The role of conventional type 1 DCs (cDC1s) in tolerance induction to solid organ allografts is unknown and important for strategies that seek to prolong allograft viability. Using a murine model deficient in cDC1s, we report cDC1s are required for donor antigen and costimulation blockade (DST + CoB) tolerance induction and survival of cardiac allografts. cDC1 deficiency led to decreases in CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T cells within allograft and spleen tissue of transplant recipients, and this was found to be antigen specific. Donor antigen stimulation induced TGF-β1 expression in both in vivo cDC1s and in vitro Flt3L-derived cDC1s. Genetic deletion of TGF-β1 in cDC1s prevented induction of antigen-specific CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T cells and was associated with cardiac allograft rejection. In parallel, single-cell RNA sequencing and metabolic analysis revealed upregulation of cDC1 mitochondrial metabolic signatures after in vivo exposure to DST + CoB. Genetic inactivation of cDC1 mitochondrial metabolism reduced expression of cDC1 TGF-β1, decreased antigen-specific Treg populations, and impaired allograft tolerance. Taken together, our findings implicate cDC1s in strategies to preserve solid organ allografts and also implicate mitochondrial metabolism of cDC1s as a molecular mechanism to enhance the generation of antigen-specific CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T cells through TGF-β1.
Keywords: Dendritic cells; Immunology; Transplantation.