A Subclass of Dendritic Cells Regulates the Response of Naive CD8 T Cells by Limiting Their IL-2 Production

Abstract

Previous work indicated that a subclass of mouse spleen dendritic cells (DC), those bearing CD8α, expresses the Fas ligand and restricts peripheral CD4 T cell responses by initiating Fas-mediated apoptosis. To determine whether a similar regulation applies to CD8 T cells, they were purified from normal or from TCR-transgenic mice, and then cultured with purified splenic CD8+ DC or CD8- DC presenting either alloantigens or the specific Ag for the TCR transgene. In all systems studied, the proliferative response of CD8 T cells was markedly less on stimulation with CD8+ DC compared with conventional CD8- DC. However, the basis of this restricted proliferation in response to CD8+ DC was totally ..