Affiliation:
1. School of Medicine Vita‐Salute San Raffaele University Milan Italy
2. Division of Immunology Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute Milan Italy
3. Center for Omics Sciences IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute Milan Italy
4. Department of Neurosciences “Rita Levi Montalcini” University of Turin Turin Italy
5. Experimental Imaging Centre IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute Milan Italy
Abstract
AbstractTDC are hematopoietic cells that combine dendritic cell (DC) and conventional T‐cell markers and functional properties. They were identified in secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) of naïve mice as cells expressing CD11c, major histocompatibility molecules (MHC)‐II, and the T‐cell receptor (TCR). Despite thorough characterization, a physiological role for TDC remains to be determined. Unfortunately, using CD11c as a marker for TDC has the caveat of its upregulation on different cells, including T cells, upon activation. Here, we took advantage of Zbtb46‐GFP reporter mice to explore the frequency and localization of TDC in different tissues at steady state and upon viral infection. RNA sequencing analysis confirmed that TDC sorted from Zbtb46‐GFP mice have a gene signature that is distinct from conventional T cells and DC. In addition, this reporter model allowed for identification of TDC in situ not only in SLOs but also in the liver and lung of naïve mice. Interestingly, we found that TDC numbers in the SLOs increased upon viral infection, suggesting that TDC might play a role during viral infections. In conclusion, we propose a visualization strategy that might shed light on the physiological role of TDC in several pathological contexts, including infection and cancer.
Funder
European Research Council
Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro
Subject
Immunology,Immunology and Allergy