IL-10-Dependent Crosstalk between Murine Marginal Zone B Cells, Macrophages, and CD8α+ Dendritic Cells Promotes Listeria monocytogenes Infection.

Type 1 CD8α+ conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) are required for CD8+ T cell priming but, paradoxically, promote splenic Listeria monocytogenes infection. Using mice with impaired cDC2 function, we ruled out a role for cDC2s in this process and instead discovered an interleukin-10 (IL-10)-dependent cellular crosstalk in the marginal zone (MZ) that promoted bacterial infection. Mice lacking the guanine nucleotide exchange factor DOCK8 or CD19 lost IL-10-producing MZ B cells and were resistant to Listeria. IL-10 increased intracellular Listeria in cDC1s indirectly by reducing inducible nitric oxide synthase expression early after infection and increasing intracellular Listeria in MZ metallophilic macrophages (MMMs). These MMMs trans-infected cDC1s, which, in turn, transported Listeria into the white pulp to prime CD8+ T cells. However, this also facilitated bacterial expansion. Therefore, IL-10-mediated crosstalk between B cells, macrophages, and cDC1s in the MZ promotes both Listeria infection and CD8+ T cell activation.

Differential Intrasplenic Migration of Dendritic Cell Subsets Tailors Adaptive Immunity.

Evidence suggests that distinct splenic dendritic cell (DC) subsets activate either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells in vivo. This bias has been partially ascribed to differential antigen presentation; however, all DC subsets can activate both T cell lineages in vitro. Therefore, we tested whether the organization of DC and T cell subsets in the spleen dictated this preference. We discovered that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells segregated within splenic T cell zones prior to immunization. After intravenous immunization, the two major conventional DC populations, distinguished by 33D1 and XCR1 staining, migrated into separate regions of the T cell zone: 33D1+ DCs migrated into the CD4+ T cell area, whereas XCR1+ DCs migrated into the CD8+ T cell area. Thus, the post-immunization location of each DC subset correlated with the T cell lineage it preferentially primes. Preventing this co-localization selectively impaired either CD4+ or CD8+ T cell immunity to blood-borne antigens.

Bridging channel dendritic cells induce immunity to transfused red blood cells.

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a life-saving therapeutic tool. However, a major complication in transfusion recipients is the generation of antibodies against non-ABO alloantigens on donor RBCs, potentially resulting in hemolysis and renal failure. Long-lived antibody responses typically require CD4(+) T cell help and, in murine transfusion models, alloimmunization requires a spleen. Yet, it is not known how RBC-derived antigens are presented to naive T cells in the spleen. We sought to answer whether splenic dendritic cells (DCs) were essential for T cell priming to RBC alloantigens. Transient deletion of conventional DCs at the time of transfusion or splenic DC preactivation before RBC transfusion abrogated T and B cell responses to allogeneic RBCs, even though transfused RBCs persisted in the circulation for weeks. Although all splenic DCs phagocytosed RBCs and activated RBC-specific CD4(+) T cells in vitro, only bridging channel 33D1(+) DCs were required for alloimmunization in vivo. In contrast, deletion of XCR1(+)CD8(+) DCs did not alter the immune response to RBCs. Our work suggests that blocking the function of one DC subset during a narrow window of time during RBC transfusion could potentially prevent the detrimental immune response that occurs in patients who require lifelong RBC transfusion support.