Retinoic acid dependent regulation of immune responses by dendritic cells and macrophages

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Santhakumar Manicassamy, Emory University; Bali Pulendran, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2009-02
• Publisher: Elsevier: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.smim.2008.07.007
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Seminars in Immunology
• ISSN: 1044-5323
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 22
• End Page: 27
• Grant/Funding Information: BP and SM were supported by the National Institutes of Health AI048638, AI05726601, DK057665, U54 AI057157 and AI-50019
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Pathology

Abstract

Dendritic cells (DCs) control the strength and quality of antigen-specific T and B cell responses. Recent advances point to a novel mechanism, in which metabolism of vitamin A into retinoic acid (RA) in DCs, regulate critical parameters of lymphocyte differentiation. First, RA enhances the induction of Foxp3+ T regulatory cells by DCs. Thus, specific subsets of intestinal DCs and macrophages constitutively express RA synthesizing enzymes, and induce T regulatory cells. In addition, RA programs DCs to imprint mucosal homing properties on activated T and B cells, and enhanced induction of immunoglobulin-A (IgA) by B cells. Here, we review these recent advances, in the context of the pleiotropic effects of RA in regulating diverse biological processes.