Langerhans cell migration is modulated by N-sulfated glucosamine moieties in heparin

Dendritic cell (DC) migration into and out of tissues is important for the generation of primary immune responses to antigens encountered in tissues. In order to study the mechanisms involved in DC migration we used a skin ex plant system and quantitated the number of Langerhans cells (LC), which are immature precursors of DC in skin-draining lymph nodes, remaining in the e pidermis in response to incubation with various biomolecules. This paper sh ows that LC trafficking in epidermis is a metabolically active process that is modulated by heparin, specifically by N-sulfated glucosamine moieties i n heparin. This is the first demonstration of structural specificity in the biochemical requirements for DC migration in a tissue and therefore is imp ortant to understanding DC migration in general.