Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of genetically determined immunodeficiency on epidermal dendritic cell populations in C57BL/6J mice

  • Original Contributions
  • Published:
Archives of Dermatological Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Mice homozygous for three different recessive mutations known to cause pleiotropic defects in the immune system and in the skin were used to evaluate the relationship between the classical immune system and dendritic epidermal cell populations. Numbers of Langerhans cells (LCs) and Thy-1+ dendritic cells (Thy-1+DEC) were determined using indirect immunofluorescence microscopy of epidermal whole mounts taken from viable motheaten (me v), nude (nu), and rhino (rh hr) mice. All mutants were maintained on the C57BL/6J strain background and were compared with their respective littermate normal controls. Viable motheaten mice had normal numbers of LCs at 1 month of age. However, by 8 weeks of age, LC density had decreased threefold. Nude and rhino mice had normal numbers of LCs at all ages tested. There was no significant effect of the viable motheaten mutation on numbers of Thy-1+DEC. Although nude mice showed normal numbers of Thy-1+ DEC at 1 month of age, these athymic mice had a threefold decrease in numbers of such cells by 6 months. In contrast to the reduced numbers of Thy-1+DEC seen in nude mice, rhino mice showed a four- to fivefold increase in the numbers of these epidermal cells at all ages tested. These findings suggest new mouse models for investigating the development, regulation, and biological properties of epidermal dendritic cell populations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Amornsipiranitch S, Barnes LM, Nordlund JJ, Trinkle LS, Rheins LA (1988) Immune studies in the depigmenting C57BL/Ler-vit/vit mice. An apparent isolated loss of contact hypersensitivity. J Immunol 140:3438–3445

    Google Scholar 

  2. Asarnow DM, Kuziel WA, Bunyhad M, Tigelaar RE, Tucker PW, Allison JP (1988) Limited diversity of γδ antigen receptor genes of Thy-1+ dendritic epidermal cells. Cell 55:837–847

    Google Scholar 

  3. Baker KW, Habowsky JEJ (1983) EDTA separation and ATPase Langerhans cell staining in the mouse epidermis. J Invest Dermatol 80:104–107

    Google Scholar 

  4. Balfour BM, Drexhage HA, Kamperdijk EWA, Hoefsmit ECM (1981) Antigen-presenting cells including Langerhans cells, veiled cells and interdigitating cells. In: Microenvironments in haematopoietic and lymphoid differentiation. Ciba Foundation Symposium 84:281–301

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bergstresser PR, Tigelaar RE, Dees JH, Streilein JW (1983) Thy-1 antigen-bearing dendritic cells populate murine epidermis. J Invest Dermatol 81:286–288

    Google Scholar 

  6. Breatnach SM, Katz SI (1984) Thy-1+ dendritic cells are bone marrow-derived. J Invest Dermatol 83:74–77

    Google Scholar 

  7. Choi LC, Sauder DN (1986) The role of Langerhans cells and keratinocytes in epidermal immunity. J Leukoc Biol 39:343–358

    Google Scholar 

  8. Havran WL, Poenie M, Tigelaar RE, Tsien RY, Allison JP (1989) Phenotypic and functional analysis of γδ T cell receptor positive murine dendritic epidermal clones. J Immunol 142: 1422–1428

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hayashi SI, Witte PL, Shultz LD, Kincade PW (1988) Lymphopoiesis in culture is prevented by interaction with adherent bone marrow cells from mutant viable motheaten mice. J Immunol 140:2139–2147

    Google Scholar 

  10. Janeway CA, Jones B, Hayday AC (1988) Specificity and function of T cells bearing γδ receptors. Immunol Today 9:73–76

    Google Scholar 

  11. Jenkinson EJ, Van Ewijk W, Owen JJT (1981) MHC antigen expression on the epithelium of developing thymus in normal and nude mice. J Exp Med 153:280–292

    Google Scholar 

  12. Katz SI, Tamaki K, Sachs DH (1979) Epidermal Langerhans cells are derived from cells originating in bone marrow. Nature 282:324–326

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kawaji H (1973) Suitability of rhino mouse in studies of connective tissue disease. Exp Animals 22:299s

    Google Scholar 

  14. Kawaji H, Tsukuda R, Nakaguchi T (1979) Immunopathology of rhino mouse, an autosomal recessive mutant with murine lupus-like disease. Acta Pathol Jpn 30:515–530

    Google Scholar 

  15. Komschlies KL, Greiner DL, Shultz DL, Goldschneider I (1987) Defective lymphopoiesis in the bone marrow of moth-eaten (me/me) and viable motheaten (me v/me v) mutant mice. III. A radiosensitive accessory cell from normal mouse bone marrow enables me v/me v prothymocytes to generate thymocytes after intravenous transfer. J Exp Med 166:1162–1167

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kraal G, Breel M, Janse M, Bruin G (1986) Langerhans cells, veiled cells and interdigitating cells in the mouse recognized by a monoclonal antibody. J Exp Med 163:981–997

    Google Scholar 

  17. Lessard RJ, Wolff K, Winkelman RK (1968) The disappearance and regeneration of Langerhans cells following epidermal injury. J Invest Dermatol 50:171–179

    Google Scholar 

  18. MacDonald HR, Blanc C, Lees RK, Sordat B (1986) Abnormal distribution of T cell subsets in athymic mice. J Immunol 136:4337–4339

    Google Scholar 

  19. Mackenzie IC, Squier CA (1975) Cytochemical identification of ATPase-positive Langerhans cells in EDTA-separated sheets of mouse epidermis. Br J Dermatol 92:523–533

    Google Scholar 

  20. Medlock ESI, Goldschneider I, Greiner DL, Shultz LD (1987) Defective lymphopoiesis in the bone marrow of motheaten (me/me) and viable motheaten (me v/me v) mice. II. Description of a microenvironmental defect for the generation of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-positive bone marrow cells in vitro. J Exp Med 138:3590–3597

    Google Scholar 

  21. Nixon-Fulton JL, Bergstresser PR, Tigelaar RE (1986) Thy-1+ epidermal cells proliferate in response to concanavalin A and interleukin 2. J Immunol 136:2776–2786

    Google Scholar 

  22. Nixon-Fulton JL, Witte PL, Tigelaar RE, Bergstresser PR, Kumar V (1987) Lack of Thy-1+ epidermal cells in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency disease. J Immunol 138: 2902–2905

    Google Scholar 

  23. Nixon-Fulton JL, Koziel WA, Santerse B, Bergstresser PR, Tucker PW, Tigelaar RE (1988) Epidermal cells in nude mice are distinct from their counterparts in thymus-bearing mice. A study of morphology, function, and T cell receptor expression. J Immunol 141:1897–1903

    Google Scholar 

  24. Nordlund JJ, Ackles AA (1981) A method for quantifying Langerhans cells in epidermal sheets of human and murine skin. Tissue Antigens 17:217–225

    Google Scholar 

  25. Obrien RL, Happ MP, Dallas A, Palmer E, Kubo R, Burn WK (1989) Stimulation of a major subset of lymphocytes expressing T cell receptor γδ by an antigen derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Cell 57:667–674

    Google Scholar 

  26. Romani N, Stingl G, Tschachler E, Witmer MD, Steinman RM, Shevach EM, Schuler G (1985) The Thy-1 bearing cell of murine epidermis, a distinct leukocyte perhaps related to natural killer cells. J Exp Med 161:1368–1383

    Google Scholar 

  27. Shultz LD (1987) Pleiotropic mutations causing abnormalities in the murine immune system and the skin. Curr Probl Dermatol 17:236–250

    Google Scholar 

  28. Shultz LD, Sidman CL (1987) Genetically determined murine models of immunodeficiency. Annu Rev Immunol 5:67–403

    Google Scholar 

  29. Shultz LD, Coman DR, Bailey CL, Beamer WG, Sidman CL (1984) Viable motheaten: a new allele at the motheaten locus. I. Pathology. Am J Pathol 116:179–192

    Google Scholar 

  30. Silberberg-Sinakin, Thorbecke IGJ, Baer RL, Rosenthal AS, Berezowsky V (1976) Antigen bearing Langerhans cells in skin, dermal lymphatic and lymph node. Cell Immunol 25:137–151

    Google Scholar 

  31. Stingl G, Gunter KC, Tschachler E, Yamada H, Lechler RI, Yokoyama WM, Steiner GRN, Shevach EM (1987) Thy-1+ dendritic epidermal cells belong to the T-cell lineage. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84:2430–2434

    Google Scholar 

  32. Takaoki M, Kawaji H (1980) Impaired antibody response against T-dependent antigens in rhino mice. Immunology 40:27–32

    Google Scholar 

  33. Tamaki K, Stingl G, Gullino M, Sachs DH, Katz SI (1979) Ia antigens in mouse skin are predominantly expressed on Langerhans cells. J Immunol 123:784–787

    Google Scholar 

  34. Tschachler E, Shuler G, Hutterer J, Leibl H, Wolff K, Stingl G (1983) Expression of Thy-1 antigen by murine epidermal cells. J Invest Dermatol 81:282–285

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    E. Sprecher & Y. Becker

  2. Department of Histology, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    G. Kraal

  3. Jackson Laboratory, 04609, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA

    E. Hall & L. D. Shultz

Authors
  1. E. Sprecher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Y. Becker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. Kraal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. E. Hall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. L. D. Shultz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This work was supported in part by grants from the US-Israel Binational Foundation for Science, the United States-Israel Bi-national Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD), the Foundation for the Study of Cell Biology and Molecular Virology, Phoenix, Arizona and United States Public Health Service grant CA-20408. E. S. is a fellow of the Foulkes Foundation, London, UK

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sprecher, E., Becker, Y., Kraal, G. et al. Effect of genetically determined immunodeficiency on epidermal dendritic cell populations in C57BL/6J mice. Arch Dermatol Res 282, 188–193 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00372621

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00372621

Key words

Search

Navigation