Plasmacytoid dendritic cell precursors (pDC/IPC) are the major producers of type I interferon and have the unique ability to link innate and adaptive immunity. After producing large amounts of type I IFN in response to microbial stimulation, they can differentiate into DC capable of stimulating naive T cells and modulate the adaptive immune response. In this review, we focus on the transition between these two highly specialized cell types, which is accompanied by major morphological, structural and functional changes, many of which remain to be fully characterized. We propose that the plasmacytoid and dendritic morphologies correspond to distinct differentiation states and effector functions. IntroductionCell differentiation is defined as the progressive restriction of a cell's developmental potential and increasing specialization of its function, ultimately leading to the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs. During differentiation, the morphology and function of the cell evolve simultaneously, such that the cells go from being round and undifferentiated to being specialized effector cells with a specific morphology, as illustrated by hematopoiesis [1]. When a cell type reaches its highest degree of specialization, it can be called "professional", indicating that it can accomplish a certain function better than any other cell type. At this stage, it is completely dedicated to its function and cannot differentiate further. Plasmacytoid dendritic cell precursors (pDC), however, appear to be an exception. Initially described as cells with a plasma cell-like morphology located in the T cell zone of secondary lymphoid tissues but lacking markers for B or T cells [2,3], two major functional features of plasmacytoid cells have been described over the past few years [4, 5]: (i) they are professional type I IFN-producing cells (IPC), and (ii) they can further differentiate into typical DC capable of stimulating naive T cells in an antigen-specific manner. Although plasmacytoid-derived DC have some specific properties in terms of antigen uptake, processing and presentation to T cells, which will be discussed, they share with other subsets the basic defining features of DC.In this review, we will focus on the relationship between the morphology, differentiation state, and Morphology and function in cell differentiationAs a cell differentiates, morphological changes occur that are tightly associated with the acquisition of specialized functions. Early-stage non-differentiated cells are round and have a large nucleus, active chromatin, and a high nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio. They can actively proliferate but are devoid of any effector function. Their differentiated counterparts progressively acquire specific morphological features that have evolved to optimize the function of the cell. For example, the long dendrites of a neuron are key to the formation of complex cellular networks in the central nervous system [6], whereas the morphology of a muscle cell has evolved to optimize its contractile potential. Such...
SummaryThe role of the liver in the initiation and maintenance of tolerance is a critical immune function that involves multiple lineages of immune cells. Included within these populations are liver dendritic cells (DCs). Although there has been significant work on the phenotypic and functional roles of splenic and bone marrow dendritic cells, as well as their subsets, comparable studies in liver have often been difficult. To address this issue we have isolated, from C57BL/6 mice, relatively pure populations of DCs and compared phenotype and function to the data from spleen using flow cytometry, cell sorter assisted purification and culture, morphology by cytospin and MayGiemsa staining, cell cycle progression, antigen uptake, cytokine production and allo-activation potential.
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