Maturation of Epidermal Langerhans Cells In Vitro Is Accompanied by Downregulation of 4F2 (CD98) as Determined by Differential Display

Following short-term culture, Langerhans cells mature morphologically and functionally into potent immunostimulatory cells. As regulation of gene expression accompanies this maturation process, it is likely that differentially expressed genes are involved in the maturation events. Using the recently described method of differential display, we generated cDNA expression patterns starting with mRNA of murine epidermal Langerhans cells isolated either directly (fLC) or following 3 d cultivation (cLC). Five hundred putative differentially expressed cDNA fragments were recovered from the gel. For a part of the fragments differential expression was confirmed by dot blot and Southern hybridization…