Expression of CD200 on epithelial cells of the murine hair follicle: a role in tissue-specific immune tolerance?

CD200 (OX-2) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that transmits an immunoregulatory signal through the CD200 receptor (CD200R) to attenuate inflammatory reactions and promote immune tolerance. CD200 expression in the skin has not been described previously. We now report that freshly isolated cells of the murine epidermis contain a subpopulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-negative, CD3-negative keratinocytes that are CD200-positive. CD200 expression was accentuated in keratinocytes comprising the outer root sheath of the murine hair follicle (HF). When syngeneic skin grafts were exchanged between gender-matched wild-type (WT) and CD200-deficient C57BL/6 mice, significant perifollicular and intrafollicular inflammation was observed, eventually leading to the destruction of virtually all HF (alopecia) without significant loss of the CD200-negative grafts. Minimal and transient inflammation was observed in WT grafts, which persisted long term with hair. There was a 2-fold increase in graft-infiltrating T cells in CD200-deficient skin at 14 d. Alopecia and skin lesions were induced in CD200-deficient hosts by adoptive transfer of splenocytes from WT mice previously grafted with CD200-negative skin, but not from mice grafted with WT skin. Collectively, these results suggest that the expression of CD200 in follicular epithelium attenuates inflammatory reactions and may play a role in maintaining immune tolerance to HF-associated autoantigens.

CD200 is a novel p53-target gene involved in apoptosis-associated immune tolerance.

During apoptotic cell death, biochemical processes modify self-proteins and create potential autoantigens. To maintain self-tolerance in the face of natural cell turnover, the immune system must prevent or control responses to apoptosis-associated autoantigens or risk autoimmunity. The molecular mechanisms governing this process remain largely unknown. Here, we show that expression of the immunoregulatory protein CD200 increases as murine dendritic cells (DCs) undergo apoptosis. We define CD200 as a p53-target gene and identify both p53- and caspase-dependent pathways that control CD200 expression during apoptosis. CD200 expression on apoptotic DCs diminishes proinflammatory cytokine production in response to self-antigens in vitro and is required for UVB-mediated tolerance to haptenated self-proteins in vivo. Up-regulation of CD200 may represent a novel mechanism, whereby immune reactivity to apoptosis-associated self-antigens is suppressed under steady state conditions.