BDCA-2, a Novel Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell–specific Type II C-type Lectin, Mediates Antigen Capture and Is a Potent Inhibitor of Interferon α/β Induction

TLDR

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells reside in lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues and play key roles in innate and adaptive immunity. The study proposes evaluating BDCA‑2 activation as a therapeutic strategy to block interferon α/β production in systemic lupus erythematosus. BDCA‑2 is a novel type II C‑type lectin whose monoclonal antibodies are rapidly internalized, presented to T cells, and whose ligation potently suppresses interferon α/β production through calcium mobilization and src‑family tyrosine kinase signaling.

Abstract

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells are present in lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissue and contribute substantially to both innate and adaptive immunity. Recently, we have described several monoclonal antibodies that recognize a plasmacytoid dendritic cell-specific antigen, which we have termed BDCA-2. Molecular cloning of BDCA-2 revealed that BDCA-2 is a novel type II C-type lectin, which shows 50.7% sequence identity at the amino acid level to its putative murine ortholog, the murine dendritic cell-associated C-type lectin 2. Anti-BDCA-2 monoclonal antibodies are rapidly internalized and efficiently presented to T cells, indicating that BDCA-2 could play a role in ligand internalization and presentation. Furthermore, ligation of BDCA-2 potently suppresses induction of interferon alpha/beta production in plasmacytoid dendritic cells, presumably by a mechanism dependent on calcium mobilization and protein-tyrosine phosphorylation by src-family protein-tyrosine kinases. Inasmuch as production of interferon alpha/beta by plasmacytoid dendritic cells is considered to be a major pathophysiological factor in systemic lupus erythematosus, triggering of BDCA-2 should be evaluated as therapeutic strategy for blocking production of interferon alpha/beta in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.