To identify endocytic receptors that allow dendritic cells (DCs) to capture and present antigens on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I products in vivo, we evaluated DEC-205, which is abundant on DCs in lymphoid tissues. Ovalbumin (OVA) protein, when chemically coupled to monoclonal αDEC-205 antibody, was presented by CD11c+ lymph node DCs, but not by CD11c− cells, to OVA-specific, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Receptor-mediated presentation was at least 400 times more efficient than unconjugated OVA and, for MHC class I, the DCs had to express transporter of antigenic peptides (TAP) transporters. When αDEC-205:OVA was injected subcutaneously, OVA protein was identified over a 4–48 h period in DCs, primarily in the lymph nodes draining the injection site. In vivo, the OVA protein was selectively presented by DCs to TCR transgenic CD8+ cells, again at least 400 times more effectively than soluble OVA and in a TAP-dependent fashion. Targeting of αDEC-205:OVA to DCs in the steady state initially induced 4–7 cycles of T cell division, but the T cells were then deleted and the mice became specifically unresponsive to rechallenge with OVA in complete Freund's adjuvant. In contrast, simultaneous delivery of a DC maturation stimulus via CD40, together with αDEC-205:OVA, induced strong immunity. The CD8+ T cells responding in the presence of agonistic αCD40 antibody produced large amounts of interleukin 2 and interferon γ, acquired cytolytic function in vivo, emigrated in large numbers to the lung, and responded vigorously to OVA rechallenge. Therefore, DEC-205 provides an efficient receptor-based mechanism for DCs to process proteins for MHC class I presentation in vivo, leading to tolerance in the steady state and immunity after DC maturation.

The prevention and treatment of prevalent infectious diseases and tumors should benefit from improvements in the induction of antigen-specific T cell immunity. To assess the potential of antigen targeting to dendritic cells to improve immunity, we incorporated ovalbumin protein into a monoclonal antibody to the DEC-205 receptor, an endocytic receptor that is abundant on these cells in lymphoid tissues. Simultaneously, we injected agonistic α-CD40 antibody to mature the dendritic cells. We found that a single low dose of antibody-conjugated ovalbumin initiated immunity from the naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cell repertoire. Unexpectedly, the αDEC-205 antigen conjugates, given s.c., targeted to dendritic cells systemically and for long periods, and ovalbumin peptide was presented on MHC class I for 2 weeks. This was associated with stronger CD8+ T cell–mediated immunity relative to other forms of antigen delivery, even when the latter was given at a thousand times higher doses. In parallel, the mice showed enhanced resistance to an established rapidly growing tumor and to viral infection at a mucosal site. By better harnessing the immunizing functions of maturing dendritic cells, antibody-mediated antigen targeting via the DEC-205 receptor increases the efficiency of vaccination for T cell immunity, including systemic and mucosal resistance in disease models.

The maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) allows these antigen-presenting cells to initiate immunity. We pursued this concept in situ by studying the adjuvant action of α-galactosylceramide (αGalCer) in mice. A single i.v. injection of glycolipid induced the full maturation of splenic DCs, beginning within 4 h. Maturation was manifest by marked increases in costimulator and major histocompatibility complex class II expression, interferon (IFN)-γ production, and stimulation of the mixed leukocyte reaction. These changes were not induced directly by αGalCer but required natural killer T (NKT) cells acting independently of the MyD88 adaptor protein. To establish that DC maturation was responsible for the adjuvant role of αGalCer, mice were given αGalCer together with soluble or cell-associated ovalbumin antigen. Th1 type CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses developed, and the mice became resistant to challenge with ovalbumin-expressing tumor. DCs from mice given ovalbumin plus adjuvant, but not the non-DCs, stimulated ovalbumin-specific proliferative responses and importantly, induced antigen-specific, IFN-γ producing, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells upon transfer into naive animals. In the latter instance, immune priming did not require further exposure to ovalbumin, αGalCer, NKT, or NK cells. Therefore a single dose of αGalCer i.v. rapidly stimulates the full maturation of DCs in situ, and this accounts for the induction of combined Th1 CD4+ and CD8+ T cell immunity to a coadministered protein.

Induction of immunity and peripheral tolerance requires contacts between antigen-bearing dendritic cells (DCs) and cognate T cells. Using real-time two-photon microscopy, we have analyzed the dynamics of CD8(+) T cells in lymph nodes during the induction of antigen-specific immunity or tolerance. At 15-20 h after the induction of immunity, T cells stopped moving and established prolonged interactions with DCs. In tolerogenic conditions, despite effective initial T cell activation and proliferation, naive T cells remained motile and established serial brief contacts with multiple DCs. Thus, stable DC-T cell interactions occur during the induction of priming, whereas brief contacts may contribute to the induction of T cell tolerance.

The avoidance of autoimmunity requires mechanisms to actively silence or tolerize self reactive T cells in the periphery. During infection, dendritic cells are not only capturing microbial antigens, but also are processing self antigens from dying cells as well as innocuous environmental proteins. Since the dendritic cells are maturing in response to microbial and other stimuli, peptides will be presented from both noxious and innocuous antigens. Therefore it would be valuable to have mechanisms whereby dendritic cells, prior to infection, establish tolerance to those self and environmental antigens that can be processed upon pathogen encounter. In the steady state, prior to acute infection and inflammation, dendritic cells are in an immature state and not fully differentiated to carry out their known roles as inducers of immunity. These immature cells are not inactive, however. They continuously circulate through tissues and into lymphoid organs, capturing self antigens as well as innocuous environmental proteins. Recent experiments have provided direct evidence that antigen-loaded immature dendritic in vivo silence T cells either by deleting them or by expanding regulatory T cells. In this way, it is proposed that the immune system overcomes at least some of the risk of developing autoimmunity and chronic inflammation. It is proposed that dendritic cells play a major role in defining immunologic self, not only centrally in the thymus but also in the periphery.

SummaryThe induction of antigen-specific T cell tolerance and its maintenance in the periphery is critical for the prevention of autoimmunity. Recent evidence shows that dendritic cells (DC) not only initiate T cell responses, but are also involved in silencing of T cell immune responses. The functional activities of DC are mainly dependent on their state of activation and differentiation, that is, terminally differentiated mature DC can efficiently induce the development of T effector cells, whereas immature DC are involved in maintenance of peripheral tolerance. The means by which immature DC maintain peripheral tolerance are not entirely clear, however, their functions include the induction of anergic T cells, T cells with regulatory properties as well as the generation of T cells that secrete immunomodulatory cytokines. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the immunoregulatory role of immature DC that might act as guardians for the induction and maintenance of T cell tolerance in the periphery.

We evaluated the proposal that during microbial infection, dendritic cells (DCs) undergo maturation and present a mixture of peptides derived from the microbe as well as harmless environmental antigens. Mice were exposed to an aerosol of endotoxin free ovalbumin (OVA) in the absence or presence of influenza virus. In its absence, OVA failed to induce B and T cell responses and even tolerized, but with influenza, OVA-specific antibodies and CD8+ cytolytic T lymphocytes developed. With or without infection, OVA was presented selectively in the draining mediastinal lymph nodes, as assessed by the comparable proliferation of infused, CD8+ and CD4+, TCR transgenic T cells. In the absence of influenza, these OVA-specific T cells produced little IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ, but with infection, both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells made high levels of IL-2 and IFN-γ. The OVA plus influenza-treated mice also showed accelerated recovery to a challenge with recombinant vaccinia OVA virus. CD11c+ DCs from the mediastinal lymph nodes of infected mice selectively stimulated both OVA- and influenza-specific T cells and underwent maturation, with higher levels of MHC class II, CD80, and CD86 molecules. The relatively slow (2–3 d) kinetics of maturation correlated closely to the time at which OVA inhalation elicited specific antibodies. Therefore respiratory infection can induce DC maturation and simultaneously B and T cell immunity to an innocuous antigen inhaled concurrently.

TLR signaling leads to dendritic cell (DC) maturation and immunity to diverse pathogens. The stimulation of TLRs by conserved viral structures is the only described mechanism leading to DC maturation after a virus infection. In this report, we demonstrate that mouse myeloid DCs mature normally after in vivo and in vitro infection with Sendai virus (SeV) in the absence of TLR3, 7, 8, or 9 signaling. DC maturation by SeV requires virus replication not necessary for TLR-mediated triggering. Moreover, DCs deficient in TLR signaling efficiently prime for Th1 immunity after infection with influenza or SeV, generating IFN-γ-producing T cells, CTLs and antiviral Abs. We have previously demonstrated that SeV induces DC maturation independently of the presence of type I IFN, which has been reported to mature DCs in a TLR-independent manner. The data presented here provide evidence for the existence of a novel intracellular pathway independent of TLR-mediated signaling responsible for live virus triggering of DC maturation and demonstrate its critical role in the onset of antiviral immunity. The revelation of this pathway should stimulate invigorating research into the mechanism for virus-induced DC maturation and immunity.