Recombination activating gene-2 regulates CpG-mediated interferon-α production in mouse bone marrow-derived plasmacytoid dendritic cells.

ABSTRACT: Using mice that lack recombination activating gene-2 (Rag2), we have found that bone marrow-derived plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) as main producers of interferon-α (IFNα) require Rag2 for normal development. This is a novel function for Rag2, whose classical role is to initiate B and T cell development. Here we showed that a population of common progenitor cells in the mouse bone marrow possessed the potential to become either B cells or pDCs upon appropriate stimulations, and the lack of Rag2 hindered the development of both types of progeny cells. A closer look at pDCs revealed that Rag2⁻/⁻ pDCs expressed a high level of Ly6C and were defective at producing IFNα in response to CpG, a ligand for toll-like receptor 9. This phenotype was not shared by Rag1⁻/⁻ pDCs. The induction of CC

SUBMITTER: Luo XM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3480463 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature