Generation and function of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells from CD4/CD8(-/-) double-knockout mice

We present a novel, simple and straightforward method to obtain mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DC) from C57B1/6 CD4/CD8(-/-) double knock- out mice. This new method, involving culture of bone marrow cells in medium supplemented with Interleukin 4 and Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulat ing Factor, does not involve negative immunodepletion of CD4(+) and CD8(+) populations, or extensive prior manipulations of the starting population. T he resulting, loosely adherent cell population, exhibited the morphological characteristics and typical surface markers of DCs, and were endowed with the functional activities characteristic of bone marrow-derived DCs of wild -type mice. Interestingly, LCMV GP33-41 peptide-loaded CD4/CD8(-/-) DCs wer e efficiently lysed by peptide-specific activated CTLs in vitro. Furthermor e; these peptide-loaded CD4/CD8(-/-) DCs induced a peptide-specific CTL res ponse upon immunization of wild-type C57B1/6 mice. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scienc e B.V. All rights reserved.