Metabolism Is Central to Tolerogenic Dendritic Cell Function

Figure 1

Differentiation of dendritic cells. Immature dendritic cells (DCs) can mature into either activated, immunogenic DCs that induce /2/17 for T cell function and elimination of pathogens or tolerogenic DCs that induce the expansion of T regulatory cells and T cell unresponsiveness for immune tolerance. Immature DCs mature into immunogenic DC with a shift in metabolism towards glycolysis, which is associated with increasing biomass for effector function. Tolerogenic DC, on the other hand, shifts cellular metabolism towards OXPHOS (oxidative phosphorylation) and favors FAO (fatty acid oxidation). This catabolic and highly energetic profile may be related to energy required for active suppression and protein degradation.