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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Oct 18.
Published in final edited form as: Immunity. 2016 Oct 18;45(4):719–736. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.10.010

Fig. 1. Functions of dendritic cell subsets in the immune response.

Fig. 1

Classical dendritic cells (cDCs) play critical roles in both innate and adaptive immunity. Furthermore, each subset of cDC appears to possess unique functions and to control the immune response against specific forms of pathogens. cDC1s control type 1 immune responses against viruses and intracellular pathogens (left panel). In these responses they prime naïve CD8 T cells, reactivate memory CD8 T cells, activate ILC1s, and induce Th1 cells. Their production of the cytokine IL-12 is vital for many of these functions. cDC1s also play a role in inducing Tregs against orally fed antigens and AIRE-dependent self-antigens expressed in the thymus, though it appears that in some cases cDC2s can also mediate Treg conversion to these antigens. Some cDC2s, on the other hand, regulate type 2 immune responses against parasites in which they induce Th2 cells (right panel). The exact mechanism by which they do this is unclear. Other cDC2s control type 3 immune responses against extracellular bacteria and fungi (right panel). In these responses, cDC2s produce IL-23 in order to activate ILC3s and to induce Th17 cells. Their production of IL-6 and TGF-β also contributes to the polarization of Th17 cells. Finally, cDC2s are also responsible for the induction of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells that regulate the germinal center response. DTR, diphtheria toxin receptor; VSV, vesicular stomatitis virus; LCMV, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus; WNV, west nile virus; HSV, herpes simplex virus; CMV, cytomegalovirus; AIRE, autoimmune regulator; Ag, antigen.