Isolation of dendritic cell progenitor and bone marrow progenitor cells from mouse

Abstract

Dendritic cells (DCs) comprise two major subsets, conventional DC (cDC) and plasmacytoid DC (pDC) in the steady-state lymphoid organ. These cells have a short half-life and therefore, require continuous generation from hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells. Recently, we identifi ed DC-restricted progenitors called common DC progenitors (CDPs) in the bone marrow of mouse. The CDPs can be isolated from mouse bone marrow based on the hematopoietic cytokine receptors, such as Flt3 (Fms-related tyrosine kinase 3) (CD135), c-kit (CD117), M-CSF (macrophage colony-stimulating factor) receptor (CD115), and IL-7 (interleukin-7) receptor-α (CD127). The CDPs comprise of two progenitors, CD115+ CDPs and CD115− CDPs, and give rise to only DC subsets in both in vitro and in vivo. The former CDPs are the main source of cDC, while the later CDPs are the main source of pDC in vivo. Here, we provide a protocol for the isolation of dendritic cell progenitor and bone marrow progenitor cells from mouse.