FoxP3+ regulatory T cells essentially contribute to peripheral CD8+ T-cell tolerance induced by steady-state dendritic cells

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jan 5;107(1):199-203. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0910620107. Epub 2009 Dec 15.

Abstract

Peripheral T-cell tolerance is thought to significantly contribute to the prevention of autoimmunity, and it has been shown that antigen-presenting steady-state dendritic cells efficiently induce peripheral tolerance. We previously showed that dendritic-cell-induced tolerance is a T-cell-intrinsic process that depends on coinhibitory molecules such as programmed death-1. Here we specifically analyze the involvement of FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells, which are known to be important for maintenance of self-tolerance. We show that antigen presentation by steady-state dendritic cells failed to induce peripheral tolerance in the absence of FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells but induced protective CD8(+) T-cell-mediated immunity instead. Regulatory T-cell-depleted mice had massively increased numbers of dendritic cells in lymph nodes. Dendritic cells isolated from mice without regulatory T cells had up-regulated costimulatory molecules and showed stronger T-cell stimulatory capacity ex vivo, suggesting that regulatory T cells contribute to peripheral tolerance by keeping the dendritic cells in an immature state. Using blocking antibodies, we demonstrate that CTLA-4 but not IL-10 is necessary for control of dendritic cells by regulatory T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / immunology*
  • Immune Tolerance / immunology*
  • Interleukin-10 / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Phenotype
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • Ctla4 protein, mouse
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Foxp3 protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-10