A role for endogenous transforming growth factor β1 in Langerhans cell biology: The skin of transforming growth factor β1 null mice is devoid of epidermal Langerhans cells

Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) regulates leukocytes and epithelial cells. To determine whether the pleiotropic effects of TGF-β1, a cytokine that is produced by both keratinocytes and Langerhans cells (LC), extend to epidermal leukocytes, we characterized LC (the epidermal contingent of the dendritic cell [DC] lineage) and dendritic epidermal T cells (DETC) in TGF-β1 null (TGF-β1 -/-) mice. I-A⁺ LC were not detected in epidermal cell suspensions or epidermal sheets prepared from TGF-β1 -/- mice, and epidermal cell suspensions were devoid of allostimulatory activity. In contrast, TCR- γδ⁺ DETC were normal in number and appearance in TGF-β1 -/- mice and, importantly, DETC represented the only leukocytes in the epidermis. Immunolocalization studies revealed CD11c⁺ DC in lymph nodes from TGF-β1 - /- mice, although gp40⁺ DC were absent. Treatment of TGF-β2 -/- mice with rapamycin abrogated the characteristic inflammatory wasting syndrome and prolonged survival indefinitely, but did not result in population of the epidermis with LC. Thus, the LC abnormality in TGF-β1 -/- mice is not a consequence of inflammation in skin or other organs, and LC development is not simply delayed in these animals. We conclude that endogenous TGF-β1 is essential for normal murine LC development or epidermal localization.