Cryptococcus neoformans activates bone marrow-derived conventional dendritic cells rather than plasmacytoid dendritic cells and down-regulates macrophages

Induction of IL-12 and IL-23 is essential for protective immunity against Cryptococcus neoformans. The contribution of dendritic cells vs. macrophages to IL-12/23 production in response to C. neoformans infection is unclear. Activation of conventional bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC), plasmacytoid BMDC, and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM Phi) was assessed by analyzing cytokine responses and the expression of MHC-II, CD86, and CD80 in each cell type. Cryptococcus neoformans induced the release of IL-12/23p40 by BMDC, but not by BMM Phi, in a TLR2- and TLR4-independent but MyD88-dependent manner. Conventional BMDC rather than plasmacytoid BMDC up-regulated MHC-II and CD86, while BMM Phi down-regulated MHC-II and CD86 in response to C. neoformans. The up-regulation of MHC-II and CD86 on BMDC required MyD88. Our data point to conventional DC as critical IL-12/23-producing antigen-presenting cells during cryptococcosis.