Phenotypic and functional heterogeneity among murine epidermal-derived dendritic cell clones.

We have established recently long-term dendritic cell lines from the epidermis of newborn BALB/c mice. These lines, termed XS series, resembled epidermal resident Langerhans cells or their progenitors in terms of surface phenotype, antigen-presenting capacity, and growth factor requirement. We examined in this study the degree of clonal heterogeneity among XS cells with respect to each of these features. Twelve stable clones were established by limiting dilution microculture from 8-10-week-old cultures of the XS52 or XS20 line. Despite the uniform expression of CD45, these clones varied substantially in their expression of Ia, B7-1, and B7-2 molecules. They also varied significantly in their relative efficiency in activating T cells. Finally, remarkable clone-to-clone heterogeneity was also observed in their growth factor responsiveness; some clones responded equally well to granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor-1, whereas others responded preferentially to one or the other of these factors. We propose that the observed clonal heterogeneity in XS cells reflects possible heterogeneity in the state of maturation and mitotic potential among the starting populations, i.e., skin-associated dendritic cells in newborn mice.