Mesenteric dendritic cells from germ-free mice cause less T-cell stimulation but still induce α4β7 integrin

Abstract

Intestinal dendritic cells (DCs) have properties that distinguish them from DCs in other tissues. The intestinal microbiota influences the generation of the gut immune system but it is not known whether bacteria influence tissue-specific properties of intestinal DCs. In this study intestinal and non-intestinal DCs from germ-free (GF) and conventional (CONV) mice were compared. Mesenteric lymph node (MLN) DCs from GF mice were less stimulatory for T cells than their counterparts from CONV mice. Responses stimulated by Peyer's patch (PP) DCs and peripheral lymph node (PLN) DCs were similar in GF and CONV mice. DCs from GF mice were competent for the generation of cytokine-producing effector T ..