Lymph node stromal cells constrain immunity via MHC class II self-antigen presentation.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 25407678.
- Also identified by DOI 10.7554/eLife.04433 and PMC identifier 4270074.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Non-hematopoietic lymph node stromal cells shape immunity by inducing MHC-I-dependent deletion of self-reactive CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells and MHC-II-dependent anergy of CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells. In this study, we show that MHC-II expression on lymph node stromal cells is additionally required for homeostatic maintenance of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and maintenance of immune quiescence. In the absence of MHC-II expression in lymph node transplants, i.e. on lymph node stromal cells, CD4<sup>+</sup> as well as CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells became activated, ultimately resulting in transplant rejection. MHC-II self-antigen presentation by lymph node stromal cells allowed the non-proliferative maintenance of antigen-specific Tregs and constrained antigen-specific immunity. Altogether, our results reveal a novel mechanism by which lymph node stromal cells regulate peripheral immunity.