CpG promotes cross-presentation of dead cell-associated antigens by pre-CD8α+ dendritic cells [corrected

Cross-presentation of cell-associated Ags by dendritic cells (DC) plays an important role in immunity. DC in lymphoid tissues are short lived, being continuously replaced by precursors that proliferate and differentiate locally. Paradoxically, although TLR ligands promote immune responses and stimulate DC replenishment, they impair the cross-priming capacity of terminally differentiated splenic CD8α(+) DC, the major subset involved in cross-priming. In this study, we have investigated the cross-presentation capacity of newly generated murine DC and especially immediate precursors of CD8α(+) DC. We show that these DC do not cross-present Ag from dead cells unless stimulated by TLR ligands before Ag capture. TLR ligand CpG induced the expression of costimulatory molecules required for CD8 T cell activation but also regulated the intracellular mechanisms of cross-presentation such as Ag degradation rates without regulating Ag uptake. GM-CSF, an inflammatory cytokine associated with infections, also promoted cross-presentation acquisition by pre-CD8α(+) DC and synergized with TLR9 ligand. The concept that TLR ligands as well as inflammatory cytokines promote the acquisition of cross-presenting properties by pre-CD8α(+) DC has important implications during immune responses and when considering the use of these cells for vaccination.     

Dendritic cells capture killed tumor cells and present their antigens to elicit tumor-specific immune responses

Due to their capacity to induce primary immune responses, dendritic cells (DC) are attractive vectors for immunotherapy of cancer. Yet the targeting of tumor Ags to DC remains a challenge. Here we show that immature human monocyte-derived DC capture various killed tumor cells, including Jurkat T cell lymphoma, malignant melanoma, and prostate carcinoma. DC loaded with killed tumor cells induce MHC class I- and class II-restricted proliferation of autologous CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, demonstrating cross-presentation of tumor cell-derived Ags. Furthermore, tumor-loaded DC elicit expansion of CTL with cytotoxic activity against the tumor cells used for immunization. CTL elicited by DC loaded with the PC3 prostate carcinoma cell bodies kill another prostate carcinoma cell line, DU145, suggesting recognition of shared Ags. Finally, CTL elicited by DC loaded with killed LNCap prostate carcinoma cells, which express prostate specific Ag (PSA), are able to kill PSA peptide-pulsed T2 cells. This demonstrates that induced CTL activity is not only due to alloantigens, and that alloantigens do not prevent the activation of T cells specific for tumor-associated Ags. This approach opens the possibility of using allogeneic tumor cells as a source of tumor Ag for antitumor therapies.     

Human dendritic cells transfected with RNA encoding prostate-specific antigen stimulate prostate-specific CTL responses in vitro

Although immunological tolerance to self Ags represents an important mechanism to prevent normal tissue injury, there is growing evidence that tolerance to tumor Ags, which often represent normal peripherally expressed proteins, is not absolute and can be effectively reverted. Prostate-specific Ag (PSA) is a self Ag expressed by both normal and malignant prostatic epithelium, and therefore offers a unique opportunity to examine the ability of self Ags to serve as specific CTL targets. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of autologous dendritic cells (DC) transfected with mRNA encoding PSA to stimulate CTL against PSA Ags in vitro. Ag in form of RNA carries the advantage to encode multiple epitopes for many HLA alleles, thus permitting induction of CTL responses among many cancer patients independent of their HLA repertoire. In this study, we show that PSA mRNA-transfected DC were capable of stimulating primary CTL responses against PSA Ags in vitro. The PSA-specific CTL did not cross-react with kallikrein Ags, a protein, which shares significant homology with PSA, suggesting that harmful autoimmune toxicity may not represent a significant problem with this approach. PSA RNA-transfected DC generated from male or female healthy volunteers or from cancer patients were equally effective in stimulating PSA-specific CTL in vitro, implying that neither natural tolerance to PSA Ags nor tumor-mediated T cell anergy may represent major barriers for CTL generation against the self Ag PSA. This study provides a preclinical rationale for using PSA RNA-transfected DC in active or adoptive immunization protocols.     

Fc gamma RIIB regulates nasal and oral tolerance: a role for dendritic cells

Mucosal tolerance prevents the body from eliciting productive immune responses against harmless Ags that enter the body via the mucosae, and is mediated by the induction of regulatory T cells that differentiate in the mucosa-draining lymph nodes (LN) under defined conditions of Ag presentation. In this study, we show that mice deficient in FcgammaRIIB failed to develop mucosal tolerance to OVA, and demonstrate in vitro and in vivo a critical role for this receptor in modulating the Ag-presenting capacity of dendritic cells (DC). In vitro it was shown that absence of FcgammaRIIB under tolerogenic conditions led to increased IgG-induced release of inflammatory cytokines such as MCP-1, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 by bone marrow-derived DC, and increased their expression of costimulatory molecules, resulting in an altered immunogenic T cell response associated with increased IL-2 and IFN-gamma secretion. In vivo we could show enhanced LN-DC activation and increased numbers of Ag-specific IFN-gamma-producing T cells when FcgammaRIIB(-/-) mice were treated with OVA via the nasal mucosa, inferring that DC modulation by FcgammaRIIB directed the phenotype of the T cell response. Adoptive transfer of CD4(+) T cells from the spleen of FcgammaRIIB(-/-) mice to naive acceptor mice demonstrated that OVA-responding T cells failed to differentiate into regulatory T cells, explaining the lack of tolerance in these mice. Our findings demonstrate that signaling via FcgammaRIIB on DC, initiated by local IgG in the mucosa-draining LN, down-regulates DC activation induced by nasally applied Ag, resulting in those defined conditions of Ag presentation that lead to Tr induction and tolerance.     

Nuclear autoantigen translocation and autoantibody opsonization lead to increased dendritic cell phagocytosis and presentation of nuclear antigens: a novel pathogenic pathway for autoimmunity?

Autoreactivity in lupus requires the delivery of autoantigens to APCs in a proinflammatory context. It has been proposed that apoptotic cells are a source of lupus autoantigens and targets for autoantibodies. Using a histone H2B-GFP fusion protein as traceable Ag, we show here that lupus autoantibodies, directed against nuclear autoantigens, can opsonize apoptotic cells, enhance their uptake through induction of proinflammatory Fc gammaR-mediated phagocytosis, and augment Ag-specific T cell proliferation by increasing Ag loading. Apoptotic blebs and bodies seemed to be a preferred target of DC phagocytosis, via both "eat-me signals" and Fc gammaR-mediated mechanisms; furthermore, inhibition of nuclear Ag redistribution, by blockade of chromatin fragmentation, could stop binding and opsonization of apoptotic cells by autoantibodies, and inhibited Fc gamma-R-mediated enhancement of phagocytosis. Our results suggest that DC uptake of opsonized histones and other nuclear Ags from apoptotic cells is a novel pathway for the presentation of nuclear Ags in a highly inflammatory context. Blockade of chromatin fragmentation in lupus is a potential therapeutic approach, which could theoretically limit DC access to autoantigens delivered in proinflammatory context, while leaving available for tolerization those delivered in a noninflammatory context.     

Acquisition of MHC:Peptide Complexes by Dendritic Cells Contributes to the Generation of Antiviral CD8+ T Cell Immunity In Vivo

There is an increasing body of evidence suggesting that the transfer of preformed MHC class I:peptide complexes between a virus-infected cell and an uninfected APC, termed cross-dressing, represents an important mechanism of Ag presentation to CD8(+) T cells in host defense. However, although it has been shown that memory CD8(+) T cells can be activated by uninfected dendritic cells (DCs) cross-dressed by Ag from virus-infected parenchymal cells, it is unknown whether conditions exist during virus infection in which naive CD8(+) T cells are primed and differentiate to cytolytic effectors through cross-dressing, and indeed which DC subset would be responsible. In this study, we determine whether the transfer of MHC class I:peptide complexes between infected and uninfected murine DC plays a role in CD8(+) T cell priming to viral Ags in vivo. We show that MHC class I:peptide complexes from peptide-pulsed or virus-infected DCs are indeed acquired by splenic CD8α(-) DCs in vivo. Furthermore, the acquired MHC class I:peptide complexes are functional in that they induced Ag-specific CD8(+) T cell effectors with cytolytic function. As CD8α(-) DCs are poor cross-presenters, this may represent the main mechanism by which CD8α(-) DCs present exogenously encountered Ag to CD8(+) T cells. The sharing of Ag as preformed MHC class I:peptide complexes between infected and uninfected DCs without the restraints of Ag processing may have evolved to accurately amplify the response and also engage multiple DC subsets critical in the generation of strong antiviral immunity.     

Microbial and T cell-derived stimuli regulate antigen presentation by dendritic cells in vivo

B cells and dendritic cells (DC) internalize and degrade exogenous Ags and present them as peptides bound to MHC class II molecules for scrutiny by CD4(+) T cells. Here we use an Ab specific for a processed form of the model Ag, hen egg lysozyme (HEL), to demonstrate that this protein is not efficiently presented by lymph node DC following s.c. immunization. HEL presentation by the DC can be dramatically enhanced upon coinjection of a microbial adjuvant, which appears to act by enhancing peptide loading onto MHC class II. CD40 cross-linking or the presence of a high frequency of T cells specific for HEL can similarly improve presentation by DC in vivo. For any of these activating stimuli, CD8alpha(+) DC consistently display the highest proportion of HEL-loaded MHC class II molecules. These data indicate that exogenous Ags can be displayed to T cells in lymphoid tissues by a large cohort of resident DC whose presentation is regulated by innate and adaptive stimuli. Our data further reveal the existence of a feedback mechanism that augments Ag presentation during cognate APC-T cell interactions.     

Another view of T cell antigen recognition: cooperative engagement of glycolipid antigens by Va14Ja18 natural T(iNKT) cell receptor [corrected

Va14Ja18 natural T (iNKT) cells rapidly elicit a robust effector response to different glycolipid Ags, with distinct functional outcomes. Biochemical parameters controlling iNKT cell function are partly defined. However, the impact of iNKT cell receptor beta-chain repertoire and how alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) analogues induce distinct functional responses have remained elusive. Using altered glycolipid ligands, we discovered that the Vb repertoire of iNKT cells impacts recognition and Ag avidity, and that stimulation with suboptimal avidity Ag results in preferential expansion of high-affinity iNKT cells. iNKT cell proliferation and cytokine secretion, which correlate with iNKT cell receptor down-regulation, are induced within narrow biochemical thresholds. Multimers of CD1d1-alphaGalCer- and alphaGalCer analogue-loaded complexes demonstrate cooperative engagement of the Va14Ja18 iNKT cell receptor whose structure and/or organization appear distinct from conventional alphabeta TCR. Our findings demonstrate that iNKT cell functions are controlled by affinity thresholds for glycolipid Ags and reveal a novel property of their Ag receptor apparatus that may have an important role in iNKT cell activation.     

Dendritic cells present lytic antigens and maintain function throughout persistent gamma-herpesvirus infection

The activation and maintenance of Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells is central to the long-term control of persistent infections. These killer T cells act to continuously scan and remove reservoirs of pathogen that have eluded the acute immune response. Acutely cleared viral infections depend almost exclusively on dendritic cells (DC) to present Ags to, and to activate, the CD8(+) T cell response. Paradoxically, persistent pathogens often infect professional APCs such as DC, in addition to infecting a broad range of nonprofessional APC, raising the possibility that many cell types could present viral Ags and activate T cells. We addressed whether in persistent viral infection with murine gammaherpesviruses, DC or non-DC, such as B cells and macrophages, were required to maintain the continued activation of Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells. We found that presentation of the surrogate Ag, OVA, expressed under a lytic promoter to CD8(+) T cells during persistent infection was largely restricted to DC, with little contribution from other lymphoid resident cells, such as B cells. This is despite the fact that B cells harbor a very large reservoir of latent virus. Our results support that, during persistent viral infection, continual presentation of lytic Ags by DC leads to T cell activation critical for maintaining CD8(+) T cells capable of limiting persistent viral infection.     

CD64 expression distinguishes monocyte-derived and conventional dendritic cells and reveals their distinct role during intramuscular immunization

Although most vaccines are administered i.m., little is known about the dendritic cells (DCs) that are present within skeletal muscles. In this article, we show that expression of CD64, the high-affinity IgG receptor FcγRI, distinguishes conventional DCs from monocyte-derived DCs (Mo-DCs). By using such a discriminatory marker, we defined the distinct DC subsets that reside in skeletal muscles and identified their migratory counterparts in draining lymph nodes (LNs). We further used this capability to analyze the functional specialization that exists among muscle DCs. After i.m. administration of Ag adsorbed to alum, we showed that alum-injected muscles contained large numbers of conventional DCs that belong to the CD8α(+)- and CD11b(+)-type DCs. Both conventional DC types were capable of capturing Ag and of migrating to draining LNs, where they efficiently activated naive T cells. In alum-injected muscles, Mo-DCs were as numerous as conventional DCs, but only a small fraction migrated to draining LNs. Therefore, alum by itself poorly induces Mo-DCs to migrate to draining LNs. We showed that addition of small amounts of LPS to alum enhanced Mo-DC migration. Considering that migratory Mo-DCs had, on a per cell basis, a higher capacity to induce IFN-γ-producing T cells than conventional DCs, the addition of LPS to alum enhanced the overall immunogenicity of Ags presented by muscle-derived DCs. Therefore, a full understanding of the role of adjuvants during i.m. vaccination needs to take into account the heterogeneous migratory and functional behavior of muscle DCs and Mo-DCs revealed in this study.     

TRAIL/DR5 plays a critical role in NK cell-mediated negative regulation of dendritic cell cross-priming of T cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) are critical in initiating immune responses by cross-priming of tumor Ags to T cells. Previous results showed that NK cells inhibited DC-mediated cross-presentation of tumor Ags both in vivo and in vitro. In this study, enhanced Ag presentation was observed in draining lymph nodes in TRAIL(-/-) and DR5(-/-) mice compared with that of wild-type mice. NK cells inhibit DC cross-priming of tumor Ags in vitro, but not direct presentation of endogenous Ags. NK cells lacking TRAIL, but not perforin, were not able to inhibit DC cross-priming of tumor Ags. DCs that lack expression of TRAIL receptor DR5 were less susceptible to NK cell-mediated inhibition of cross-priming, and cross-linking of DR5 receptor led to reduced generation of MHC class I-Ag peptide complexes, followed by attenuated cross-priming of CD8(+) T cells. In addition, key molecules involved in the TRAIL/DR5 pathway during DC/NK cell interactions were determined. In summary, these data indicate a novel alternative pathway for DC/NK cell interactions in antitumor immunity and may reflect homeostasis of both DCs and NK cells for regulation of CD8(+) T cell function in physiological conditions.     

Human CD8+ T cells recognize the 60-kDa cysteine-rich outer membrane protein from Chlamydia trachomatis

The intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia is sequestered from the host cell cytoplasm by remaining within an inclusion body during its replication cycle. Nevertheless, CD8(+) T cells recognizing Chlamydia Ags in the context of MHC class I molecules are primed during infection. We have recently described derivation of Chlamydia-specific human CD8(+) T cells by using infected dendritic cells as a surrogate system to reflect Chlamydia-specific CD8(+) T cell responses in vivo. These CD8(+) T cell clones recognize chlamydial Ags processed via the conventional class Ia processing pathway, as assessed by treatment of infected APC with lactacystin and brefeldin A, suggesting that the Ags are translocated from the chlamydial inclusion into the host cell cytosol. In this study, outer membrane protein 2 (OmcB) was identified as the Ag recognized by one of these Chlamydia-specific human CD8(+) T cells, and we defined the HLA*A0101-restricted epitope from this Ag. CD8(+) T cell responses to this epitope were present at high frequencies in the peripheral blood of both of two HLA*A0101 donors tested. In vitro chlamydial growth was completely inhibited by the OmcB-specific CD8(+) T cell clone independently of lytic mechanisms. OmcB is a 60-kDa protein that has been postulated to be associated with the Chlamydia outer membrane complex. The subcellular localization of OmcB to the cytosol of infected cells, as determined by conventional MHC class I Ag processing and presentation, suggests the possibility of an additional, cytosolic-associated function for this protein.     

A CD91-positive subset of CD11c+ blood dendritic cells: characterization of the APC that functions to enhance adaptive immune responses against CD91-targeted antigens

Dendritic cells (DC) and other APCs rely on a number of specialized receptors to facilitate the uptake and intracellular accumulation of Ags. In this capacity, APCs use receptor-mediated endocytosis to enhance Ag presentation and the stimulation of Ag-specific T cells. Studies have demonstrated that the targeted delivery of Ags in vivo to CD91/the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (CD91/LRP) induces enhanced activation of the adaptive immune system. However, the APC that mediates these augmented, Ag-specific responses remains to be characterized. In this study, we show that a subset of CD11c(+) lineage-negative (lin(-)) DC expresses the scavenger receptor CD91/LRP and that these rare APC are primarily responsible for the T cell activation that occurs following CD91/LRP-mediated Ag uptake in whole blood. The targeting of Ags to CD91/LRP results in enhanced receptor-mediated uptake within both lin(-) DCs and monocytes, and this uptake results in markedly increased T cell activation. Finally, purified cellular populations were used to demonstrate that CD11c(+) lin(-) DC, but not monocytes, are capable of stimulating T cell activation following CD91/LRP-mediated Ag uptake. Therefore, CD11c(+) lin(-) DC use CD91/LRP to facilitate the uptake and subsequent presentation of an array of Ags complexed within the CD91/LRP ligand, the activated form of alpha2-macroglobulin (alpha2M*).     

CD1 molecules efficiently present antigen in immature dendritic cells and traffic independently of MHC class II during dendritic cell maturation

Upon exposure to Ag and inflammatory stimuli, dendritic cells (DCs) undergo a series of dynamic cellular events, referred to as DC maturation, that involve facilitated peptide Ag loading onto MHC class II molecules and their subsequent transport to the cell surface. Besides MHC molecules, human DCs prominently express molecules of the CD1 family (CD1a, -b, -c, and -d) and mediate CD1-dependent presentation of lipid and glycolipid Ags to T cells, but the impact of DC maturation upon CD1 trafficking and Ag presentation is unknown. Using monocyte-derived immature DCs and those stimulated with TNF-alpha for maturation, we observed that none of the CD1 isoforms underwent changes in intracellular trafficking that mimicked MHC class II molecules during DC maturation. In contrast to the striking increase in surface expression of MHC class II on mature DCs, the surface expression of CD1 molecules was either increased only slightly (for CD1b and CD1c) or decreased (for CD1a). In addition, unlike MHC class II, DC maturation-associated transport from lysosomes to the plasma membrane was not readily detected for CD1b despite the fact that both molecules were prominently expressed in the same MIIC lysosomal compartments before maturation. Consistent with this, DCs efficiently presented CD1b-restricted lipid Ags to specific T cells similarly in immature and mature DCs. Thus, DC maturation-independent pathways for lipid Ag presentation by CD1 may play a crucial role in host defense, even before DCs are able to induce maximum activation of peptide Ag-specific T cells.     

Presentation of the self antigen myelin basic protein by dendritic cells leads to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Bone marrow (BM)-derived dendritic cells (DC) are potent stimulators of naive CD4+ T cell activation. Because DC are efficient at Ag processing and could potentially present self Ags, we investigated the role of DC in the presentation of an encephalitogenic peptide from myelin basic protein (Ac1-11) in the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). To determine if DC could prime for EAE, we transferred DC pulsed with Ac1-11 or with medium alone into irradiated mice in combination with CD4+ T cells isolated from a mouse transgenic for a TCR specific for Ac1-11 + I-Au. Mice transferred with Ac1-11-pulsed DC developed EAE 7-10 days later, whereas mice receiving medium-pulsed DC did not. By day 15, all mice given peptide-loaded DC had signs of tail and hind limb paralysis, and by day 20 infiltration of Ac1-11-specific CD4+ T cells was detected in the brain parenchyma. We also demonstrated interactions between Ac1-11-pulsed DC and Ac1-11-specific T cells in the lymph nodes 24 h following adoptive transfer of both cell populations. These data show that DC can efficiently present the self Ag myelin basic protein Ac1-11 to Ag-specific T cells in the periphery of mice to induce EAE.     

Phagocytosis induces lysosome remodeling and regulated presentation of particulate antigens by activated dendritic cells

Immunization with particulate Ag effectively induces antitumor and antiviral T cell-mediated immunity. Immature dendritic cells (DCs) efficiently internalize, process, and present a variety of particulate Ags; however, previously published data suggest that both the uptake of soluble Ag through micropinocytosis, and phagocytosis of particulates are significantly curtailed in activated DC populations. In this study, we demonstrate that although macropinocytosis of soluble Ag is diminished following DC activation, subsets of DCs in activated DC populations retain the ability to actively phagocytose particulate Ags. Live cell imaging of activated DCs reveals that phagocytosis of particulates can result in cytoskeletal remodeling and perinuclear lysosome cluster disruption in a time-dependent manner. Interestingly, our results suggest that in activated DC populations, presentation of phagocytosed particulate Ags is dependent on the nature of the activation signal. These results provide direct evidence of functional heterogeneity in DC populations and contribute to the development of particle-based immunization strategies.     

Cross-presentation of Listeria-derived CD8 T cell epitopes requires unstable bacterial translation products

Presentation of bacteria-derived CD8 T cell epitopes by dendritic cells (DC) requires either their direct infection or that DC acquire and cross-present Ags from other infected cells. We found that cross-presentation of Listeria monocytogenes-derived CD8 T cell epitopes was much stronger than direct Ag presentation by infected murine DC. Cross-presentation of Listeria-derived CD8 T cell epitopes showed unique physiological requirements. It was dependent upon the delivery of unstable bacterial translation products by infected, but still viable, Ag donor cells. Cross-presentation was enhanced both when unstable translation products in infected Ag donor cells were protected from proteasomal degradation and when the production of misfolded bacterial proteins was increased. The requirement of unstable translation products for cross-presentation may represent a novel pathway that functions to focus the CD8 T cell response toward epitopes derived from newly synthesized proteins.     

The kidney-renal lymph node-system contributes to cross-tolerance against innocuous circulating antigen

Soluble Ags devoid of inflammatory stimuli, derived for example from self-serum or food proteins, induce T cell tolerance, predominantly in the spleen. In this study, we describe an additional role of the kidney-renal LN (rLN) system in tolerogenic presentation of circulating soluble Ags. Protein below albumin molecular mass constitutively passed the kidney glomerular filter and was concentrated in the tubular compartment. Enriched filterable Ag was endocytosed by kidney dendritic cells (kDCs). Simultaneously, it was transported cell independently within 2 min to DCs resident in rLNs. These DC phenotypically differed from kDCs carrying filterable Ag, and used a distinct mechanism, mannose receptor-mediated endocytosis, to internalize Ag. They activated specific CD8+ T cells, which subsequently proliferated without producing effector cytokines or developing cytotoxic activity, showed a curtailed lifespan and signs of apoptosis. Such T cell tolerization was independent of steady-state migratory kDC, because it occurred also when nephrectomy was performed soon after Ag injection. These findings demonstrate that the kidney dispatches concentrated blood-borne Ags to the rLNs, where they are captured by resident DCs, resulting in CD8+ T cell cross-tolerance. This mechanism may contribute to avoiding immunity against innocuous circulating protein Ags below albumin size.     

Type I IFNs control antigen retention and survival of CD8α(+) dendritic cells after uptake of tumor apoptotic cells leading to cross-priming

Cross-presentation is a crucial mechanism for generating CD8 T cell responses against exogenous Ags, such as dead cell-derived Ag, and is mainly fulfilled by CD8α(+) dendritic cells (DC). Apoptotic cell death occurring in steady-state conditions is largely tolerogenic, thus hampering the onset of effector CD8 T cell responses. Type I IFNs (IFN-I) have been shown to promote cross-priming of CD8 T cells against soluble or viral Ags, partly through stimulation of DC. By using UV-irradiated OVA-expressing mouse EG7 thymoma cells, we show that IFN-I promote intracellular Ag persistence in CD8α(+) DC that have engulfed apoptotic EG7 cells, regulating intracellular pH, thus enhancing cross-presentation of apoptotic EG7-derived OVA Ag by CD8α(+) DC. Notably, IFN-I also sustain the survival of Ag-bearing CD8α(+) DC by selective upmodulation of antiapoptotic genes and stimulate the activation of cross-presenting DC. The ensemble of these effects results in the induction of CD8 T cell effector response in vitro and in vivo. Overall, our data indicate that IFN-I cross-prime CD8 T cells against apoptotic cell-derived Ag both by licensing DC and by enhancing cross-presentation.