Cutting edge: B220+CCR9- dendritic cells are not plasmacytoid dendritic cells but are precursors of conventional dendritic cells.

Mouse lymphoid organs contain two major subsets of dendritic cells (DC) that differ in their phenotype and functions: conventional DC (cDC) and plasmacytoid DC (pDC). Recently, it has been proposed that differential expression of CCR9 could distinguish functionally distinct pDC subsets. We show that B220(+)CCR9(-) DC do not express classical pDC markers and have a developmental origin different from that of pDC. Furthermore, B220(+)CCR9(-) DC do not secrete IFN-alpha in response to CpG and, unlike pDC, can efficiently present exogenous Ags. Our results demonstrate that B220(+)CCR9(-) DC do not represent a subset of pDC. After in vivo transfer, these cells down-regulate B220 expression and convert into the two major cDC subsets, showing that they are a developmental stage of cDC differentiation.