PU.1 is required for myeloid-derived but not lymphoid-derived dendritic cells.

The ets-family transcription factor PU.1 is required for the proper development of both myeloid and lymphoid progenitors. We used PU. 1-deficient animals to examine the role of PU.1 during dendritic cell development. PU.1(-/-)animals produce lymphoid-derived dendritic cells (DC): low-density class II major histocompatibility complex [MHC-II(+)] CD11c(+) CD8alpha(+) DEC-205(+). But they lack myeloid-derived DC: low-density MHC-II(+) CD11c(+) CD8alpha(-) DEC-205(-). PU.1(-/-) embryos also lack progenitors capable of differentiating into myeloid DC in response to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor plus interleukin-4. The appearance of lymphoid DC in developing PU.1(-/-)thymus was initially delayed, but this population recovered to wild type (WT) levels upon organ culture of isolated thymic lobes. PU. 1(-/-)lymphoid DC were functionally equivalent to WT DC for stimulating T-cell proliferation in mixed lymphocyte reactions. These results demonstrate that PU.1 is required for the development of myeloid DC but not lymphoid DC.