CD8 super(-) DC captured comparable amounts of soluble and bead-associated antigen, yet only the CD8 super(+) DC cross-presented these antigenic forms. Our results indicate that cross-presentation requires specialized machinery that is expressed by CD8 super(+) DC but largely absent from CD8 super(-) DC. This conclusion has important implications for the design of vaccination strategies based on antigen targeting to DC.