Non-coordinate synthesis of MHC class II proteins and invariant chains by epidermal Langerhans cells derived from short-term in vitro culture

Epidermal cells (EC) prepared from Lewis rat skin contained 2-3% class II+, LCA+ Langerhans cells (LC). LC enriched from freshly isolated EC suspensions proved highly effective accessory cells when presenting the nominal antigen OVA to an RT1.Bl-restricted ovalbumin (OVA)-specific rat T cell clone. Short-term preculture of the EC resulted in diminished OVA presenting capacity of the LC. Flow cytometry (FCM) analysis of class II and gamma chain expression revealed an up-regulation of class II on the LC's cell surface, consistent with earlier findings in mouse and human. However, while the presence of gamma chains in mouse LC was reported to decline to negligible levels during culture we obse…