FIGURE 3.

Lin⁻c-Kit⁺_pure cells induce Th17 response by different subsets of T cells and induce molecules expressed by Th17 cells. (A) Lin⁻c-Kit⁺pure cells fed with nucleosomes (10 μg/ml) were co-cultured as APC with γδ⁺T cells, CD4⁺T cells, or CD4⁻CD8⁻T cell subsets fractionated from SNF1 splenocytes, and the T cells’ responses in IL-17 ELISPOT plates are shown, in addition to the IL-17spots produced by Lin⁻c-Kit⁺_pure APC cultured by themselves in presence of nucleosomes (APC alone). The cells were isolated from 5 mo old female SNF1 mice. T cells and Lin⁻c-Kit⁺ cells cultured without nucleosomes produced 13 ± 6 spots as background. (B) Lin⁻c-Kit⁺_pure cells and T cells from SNF1 mice were co-cultured in the presence of 20μg/ml nucleosomes, and then analyzed for relative expression of mRNA of RORγT, Igtb1, Igtb4, IL-23R, IL-22, and IL-21 by real time PCR at various time points. T cells alone or Lin⁻c-Kit⁺_pure cell alone did not express these genes. Igtb1 and Igtb4 mean integrins β1 and β4. Mean ± s.e.m of 3 experiments are shown, n= 15 mice.