Murine Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Produce IFN-γ upon IL-4 Stimulation

Abstract IL-4 plays a key role in inducing IL-4 production in CD4+ T cells, functioning as an important determinant for Th2 cell differentiation. We show here that IL-4 induces IFN-γ production in B220+ plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs). By searching for cell populations that produce IFN-γ upon IL-4 stimulation, we found that PDCs were a major IFN-γ-producing cell upon IL-4 stimulation in wild-type and Rag-2−/− splenocytes. Isolated PDCs, but not CD11b+ DCs or CD8+ DCs, produced IFN-γ upon IL-4 stimulation. In vivo, the depletion of PDCs by anti-Ly6G/C Ab prevented IFN-γ production induced by IL-4 administration. We also found that IL-4 induced IFN-γ production, but not IL-12 or IFN-α production, in PDCs and also strongly enhanced CpG oligodeoxynucleotide-induced IFN-γ production, but not CpG oligodeoxynucleotide-induced IL-12 or IFN-α production. However, IL-4 did not induce IFN-γ production in Stat6−/− PDCs. Moreover, IL-4 induced Stat4 expression in PDCs through a Stat6-dependent mechanism, and only the Stat4-expressing PDCs produced IFN-γ. Furthermore, IL-4 did not induce IFN-γ production in Stat4−/− PDCs. These results indicate that PDCs preferentially produce IFN-γ upon IL-4 stimulation by Stat6- and Stat4-dependent mechanisms.