Subtractive hybridization reveals the expression of immunoglobulin-like transcript 7, Eph-B1, granzyme B, and 3 novel transcripts in human plasmacytoid dendritic cells

Recent studies in humans have highlighted the importance of a distinct cellular entity, the plasmacytoid dendritic cell (PDC). To identify genes for which expression is restricted to human PDCs, a cDNA subtraction technique was applied using cDNA from activated monocyte-derived DCs (MDDCs) as competitor. In the 650 sequences analyzed, 25% were for B-cell transcripts. We also found lymphoid-related genes, immunoglobulinlike transcript 7 (ILT7), granzyme B (GrB), Spi-B, and the receptor tyrosine kinase Eph-B1. Granzyme B was up-regulated on activation, and protein was detected only in PDCs. Eph-B1 protein was expressed in the cytoplasm and the nuclei of PDCs and MDDCs, respectively. Interestingly, several novel molecules have been identified that were predicted to encode for a type 2 transmembrane protein (BRI(3)), a putative cytokine (C-15, a cysteine-rich-secreted protein), and a type 1 leucine-rich repeat protein (MAPA). The identification of genes expressed in PDCs provides new insights into their function and origin.