Dendritic Cell Function in Teleost Immune Systems

Dendritic cells (DCs) in teleost fish are pivotal antigen-presenting cells that bridge the innate and adaptive arms of immunity. Morphologically and functionally analogous to their mammalian counterparts, teleost DCs express major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) molecules, extend branching pseudopodia for antigen capture and migrate from peripheral tissues to lymphoid organs. They recognise pathogen-associated molecular patterns via pattern-recognition receptors, phagocytose debris and pathogens, and upon activation up-regulate costimulatory markers to prime naïve T lymphocytes. Distinct DC subsets have been identified at mucosal surfaces such as gills and skin, where cross-presentation pathways enable the activation of cytotoxic T cells. Although teleosts lack classical lymph nodes, specialised DC populations within head kidney, spleen and mucosal tissues orchestrate protective responses against aquatic pathogens. Understanding the ontogeny, subset diversity and activation requirements of teleost DCs has profound implications for vaccine development and disease control in aquaculture industries worldwide.

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Functional analogue studies in rainbow trout have established protocols for generating and isolating DC-like cells from haematopoietic tissues. These cells exhibit classical dendritic morphology, robust MHCII expression, potent T-cell stimulatory capacity and in vivo migratory behaviour, confirming their central role in teleost antigen presentation. Further work on mucosal DC subsets in rainbow trout gills revealed cells co-expressing CD8α, CD103 and other cross-presenting markers, and demonstrated tissue-specific adaptation of antigen uptake, IgM binding and responsiveness to CD40 ligand. More recent in vitro models using salmon mononuclear phagocytes stimulated with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides have shown morphological differentiation into dendritic-like cells with long, branching pseudopodia, a proinflammatory transcriptional profile and dynamic regulation of costimulatory molecules. These studies highlight both conserved and teleost-specific pathways that govern DC maturation, antigen-presenting function and the balance between proinflammatory and regulatory states.

Dendritic Cell Function in Teleost Immune Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in dendritic cell function in teleost immune systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Dendritic cell: A professional antigen-presenting cell that captures, processes and presents antigens to T lymphocytes, initiating adaptive immunity.

Teleost: A diverse infraclass of bony fishes, possessing both innate and adaptive immune components similar to higher vertebrates.

Antigen presentation: The display of processed peptide fragments bound to MHC molecules on the cell surface for recognition by T cells.

Cross-presentation: A pathway by which exogenous antigens are presented on MHC class I molecules, enabling activation of cytotoxic T cells.

MHC class II (MHCII): A set of cell-surface proteins expressed by antigen-presenting cells that present exogenous peptides to CD4⁺ T helper cells.

Pattern-recognition receptor: A receptor that recognises conserved microbial structures (PAMPs) to trigger innate immune responses and DC activation.

References

1. Functional Identification of Dendritic Cells in the Teleost Model, Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). PLOS ONE (2012).
2. Identification of a Potential Common Ancestor for Mammalian Cross-Presenting Dendritic Cells in Teleost Respiratory Surfaces. Frontiers in Immunology (2018).
3. CpGs Induce Differentiation of Atlantic Salmon Mononuclear Phagocytes Into Cells With Dendritic Morphology and a Proinflammatory Transcriptional Profile but an Exhausted Allostimulatory Activity. Frontiers in Immunology (2019).