Mouse spleen contains three distinct mature dendritic cell (DC) populations (CD4⁺8⁻, CD4⁻8⁻, and CD4⁻8⁺) which retain a capacity to take up particulate and soluble Ags. Although the three splenic DC subtypes showed similar uptake of injected soluble OVA, they differed markedly in their capacity to present this Ag and activate proliferation in OVA-specific CD4 or CD8 T cells. For class II MHC-restricted presentation to CD4 T cells, the CD8⁻ DC subtypes were more efficient, but for class I MHC-restricted presentation to CD8 T cells, the CD8⁺ DC subtype was far more effective. This differential persisted when the DC were activated with LPS. The CD8⁺ DC are therefore specialized for in vivo cross-presentation of exogenous soluble Ags into the class I MHC presentation pathway.

A novel dendritic cell (DC)–restricted molecule, Clec9A, was identified by gene expression profiling of mouse DC subtypes. Based on sequence similarity, a human ortholog was identified. Clec9A encodes a type II membrane protein with a single extracellular C-type lectin domain. Both the mouse Clec9A and human CLEC9A were cloned and expressed, and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against each were generated. Surface staining revealed that Clec9A was selective for mouse DCs and was restricted to the CD8+ conventional DC and plasmacytoid DC subtypes. A subset of human blood DCs also expressed CLEC9A. A single injection of mice with a mAb against Clec9A, which targets antigens (Ags) to the DCs, produced a striking enhancement of antibody responses in the absence of added adjuvants or danger signals, even in mice lacking Toll-like receptor signaling pathways. Such targeting also enhanced CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses. Thus, Clec9A serves as a new marker to distinguish subtypes of both mouse and human DCs. Furthermore, targeting Ags to DCs with antibodies to Clec9A is a promising strategy to enhance the efficiency of vaccines, even in the absence of adjuvants.